Eating Out With Food Intolerances

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Eating out when you have food intolerances can sometimes feel daunting. Here are some top tips to improve your confidence when eating away from home.

• Look for venues that accommodate modifications

• If possible, check menus before you choose a venue and before you arrive

• Look for menus with plainer and fresher choices, and gluten-free or dairy-free listed on the menu

• Have a snack before you go out, to avoid making poor food choices or being left feeling 'hangry'

• Ask for sauces and dressings to be served on the side, so you can decide whether to use them

• For events at a family or friend's place, take a plate of food that you will enjoy eating

• If you are highly sensitive, speak to the venue about heating and plating a meal you bring

• Take medicines to treat reactions (e.g. pain relief, antihistamines, asthma inhalers, anti-reflux)

• Remember, socialising is about more than just food, it can help improve mental and physical well-being

Eating out with food chemical intolerances

Look for items like:

• grilled lamb or beef, grilled chicken, fresh fish

• omelettes, scrambled eggs, hash browns

• baked potato, boiled rice, lettuce, root veg

• hot chips (without chicken salt or seasoning)

Ask for no pepper or other seasoning, other than salt

Choose drinks like:

• soda water, decaf coffee, gin, vodka, whisky

If you react to sulphites, look for preservative free wines and beers, or try adding products that reduce the sulphite content (speak with a dietitian).

If you eat dairy and/or wheat, look for desserts like:

• pavlova, pear, rice pudding, custards, crème caramel

Keep an eye out for:

• added MSG, sauces, dips, condiments

• sausages, deli meats (e.g. salami, bacon)

• strong cheese, chocolate, tomato sauces

• spices, curries, stocks (e.g. risotto, soups)

Top Tip

Opt for pubs and cafes; these are more likely to have plain options, rather than cuisines like Mexican, Indian, Italian, Chinese or Thai.

Gluten Free (GF) Tips

• Check menus, looking for 'GF' or 'GFO'

• Request GF items and double check with wait staff that they are GF when brought to you

• Rice based dishes can be a good option; ask about sauces, marinades, dressings, soups

• Check that crackers, breads, pastas, flours are GF

• Watch out for couscous, and battered or deep fried foods

• Use the 'Find Me Gluten Free' website to find venues

• Use the Celiac Australia app if you are unsure if an ingredient listed on the menu is GF

• If you are highly sensitive, caricain enzymes taken before a meal may help break down gluten from cross contamination (speak with a dietitian)

Top tip

• Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese and Indian generally have many good GF options

Low FODMAP Tips

• Look for plain meat, chicken, fish, tofu or egg dishes

• Check with the wait staff if a dish can be made without onion or garlic

• Ask which vegetables are served with a dish

• If you are unsure whether a food on the menu is low FODMAP, check on the Monash app

• Keep an eye out for legumes, stone fruit, honey, apples, pear, avocado, mushrooms

• For coffees, ask for almond or macadamia milk

• If you drink soy coffees, ask your regular barista to check the ingredients in their soy milk

• Keep an eye out for sauces, dressings, dips, soups and risottos, as they may have onion or garlic

Top tip

• Japanese, Australiana, Greek & Vietnamese, may have more suitable low FODMAP options

Dairy Free (DF) Tips

• Ask about DF or vegan options on the menu

• Look for grilled/poached/steamed meats, poultry, fish, tofu or eggs with vegetables

• Keep an eye out for cheese and yoghurt in things like sauces, dressings, crackers, toppings

• Oat or soy milk drinks are nutritious options

• Double check that butter isn't added

• If you are lactose intolerant, use lactase enzymes to improve the digestion of lactose in a meal (speak with a dietitian)

Top Tip

• Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Thai generally have more dairy free options