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List of Most Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Chains

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Many people who follow a gluten-free diet also have to avoid at least one other food ingredient. Dining out and avoiding gluten is hard enough; add in one or more other ingredients to avoid and dining out becomes even more challenging. AllergyEats is a free, peer-based website and smartphone app to help guide those having to avoid gluten and/or other food ingredients when dining out and just released the “2020 List of Most Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Chains”.

“Some exceptional restaurant chains who were leaders on the 2013 list are once again recognized this year, including Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (large chain), Bonefish Grill (medium chain) and Burtons Grill (small chain).  We congratulate two restaurant chains that are new to our list this year – Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Mellow Mushroom,” Antico continued.   “Statistics have shown that maintaining a more allergy-friendly restaurant leads to increased traffic, customer loyalty and, ultimately, profits.”

The Most Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Chains were grouped into three categories – Large (over 200 units), Medium (50-200 units), and Small (under 50 units).  Results were based on diner feedback from the AllergyEats website and app through December 31, 2013:

Allergy eats logoLarge (over 200 units):

  • Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (4.45 rating)
  • P.F. Chang’s China Bistro (4.43 rating)
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill (4.41 rating)
  • Outback Steakhouse (4.35 rating)
  • Romano’s Macaroni Grill (4.20 rating)

Medium (50-200 units):

  • Bonefish Grill (4.43 rating)
  • Ninety Nine Restaurant (4.28 rating
  • Mellow Mushroom (4.26 rating)
  • Uno Chicago Grill (4.24 rating)
  • Bertucci’s Brick Oven Restaurant (4.17 rating)

Small (under 50 units):

  • Burtons Grill (4.90 rating)
  • Maggiano’s Little Italy (4.73 rating)
  • Papa Razzi (4.68 rating)
  • Legal Sea Foods (4.67 rating)
  • Not Your Average Joe’s (4.66 rating)

Don’t forget to share your thoughts and experiences on AllergyEats so that others can benefit from your experience. Doing so helps others choose restaurants that can help them dine out as safely and as enjoyably as possible.

Costco Gluten-Free Options

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There are a few gluten-free items that I have recently discovered are considerably cheaper at Costco. My membership expired a year or so ago, so I signed up again and headed out to explore the store. One of the items I knew would be a steal is Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread. The commercial-size loaf is sold for $11.99/loaf at Jason’s Deli. The same exact thing is only $6.79/loaf at Costco.

I started in the pharmacy area. There are a few over-the-counter medications we keep on hand in our house. One of those happens to be generic for Zyrtec for Jon’s allergies. The bottle of 365 pills (a whole year’s supply) cost $14.99 and is labeled “gluten-free”. I was paying $19-$22/month for another generic from my grocery store, meaning I saved roughly $200 right there.

As I moved onto the snacks and dry goods sections, I ran across many gluten-free items, including these:

  • Coconut Macaroons (certified GF)
  • Namaste Spice Cake Mix
  • GF All-purpose GF flour (contains xanthan gum)
  • Corn pasta
  • 180 Snacks
  • Pancake mix

Of course, there is so much more, but these are the specialty items that really stood out. I especially enjoyed the samples of Udi’s gluten-free bread with gluten-free deli ham and the employee serving them who really understood what “gluten-free” means. In fact, she follows a gluten-free diet herself! The non-food items, paper products, etc are also a great deal compared with the prices at our local grocery stores.

Do you have a Costco membership? What are your Costco staples?

Gluten-Free Meal Plan – Simplify Weekly Meal Planning

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Do you struggle with gluten-free meal planning? If you are just starting out on a gluten-free diet, planning meals may be a challenge for you. Even though I have been following the diet for years, I still have weeks where I draw a blank when it comes to meal planning. Finding something that everyone likes is my biggest challenge.

GF Meal Plan is a service that takes all of the stress and guesswork out of planning your meals for the week. Imagine just having to shop for the ingredients and throw them together instead of planning every last detail. GF Meal Plan has several different plan options:

  • Gluten-Free Dinner Plan
  • Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Dinner Plan
  • Gluten-Free Breakfast Plan
  • Gluten-Free Lunch Plan
  • Gluten-Free Dessert Plan

The plans range in price from the Standard Plan $5/month (yearly membership) or $9/month (3-month membership) or the VIP All-Access Plan $12/month (yearly membership) or $9/month (3-month membership). The plans can be printed or accessed from your phone or tablet. There is a 90-day satisfaction guarantee and you can cancel anytime. Samples of the meal plans can be viewed here.

Do you plan your meals in advance? Do you do weekly shopping or do you go several times a week?

Review: First Watch Gluten-Free Menu

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There is nothing better after a Saturday morning long runs than a warm breakfast out with the running group. Our local running group, Marathoners in Training, meets at 8:00 AM, and after our planned mileage, we need to refuel as soon as possible. The easiest way to do that is to hit up one of the local breakfast spots, which happened to be First Watch this past week.

First Watch offers a wide variety of gluten-free menu items, though I found the menu a little confusing at first glance. Usually, when you see a gluten-free menu it lists the menu items that are gluten-free and what modifications (if any) need to be made. This menu had some of that, but also listed menu items that “contain gluten”. It seems confusing to include those items on the menu and I feel it would be easier to decipher if those items were left off of the menu. First Watch has two different quinoa bowls on the menu, but they both “contain gluten”. I asked the server what the source of gluten was in the quinoa bowl and was told the broth the quinoa is prepared in contains gluten. She went on to tell me the quinoa could be prepared in water to make it gluten-free.

I decided on the Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Hash, which is basically a bowl full of hash browns, tomato, bacon, avocado, and cheese topped with 2 eggs of your choice. As much as I love eggs, they upset my stomach, so I ordered the dish without the eggs.

IMG 1006

Boy did this hit the spot! I drizzled a little bit of 100% maple syrup (make sure to ask specifically for this, as it isn’t the syrup left on the tables) on top, as I have really been digging the sweet & salty combo of bacon and syrup lately. The side of the fruit is a nice touch and is refreshing while waiting for the hash to cool down. This was the perfect way to refuel after a run! I especially like the coffee carafes placed right on the table.

First Watch has over 100 locations in 13 different states. Click here to find the location closest to you.

Last Minute Christmas Tips & Recipe

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Welcome to Christmas Eve! If you aren’t finished preparing for Christmas yet, you better get a move on.  The last thing you want to worry about on an already busy day is gluten, right?  Whether you are hosting or heading over to a close friend or family member’s house, these tips can help minimize stress.

  • Peanut Butter Fudge – This takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish and never fails to wow the crowd.
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip – Toss everything together in a saucepan as directed & then transfer to a crockpot to cook/keep warm.  Serve with celery & tortilla chips.
  • Old Fashioned Gingerbread – Not too complicated to make & it tastes like it was a lot of work!
  • Cocktail Wienies – Lit’l Smokies are gluten-free.  Toss in a crock pot with some Sweet Baby Rays or your favorite BBQ sauce.
  • Veggie tray with dill dip – Marzetti’s dip is gluten-free.
  • Chocolate Truffles – Ali of The Healthy Hostess shared these – 2 ingredients (both naturally gluten-free).  Simple!
  • Honeybaked Ham – Pick up a ham or turkey – they are gluten-free!
  • Salad – Grab a box of salad, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese & some gluten-free salad dressing.
  • Mixed nuts – dump into a festive, decorative dish.
  • Cheese tray – cut blocks of cheese into cubes and display them on a tray
  • Chips & salsa
  • Fruit salad – Buy pre-cut fruit if you are really pressed for time.

Last, but not least, one of my favorite potato dishes.  This dish can be made in advance, which can really be a time saver.

Catholic Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes

8 oz pkg. light cream cheese, softened

8 oz container light sour cream

1/4 cup butter, melted

8 oz. shredded 2% cheddar cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk

1.  Cook & mash potatoes. Stir remaining ingredients in and pour into a large glass baking dish (9 x 12).

2.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes or until hot.

3.  This dish can be prepared in advance & kept in the refrigerator.

4.  Enjoy!

These potatoes are great served along turkey or ham for that special holiday meal.  Perfect potluck dish.  The cheeses are even lower-fat versions & they taste just as decadent as the full-fat versions.

Enjoy friends & family & give yourself permission to accept what you can do and don’t focus on things you planned to do, but were unable to get to. ’Tis the season to celebrate, spend time with the ones you love, and have fun!