How To Go Out To Dinner On The Scd Diet

The SCD, or specific carbohydrate diet, can be a challenging and restrictive diet, but is a good approach to heal your gut and get rid of most gastrointestinal conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Because the SCD diet eliminates grains, starchy vegetables, sugar, food additives and chemicals, as well as most processed foods, making your own meals at home is the safest option.

Step 1

Ask for a copy of the restaurant's menu or find it online ahead of time. Being aware of the menu can help you identify whether some menu items are suitable for your SCD diet. If no menu item are 100 percent suitable for the SCD diet, try to combine an entree, such as a steak or chicken breast, with a different side dish, such as a salad, steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Make sure that these options are not flavored or prepared with SCD illegal ingredients, such as balsamic vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, gluten or additives.

Step 2

Call the restaurant or contact your hosts ahead of time. Chefs can often accommodate your dietary requirements while on the SCD diet if you request it, even if no menu item appears suitable for you. Explain what you can and cannot eat to see if the chef is willing to prepare a special meal just for you. If eating out at a friend's place, ask your hosts about the menu ahead of time and mention your special diet to see if they can have some foods suitable for you.

Step 3

Bring your own SCD meal. If finding a suitable SCD menu item when going out for dinner, either at a restaurant or a friend's place, is not possible, prepare your own meal ahead of time and bring it with you. Most restaurants will be happy to reheat your meal in the microwave if you explain your special dietary requirements -- and your friends may find this option less complicated than trying to understand your dietary restrictions. Although this options requires that you prepare your food ahead of time, it allows you the benefit of dining with people whose company you enjoy.

Tips and Warnings

Most restaurants will be happy to make modifications to the menu to accommodate your dietary needs, especially if they know your needs in advance.
Cross-contamination can be a problem when eating out and it is important that you request that your food be prepared separately from other foods with clean equipment.