Being on the elimination or reintroduction phase of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), or any type of elimination protocol, can cause anxiety when facing the prospect of eating food you have not prepared yourself. Here are some tips for getting around these complications to eat safely in different social situations.

Mental Preparation

Firstly, remember that you have chosen this elimination protocol. It is important to remind yourself of the motivations behind that choice – whether it be for better health, more energy, to heal your gut, improve fertility, reduce pain – and those reasons still hold true when eating out. It isn’t that you ‘cannot’ eat certain foods, it’s that you choose not to! This mindset is important, and one that should not drop in the face of an awkward social situation.

Give your host or company the benefit of the doubt that they will understand and be supportive. Dietary allergies are on the rise, and so is an understanding of their importance and what effects they can have on people. More than likely, everyone you are eating with either has an allergy or knows someone who has a severe allergy and will understand your avoidance of certain foods.

Don’t feel any pressure to explain your choices to anyone. Only if you are comfortable, then consider discussing why you choose not to eat certain foods. Your company may be genuinely curious and want to know more! Explain how they cause you discomfort, the types of discomfort you get from certain foods, and the longer-term health issues these foods cause to your gut and health. It may be that they too react to certain food types and your story may prompt them to investigate it further and make some changes themselves.

Do not apologise! Instead, approach the situation in a helpful manner and suggest solutions that can make it easier for everyone. If none can be found, always resort to bringing your own food rather than missing out on the social activity and company.

Lastly, it is only fair to acknowledge that you may not be able to follow the same rules and eliminations you use at home when eating out. Decide what you will allow and where you will draw a hard line. Will you accept some cross-contamination risks or not? Will you insist on finding a place that serves only organic produce? It is easier to decide some of these things in advance to help you plan for your experience.

Eating at a Friend’s

• If it is a small group and the host is providing food, discuss the situation with them in advance and suggest some easy meal or snack options that would be relatively safe for you, such as:
  • Organic fruit platter, or a platter of fruit on the Clean 15 such as pineapple, honeydew melon and kiwifruit
  • A salad with ingredients you can eat and dressing on the side
  • A BBQ with grilled vegetables (sweet corn, mushrooms, zucchini) and meat without marinade or seasonings, or even just pan-fried when it is not BBQ season!
  • A roast with compliant vegetables and meat (offer ideas for compliant marinade) and gravy on the side.
• Suggest they read A Simple Guide to Cooking for Your AIP Friends (and Other Diet Restrictions) by Adventures in Partaking
• If you are not comfortable that the host understands your concerns properly, perhaps discuss bringing your own meal and/or snacks and take something that they will all be jealous of. It is important to not default to this option without talking with the host first, as you may be surprised by the positive response you receive!
• For any sized group, you can suggest that everyone brings food to share and then you can bring exactly what you want to eat and use it as an opportunity to educate others about how being on an elimination protocol still means you can eat delicious food!
• If it is a small group, you could also invite them to your place instead and make them a compliant meal they will drool over. Just tell them to BYO any bread, sauces, drinks or desserts they may want on the side.

You can find more help and advice in the following posts:

• Navigating Holidays and Social Situations on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol by Autoimmune Wellness
• 7 Ways to Survive AIP and still have a Social Life by Adventures in Partaking

Dining Out

• If you are planning to dine out with a group, ask to choose the venue. Do your research and select one that you will be able to eat at safely.
• Alternatively, ask if they can tell you the venue before they book, so you can email in advance and suss out whether you can eat there. If not, ask them to choose another venue.
• If you cannot choose the venue, ask that the venue be decided in advance and a booking made. Email the venue in advance of your booking outlining your dietary issues and suggesting meals from their menu with alternatives to make it compliant. This not only alleviates your anxiety to find a safe meal on arrival, but also helps to prepare their kitchen staff. At the end of this post is some wording you can copy and paste into an email.
• Prepare to order a very basic salad with a wedge of lemon and pack your own ingredients to add to it such as cooked chicken breast or bacon, an avocado and homemade dressing.
• If all else fails, ask if you can bring your own meal.

For more detailed advice, also check out the following posts:

• Safely Dining Out on AIP or with Food Allergies by Grazed and Enthused
• Eating out on the AIP Diet by Flaxseeds and Fairytales
• Tips for Dining out on the Autoimmune Protocol guest post by Kristie Howard on The Paleo Mom

Snacking on the Go

For some things, like going to the cinema, a meal is not needed but snacks are! Here are some handbag-friendly snacks to take with you.

• Sugar-snap peas
• Carrot, celery and cucumber sticks with homemade compliant dip
• Fruit
• Dried fuit
• Compliant chips (such as sweet potato, parsnip, beetroot, kale, coconut)
• Homemade energy balls
• Cooked sweet potato
• Pre-heated soup in a thermos, or cold soup
• Tinned fish (depending on your company and potential smells)
• A pre-halved avocado and a spoon in a baggie

For more snack ideas, check out the following posts:

• The 20 AIP Snacks to Eat Out of the House by Little Bites of Beauty
• 25 Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP Diet) Snack Ideas by Thriving on Paleo

Eating in Another Country

Following an elimination protocol should not hold you back from travel! Finding compliant food depends heavily on the country you are visiting and it’s individual offerings, but some basic tips include:

• Get AirBnB, self-serviced apartment or similar and cook your own food.
• Stick to fresh vegetables, preferably the Clean 15, and unseasoned meat as much as possible.
• Shop at farmers markets and road-side stalls if available.
• If you are staying at a hotel, check in advance if compliant meals can be made for you. Otherwise, pick through the buffet and load up on bacon, fruit, and whatever else you can find.
• Check the customs restrictions before you leave and pack shelf-stable dehydrated meals and snacks, if you can.
• Do your research in advance to find allergen-friendly cafes and restaurants.
• Prepare cards that list your allergy information in the local language and give these to wait staff whenever you dine out. Example text to copy is provided below. I mimicked the layout of these cards by Food Allergy Research and Education, but with my own wording.

For detailed international travel advice, check out the following posts:

• The Guide to AIP Travel: International Trips by Autoimmune Wellness
• Paleo & AIP Travel Food Guide and Checklist by Unbound Wellness
• Travelling on AIP: My Favourite Tools and Tips by Gutsy by Nature

I hope this post gives you the confidence to explore your options, discuss your needs, and eat out safely!

Example Text for Emailing a Venue

Hello [name of venue],

I will be dining with you as part of a booking under [name] on [date and time of booking] [or] I plan to dine with you as part of a group booking in the near future. I am writing to inform you that I have a list of dietary allergies. In order for me to eat safely, will it be possible to prepare any of the below menu items with the listed alterations? Or, do you have any suggestions for a meal that would be easier for you to make and suits my needs?

[List menu items with alterations, and any clarifications you wish to ask]

I have also listed my allergies below if you could please cross-check these with the menu items above in case there are any are unlisted ingredients? [Delete what you have safely reintroduced]

• Gluten and all grains (including oats, rice and rice flour, corn and cornflour)
• Dairy
• Lentils (including beans, soy and green beans)
• Nuts
• Seeds (including cocoa, coffee, vanilla and seed-based spices)
• Egg
• Nightshade vegetables including potato and potato flour (although sweet potatoes are fine), tomato, capsicum/sweet peppers, eggplant/aubergine, chili/hot peppers, cayenne, paprika and other red spices, and goji berries
• Refined and processed sugars and oils
• Alcohol

I understand that this list may cause some inconvenience, particularly the nightshade vegetables which are not typically listed on allergen menus or information. However, I do react to these foods and greatly appreciate any assistance to be able to eat safely at your venue.

Please let me know if you have any questions or require any clarifications. If a safe meal cannot be made for me, please let me know if I can bring my own meal instead so I do not miss out on this social event.

With thanks and kind regards,

[name]

Example Text for an Allergen Card

WARNING REGARDING FOOD ALLERGIES

I have food allergies and intolerances. To avoid a reaction and eat here safely, I must not eat any food containing the following ingredients: [delete what has been safely reintroduced]
 
Gluten and grains (including oats, rice and rice flour, corn and cornflour), dairy, lentils (including beans, soy and green beans), nuts, seeds (including cocoa, coffee, vanilla and seed-based spices), egg, potato (and potato flour), tomato, capsicum/sweet peppers, eggplant/aubergine, chili/hot peppers, cayenne, paprika and other red spices, goji berries, refined and processed sugars, refined and processed oils, alcohol.