Chapter 1: Getting Diagnosed + Logistics
IN THIS LESSON
Finding safe foods and restaurants can feel incredibly daunting. I’m here to help!
Just like I mentioned in the article about getting diagnosed with Celiac, one of the very first things I would recommend you do is download the FindMeGF app (which is very kid-friendly, by the way!) If you don’t know, the FindMeGlutenFree app allows you to temporarily give your location (or not) and find safe and delicious restaurants near you, whether it be breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or dessert! Make sure you look at the amount of stars (hearts) a restaurant has, and read some reviews! See if the restaurant meets your comfort or sensitivity level- pay close attention to if they have a separate GF menu or GF items marked, use separate appliances (oven, pots, pans) to cook your food, have a separate kitchen, mark your food as GF physically (ie; a flag, different colored plate or napkin), understand Celiac (talk to the staff!), or do none of these things.
Some restaurants will mark things as gluten friendly, rather than gluten free- make sure to talk to staff or a manager to see if this indicates Celiac-safe or high levels of contamination! Some decisions will be left solely up to your comfort level and level of sensitivity. For example, I personally am very sensitive to contamination, so I avoid pizza places that cook GF pizzas in the same oven, however, I don’t mind if they are cooked in the same kitchen, as this is a miniscule amount of contamination, which will not likely lead to a reaction.
You can also call ahead when picking a restaurant to dine at to ask any of these questions- this is something I (or my parents) did frequently, to avoid high levels of stress when ordering at the restaurant.
Finally, lets talk about some general types of cuisine, and how safe they are for us. The following are some types of food that tend to be really safe for us with Celiac, and why:
Mexican: Corn tortillas and corn chips almost always an option- just make sure their corn tortilla recipe is solely corn (I’ve had an odd experience once or twice where it is a mix of corn and flour!).
Vietnamese: Rice-based everything!
Burgers (American): Lettuce wrap your burger, make sure their fries are cooked in oil that isn’t used for other things (like chicken nuggets, for example), and you’re set to go!
Greek: Salads, protein-based- besides pita, almost everything in Greek cuisine is naturally gluten free.
Middle Eastern/Mediterranean: Plenty of rice and vegetable-based dishes- similar to Greek, almost everything besides the pita will be naturally gluten free.
Indian: Again, a lot of rice based dishes with gluten-free spices. Just avoid bread-based meals and confirm that protein recipes aren’t made with wheat to thicken sauces, and you should be okay.
Now, some cuisines to be careful of and why:
Italian: Unless you’re in Italy, where awareness of Celiac is high, Italian food is a gluten and carb nightmare. Of course, it will be very clear what is gluten free and what is not, but if a restaurant doesn’t have explicitly (and confidently) gluten free bread and pasta, this can be super dangerous and just difficult.
Chinese: Almost everything has soy sauce :( I’ve had some good experiences at PF Changs. but at family-owned Chinese restaurants, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have some difficulties advocating for yourself, or end up eating plain rice.
Japanese: Soy sauce is pretty easy to avoid here- you can just swap with Tamari sauce to put on top of your soy sauce. However, some (very few) Japanese restaurants use malt vinegar (derived from barley) rather than rice vinegar, to make their white rice sticky, so you have to be slightly careful of that. Also, be aware that some recipes for eel, and California rolls have wheat added to them for thickness. Just ask!
And there you have it- some restaurant advice and recommendations for types of cuisines! As always, feel free to join my email list or contact me directly if you have a specific question (or if you live in the Bay Area, in which case I have plenty of specific recommendations for you!)