[tiereenny]

6 Tips for eating Halal even when you cannot find Halal restaurants in your destination

Traveling across the state or across the world can be exciting and a chance to re-charge your internal batteries, a welcome a change of pace and scenery. Finding Halal food and eating Halal in the sky or on the road, however, isn't always as easy.

Even though the word Halal is beginning to penetrate common everyday lingo across the United States and Europe, it isn't as well-known a term as kosher, vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free diets. That said, restaurants, airlines, hotels and supermarkets may either misunderstand or be completely unaware of the Islamic dietary lifestyle for Muslims that disapproves of pork, alcohol and all their by-products in food Muslims will consume.

So what can you do when you have done your research and do not find Halal food establishments in the destination that you are travelling to?
Here are some simple steps that you can take to ensure that you and your family are eating Halal even when you are traveling to such places:

1 . Pack healthy, Halal snacks and instant food s like oatmeal or couscous to curb your hunger. In the U.S., stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods
are great places to find packaged nuts, dried fruits and vegetarian cereal bars without the extra sodium or unhealthy ingredients like MSG.

2. Bring your own utensil s for on-the-go eating and a hot pot for your hotel room. You might find some really cool places to shop for fresh foods in outdoor markets at your destination. You may even be able to have a mini-picnic with your food finds. If you have to stay indoors for breakfast or to get some work done, a hot pot will allow you to make your own food for the meantime. Just be sure to bring an electric outlet adapter if traveling abroad.

3 . Once you arrive, it's time to soak in the fresh change of pace, scenery and people. If you have some time, try the nearest farmers' market . In the United States, the simplest way to search is by going online to Local Harvest , which provides links to the blogs and websites of markets and events surrounding local foods. What a great way to meet people and find fresh, halal foods like fruits, vegetables and organic drinks you can sample and purchase. You may want to visit some of the best farmers markets in the world. For a complete list, check out Hub Pages. Com for the markets listed, which are mainly outside of the United States.

4 . Want to dine out but are confused about which ethnic ingredients may or may not be Halal? Print the Eating Out page on My Halal Kitchen which breaks down the different names for pork or alcohol in food items at Mexican, Italian, French and some American food restaurants.

5 . If you haven't planned much ahead of time, simply shop at local stores for the most natural product s (fruits, vegetables, bread, honey, etc.), as packaged goods seem to have the most questionable ingredients in them. Store them in your hotel refrigerator or buy goods that won't spoil if left out.

6 . When dining out, opt for the least-processed, vegetarian or seafood meal s you can be sure aren't made with pork or alcohol in them. Politely requesting to know more about the preparation of foods as soon as you've had a scan through the menu, will give your server a head's up about your dietary requirements.

SEE ALSO : Guide to Halal Food in Hotels - http://www.crescentrating.com/en/mus...in-hotels.html

Knowing that you've done everything possible to eat Halal while traveling can really afford you a piece of mind before and during your time away. Alhamdullilah, Islam isn't difficult, and that includes eating Halal.

How do you manage when you travel to a place where there is no Halal Food. Please share your s

Contributed to crescentrating.com by Yvonne Maffei, M.A., a food writer, recipe developer, cooking instructor, and the Editor of My Halal Kitchen , a Halal food and cooking blog showcasing culinary tips and healthy Halal recipes .

[angeldimmon]

Find a Masjid and ask the brothers. I've never really had a problem sourcing vegetarian/halal food. The most difficult was when I was in Shanghai, I just ate fruit as I was concerned the bread may have flakes of pork in it.
I eventually found a masjid, prayed Maghrib and came outside and there were some brothers making kebabs on a barbeque. I can still taste it in my mouth

[eropiereetuekm]

Assalam O Alaikum

From our website www.muslimconsumergrouo.com/Alert

TITLE: Some important information about eating in restaurants in USA and Canada
The following important things should be considered while eating in a regular restaurant in USA and Canada. This is for those Muslims who only eat the Zabiha meat. Most of us go to seafood restaurants to eat fish because it is Halal. But we do not have information on how it is cooked or made. Here are the following things we have to keep in our mind about eating fish dish in a restaurant. Not all fish items in fast foods or restaurants are Halal. Not because of fish itself but due to the following reasons: 1. Coating and batter on the fish: Fried fish items are made with coating or batter. The coating or batter of the fish may contain whey, colors and flavors which may not be Halal. Some fish are dipped in beer batter before frying and it is known as beer battered fish. This is type of fish is Haram. The McDonald and Burger King coating is Halal in USA and Canada. 2. Frying media and fryer: Coated and battered fish items are fried in shortening at 360F. If the coating or batter for fried fish is Halal and if it is fried in vegetable shortening with or without vegetable fat based Mono & Diglycerides then the fried fish is Halal. But if same fryer and vegetable shortening was used to fry non zabiha chicken nuggets OR beer battered fish then fried fish items will not be Halal because of left over batter and fat from the chicken. Burger King's Big Fish and Long John Silver are fried their fish items in the same fryer and vegetable shortening use for frying the non-zabiha chicken nuggets in USA and Canada. This is the reason their fish items are not considered Halal. Same thing may happens in restaurants.Beside Burger King also fried pork patties in the same vegetable oil. So it is necessary to avoid eating fried fish in a restaurants because you do not know the Halal status of the coating and batter and use of vegetable shortening and where they fried. 3.Broiled or Grilled Fish: If the fish is broiled or grilled with cooking wine then it will not be Halal. If the fish is broiled or grilled with AA butter then it will be Halal. Sometimes spices are also added to it, we have to make sure that they used 100% spices not the seasoning because seasoning may contain whey, color and flavors which may not be Halal. 4. Sauce with Broiled or Grilled fish: Most of the time broiled fish or grilled fish comes to the table with different sauces on the top of the fish. Dill Sauce with broiled or grilled Salmon is an example. Dill sauce, Tartar sauce and other sauces contain dairy ingredients which may not be Halal. So you have to avoid it and use salt, pepper, lemon or A1 sauce which is a Halal sauce. 5. Broiled Vegetable: Sometimes bacon or ham is added to vegetables, so ask about them. 6. Rolls/Bread: Rolls/bread and cheese rolls are provided at tables, these rolls and bread are mostly made from frozen dough or mixes. These frozen dough or mixes are made with dough conditioners which may not be Halal. Cheese may be made with animal enzymes. 7. Garden Salad, Salad Dressing and coleslaw: Garden Salad in most of the restaurants comes with croutons, cheese, Chinese noodles, and bacon bits. They all should be avoided because croutons may be made with Romano cheese and other ingredients which may not be Halal. Cheese may not be Halal as well as Chinese noodles. Bacon bits are Haram. Salad dressing is made with cheese, emulsifiers which may not be Halal. You request a garden salad without cheese, croutons, Chinese noodles and bacon bits. Lemon juice or olive oil and distilled white vinegar can be used. Coleslaw is made with cabbage and dressing containing dairy ingredients which may not be Halal. 8. Soups: Soups are made with soup bases and concentrates. These bases and concentrates are made with dairy ingredients which may not be Halal and they also contain non zabiha chicken fat. Left over gravy from cooked meats are used to make a soup. You do not know what kind of meat gray was used. This gravy is provide extra flavor to the soup. Clam Chowder is made with dairy ingredients which may not be Halal and bacon is also added to the clam chowder. Soup has to be avoided. 8. Rice Pilaf: Rice pilaf is always made with non zabiha chicken broth, so it has to be avoided. Steam rice is Halal. 9. Vegetables: Vegetable are sometimes cooked with bacon and ham, so it is necessary to ask ahead of time. 10. Baked Potato/French Fries: The ingredients of French fries in restaurants and the way they fried are not known to public. They may be made with Haram ingredients. They may be fried in animal fat shortening. So they have to be avoided unless you are sure that they are Halal. Baked Potato is Halal but the margarine and sour cream may not be Halal. Sometimes they bring with margarine and sour cream and with bacon on the top of the potato. So either you eat with salt & pepper or with butter if it is AA. If they provide you the sour cream and butter in the small packed container with ingredients statements and kosher symbol and if the kosher certification meet the Halal requirements then you can use it. Eggs for the breakfast: Scramble eggs at restaurants are not 100% eggs but other ingredients such as emulsifires are present. Restauarnts get the eggs in batters from food service company such as Sysco Company, they also supplies egg beaters which is Halal only if no alcohol is used in flavor. It is possible thye fried on the same hot plate as bacon. 12. Dessert: Pies, Cheesecake, Cakes may contain gelatin, liquor, dairy ingredients, flavors and other ingredients which may not be Halal and should be avoided. Ice Cream may contains emulsifiers which may not be Halal and flavor may contain alcohol. NOTE; THIS INFORMATION WAS PUBLISHED ON MARCH 13, 2002 AND WAS AVAILABLE ON OUR OLD WEBSITE FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL OCTOBER 1, 2005. IT WAS LAST DURING CHANGE OVER FROM OLD TO NEW WEBSITE. WE ARE SORRY ABOUT IT.


Posted on: 06-15-06 00:00 AM