Eating out & other tips

I haven't blogged in a while, but take into consideration that I am a full-time college student, I work part-time, and I am involved in a million on-campus clubs and organizations (like preventing drug&alcohol use, Alpha Gamma Delta, etc.). My dearest apologies. With this, I haven't had much time to cook and take pictures of all this, but I have been eating out a lot. Some may say this is really bad, but there is times in everyones lives, when cooking and buying food is just not an option. I moved home and didn't have a place to store food, so I refused to go to the grocery store, thus my eating out adventures. It can be somewhat healthy if you try really hard, but during finals, I was way past eating healthy. Also, when you're first starting your gluten free diet, fast-food can be one of those things you really miss. With our American lifestyle, quick, cheap and easy is what everyone wants, even if you're dining with a dietary restriction.

These are not in any order, just enjoy and have a happy fast-food experience!


THE KEY TO EATING OUT GLUTEN-FREE IS TO ASK EACH PERSON WHO WILL COME IN CONTACT WITH YOUR FOOD TO CHANGE THEIR GLOVES and LET THEM KNOW YOU HAVE A GLUTEN SPECIFIC ALLERGY!!! 


Also, make sure they aren't using the same mayo that they used on the last guy's hamburger, because cross-contamination will just about kill you. 

1. Five Guys. Everything on their menu is gluten free. Ask for your burger, or whatever you want, to be lettuce wrapped; It's messy, but it's delicious, fast and cheap. The only thing you CANNOT eat at Five Guys: Burgers and Fries is there fry sauce, malt vinegar, and buns. For some weird reason they put something in their fry sauce that is deathly; even if you ask if it's okay and someone tells you it is, IT ISN'T! Me and my mom were told it was fine, until I was in the new Boise location and an employee with a gluten allergy warned me! If you want fry sauce, like all good fry lovers do, ask for a side of mayo, and not the stuff they put on the buns, tell them to get it from the back. You're not being a pain, it's their job. And no worries about their fries, the regular and the cajun fries are safe. 
2. Red-Robin. YUM! This place knows what allergies are all about! Ask for a gluten free menu up front and you'll be able to start looking as soon as you're seated! They give you this hideous binder, but I'd rather have a binder than guess. Let your waiter know and they'll make sure your experience is as sufficient as the rest of the groups. Managers are required to bring out any dish that is marked with an allergy on their system (this way you know that they are being careful with cross-contamination and stuff). All their burgers can be lettuce-wrapped, but now they offer Udi's Buns for only $1 more (I think additional costs for GF is ridiculous, but I'll take it). This makes me feel as regular as possible, plus the feeling of a bun on your burger is a whole new level of satisfaction. They also have fries!!!! They fry them in a separate fryer, so they are 100% safe! 
3. Domino's Pizza. This place I've only tried once, and it is not for people who are really, really allergic to gluten. I would not advise my mother to eat here, but I'm just fine, as my allergy isn't quite as strong yet. They have gluten free crusts, and it's fast, but it is prepared in a kitchen where all other pizzas are made. They even have a disclaimer on their site as you choose the GF crust selection from ordering online. All-in-all, it's good, and you don't feel left out when your friends order pizza to the library in a cram-sesh for finals!
4. Costa Vida! This one gets an exclamation point! This is my new favorite gluten-free restaurant. I refuse to eat mexican style foods, but this place has earned a spot in my book. Everything on their menu is gluten free except two desserts and their ranch. http://costavida.net/ They have a nationally recognized GF organization backing them up; you can't ask for much better. It used to be Bajio. And this place was very scary for allergies, but they've cleaned it up and really improved it to a miracle. They even have CostaCards. When you make a purchase, they give you a percentage of that purchase back onto your card and you can buy your next meal with that money. It's like a subway card, but they give you a lot more back. I frequent this place at least twice a week.
5. Carl's Jr. This place can be a little spendy, but all the regular items are that way too. The Low-Carb burger is about the only thing you can eat, but man is it satisfying and delicious. Just explain to your cashier that you need them to change your gloves and watch that he/she tells the cook (they don't have a button on their PointOfSales for it). Also, you can usually eat the fries & the fry sauce. Just double check to make sure they use the fryer for only fries, as some franchises do and some don't. I also like their Turkey burgers wrapped in lettuce, just remember, NO Teriyaki. 

These are my five favorite places to frequent as a GF college student on a budget. I know Red Robin isn't technically fast food, but they have great meals and I always have leftovers. Plus the fact that they are so helpful, I just couldn't resist adding them to my list. There are oodles of other restaurants that have GF choices, but they just didn't make the cut. 

Maybe that will be a future blog post: Other restaurants that serve GF. 

If you have any questions or other tips and places, please feel free to comment below and help others out!

As Always, enjoy.