SCD Dining at IHOP!

As someone who's been on the SCD on and off for several years I can say that one of the challenges is dining out with friends. There are a lot of sites that will give advice about calling ahead to the restaurant, bringing your own food, and doing a myriad of other things to prepare for this situation. I myself have never worried too much about it. While there are many SCDers who can't tolerate even the smallest amount of illegal ingredients, I have not had that experience. So I'm not plagued by fear of cross-contamination. I find that smart ordering is, very often, enough for me to get by. That being said, I have had experiences where a food that appears legal reacts badly with my system. Chili's fajitas I'm looking at you!

But today I was out with my mother who wanted to have a late breakfast at IHOP. I thought "IHOP, Oh no!!". I didn't think there'd be a thing on the menu that I could eat. Even with my somewhat lax standards for dining out. They even put pancake batter in their omelets! But after scouring my menu and interrogating my server I discovered that the IHOP can be quite an accommodating place to eat.

I ordered an omelet made with cracked eggs (not their omelet mix, not their pre-made egg solution). With bacon, cheese, and spinach. They also had a fresh fruit cup that I was able to order instead of the standard pancakes that accompany everything. And it was fresh fruit, no syrup or canned fruits in sight. Needless to say I was quite pleased. When the food came it was fresh and good. And I had a meal with no reaction.

So the next time you're out and about and someone wants to go to IHOP, give it a try. You might be surprised.