Going out to eat with celiac disease has always been and continues to be a challenge. Over the years, we have a learned a few strategies that help decrease the stress and increase the likelihood we will receive a safe meal. Some of those strategies include:
Call the restaurant ahead of time and ask if they offer a gluten free menu. Make sure to mention you have celiac disease and you prefer for your food to be prepared separately from those foods that contain gluten.
Check out the restaurant’s website and see if they have posted a gluten free menu.
When you arrive, mention to the host/hostess that you called ahead and would like to see the gluten free menu.
Some restaurants have an entirely separate gluten free menu, but others do not. At times, we have to depend on the server’s knowledge, and that’s not always dependable.
When you order, ask the server to please write on the order or notify the chef in some way that you would prefer your meal is preparation in a separate location.
When the food arrives, the server should specifically state your meal is the “gluten free” order, if not, ask him/her to double check. Some restaurants will symbolize gluten free orders with a toothpick or use a plate that is a different color than the others, but that is not always the case.
French fries are most often labeled “gluten free” because naturally, potatoes do not contain gluten, but sometimes the fries are fried in the same fryer as other foods that contain gluten and therefore, are cross contaminated. Unfortunately, gluten proteins are not destroyed by the heat of the fryer, which means there is still a risk of cross contamination. Before ordering any fried foods, make sure to ask if there is a dedicated fryer for gluten free foods.
Most importantly, enjoy your night out!
