Whether you are new to celiac disease or a veteran, I’m sure you know the importance of precaution while dining out. I had a request for this post, but before I get started I wanted to share with you about about my journey.
I was diagnosed about 8-9 years ago when Celiac Disease wasn’t as known or accommodated. No one sat me down to explain what gluten was, I just had to figure it out on my own. Partly from online and a lot this wonderful community. When I first started out I was very very strict. For me personally it caused more stress and less life enjoyment. As the years went on and I became more knowledgable about gluten, I started to ease up. I took more risks when eating out and accepted the degree of risk associated with eating out. We just can’t be all in the know or in complete control when eating out, whether a restaurant or a friends house. Many will decide to not risk it, and that is completely understandable.
I’ve chosen to eat out and ask the questions that I can. I’ll be honest though, sometimes I’m exhausted and don’t want to deal and don’t ask the questions I should. Sometimes it works out and sometimes that is when I get a gluten reaction. This life of a celiac is a journey and it’s something we will deal with for the rest of our lives. It’s not something I beat myself over, I just take the lessen and move on.
Here are things to consider when eating out:
Prepare ahead of time: It’s always best to do your research. I look the restaurant up online and check to see if there are any items on the menu that look like they may be able to be gluten free. If you are new to being gluten free this may seem hard to determine but as time goes on you know what to look for. I’ll discuss some things below. Not all online menus have gluten free labels on them so calling is always a great option too. Next, I’ll check the restaurant out of Find Me Gluten Free to see the reviews. Check the dates of reviews because things change! If you are traveling, check things out ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling when everyone gets hungry. There are gluten free travel groups on Facebook that have been helpful to me! The last thing I will mention is to travel with snacks. You never know when you they will be needed.
Make sure whomever you are dining with knows about your dietary situation, if possible: If you were invited to a group dinner you may not have control over the venue in which case I would definitely call ahead to ask and eat ahead of time if needed. But if it’s a group of friends or your family and the restaurant is flexible, make sure the group knows that it’s a bit harder for you to just walk into a restaurant and be able to eat. This can be uncomfortable for some but keep in mind that in most situations your group will probably feel bad if you are the only one not eating. Others may not have a very understanding and considerate group, in which case it’s up to you to advocate for yourself! You deserve to eat too!
Know what gluten is: This is important because not everyone will. So you need to look out for gluten in foods. What automatically comes to mind for me is Asian food. I’ve had people not realize that Teriyaki sauce has soy sauce in it which is not gluten free. Asian food is very challenging to eat, if it’s labeled gluten free always check to see what kind of soy sauce they use.
Hidden gluten to look out for in restaurants: The world is just obsessed with gluten and they like to sneak it in. Therefore it’s important to understand hidden gluten potential. Hidden gluten in broths and starches is harder to look out for when eating out, but there are some places gluten has shown up that have been a surprise. I’m sure I left some out, feel free to comment with more so others can see!
Eggs: Some places, diners in particular, may use powdered eggs or add flour to their eggs to thicken them up.
Dressings: Some dressings have wheat in them, Ranch and other homemade dressings come to mind. I usually stick with a vinaigrette.
Potatoes: Unfortunately, your breakfast potatoes or fries may be tossed with flour or cooked in a shared fryer which often cuts this out.
Sauces: Here is another place where some places like to a ruin a good thing by adding flour. I’ve even seen this happen on traditional sauces that require no flour, like Alfredo. Red Chile is another one in New Mexico that may be ruined with flour.
Gluten free breads: Just because they have gluten free bread doesn’t mean you can eat it. They may use the same toaster which is obviously a problem.
Chocolate Shakes: Some shakes use malt, which is barley and is considered gluten.
Pizzas: This is a huge risk when eating out. It’s likely cooked in the same oven. I have eaten if it’s in the same oven as long as cross contamination safety measures are taken. This means clean or separate prep surfaces and cooking pizza on a clean separate pan not directly on the surface. However with all the flour floating around in pizza places, this may be something most celiacs should avoid or caution against.
Shared Fryers: This is a big concern when eating out. Unfortunately many items are fried in a fryer that cooks glutenous items. I can usually tell if this will be the case by checking out the menu to see what fried gluten items they have but always ask because people fry things you wouldn’t expect.
Watch out for misinformation about Celiac Disease: If you have been gluten free for a while you have probably had the experience where you ask the waitress if they have gluten free items and they responded with “yes, we have a vegetarian menu”. This makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. While the world has gotten more knowledgable about gluten, some people are still confused. This is usually a sign that they have no idea what they are talking about. Don’t let it go! Education and ask questions. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t eat there.
Inform the waiter that you have celiac disease: One thing I do every time I order is I make sure the waiter knows that I have celiac disease and that I need to avoid shared fryers and cross contamination. I also say something like “So your kitchen knows”, in hopes that they will write it on the ticket. The kitchen staff is often knowledgeable about what is required when cooking for us.
I hope these tips help you out. Remember that mistakes happen, do your best and be gentle with yourself!
If you are traveling to Dallas or Albuquerque, check out my blog posts about gluten free dining. Here is a video with my favorite places to eat in Los Angeles.
