What can I eat at Bob Evans?

[ehusting99]

Hi guys!

I'm on day 9 of my Whole30 and I'm not going to lie, it's been hard! I've avoided eating out, but a group of close friends invited me to go to Bob Evans for breakfast. I know that planning is key, so I am trying to plan out what to get there before going. Any suggestions? 

[MimiL]

My first thought is steak and eggs or a veggie omelet, but I think it all depends on what type of cooking oil/fats they use. Also, I do not know if they use milk in their omelets.

Their menu is online and you can at least look it over - it has nutrition info that labels "common allergens" so you can see if it has soy or sulfites and things like that, but you're probably not going to be able to decide for sure until you speak with someone there.

Good luck. I am day 11 and terrified of eating out. LOL!

[ShannonM816]

You're definitely going to have to ask what they cook things in and be very specific about what you need. This download has some general tips for dining out.

 

Judging by their allergen menu, I'm guessing they cook in some oil blend that contains soy, since almost every cooked item seems to have soy checked (allergens are down at the bottom of the pdf, scroll down, or hit ctrl-end to start at the bottom and work your way up). Keep in mind that just because there are no allergens listed in something on this list, doesn't necessarily mean it's okay -- for instance, their ham has nothing checked, but it's nearly impossible to find ham with no sugar.

 

If you're ever planning to eat out with a group and aren't sure you'll be able to find food, it's absolutely okay to eat first and just have coffee, or even coffee and a salad or fruit (ask if it's canned or fresh, canned will often have added sugar) or baked potato, just to have food in front of you if that makes you feel more comfortable. You don't have to eat a full meal there at the restaurant to hang out with your friends. If anyone asks why you're not ordering a whole meal, have a short answer prepared -- "I'm doing this elimination diet thing to try to figure out why ________ is happening" or "I'm cutting out a bunch of inflammatory foods for a little while to see if I feel better/have more energy/less allergies/clear up skin conditions" -- base it on your own situation, keep it short, don't make a big deal of it, don't try to explain the Whole30 while you're sitting there at the table. If they ask, state your reason, and then move on -- ask how they are, or ask if they saw the latest sports thing you share an interest in, or have read a good book, or whatever is appropriate for that person.  (And if they don't ask, just don't say anything -- you don't need to pre-emptively answer questions you may not get, and doing so will just draw attention to what you're doing, which you really don't need to do. In general, people care a lot less about what we're doing than we think they do, and often will have enough of their own stuff to worry about that they won't even notice what you are/aren't eating.)