Monday, July 28, 2008

GF Food from Shared Fryers

Good morning -- it's Monday, again... the weekends feel like they get shorter as Fall is right around the corner. But we still have plenty of beach weekends left, I'll have to work in some 3-day retreats...

I was thinking over the weekend about the shared fryer situation... What do you guys usually do about that?? 

I generally will eat some of things that are fried in the same oil... it's usually french fries, we have a limited amount of fried things we can eat to start, and sometimes I figure it's OK because there aren't many fried things on the menu except fries, so I feel it's OK. Or if we're somewhere with TONS of fried foods, I'll stay away... But, am I still cheating? I usually feel fine, but am I damaging my intestines & not knowing? Maybe. Probably.

I started thinking after we went to Marco, and they brought up to me numerous times the fact that the fried items were in the same oil... but that didn't stop me - fried mozzarella?! I HAD to have it.

I suppose some guilt has been setting in - did I cheat? It's not too often I get fries when I'm out anyway, and I certainly eat out more often than I should - and so does my sister, we have discussed it because we know some small traces might be getting in to our food. But we feel fine. 

We also don't have super sterile homes. I share a toaster & cutting boards - we sort of have to - our kitchen has one tiny counter & I have one cabinet for things. But I know many people who aren't doing everything separate...

Just wondering your thoughts on this.....

9 comments:

Steph said...

Hi! Thanks for the info about your shaky hands, I've actually been noticing it a lot more lately, though not as severe as the other day. I remember a while back my doctor told me that I was borderline anemic and I had to start taking a really good mulivitamin. I haven't been taking my vitamins for the past couple weeks (Oops!), so maybe that has something to do with it. I hadn't even thought of that, so thanks for bringing that up! Time to get back on the vitamin bandwagon!

As far as the frying oil goes, I'm kinda the same as you. I rarely eat fries in a place that offers a lot of fried foods. But every once in a while, I do get fries from Wendy's. I also had waffle fries at Chik-Fil-A the other day, but their website had them on the gluten free list. I've started avoiding fries in restaurants, however, because I have found that a lot of them are battered. There's no worse feeling than having a big, beautiful plate of french fries sitting in front of you that you can't eat because of whatever they are coated in. :(

I understand about sharing common items in the kitchen. A little while ago, I felt like a nagging girlfriend because I asked my boyfriend to put a scoop of peanut butter on his plate instead of redunking after smearing it on his cracker. Then I watched him drink right out of the milk carton, and I pictured little cracker crumbs getting backwashed into our shared milk. I don't want to follow him around and criticize everything he does, though. At work it's even harder, I have to be the jerk who is like, "NOO! I just wiped down that toaster oven for my gluten free bagels!" or "No, you can't have some of my cream cheese." Sometimes I feel like cross contamination is almost impossible to avoid all the time.

Sorry this is so long, lol. Eh, it's Monday, what else is there to do? Work? Hah.

Allie said...

Hey Steph! ha -- love the last line, I have managing to fill the whole day with things other than work! Not good....

I agree with you on the cross contamination - it IS impossible to avoid at all times... But I see you wipe down your toaster! I should maybe consider that.

And I hear ya -- my boyfriend is SUPPOSED to use his own butter, because he gets so many crumbs in it - but he uses mine, and i have to scoop half of it out to get to clean butter. He does the same thing with our PB too. Boys...

Marlow said...

I have been thinking about this alot lately! When I went to a fondue restaurant with my family I didn't make them not dunk bread in the same shared cheese....Nerds! Will my intestine ever be totally healed?

Steph said...

Yeah, sometimes I just feel high maintenance on this diet. I wonder about going to other people's house's for barbeque's and what not. I can't very well expect them to not double dunk their knives in their own homes, right? So in cases like that I do my best to avoid crumbs, or avoid the condiments all together.

I always think about kissing...if my boyfriend eats a piece of bread, then directly kisses me, should I worry about that? Some people do. I feel like you and Marlow a lot, if I don't worry about this stuff, am I just at a healing stand still and don't even know it? Hmm...

Jen said...

oh gosh I am so far from even thinking about this right now, I still can't even keep myself from contaminating myself nevermind worrying about other people!!! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Allie!
I think you know how I stand on this and it is pretty much the same as you. I share things and eat fries out at most places. I know this is not the best thing to do but I do feel okay most of the time and according to drs. am in good health. I figure you do the best you can or else you could drive yourself crazy!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I must be the sensitive one! I haven't eaten in a restaurant other than ones that have actual gluten free menus in two years. I've gotten sick from kissing someone who had been drinking beer. I've gotten sick from sharing a kitchen with my parents for a week (even with my own tub of butter, etc.), and I don't eat anything deep fried unless the chef tells me they don't fry any gluten-y items in it.

Because when I say I get sick, I mean I'm nauseous and vomity for about a week. Seriously.

I hesitate to say this and rain on everyone's parade, but if these things make my symptomatic; they likely are damaging your intestines. Whether or not that's worth giving up all of the social stuff (let me tell you, dating with the cross contamination issues is like a barren wasteland) and being really high maintenance (which I HATE) is another question entirely.

Allie said...

hey sally -

i think you're right. i'm sure this cross-contamination is hurting us all, but fortunately (or unfortunately) we don't seem to experience any side effect. Sorry to hear about the week-long nausea! YUCK. Not fun.

See, pre-gf for me, was mostly my anemia... and some occasional bloating & stomach cramps... And every once in a while something really bothers me and I'm not sure what did it! ugh.

i hear ya on the 'high maintenance' thing - SO FRUSTRATING! I never was "that girl" -- and now, I have to be the one to ask questions and be a 'problem'....

ehh -- they (everyone out there) can deal with us and get over it! ;)

Anonymous said...

Just found this thread again! I keep saying to myself..."Clearly, I am awesome enough that I CAN be high-maintenance! I am a princess. Dammit. Now pass me the fake bread!" :)

Turns out my issues may be a fructose intolerance.