Eating Out, Celiac Style

            In the beginning, dining out can be very overwhelming. This time you are not the brilliant cook in the kitchen. Instead, you are putting your faith in the hands of some stranger to prepare your gluten-free meal. The inexperienced may not discover that there are tons of hidden gluten ingredients until they have some sort of reaction later or realize that there was gluten in that dish. It is very important to be accustomed to the dining out opportunities since almost everyone goes out to eat. Whether eating at a five-star restaurant, a Taco Bell, or as in my case, a college cafeteria, knowing how to find the gluten-free options is essential to a successful dining experience. As you become more and more comfortable with gluten-free ingredients and foods, you will find that dining out is not all that bad. I know that as I first started to go out for food as a celiac, I felt very shy, nervous and not sure of how to go about making sure my meal had no gluten, but now I have no problem with going out. Leaving your position as master gluten-free chef at home might be difficult, but try out these helpful tips as you begin to explore the many places of eating in this gluten-free world.

            You may be wondering what restaurants are the best to have a gluten-free meal at? There are a great number of different sit-down places to choose from when deciding where to eat. It is definitely a lot easier to choose a place that has a greater variety of gluten-free options, but that doesn’t mean you have to go there. At the restaurant, you should begin by asking the manager or your waiter if they have a gluten-free menu to choose from. As the awareness of celiac has grown over the years, the demand for gluten-free options has greatly increased. As I mentioned before in an earlier blog post, the advancements in gluten-free products have developed over the past few years and in a recent article in The Atlanta Business Chronicle states that “gluten-free menu items grew 61 percent between 2010 and 2011, reflecting [this] greater consumer demand” (Bedford 9C). Nowadays, it is a lot easier to find gluten-free foods or meals, but be careful. For those people that are highly sensitive to gluten, cross-contamination may be your biggest enemy. In all cases, don’t be afraid to ask questions, talk to the chef, send something back, or not eat at all there. It is not worth getting sick because you decided to not speak up about your food concerns. If you are worried about offending the chef, don’t be. He/she is there to make your dining experience the best for the sake of the restaurant’s business. I will admit that at first, I just tried to find the gluten-free options myself, but trust me, that was the worst decision I could have made. As I gained more confidence, I would not stop talking to my waiter until I was assured that I would be eating gluten free.

              On the other side of eating out, there are the easy and quick ways to dine. Fast food restaurants are everywhere and hard to resist for some people. Most places will have some indicator that certain choices are gluten free. A lot of the processed foods sold there have hidden gluten in them though. It is important, again, to ask whoever is taking your order if something has gluten in it.. Since the uncertainty of gluten-free meals at a fast-food restaurant is a lot higher, I would suggest doing some research before going out. There is an immense amount of information about gluten-free foods. You could also look around or ask for a nutritional guide that lists the ingredients. Be persistent until the meal in front of you is gluten free.

            As a college student, I consider myself very lucky to be attending Santa Clara University. The campus provides many options for students to succeed in education, jobs, volunteering, etc. Like it has at many other universities, the gluten-free trend has resulted in an increase of the gluten-free choices and products. Just today I noticed that a new item was added on one of the menus. Now, if I crave the saucy, cheesy goodness of pizza, I can get my own personal pan pizza, and yes, that’s right, it’s gluten free. A lot of the items on the menus around campus will say if it is gluten free, but I still find myself asking if the gravy used for the special that night contains flour or if the sauces used on my gluten-free pasta have wheat in them. I cannot stress enough the importance of asking questions. It is the safest way of staying clear of any gluten. If no one is sure that there is no gluten, just choose another item on the menu. Throughout the last two quarters, I have learned a lot about what the campus has to offer in regards to gluten-free products. Now, I know so much about the food choices I can eat and what I specifically can and cannot have. No matter where you end up, the knowledge of gluten-free eating continues to grow and eventually you will become a master of gluten-free living.

            Eating out for most people is a part of their lifestyle. Just because now someone is eating gluten free doesn’t mean that this habit has to change. Many managers are recognizing “the gluten-free-movement [is going] to stick around for the long haul” (Bedford 9C) as the number of people following a no gluten diet continues to increase. You are not alone in this quest to find gluten-free options when eating out. Be picky. Ask questions. Talk to the cooks. Watch your food being prepared. It’s your choice to make sure that your food is gluten free. No one else cares as much as you do about your health, but you’re not the only one that is looking out for him or herself as well. It is so much better to know that you can successfully sit down and eat your food without the worries of eating any gluten. Your body will also thank you for this as well.

           

Works Cited

Bedford, Giannina S. "Gluten-free becoming a staple at restaurants." Atlanta Business Chronicle. Atlanta Business Chronicle, 10 Feb. 2012: 9C. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. <http://robinson.gsu.edu/resources2/files/news/2012/southwest-effect.pdf>