Today I had lunch with a lovely former colleague of mine at one of my favorite places — Corner Bakery Cafe. I haven’t been there since I discovered my allergy to soy two months ago, so I decided I’d look up the ingredients of all the entrees from their website ahead of time (am I type A or what?). I was able to order my meal with confidence and without holding up the line by asking the employee one hundred thirty-two questions about each entree.
I did a google search on “Corner Bakery Ingredients Allergy”, and found this detailed nutritional guide and allergen and food sensitivity spreadsheet:
http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/Files/Misc/Nutritionals2008.pdf
The first part of this document shows basic nutritional information. On page 5 was a chart that indicates which entrees contain the most common allergens/foods causing sensitivities. Thanks to the well-organized chart, I was quickly able to find every entree in the Corner Bakery menu that did not contain milk or soy products. Unfortunately, as I suspected, all my favorite dishes are not Rena-friendly (they are not soy and milk free). Drats. However, unlike at Jack in the Box (see yesterday’s post), there are actual entrees that can be ordered with little-to-no alterations. Hooray!
- I ordered Mom’s Roast Beef on Sourdough bread, but with no mayonnaise (which contains soy). I asked for balsamic vinaigrette instead, which I just found out contains soy (sigh) – so next time I’ll have them add avocado, which is always a great substitution for cheese.
I love the way Corner Bakery Cafe clearly shows all the allergens contained in the foods within this chart. Besides showing if the food contains soy and milk, it also shows egg, fish, peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat/gluten, or sulfites. I truly appreciate how this information is laid out — it was far easier to determine what entrees I’d be allergic to than it was at Jack and the Box.
Besides Mom’s Roast Beef, what other entrees can we order at the Corner Bakery Cafe with little-to-no alterations?
- Oatmeal.
- Chicken Tortilla Soup w/Tortilla Strips.
- Mom’s Roasted Chicken on Harvest Bread (again, no mayo).
- And that’s about it.
Of course, you can always have them deviate from the menu (they will help you as much as they can to accommodate your dietary restrictions) by making you some pasta with only olive oil, or the like. Just be sure anything you have added to the pasta is soy and milk-free. The Seasonal Fruit Salad Medley is safe. The sides of Baby Carrots and Pickle Spear are safe. All of their dressings contain soy, and a couple also contain milk. But, the Country Dijon Mustard is safe (they use it as an add-on for the Mom’s Sandwiches).
Next up…I’ll investigate what we may eat at McDonalds.
Don’t lose sight of our goal, folks. We’re after wellness here!
A Soy and Milk-Free Life 
First of all, thank you for this blog. I stumbled on it today in my desperate search for help with my soy allergy and I’m so encouraged! Now, my question here is what protein shakes do you drink that are soy and dairy free??
You’re welcome! I don’t drink protein shakes much anymore, but I believe this site may be helpful to you to answer your question: http://www.exsoycise.com/
This supports more and more why eating out, even when it seems healthy, is often not. Cooking your own foods, buying local produce and fabricating your own condiments ( Soy in Balsamic Vinegar?! — Really?? ) is the way to go. I love where I live because doing all of that is so much easier, perhaps, than where you’re at. Keep the information coming! I find this very enlightening!
How interesting that you feel it’s easier to eat healthy in Switzerland than in southern California, Michele! Hmmm.
One little aspect of Swiss Living that I love is that most every “village” and city holds a farmers market twice a week. You can find everything and most of it is coming from the farms and artisans in the very region. Even the supermarkets will carry products from the farms, often in the very city in which the market is situated. Granted, there are a lot of “bad” choices you can make when eating out but access to fresh, local, unprocessed food is often a a short walk away. Fastfood restaurants are on the rise here too and folks, especially the youth, are enticed by them. My point is that I see more “fresh food and unprocessed” options because I live in a place where its hard to ignore … but sometimes I do ;-). Never felt that way in Southern California or Northern California unless you hit a Whole Foods or Nuggets. Even then, I am not sure how much of the food can claim to be “local”. It is exists, surely, but the fast paced lifestyle there just doesn’t make it as easy to reach for something “wholesome” unless you plan in advance. A truth everywhere I suppose. Keep up the great blogging. I am intrigued!
Yes, Michele! I’m finding it easier to reach for something “wholesome” with my newer lower-paced lifestyle because I am home more often. I’m fortunate to have a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s nearby so the biggest challenge is taking the time to shop so I have food at home. Now I make time to prepare my lunch before work instead of relying on whatever is being offered at the cafeteria. I bring protein shakes with me when I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat where I’m going. Today I went to a lunch meeting where pizza was served and the group was told to bring desserts. Instead, I brought a sausage/brocolli/pasta dish for everyone to share, knowing I’d then have something to eat. I find myself actually thinking in advance about my next meal instead of at the moment I am hungry, which makes a big difference in the choices I make.
I’m wondering WHY the heck people are adding so much soy into our food! Seriosuly! Is it really even NEEDED?
Right?! I betcha it’s a cheap alternative to another ingredient that will do the trick in most cases. “Vegetable oil” in our markets is actually 100% soybean oil. Canola, safflower, or olive oil would be far better alternatives!