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New Tips for Eating out at a restaurant.

Use Open Table to book a reservation. You can type your concerns into your reservation and list allergies. This helps take the talking out of it.

Make a reservation and tell them you need an experienced waiter. (More likely to know the menu better)/, handle recipe questions.)

Don’t let the waiter leave until you know everything that will arrive on the plate. Everything.

Ask if the restaurant has an allergy protocol. (Big chains are more likely to have one.)

Allergy protocols can save horrible mistakes from happening to you.

Use simplified list to remove the worst FODMAP:
Grains:Wheat and rye-based products
Vegetables:Onion, garlic, leek, cauliflower and mushrooms
Fruit:Apple, pear, dried fruit, stone fruit, watermelon
Dairy:Milk and yoghurt
Meat/alternatives:Legumes

We have taken our previous post and created a permanent page in our resource section for a more complete guidance of how to navigate a restaurant with low FODMAP complete advice.

Eating out Guide

  • Plan ahead
    • Ask if the restaurant has an allergy protocol.
      • Honestly, eat at a chain restaurant. They usually have well established allergy protocols.
    • It’s way easier if you preview the menu before and figure out if this is somewhere you can eat. You should have an idea of what you want to eat.
    • Once you have an idea of an option. Contact the restaurant ahead of time. The more notice you give them the better they can help you. Ask to talk to the Chef and work through substitutions with him.
    • If you don’t have time to call ahead use a reservation service like Open-table. Its an app that lets you make reservations but also lets you add messages, that they are reminded to respond to.
    • We have had great results by requesting a knowledgeable server and explaining we have allergies. (At the time of making the reservation.)
    • Where possible avoid “the rush” as you will get better service visiting restaurants that aren’t getting slammed.
    • Pick a place with a burger on the menu, Steak, or Sushi. These usually are good options for low FODMAP.
  • Use the word “Allergy.”
    • If this doesn’t trigger a visit from the manager/chef, you are in for a bad time. This means they don’t have an allergy protocol and you are relying on your server to protect you. This can be a crab shoot so watch out.
    • Use Simplified FODMAP list: Give the chef/server the simplified list to remove the worst FODMAPs:
      • Grains: Wheat and rye-based products
      • Vegetables: Onion, garlic, leek, cauliflower and mushrooms
      • Fruit: Apple, pear, dried fruit, stone fruit, watermelon
      • Dairy: Milk and yoghurt
      • Meat/alternatives: Legumes
  • Work with the menu.
    • Ask for substitutions.
    • Ask for pre-made sauces on the side or eliminate any sauces completely.
    • Ask if what you want can be “Made to order?” (Watch our for BBQ dishes. They are often pre-made and can’t be “clean” as they usually have rubs on them.) This typically means you have a chance to modify it. As they will make the dish when it’s ordered. If it’s pre-made then you will have a harder time.
    • We have found it’s easier to discuss everything that is going to show up on the plate. Menus do not always tell you everything. Ask about garnishes. What is pre-made? What is made to order?
  • Be Brave!
    • Mistakes happen. If you get a dish that doesn’t match what you discussed let your server know immediately.
    • If you spent all the time following the above steps and what your discussed doesn’t show up, let the restaurant have a chance to make things right. You aren’t being an a**hole, you are being kind to give them a chance to recover.
  • Be Loud with your praise.
    • If they get it right post and let others know!

Here’s another great resource for Restaurant Advice: (Reddit Post)

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How to butter fly a chicken breast.

Want to cook chicken breasts in 20mins? Here’s a quick tip to get it done. Wash your hands ’cause this is hands on.

Place your chicken breast flat on a cutting board.

raw chicken on cutting board

Clean you hands, cause this requires getting dirty.

You will be cutting it in half lengthwise. Place you hand on top of the chicken. Start cutting with your knife parallel to the board.

Hand on top of raw chicken breast, on a cutting board, being cut by a knife parallel to the cutting board

Work the knife back and forth being careful to not but your hand. I like to shift my hand towards the end so it’s out of the way of the knife:

Cutting chicken with a knife. Hand out of the way of the knife, on raw chicken, on a cutting board.

Eh Voila, chicken that cooks in 20 mins @ 400f. If you like throw some our BBQ chicken spice.

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How to cut a pepper

I guess I’m a little ridiculous cause I think there is an easy way and a hard way to dice up a pepper. So wash up and take of the sticker from the pepper

Here’s the easy way:

Remove the Sticker. Easy to forget so do it first.

Cut a pepper in half length ways:

Pepper on a cutting board cut in half length wise

Grab the middle(seeds) with your fingers and rip it out:

Put your fingers in behind the seeds and pull the seeds out.
Red pepper on cutting board with seeds ripped out.

Slice the top and bottom off:

1/2 of pepper sliced in half on a cutting board. Top and bottom cut off.

It’s always easier to cut a pepper from the inside out so leave the outside down on a cutting board. Diced up the ends of the pepper:

Dicing the top and bottom of a pepper on a cutting board

Cut middle of the pepper into strips

Red pepper on cutting board, with the centre being but into strips.

Now move the pepper strips on their side so you can dice them up.

red pepper strips on their side.

Repeat with the other half…. the easiest way to dice peppers!

Dicing the top and bottom of a pepper on a cutting board