Can I Eat Out While I’m On The AIP?

One of the questions I hear a lot is, “Can I eat out while I’m doing the AIP?”

The short answer is yes… but depending on where you are in the process, it may be easier said than done.

Eating at home gives you something a restaurant simply can’t: complete control over the ingredients, cooking fats, seasonings, preparation methods and potential cross-contact. That’s especially important during the elimination phase, when the whole point is to remove the foods you’re testing and give yourself a consistent baseline.

That doesn’t mean you have to become a hermit until your elimination phase is over! It does mean that eating out during strict elimination requires a little more planning, and sometimes the most sensible choice is to bring your own food instead.

As you move through the AIP and successfully reintroduce foods, eating out generally becomes easier because you know more about what works for you. But wherever you are in your AIP journey, a little preparation can make a restaurant meal much less stressful.

Start by asking yourself: Is eating out worth the risk right now?

This is probably the most important question, and it’s one only you can answer.

If you’re brand new to the AIP and you’re trying to establish a clear baseline during elimination, I wouldn’t make restaurant meals a part of the experiment. Even a meal that looks AIP-friendly can contain ingredients you didn’t expect.

Think marinades, sauces, spice blends, cooking fats, broths, dressings, garnishes and seemingly innocent condiments. Then there’s the possibility of cross-contact with foods being prepared in the same kitchen (hello gluten!).

The more variables you introduce, the harder it can be to know what caused it if you don’t feel well afterward.

If you’re in the early stages of elimination and have the option of eating a meal you’ve prepared yourself, that’s usually the better choice.

But life happens. Birthdays happen. Business lunches happen. Vacations happen. Sometimes you simply want to sit down at a table with other human beings and let someone else do the cooking.

That’s where a little planning goes a long way.

Do Your Homework

If you’re planning to eat out, check the menu before you go.

You’re looking for somewhere that has reasonably simple foods and, ideally, a kitchen that is willing to make a few substitutions. Restaurants that cater to food allergies or offer gluten-free options may be easier to work with, but don’t assume that gluten-free or Paleo automatically means AIP-friendly.

If you’re unsure, call ahead and ask.

And don’t be afraid to ask whether a dish contains ingredients you avoid. Sauces, marinades, dressings, spice blends and cooking fats are all things that can turn an otherwise suitable-looking meal into something that’s not going to work for you.

If the restaurant can’t accommodate your needs, it’s much nicer to know that before you’ve arrived hungry and everyone else is already ordering.

Keep It Simple

This is not necessarily the time to order the chef’s seven-course tasting menu.

When you’re eating out during any phase of the AIP, simple is your friend.

A plain piece of grilled or baked meat, poultry or fish with simply cooked vegetables may not be the most exciting meal you’ve ever eaten, but knowing exactly what you’re getting has its advantages.

Depending on what’s available and what you’ve successfully reintroduced, you might also be able to order a plain baked sweet potato, salad or fresh fruit.

Ask for sauces, dressings and seasonings to be left off and find out what the vegetables are cooked in. Butter, dairy, grains, soy, nightshades and other ingredients can turn up in some surprising places.

And if the server isn’t sure what’s in something, ask them to check with the kitchen rather than taking a guess.

Be Clear About What You Need

You don’t have to give your server a lecture on the AIP.

In fact, I’ve found it can be much more helpful to explain exactly what you need rather than simply saying, “I’m on the AIP – most people haven’t a clue what that means!”

For example:

“Could I have the grilled fish with no sauce or seasoning, and vegetables cooked without butter?”

That’s a request the kitchen can actually work with.

If you have a true food allergy or celiac disease, be sure to make that very clear to the restaurant. Cross-contact can be a serious issue in that situation and requires a different level of caution.

If you’re avoiding foods as part of the AIP rather than because of an allergy, it’s important to make that distinction too.

Don’t Assume “Gluten-Free” Means AIP

This one catches people out all the time.

A gluten-free menu can be extremely helpful, but gluten-free and AIP are two very different things.

A gluten-free entrée can still contain dairy, eggs, legumes, nightshades, nuts, seeds or other foods excluded during Core AIP.

The same goes for menus labelled Paleo. Paleo-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean AIP-friendly either.

Use these labels as a starting point for finding a restaurant that understands dietary restrictions, not as a guarantee that everything on the menu fits your current AIP food list.

Don’t Use a Restaurant Meal for a Reintroduction

If you’ve reached the reintroduction phase, restaurant meals may become easier as you add foods back into your diet. But a restaurant isn’t the place I’d choose to test a food you’ve never reintroduced before.

A proper reintroduction is designed to tell you how you respond to one food. A restaurant meal can contain a whole collection of ingredients, cooking fats, seasonings and sauces that you may not even know about.

That’s a pretty risky science experiment!

Save the new food for a controlled reintroduction at home, where you’ll actually know what you’re testing.

Have a Back-Up Plan

Even after doing your homework, you may arrive at the restaurant and discover that your carefully planned meal isn’t going to work.

It happens.

This is where having a little something with you can save the day. An AIP-friendly bar, jerky, dried fruit or another portable snack can take the pressure off when your choices are limited.

I like to have a few AIP-friendly snack options on hand when I’m travelling or heading somewhere I’m not sure will have suitable food. It’s much easier to make a good decision when you’re not absolutely starving!

You can also eat something before you go.

There’s no rule saying you have to arrive at a restaurant absolutely starving just because you’re going there for dinner. If you know the options are going to be iffy, have a meal or snack beforehand and enjoy the social part of the evening without making the food the main event.

And sometimes, you may simply decide that eating at home is the better choice. That’s okay too.

When You Just Don’t Want to Cook

Of course, eating out isn’t always about going out.

Sometimes you just don’t want to cook.

I get it. Following the AIP means a lot of cooking, especially during elimination. There are days when the thought of chopping another vegetable or washing another pan is enough to make takeout look very appealing.

If what you’re really looking for is the convenience of having a meal prepared for you, without having to navigate a restaurant menu, Urban AIP is another option to consider.

Urban AIP offers AIP-friendly frozen meals that can be delivered to your door, giving you something to keep in the freezer for those nights when cooking just isn’t happening.

Enjoy the Experience!

It’s easy to get so focused on whether a restaurant can accommodate your diet that you forget why you’re there in the first place.

You’re there to celebrate a birthday, catch up with a friend, have dinner with your family or simply enjoy a night out without doing the dishes.

If your meal ends up being plain grilled chicken and steamed vegetables while everyone else is tucking into something considerably more exciting, try not to let it ruin your evening.

The AIP is supposed to help you build a way of eating that works in real life. And real life includes restaurants.

You may not always get the perfect meal. You may have to ask a few questions, make a few substitutions or occasionally bring your own food.

That’s okay.

Do what works for you, know your limits, plan ahead when you can, and remember that the company you’re keeping is probably more important than what’s on your plate.

And if you’re looking for more ideas for managing the social side of the AIP, including parties, invitations, discussing your dietary approach with a host or hostess, and other situations where food gets involved, check out my Social Life on the AIP post too.