I had my first real challenge with going gluten-free today. One of my biggest downfalls in my efforts to eat healthy in the past has been my love for eating out and eating whatever sounded good to me on the menu. It didn't matter if I was on the strictest diet out there, I could never resist the menu and I somehow always ended up with the largest portion of the richest (a.k.a. fattiest) food on there. I love anything deep fried, smothered in a cream sauce, or both - with lots of bread!
So today when I found myself out shopping with the family and my husband suggested Red Robin for lunch (which the kids instantly cheered at making it impossible for me to say no) I became instantly depressed. I was sure I was going to end up with a limp salad with no dressing or, worse, a burger with no bun! I immediately picked up my smart-phone and looked up Red Robin's website to check out the menu. At first, I was frustrated because there was absolutely nothing on the menu that I could tell was gluten-free for sure, but I recognized a few substitutions I could make that might result in a decent meal.
When we arrived at the restaurant, it took me a while to settle on a grilled salmon burger with a lettuce "bun" and a side of steamed broccoli. I felt this was a safe choice, but didn't ask the waitress to make sure my order was gluten-free when I placed it. After placing my order, I decided to look a little closer at the Red Robin website and, low and behold, after clicking on the "Food" link, I saw a "Allergen Information" link in the bottom right corner. It wasn't even hidden or anything! I clicked on that and the first section included a link to their gluten/wheat free menu which listed items on the regular menu that were gluten free (basically salads without the dressing) plus suggestions for substitutions that can be made to menu items that make them gluten free. I found the the sandwich I had ordered and discovered that it had gluten in the sauce! We quickly flagged down the waitress and asked her to hold the sauce and bring a side of mayo instead. All of this took about 3-4 minutes.
When my meal arrived, I was a little hesitant at first. Grilled salmon wrapped in lettuce with tomato? And a side of broccoli? Not that I don't like those things - I'd actually eat them in a heartbeat just about anywhere else - but seeing them on my plate in a restaurant was a whole other story. Where were my onion rings and my hamburger (on a bun thank you very much!) with deep fried something on top? And what happened to my cup of clam chowder and my cheese sticks? (Note: I would rarely, if ever, order that much food at one meal, but you get the point). But after smearing a little mayo on the salmon and taking a few bites, I found it to be actually not all that bad! And it was about as balanced and healthy of a meal as you can possible find at Red Robin - or pretty much anywhere.
I guess what I'm saying is that, it's not easy making large life style changes, but having a positive attitude and focusing on my goals is a good start. Thinking outside of the box doesn't hurt either. I know it's cheesy, but you can't argue that it isn't true!
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