orca_chick Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 So one of the requirements of my new job is that I eat with the residents that I work with (I'm in the mental health field) since staff is supposed to model appropriate behavior. Usually if we're eating onsite, it's no big deal. I can bring my own food and the chefs are aware that I have food sensitivities and are really good about letting me know which foods I may or may not be able to consume. Here's the issue...on the weekends, we usually go out for at least one meal which is chosen by the residents. For example, tonight I'm taking everyone out to a Thai restaurant and I'm expected to order a meal and eat with everyone. I thought about bringing my own food to a restaurant but since I'm modeling behavior, it seems a little strange to be bringing my own dinner with me. Any thoughts or ideas on how to stay compliant in this role? My plan tonight is to just order a salad at the Thai restaurant and bring some Tessemae's dressing to decrease the likelihood that I'll be consuming something that's not compliant but I'd appreciate any feedback or advice. Thanks and stay strong fellow Whole 30er's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Thai is tricky to do Whole30 compliant, given the sauces (potential for soy, gluten and sugar) and what they use for grilling.Depending on the restaurant, you might be able to get something compliant. Maybe broiled or steamed fish with only fresh herbs? That way you could order an undressed salad, bring your dressing, and you'd have a complete meal.Can you call them ahead of time to see if they can accommodate such a request? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheba-kitty Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Calling ahead sounds like a good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orca_chick Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 Thanks for replying and the idea of calling ahead. I did end up calling ahead and was told that they could just grill me up some protein with my salad with no added oil and blah, blah, blah. I actually thought I did ok last night as I was feeling ok after eating but I woke up feeling like hell this morning so I'm thinking something wasn't quite right with my food. It's like having a hangover but without all of the wine I would've rather consumed if I was going to feel this crappy. Bummer. :-( At least I was able to avoid gluten which is my biggest irritant since they did have a gluten-free menu. On the plus side, I did ask the waitress all sorts of questions related to my food in front of the group that I was taking to dinner last night. It was a good opportunity to teach these clients that it's ok to ask questions about what's in the food at restaurants and get your needs met. This also translates over to other needs outside of the dietary realm. As for my Whole 30, I was on day 28 and just planning on continuing to eat W30 style after my 30 days were completed. I don't think I'm going to start over from day 1 again. I'll just make note of my reaction in my food journal and keep on trekking. I'm really back to eating W30 for the psychological benefits of it since I don't tend to crave sweets and my red wine and chocolate while I'm eating this way. I feel like if I had gone off plan because I was craving and/or just decided to eat something non-compliant, I would start over. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 My thoughts: you did great and I agree with your thought process about how to proceed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheba-kitty Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 You did your best in a difficult situation. Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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