Tips For Dining Out with Celiac
Overtime advocating for yourself becomes easier but it’s challenging constantly advocating for yourself! As a self-proclaimed people pleaser I can totally relate, even after 14.5 years with celiac there are still days I struggle with this. Here are a few tips that have helped me over the years.
Call ahead: I recommend calling ahead or even stopping in the restaurant if it’s local, a day or two before you plan to go. This way you already have some information prior to arriving and ordering. It’s helpful to call soon after opening before it’s super busy and loud in the restaurant. This can also make it easier for staff to check with chefs in the kitchen on specific menu items you are inquiring about.
Utilize allergen cards: Allergen cards are also an amazing resource, especially for traveling. My favorite company is Equal Eats. I have used them quite a few times while traveling to various countries, including Turkey, Morocco and France. They come in various languages for different countries and even have an app. I find even the English card can be helpful at home to share information with restaurant staff, especially when newly diagnosed.
Utilize your support system! This might sound silly but this has actually made a huge difference in not getting burnt out. Life is busy and sometimes there are periods of dining out a lot more often and as a celiac it can be exhausting. If you have a partner or parent or good friend who is knowledgable about the right questions to ask restaurant staff, ask them to help. Can they do all the ordering for you every once in a while? If they aren’t knowledgable yet on questions to ask, see if they would be open to learning to help you advocate for yourself. Sometimes a break from advocating is much needed.
GF apps: There are lots of apps out there and I often hesitate to recommend them because of the reviews people leave. These apps can be a great place to start to find restaurants, but then I STRONGLY recommend doing your own research after this point. Never rely on reviews to determine if a restaurant is safe. You MUST investigate on your own. I have used this app many times and almost every restaurant on the app I have looked at has a review that says something like this:
“Great gluten-free food, I didn’t have any reactions. Definitely recommend!”
This DOES NOT mean this restaurant is celiac safe. Every celiac reacts differently when they consume gluten and this is not a safe or reliable way to determine a restaurant’s safety for celiacs. You must speak with the restaurant staff directly about their protocols for preparing GF food for someone with celiac. With all of this in mind, one app that I find helpful to find restaurants is Find Me GF. Also, if you’re using apps like these, please leave reviews about the questions you asked and the allergen protocols a restaurant takes — these types of reviews are much more helpful!
Modify menu items: Always ask if something can be modified. If a salad has no gluten-containing ingredients except for croutons or bread that comes with it, see if they can prepare it gluten-free. Usually the answer is yes! (Keep in mind though, if something is prepped in a large batch such as a salad with croutons and the only solution is taking the croutons off, this would not be celiac safe, so ask specific questions!) Another example of modifying a menu item could be asking for a grilled protein prepared in a separate pan, instead of a breaded protein that is fried in a shared fryer.
Find a safe go-to restaurant: Lots of families eat out every Friday night or Saturday night or maybe every month you meet up with friends to catch up. If you tend to go to the same place, find a celiac safe place that you can start going to regularly. This helps reduce the amount of questions you need to ask when constantly going to a new restaurant.
Opt for take-out: If you’re meeting up with family or friends, could you meet up at someone’s house instead and everyone brings their favorite take-out? This allows you to order from a place you know can safely prepare a meal for you without having to navigate a new restaurant.
Lastly, be confident! Eating gluten-free for celiac disease is NOT a choice. Gluten-free can often be seen as a fad diet or trendy, but it’s every day life for us with celiac disease. This is for your health and well-being. Everyone deserves to be able to eat out and enjoy meals with friends and family, even us celiacs.
