Crohn's Disease and the Challenge of Eating Out

Q:

How can I enjoy eating out at restaurants if I have Crohn's disease?

A:

Eating out is a pleasurable activity for many of us, and having Crohn's disease should not stop you from visiting your favorite restaurants. A little advance preparation can help you enjoy dining out.

First, check out the restaurant's menu online. If it's not available online, call ahead and ask some questions related to your dietary needs. That way you can have a few options in mind before arriving. To help keep symptoms under control, look for options that are boiled, steamed or baked.

If the menu does not provide suitable options, call and ask if the chef would be willing to prepare a meal for you. Many chefs will accommodate reasonable requests. If that fails, ask your dining companions if they'd consider going to another restaurant.

Patricia Raymond, MD

Physician, humorous medical motivational speaker, author and broadcaster, Patricia Raymond M.D. FACG takes medicine seriously and herself lightly. An experienced health care professional with 24 years ‘in the trenches’, Dr. Raymond is board certified in Gastroenterology & Internal Medicine, and is Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. Dr. Raymond is the author of Don’t Jettison Medicine: Resuscitate Your Passion for the Career You Loved, contributing author in Chicken Soup for the Caregivers Soul and Fifty Things to Do When You Turn Fifty, and the creator and publisher of the multi-book humor series Colonoscopy: It’ll Crack U Up. She co-authored the popular AntiReflux Diet & Cookbook for Dummies.

Read Full Bio