Can we have a "never eating out again" group hug/vent/whine?

[Thystle]

:

My first week with multiple dx food allergies with my 1 year old. We loved going out to eat. Everything we loved has what he can't eat. Still nursing.

I have no problem giving it up for him.... just want to get that one good "whine/vent/cry" out.


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I mean eventually he will grow up and move out right?

[newcastlemama]

s That was the hard one for me because I love just going out sometimes when I am tired or want to eat at someone's home. s

You know, I was wishing the other night that a bunch of us lived near eachother and then we could have dinner parties and be able to eat!

Jen

[mamaverdi]

[zzwhitejd]

I just went off wheat & gluten for my nursling.

whinnneeeeee...................

[mclisa]

just did milk and eggs. I so need to go to the grocery store and find some new things to eat.

[elmh23]

We're off peanuts and soy so no more Chinese food. I miss it so much! It's sad when you and dh plan a night away (in about 2 years, lol) that involves Chinese food, snickers bars and only plan to stay in a hotel because that way you can shower and brush your teeth before returning home.

[tempestjewel]

Its hard to live without convenience foods. Always planning ahead and worrying about food wherever we need to go.

I know all our kids are worth it, but I feel your pain!

[MidnightCafe]

This has been hard for us, not because we (my immediate family) go out a lot, but because DH's family celebrates everything by going out to a restaurant. They have been very good about planning things around us, but I feel bad sometimes that restaurant options now have to be narrowed to someplace that can manage a gluten-free meal for Mane. So far we went our for Father's Day and for my birthday. I had a good conversation with the chef at the place we went for Father's Day. For my birthday we went to Outback Steakhouse, which has a gluten-free menu.

[urmysunshyn]

i'm so bummed too, but hoping this will lead to better health all around. i'm not eating egg, dairy, peanut, and trying to avoid berries, corn and a few other things for now.

the hard part is my hubbie! he loves to eat out and loves to eat all the foods i can't! Eggs, chinese, sour cream, pizza! I rush home when I"m hungry to cook something up for myself. It's a much more organized and planned lifestyle now (no more running out of the house and planning to pick something up).

[julbern]

I can so relate......
My dd is allergic to dairy, soy and gluten, so no going out for us anymore, and no to most processed foods. Its been an adjustment-big adjustment- but dh and I believe in many ways it has been a blessing since we eat GREAT! All natural foods for us!
But-we recently drove 2 days to see family and the trip was much harder with the food issues. We froze some meals to heat up in the hotel, and ate some things cold at rest stops. It was hard but we managed.

I cannot wait to eat some good Thai food, chinese, indian, mmmmmm. Someday it may happen!!

[goomjiji]

Oh, hugs to you. It's a really hard adjustment. I can relate SO well. For me, one word. Pizza. I've literally cried sometimes because I'm so overwhelmed and the last thing I want to do is cook, but I simply don't have the option of not cooking dinner. Oh, how I wish I could just pick up the phone and order a pizza. Consequently, we usually go out for pizza or asian when we have a date night. It would be great to be able to expand our dining options when we eat in restaurants, but unless I know it's safe, I won't even try. Do they put butter in the water they cook the rice or pasta in? Is there hidden dairy or peanut oil? It can drive you batty, but you'll make it through and it won't seem so hard anymore.

[bucaye]

I know the feeling. My ds is allergic to eggs/peanuts (avoid tree nuts like the plague)/dairy/wheat/soy. I avoid shellfish also, even tho he tested neg to it. Talk about a limited diet!! All the rest of us have no allergies to food. I try and bring things for ds to eat with us. I have to ask a lot of questions before ordering. I had to bring my own food to a country club for 4th of July because I didn't know if ds could eat anything. I thought the veggies would work, but alas, they were steamed with butter!! UGH!

Our biggest problem now is ds is figuring out that we are eating something he can't have. He "stole" a Triscut one evening and then popcorn(butter flavor) the next night. Benydril to the rescue. . .

Yes, they do grow out of it . . . someday . . . then we can all go out and have an asian pizza with seafood!!!!!!

[milkamama]

i, too, feel it...the inability to do a meal quickly, easily...without having to cook from scratch every time.....mom's diner open for 3 homecooked from scratch meals a day plus snacks.

dh and i were in a restaurant once a month or so before ds2 was born. i am breastfeeding and ds2 and i avoid tree nuts, peanuts, wheat (gluten), soy, coconut, eggs, rice (which means most gluten free products are out)...
our extended family is very into dinner together which is wonderful and getting increasingly more difficult as ds2 gets older. at 2.5 he knows that the other kids are getting different things and no matter how prepared i am, there is always some goodie that i did not bring (to equal what the other kids have) that ds2 wants. not to mention that no matter how much you talk about the allergies, when someone is not living with it they just don't 'get' all of the little stuff (like using the same utensils for two different things). sometimes i feel soooo sad for him, but i try to keep it all in perspective and know that it is only a treat and we are keeping him healthy and thriving.

the up swing is that we are super healthy, i have learned to cook (with all whole foods), the baby weight is gone (and then some), and i have learned a ton about the digestive system and mainstream and alternative medicines.


i am still sad about eating out...especially since it is summer....i see myself on a deck with hot wings and a beer...

[Trillian]

I sympathize. My 11-month old just tested postitive for egg, wheat, dairy, and peanut allergies. Right there that rules out about 80% of what I usually eat. Neither DH nor I have any allergies, so this is a huge surprise and adjustment. And I love going out to eat...

[memiles]

I'm feeling it tonight. It's 90 degrees, we don't have air conditioning, and there isn't a safe place to eat out in this podunk town. I don't wanna cook!:

[caholcomb]

I sympothize immensly! My dd (4yrs) and ds (2yrs) were tested for allergies and only my son came back with an allergy to dairy. However, they are sensitive to eggs (both), tomatoes (dd), wheat (ds), chocolate (ds), and apples (both). Excesses of other foods (esp. soy) cause digestive upset. And their rashes tell us that we are still missing something (hopefully only one more!).

My dh and I believe that it is best to have everyone eating the same meals as much as possible since our children are quite aware now that they are missing out on things. My dd has had an especially hard time this past year in preschool as they seem to be celebrating a birthday every other day. Her spelt flour vegan cupcakes are just not the same! She was in tears on more than one occasion because she missed out on eating what everyone else was. Making us think about homeschooling them for a bit.

Meal planning is hard. Thinking ahead is annoying. Not being able to do take-out is frustrating. The price of specialty foods is outrageous! Pizza is my hardest food to give up as well. We can't have the wheat in the crust, the tomato sauce or the cheese!! There are substitutes, but none compare!

Just through talking with other moms in my area I found 6 other families with food issues. We have started a monthly group to get together and hug/vent/whine. Although each family has issues with different foods and to different degrees, we all have similar stories of family members just not "getting it" and frustrations over foods we can no longer have.

I am looking forward to the day when my ds is done breastfeeding so my dh and I can order pizza after they go to bed!

[tikva18]

Can I relate!!!

Ds#1 - can't have wheat, gluten (which he'st still getting in small amounts in spelt and seems ok), chocolate, dairy, preservatives, food coloring, cottonseed oil - maybe that's it?
Ds#2 - can't have dairy or YEAST - clueless about this one still - just found out yesterday - and has a ton of environmental allergies
Ds#3 - can't have dairy, chocolate, caffeine , coffee, peanuts, cashews, or fake sugar - same as ds#1
Of course fake sugar is not an issue nor is caffeine (except in chocolate)