Trailblazing Unleashed

Eating out with any sort of dietary restriction can feel super over whelming. Here’s what helps me navigate eating at restaurants as someone with Celiac Disease.

Picking a Restaurant

This is by far the most important (albeit most difficult) part of dining out. I always start by doing a quick google search for Celiac Safe restaurants in the area. You can also use the app, FindMeGlutenFree to find a restaurant. Usually the reviews on this app will help you decide if a restaurant can handle your dietary restrictions.

Once you scope out a restaurant that you think could work for you, I would recommend giving them a call. If you’ve never eaten here before, this phone call can help you understand how equipped the restaurant is to handle your needs. Here are a few questions I typically ask when calling a new restaurant.

Can you prepare food for a person with Celiac Disease? This part is pretty straight forward. Their answer to this question will tell you a good portion of what you need to know.

How do you handle cross contamination? This question further establishes their understanding of Celiac and if their restaurant is genuinely safe for you to eat. If they don’t have an answer, or don’t sound very confident, I’d steer clear.

What do your gluten free dishes look like? This part is less essential for safety, and more important for your enjoyment! I hate going out to a restaurant that says its celiac safe, and getting a plate of chicken and rice while my family and friends get complex gourmet meals.

Advocate for Yourself

When you get to the restaurant, make it known from the beginning that you have Celiac disease. Your server should know right away so they can help you get what you need. Lots of Celiac safe restaurants have gluten free menus and protocols in place to help you. Most people are going to want to help! I usually say something along the lines of “I have Celiac Disease. What here is safe for me to eat?”

Picking a Dish

Now that you’ve found a trusty restaurant, and told your server about what you need, you can contemplate the menu! I like to stick to dishes that are obviously gluten free so I can tell that I’m getting the right thing when it comes out. If I know this restaurant and have been there a few times, I might be a bit more adventurous about my menu choices. All in all, your meal choice is completely up to you, and you get to decide how much risk you want to take.

Pay Attention

The best thing I can recommend to you is to pay attention throughout the entire dining process. See how your server handles your accommodations. Look a the difference between your meal and your glutenous friends’ meals. Make sure that your server didn’t miss anything, or give you the wrong thing. If something looks off to you, it probably is! Make sure that you’re asking questions, and never be afraid to send a dish back. Your health is more important than inconveniencing someone else.

Review, Review, Review!

After your dining experience has come to an end, make sure to give the restaurant a shout out if you had a good time! Other celiacs need to know where it’s safe to eat too. Together, we can expand where we can eat and keep each other safe!

Hopefully this post gives you the confidence to try out a new restaurant, and tackle your celiac experience!

Trailblaze on!

–Kaya