Gluten-Free While Eating Out

Vanessa K. Bush wrote a long and interesting article about gluten-free foods at QSR Magazine.com. Eating gluten-free also often means eating dairy-free as well, since celiac disease can damage the lining of the intestine where lactase is made.

Bush noted that many restaurant chains now finally are beginning to cater to special diet needs.

Lone Star Steakhouse, for example, makes recommendations on its menus geared specifically to the gluten-sensitive. Suggestions include ordering mesquite grilled steaks and chicken without seasoning or lemon butter; ordering burgers and sandwiches without a bun, steak fries, or seasoning; choosing the baked sweet potato without butter or cinnamon; and ordering salads without dressing, croutons, tortilla strips, or bacon. The Macaroni Grill offers suggestions on its menus for a number of food sensitivities, ranging from egg and fish allergies to gluten-free, advising those with wheat sensitivities to avoid baked items like croutons and biscotti and certain seasonings.

She mentioned several desserts as well, but all appeared to have milk in them except for Chinese upscale chain PF Chang, which "has a Flourless Chocolate Dome served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce." That sounds dairy-free but I would doublecheck.

It's a good article, covering a lot of ground, so take a jump over to QSR, a specialty magazine for the restaurant industry that has a deeper take on food subjects than a lot of generalist sites.