So, as I mentioned in another post I am traveling soon and more-or-less dreading it. I have been dealing with a nasty AF since Dec 22 of 2012 (there was a month of reprieve in there before I re-tore). I already asked about Travel Tips and got some great ideas. My packing list for just management stuff is about 20-items long!! Hope they don't lose my bag!!! Anyhow, I'm interested in any ideas about how to keep up an AF friendly diet while having to eat out (something that is WAY less fun now; for one, I don't like sitting!). I'll be traveling with my family so who knows what type of places we'll go to. Some 'ethnic' (Thai, Chinese) along with general American cuisine. I'm so used to preparing exactly what I think I should be eating at home, so just hoping to get some quick tips about this. We fly Friday, so don't delay in responding!!

I would just try to go with veggie based dishes. Fish dishes, salads, soups, jacket potatoes... That sort of thing.
I got into a bit of a panic before I went to America on holiday.... But I always found something on the menu that I felt happy eating... And that's the point really... As long as you feel in your self it's a "safe" meal for you to eat... And poop out! You should be ok.
Someone on here recommended a place called Sweet Tomatoes. It was a really nice place to eat... Lots of healthy choices. If you can find one, I recommend it!
OMB x

Oh, yes Sweet Tomatoes is one of our favorite places as a family--different soups and the huge salad bar! Just curious--what are jacket potatoes?

Hi Pain,
They are literally whole potatoes cooked in their "skin" or "jacket" (as we call them in the UK) They are baked in an oven and the skin goes all hard and crispy on the outside and the insides nice & soft. Excellent source of fibre. I'm a big fan.....
If I eat Chinese, I always go for the vegetable based dishes with prawns or chicken/ soups. Prawn/ chicken & veggie curries are OK for me too but I would never go too spicey. The only things I avoid are the stodgy white rice/ naans/prawn crackers & anything really deep fried. A lot of the Indian/ Thai side orders are great - A lot use chickpeas/ veggies (spinach/ potatoes) so I don't have issues with these. I love salads so often order a chicken/ fish salad as a main dish. Even (on the rare) occasion, I am forced to go to McDonalds, I always substitute the Burger & Fries for maybe a Chicken/ Salad wrap with an OJ and fruit pack! Where ever you go, there will be something fissure-friendly for you...You can always ask to substitute something unfissure-friendly on a main dish for something healthier - I.e. Chicken, fries & garlic bread for Chicken, boiled potatoes & salad or veggies of some form - That's the way I do it anyway!!

I try to get more beans and veggies overall. Mexican: salads with black beans or fish tacos, tortilla soup, corn taco shells will have more fiber generally than white flour tortillas. Mediterranean food is one of my favorites. Hummus and pita, salads and kabobs are low fat and higher fiber. Some of the smoothies at smoothie king etc have high fiber and are easy to digest. I avoid pizza and burgers as much as I can. Italian food for me is a killer cause I can't resist the pasta. The Optimist is right Indian and Mediterranean use lots of lentils, chickpeas, etc which are high in fiber. Japanese is good, go for sushi w brown rice if possible, seaweed salad is great but most things would be fine other than oily hibachi or tempura. For American southern food, I try to get baked beans when I order BBQ plate and avoid the fried sides. Instead, green beans or collards.

Thanks y'all! (I used to live in the southern US). Great ideas! I thought regular potatoes were too starchy, but I suppose if you eat the skins, that makes a big difference. Oh, this reminded me of what not to eat. Years ago I went to a work retreat at a Native American casino-oriented resort. We all tried a bite of 'Indian fry-bread' or some such, a heavily oiled kind of corn bread. I had a narrowing of my esophagus at the time (interesting) and this nearly killed me!! I've never been tempted again.....wouldn't want to stress the lower GI on it either!

Oh man, Southern food if done healthy has treated me pretty well in trying to manage my symptoms. If you're in a place where you can get country cooking, just steer towards the vegetables (and away from the biscuits no matter how good they smell). Just Pain, where were you living?
Besides, if all else fails - Tex Mex, Tex Mex, Tex Mex. Go for broke on beans and corn tortillas and any veggies you can get your hands on. Mexican food is the one thing I've managed to eat out where I've never had a single problem. I just make sure I'm not grabbing the Everything Asada Explosion or eating too much of the spicy stuff, and everything's golden. Best of luck to you on your travels!

If you're looking for restaurants that serve lots of veggies/grains/beans, I'd recommend looking for vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants. Sometimes they even have gluten-free meals.
There's an excellent website that lists these types of restaurants worldwide: Happy Cow dot net (sorry, as a new member I can't post the actual link.)
I went to an Italian restaurant here in London, UK, that's listed on this site. I had a delicious salad and a brown-rice risotto with sorbet for dessert. It felt good to go out for a nice meal.

OK, guys, I'm back from my travels. I ate out brunch/lunch and dinner every day and had no problems. In fact, I was more regular and in less pain than I've been at home!!!!! I was on an upward trajectory before I left, but I'm just amazed (stunned) at how well it went! Most mornings I did have instant oatmeal and my fiber supplement. I did order meals with fresh veggies (mostly cooked) or fruit and avoided anything too starchy. One night I had an Italian type salad with a piece of pizza!!!!! I avoided steak/beef/pork/cheese (usually). I gave away about half of my meals to fellow diners. Plenty of water and enjoyed a glass of wine or two. Kept up with fiber at night and usually a warm/hot sitz bath. I did a lot of slow walking/strolling/standing. Worked really well. Again, I'm just amazed. If only we could always be 'on vacation!'