MSG is the debil (or I am allergic to Outback Steakhouse)

Recently I took my kids to Outback for lunch. I figured that I couldn't go wrong with a steak and veggies......   Well, things did go terribly wrong.  I tasted butter.  And I thought- great, now I have to start my Whole30 all over again.  Several hours later, I realized it was worse than that.

I will spare you the TMI details, but IBS reared its ugly head- the cramping, nausea,cold sweat...... yep. There was something causing this and most likely consumed at Outback.  The next morning I was determined to find out WHAT was in that broccoli!  I googled and came up with several theories, but decided to email Outback:

    "I ate at your restaurant yesterday. I had a small steak ,steamed seasonal veggies and grilled asparagus. Everything was fine, but later in the day I had an allergic reaction. Could you tell me what is in the menu items I ate that may have triggered it so I know what to tell my allergist?"

This was the (unhelpful) reply:

     "Hello Susan, Unfortunately, we are not at liberty to reveal recipes and ingredients as they are proprietary. However, we are able to release them to a medical professional once they have signed a confidentiality agreement (see attached). I will be happy to take care of this directly with your doctor. If you have a known allergy to a specific item I can tell you if that is in the menu item you had a reaction to, just reply to this email with the known allergen and we will respond as soon as possible."

Now I get "secret recipe"and all, but don't we deserve to know what we are eating?  Especially if something made us sick?

I did decide that it  was most likely MSG that caused the flair.  So I did a quick search to find out which other chains use MSG in their food.  The list was long  and scary. 

      *msgtruth.org - KFC, Burger King,ChickFilA (NOOOOOOOO), Outback, Taco Bell, RedLobster....... I could go on, but bottom line is there are very few chains that care about what they are actually serving you.  They don't care if you feel awful later as long as you keep coming back.  Have you ever wondered WHY you are strangely addicted to ChickFilA or crave KFC?  There's your reason.   So, this is my lesson learned- ASK QUESTIONS at restaurants. Avoid chains and fast food because the people who work there don't know what's in the food, either.   And many don't care.  That said, I have had positive experiences in some chains- Qdoba, Chipotle, Hooter's and Cracker Barrell have worked with me.  But it is usually the small independent folks that are the most helpful. 

I am preparing to make the annual pilgrimage to Georgia in a few weeks and I know it will be a challenge.  I will be sharing my plan asI prepare for the trip and what I learn along the way.