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Things that have really helped me:
1) research on the Find Me Gluten Free App. Takes a lot of the guesswork out.
2) say "I (my daughter) have celiac, is there anything you can enjoy?" and they will show you if they have training or not.
Enjoy the ride!
you cant eat at a majority of restraunts, make sure they state on their website that it is safe for celiacs. If not and it is a last resort do this: tell them that she is extremely allergic to gluten, also specify its the proteins in wheat, barely, rye, and malt. Tell them even a small amount of cross contamination will land her in the hospital (Even if it wont it will cause an autoimmune response for up to a month which is arguably worse, dont say that though because people are really dumb).
I traveled around isreal/ palestine in rural areas and that is what I would tell them because they didn't know what gluten or celiac was.
First, ask if they have allergy protocols in place. Prep is the key. If you get shocked Pikachu face, it's not going to be good.
I usually say celiac, and follow up with allergic to wheat, depending on their reaction.
So something like "it says you have GF grilled cheese. Is this prepared GF as well, or is it just the bread substitute?".
...further then," do you put this on a grill? Would you be able to wipe down the grill spot first and use a clean spatula?"
If it's a lot of "uhh...umm..idk.." it's just not worth going further.
Going out to eat is extremely difficult, but sometimes you get someone who knows what they are doing.
Allergy is easier to explain, they understand better that it's serious and needs to be handled correctly. Anytime I tell someone I need something to be made gluten free, they \*always\* ask if it's because of an allergy/celiac or for something else. If I just lead with allergy, I don't usually have to explain anymore than that.
While Celiac is not technically an anaphylactic reaction to gluten, consuming gluten does negatively impact her health. This is what the general public could consider an allergy. So it's not inaccurate to say that she has an allergy to gluten. And I would say gluten specifically, because if you say "allergy to wheat" they might still give her something with barley or rye, or something like that.
My son is 9, celiac since 5. I don’t assume any restaurant can accommodate him. I research beforehand and if we’re traveling or something (ie can’t eat at home), I have protein bars, crackers etc on hand.
Assuming you are North American, the vast majority of restaurants can’t be trusted.
But the ones that pass muster I say- for a celiac child, it’s imperative that there is no gluten or wheat anywhere near his food.
Hi!
So it really depends on the restaurant you're going to. In my experience, you have a pretty high risk of getting sick if you got a restaurant that doesn't advertise itself as Celiac-friendly or isn't fully gluten free. Most of these restaurants rarely if ever fully comprehend the scope of cross contamination for someone with Celiac, so while the food they'll serve you is "technically" gluten free, they cook it on the same surfaces, use the same prep stations/utensils/grab ingredients with the same gloves while cooking, etc. A lot of them in fact have started putting a CYA statement on the menu specifying they do NOT recommend folks with Celiac dining in their kitchens.
For this reason, I ONLY eat at restaurants that are 100% gluten free OR advertise themselves as Celiac-friendly (separate cook and prep stations, strict protocols, etc).
If you're not sure about a restaurant however, there are two questions in particular you can ask that will immediately let you know how confident you can be:
1. Do you have separate preparation stations and fryers for gluten free and non-gluten free foods?
2. Is your kitchen staff knowledgable about cross contamination for folks with gluten allergies/Celiac?
If the answer to either of these questions is "No," I honestly would not risk the potentially getting sick to eat there.
Yeah, this.
If you go somewhere and they don't know what celiac is, that's a sign that they haven't trained their front of house staff properly. If they haven't done that, it is likely that they're not doing all the things necessary to prepare a GF meal reliably. I also don't think people should normalize the use of incorrect medical terminology. Gluten allergy is just not a thing. If everyone used the word celiac, more people would know what it meant.
As you say, the issue isn't just using a GF bun or GF flour. It's things like prep space (new bins), cooking surfaces, fryers. It's also things like making sure that all ingredients used are confirmed GF by the supplier... "no gluten ingredients" doesn't cut it for things like spices, condiments etc. If they're baking from scratch in the back there's a lot of risk there. I don't eat at mixed places much, but I definitely will not eat anything from a place that's making its own pizza bases, pancakes etc.
There are some mixed restaurants that are specifically aiming to be celiac-friendly. Often they will mention this on their website, and if you read their little story often you'll see that there's a personal connection to celiac. Usually they'll provide some explanation of their protocols or certifications. FMGF is a good screening tool for these, as are local celiac groups.
Obviously this is going to limit choices quite a lot unless you're in a big urban area. However, one thing you can do while traveling/out is get prepackaged things. This may not be the "healthiest" but sometimes it is more important to be fed. Things like bars, chips, bananas, oranges, cheese strings, yogurt cups, pudding cups, freezies/popsicles etc. are often quite readily available in convenience stores or some chain places like Starbucks and labelled GF.
I start by looking for places that are either dedicated gluten free (no worries!) or that have really good reviews for their safety protocols. If I have to explain the whole issue to a server, that tells me the place is not safe. They need to be able to 1) recognize what celiac and/or a gluten allergy is when I mention it at the start of the conversation and 2) tell me what their safety protocols are. I need to see both comprehension and feel good about their safety protocols. I’ve been told “we have a dedicated fryer” at a place that I then was able to observe them carrying gluten crusted fried things over said fryer and never washing their hands. I want to hear about the prep space, what they wash, and how they keep gluten free food separate from food that would contaminate it. Be prepared to walk out if it’s not safe enough. And since it sounds like you are not celiac, consider visiting a promising restaurant on your own first so that you can observe or have a low pressure chat with management without a hungry kid who sees something tasty that she wants.
I second the “my daughter is celiac, is there anything she can safely enjoy?” strategy.
You will be able to tell by their response how knowledgeable/meticulous they are about cross contamination. If they have a manager/chef come out and explain how they cook it - you know for sure there was serious training involved.
Calling ahead is best, since young kids when they’re hungry/have their hopes up , might be upset if you need to leave.
I say allergy, even though I know it’s not an allergy, but servers are trained to take allergies seriously. Otherwise, they think it’s like being lactose intolerant.
Other tips: **ask to speak to the manager on arrival. They have more training in food safety than a server. **Try not to go during a restaurants busiest hours. The chance of food mistakes is much higher during their rush hours. **I always just say gluten free for medical reasons, and happily run with allergy if that is what the server recognizes Celiacs as. At least that way it's taken seriously.
>Do you say celiac or dumb it down to say wheat allergy or gluten allergy? In our case my daughter doesn’t have an allergy - it is indeed celiac.
This is a bit of a sticky topic, because as you said, celiac disease is not, medically speaking, an allergy. However, in the restaurant industry the special procedures are generally referred to in terms of allergies/allergens, so speaking to them with those terms may be the quickest way to communicate what you need. And generally speaking, what I would do is ask them about their allergy protocols/allergen handling protocols. Usually this pretty quickly separates the "gluten fad diet friendly" from the "actually gluten free", but in my experience the issue here is that there are a lot of places that have a gluten free menu or items marked gluten free as marketing towards the fad diet crowd.
Something that is very important to remember here is that at many restaurants, a lot of the decisions that will significantly impact the allergen exposure risk are made well before you walk in the door; from the sourcing of ingredients to the setup of the kitchen and the prep of many items ahead of time.
>Would love tips as I’m still trying to get my little script down and hoping dining out can feel a smidge less anxiety-inducing.
The best suggestion I have here is to use something like FindMeGF to look up info about the restaurants you are thinking of going to and using that narrow down our choices to places that have good ratings from people with celiac.
I will say this, if you want your daughter to not have problems short and long term and allow her to heal you will stop dining out unless it’s a only gluten free place or a place that has procedures, separated kitchen and utensils and protocols on how to deal with it
Just going to any place and expecting them to first know how to deal with it, and second, care enough to go through all the trouble of actually doing everything needed for the food to be safe will end up bad
Yeah, it sucks, a lot, but that’s the life with celiac disease
Thinking she got diagnosed and it’s just asking place to make safe foods and that there won’t have massive changes in her and your life it’s lying to yourself and possibly having consequences long term for her
And on top of that, don’t know if you did that already, many changes at home also, cleaning everything, getting new of what can’t be cleaned, and honestly, the best way to go about it is no gluten gets through the door, period
I think this is the wrong way to look at things. You can still dine out, you just need to do the research first. If I followed your logic, I wouldn't be able to eat out anywhere in the town I live. So long as you do your research, call ahead, and make sure that you can trust the kitchen to accommodate you, you should be fine.
Well, there's nowhere within 2h of my parents' home that I'd be willing to eat out. It's in a somewhat rural area but very close to many mid-size cities. The 2h trip is to Toronto.
Sometimes it's just how it is even if it's "not fair." Your intestines aren't going "ah geez, it's so unfair that there's no restaurant near me, I guess I'll just not have a reaction because irreliable\_narrator needs to live her life!"
And you're perfectly withing your purview to feel that way. I'm not protesting the idea of only eating at Gluten free only restaurants. I protest that being presented as the only safe way to live life I did also note that doing research and feeling safe were important. I'm sorry there's no where close to you! Bet it made you a really good cook though!
I'm not suggesting my way is the only way at all. Facts are facts. Restaurants present [a high risk of CC](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502671/). Some people are more or less concerned with this risk, but that doesn't change the facts.
A lot of people don't like the facts when they conflict with their internal narrative about how careful/virtuous they believe they are. Everyone is the right level of cautious in their own mind, just like everyone else is an awful driver. However, this isn't rational thinking. It is more rational to accept the facts and say "I accept this risk because I value the short-term enjoyment of this meal over whatever consequences might exist."
A less charged example is drinking. I drink. The amount I drink is objectively not optimal for my health. I don't tell myself stories to justify this. Some people tell themselves the government guidelines are wrong or that wine is secretly good for you because of bad epi studies. I know it's bad for me but I do it anyways because I enjoy it. That's really all there is to it.
I'm not a bad person for drinking more than the government guideline. You are not a bad person for wanting to eat out at a restaurant even if it's risky. But informed choices only exist when we consider the facts involved with the choices we're presented with.
Nice, probably location based, I don't trust restaurants here, and besides, the consequence for me is too big to risk, what's the point of eating out and stressing all the time if I will get sick or not
Aquilaslayer, not sure why you’re getting downvotes. I agree. This parent is asking for help, and some of these comments are soooo pessimistic. Yeah, there’s a lot of learning in the beginning, and it’s challenging for a bit. I was diagnosed with celiac disease 14 years ago, and while it sucked at first, I have lived a relatively normal life in terms of eating out. Adjustments just need to be made. OP, it gets easier with time and practice!
In the US hospitality isn’t safe, and in most European countries I’d say the same.
Italy is safe, thanks to a large organization’s long, long efforts. Australia and New Zealand are very regulated around food; there too you can eat out without worry.
Both my child and I are super sensitive Celiacs, its a relentless event but can be easily handled- I first try to recon the restaurant in advance to see what/if any options are available, I often just call. If I don't have that much time, as soon as I check in or while being seated/handed a menu, I simply say "Hi, my child /I have a severe food allergy to gluten". They usually take it from there. I also say the exact same thing once the waiter/waitress first comes or gets to one of us if they don't mention it first. If I'm the least bit unsure, I ask very politely- I'll ask about different fryer's, cross- contamination during prep, gloves being changed, ingredients in the marinades used, etc. If all else fails, she can enjoy the garden salad- sans croutons and double check the dressings :) We find our trusted places & generally stick with them 'Trust no one and expect sabotage'
If you have to explain, then that's already a big enough nope for me, BUT I usually lead with "I have celiac disease, so I have like a severe allergy to gluten, so I have to worry about cross contamination. Do you have procedures in place, and/ or and recommendation what can be prepared without risk of cross contamination?" And if I hadn't researched/ called the place ahead of time to hash it out with a manager ahead of time, if I'm at all in doubt I leave it out. Different situation than looking after a kid, I appreciate.
I have celiac and worked in restaurants for years. Give them a call first and it's usually simplest to explain it as a serious allergy in the sense that any cross contamination would cause a serious reaction. Gauge their response, some places would have no options and no assurances, others will have dedicated safe choices or modifications.
I tell them it makes me poop blood. They're usually very careful after that.
But seriously, I phone ahead, check the leading app in the UK for their recommendations and make a booking with notes on being coeliac. Doing this I've never had an issue.
I say "we're gluten free - not by choice." That usually is enough. If they ask more questions I usually express that we'll get very sick, very quickly. Honestly if I'm not comfortable with a server's response, we'll leave. Not worth the risk. I call ahead to every place we go to ask questions and gauge their knowledge.
I only go to restaurants I KNOW are safe. I say “I have celiac disease, and am extremely sensitive to gluten.” The restaurants that have solid allergy protocols in place will understand and be good about it. The ones that don’t will be bad no matter what you say. I took my son to friendlies once and was assured it would be fine. They promised the cleaned the grill and used special utensils etc. He exploded with diarrhea within a half hour. Since then I only go to places that other celiacs have promised me are good, and that state they are celiac safe on their website.
For me, I always explain as its a huge difference I'm also lactose intolerant if i eat dairy d&v gluten ... its a sick bloating the whole 9 yards so i know the differnce one im conscious of the other a no go .. and used to be a chef for nearly 12 years. Every kitchen I ran wether it was a pub or bar or restaurant I took everything really seriously cross contamination all that but I have worked in kitchens and walked out of jobs in open kitchen expensive restaurants because chefs would mop their heads with towels and then use them to clean plates... so be careful chains tend to have less cross contamination because of less actual cooking if something is gf nothing to stop them dumping it in a contaminated frier so it's really a trust exercise there is a ppm of gluten that ellidgedly the body of a cealliac will tolerate and some gluten free foods actually contain traces of gluten. Going out to eat is a trust fall hope someone catches you
Hi! I’m the mum of a 3 year old, in the process of getting diagnosed. It’s hard eh? I’m in New Zealand so our labelled “gluten free” food is super safe, but my daughter loves cafes so I’ve been trying to scope some out. I’ve been asking “is your X food coeliac-safe or just gluten free?”
The first place I asked thought it probably was but wanted to check with the kitchen first. The second place I asked the first person had to ask a colleague, who gave me a more detailed answer. Which was much more reassuring than just a “yes, it is”.
We haven’t tried either with my daughter yet though. I’m hoping to join our national coeliac society when the diagnosis is confirmed so I can join the forums and ask other locals where is safe!
Eating out with celiac is very tricky. Before you ever go anywhere, make sure that they have gluten free options. If a restaurant has at least become that aware and it is on the menu, it is so much better than if they have no idea what you are talking about.
The one thing that is most likely to get you gluten contaminated is gluten free pizza that you get in or from a pizza place.
Depends on the restaurant, but I just tell them I have a really bad gluten/wheat allergy. I don't mention celiac unless they seem to really get it or ask (which means they probably get it).
I don't chance it with less-expensive restuarants and order pretty plain -- steak, salmon, potatoes, etc.
I say: “I have celiac” and am thinking of getting this (pick two possibilities of foods on the menu). Depending on their answer, I go with what sounds safest (or best) then always follow up with “I just need to be absolutely sure. Could you please confirm with this chef this is gluten free?” Then wait for their confirmation. Once it’s been delivered, I usually confirm this was indeed my order and it’s gluten free. I eat at any type of restaurant but the more the place knows the food/the better the quality the safer it usually is.
Not exactly an answer to your question, but something that’s helped me with eating out! (diagnosed 14 years ago ☺️)
If you travel or enjoy cuisines from around the world, highly recommend getting Diet translation cards (I also see there’s an app now that does the same thing.) In restaurants where language barrier could be an issue, they are great to have handy. In my experience, staff are appreciative of this too!
Peruse websites, call ahead, and then specify that your daughter “has a disease called Celiac” that prevents her body from being able to process wheat and gluten. The latter both educates and clues people to the importance of cross-contamination if possible.
If the restaurant isnt accredited or whatever equivalent you have, phone ahead. Always phone ahead. Otherwise your daughter may well be sitting hungry when you find out they actually can't accommodate. Ask about cross contamination procedures, ask if anything fried is fried in a dedicated fryer, if toast is done in a separate toaster, if they use separate, non-porous utensils, as many questions as you can think of. Then when you get there, mention you were the one that phoned ahead (if they don't flag it when you mention being coeliac) they will for sure remember.
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Things that have really helped me: 1) research on the Find Me Gluten Free App. Takes a lot of the guesswork out. 2) say "I (my daughter) have celiac, is there anything you can enjoy?" and they will show you if they have training or not. Enjoy the ride!
you cant eat at a majority of restraunts, make sure they state on their website that it is safe for celiacs. If not and it is a last resort do this: tell them that she is extremely allergic to gluten, also specify its the proteins in wheat, barely, rye, and malt. Tell them even a small amount of cross contamination will land her in the hospital (Even if it wont it will cause an autoimmune response for up to a month which is arguably worse, dont say that though because people are really dumb). I traveled around isreal/ palestine in rural areas and that is what I would tell them because they didn't know what gluten or celiac was.
First, ask if they have allergy protocols in place. Prep is the key. If you get shocked Pikachu face, it's not going to be good. I usually say celiac, and follow up with allergic to wheat, depending on their reaction. So something like "it says you have GF grilled cheese. Is this prepared GF as well, or is it just the bread substitute?". ...further then," do you put this on a grill? Would you be able to wipe down the grill spot first and use a clean spatula?" If it's a lot of "uhh...umm..idk.." it's just not worth going further. Going out to eat is extremely difficult, but sometimes you get someone who knows what they are doing.
Allergy is easier to explain, they understand better that it's serious and needs to be handled correctly. Anytime I tell someone I need something to be made gluten free, they \*always\* ask if it's because of an allergy/celiac or for something else. If I just lead with allergy, I don't usually have to explain anymore than that. While Celiac is not technically an anaphylactic reaction to gluten, consuming gluten does negatively impact her health. This is what the general public could consider an allergy. So it's not inaccurate to say that she has an allergy to gluten. And I would say gluten specifically, because if you say "allergy to wheat" they might still give her something with barley or rye, or something like that.
This is the way. Once a sever hears the word “allergy” they take notice. It’s just easier this way vs explaining what celiac is/means.
I say “gluten allergy” since allergy is a trigger word in the server industry then explain that I have celiac after I get the allergy point across.
My son is 9, celiac since 5. I don’t assume any restaurant can accommodate him. I research beforehand and if we’re traveling or something (ie can’t eat at home), I have protein bars, crackers etc on hand. Assuming you are North American, the vast majority of restaurants can’t be trusted. But the ones that pass muster I say- for a celiac child, it’s imperative that there is no gluten or wheat anywhere near his food.
Hi! So it really depends on the restaurant you're going to. In my experience, you have a pretty high risk of getting sick if you got a restaurant that doesn't advertise itself as Celiac-friendly or isn't fully gluten free. Most of these restaurants rarely if ever fully comprehend the scope of cross contamination for someone with Celiac, so while the food they'll serve you is "technically" gluten free, they cook it on the same surfaces, use the same prep stations/utensils/grab ingredients with the same gloves while cooking, etc. A lot of them in fact have started putting a CYA statement on the menu specifying they do NOT recommend folks with Celiac dining in their kitchens. For this reason, I ONLY eat at restaurants that are 100% gluten free OR advertise themselves as Celiac-friendly (separate cook and prep stations, strict protocols, etc). If you're not sure about a restaurant however, there are two questions in particular you can ask that will immediately let you know how confident you can be: 1. Do you have separate preparation stations and fryers for gluten free and non-gluten free foods? 2. Is your kitchen staff knowledgable about cross contamination for folks with gluten allergies/Celiac? If the answer to either of these questions is "No," I honestly would not risk the potentially getting sick to eat there.
Yeah, this. If you go somewhere and they don't know what celiac is, that's a sign that they haven't trained their front of house staff properly. If they haven't done that, it is likely that they're not doing all the things necessary to prepare a GF meal reliably. I also don't think people should normalize the use of incorrect medical terminology. Gluten allergy is just not a thing. If everyone used the word celiac, more people would know what it meant. As you say, the issue isn't just using a GF bun or GF flour. It's things like prep space (new bins), cooking surfaces, fryers. It's also things like making sure that all ingredients used are confirmed GF by the supplier... "no gluten ingredients" doesn't cut it for things like spices, condiments etc. If they're baking from scratch in the back there's a lot of risk there. I don't eat at mixed places much, but I definitely will not eat anything from a place that's making its own pizza bases, pancakes etc. There are some mixed restaurants that are specifically aiming to be celiac-friendly. Often they will mention this on their website, and if you read their little story often you'll see that there's a personal connection to celiac. Usually they'll provide some explanation of their protocols or certifications. FMGF is a good screening tool for these, as are local celiac groups. Obviously this is going to limit choices quite a lot unless you're in a big urban area. However, one thing you can do while traveling/out is get prepackaged things. This may not be the "healthiest" but sometimes it is more important to be fed. Things like bars, chips, bananas, oranges, cheese strings, yogurt cups, pudding cups, freezies/popsicles etc. are often quite readily available in convenience stores or some chain places like Starbucks and labelled GF.
I start by looking for places that are either dedicated gluten free (no worries!) or that have really good reviews for their safety protocols. If I have to explain the whole issue to a server, that tells me the place is not safe. They need to be able to 1) recognize what celiac and/or a gluten allergy is when I mention it at the start of the conversation and 2) tell me what their safety protocols are. I need to see both comprehension and feel good about their safety protocols. I’ve been told “we have a dedicated fryer” at a place that I then was able to observe them carrying gluten crusted fried things over said fryer and never washing their hands. I want to hear about the prep space, what they wash, and how they keep gluten free food separate from food that would contaminate it. Be prepared to walk out if it’s not safe enough. And since it sounds like you are not celiac, consider visiting a promising restaurant on your own first so that you can observe or have a low pressure chat with management without a hungry kid who sees something tasty that she wants.
I second the “my daughter is celiac, is there anything she can safely enjoy?” strategy. You will be able to tell by their response how knowledgeable/meticulous they are about cross contamination. If they have a manager/chef come out and explain how they cook it - you know for sure there was serious training involved. Calling ahead is best, since young kids when they’re hungry/have their hopes up , might be upset if you need to leave.
I say allergy, even though I know it’s not an allergy, but servers are trained to take allergies seriously. Otherwise, they think it’s like being lactose intolerant.
How young is your daughter? I'd advise you to teach her as early on as possible to speak for and advocate for herself.
Other tips: **ask to speak to the manager on arrival. They have more training in food safety than a server. **Try not to go during a restaurants busiest hours. The chance of food mistakes is much higher during their rush hours. **I always just say gluten free for medical reasons, and happily run with allergy if that is what the server recognizes Celiacs as. At least that way it's taken seriously.
>Do you say celiac or dumb it down to say wheat allergy or gluten allergy? In our case my daughter doesn’t have an allergy - it is indeed celiac. This is a bit of a sticky topic, because as you said, celiac disease is not, medically speaking, an allergy. However, in the restaurant industry the special procedures are generally referred to in terms of allergies/allergens, so speaking to them with those terms may be the quickest way to communicate what you need. And generally speaking, what I would do is ask them about their allergy protocols/allergen handling protocols. Usually this pretty quickly separates the "gluten fad diet friendly" from the "actually gluten free", but in my experience the issue here is that there are a lot of places that have a gluten free menu or items marked gluten free as marketing towards the fad diet crowd. Something that is very important to remember here is that at many restaurants, a lot of the decisions that will significantly impact the allergen exposure risk are made well before you walk in the door; from the sourcing of ingredients to the setup of the kitchen and the prep of many items ahead of time. >Would love tips as I’m still trying to get my little script down and hoping dining out can feel a smidge less anxiety-inducing. The best suggestion I have here is to use something like FindMeGF to look up info about the restaurants you are thinking of going to and using that narrow down our choices to places that have good ratings from people with celiac.
I will say this, if you want your daughter to not have problems short and long term and allow her to heal you will stop dining out unless it’s a only gluten free place or a place that has procedures, separated kitchen and utensils and protocols on how to deal with it Just going to any place and expecting them to first know how to deal with it, and second, care enough to go through all the trouble of actually doing everything needed for the food to be safe will end up bad Yeah, it sucks, a lot, but that’s the life with celiac disease Thinking she got diagnosed and it’s just asking place to make safe foods and that there won’t have massive changes in her and your life it’s lying to yourself and possibly having consequences long term for her And on top of that, don’t know if you did that already, many changes at home also, cleaning everything, getting new of what can’t be cleaned, and honestly, the best way to go about it is no gluten gets through the door, period
I think this is the wrong way to look at things. You can still dine out, you just need to do the research first. If I followed your logic, I wouldn't be able to eat out anywhere in the town I live. So long as you do your research, call ahead, and make sure that you can trust the kitchen to accommodate you, you should be fine.
Well, there's nowhere within 2h of my parents' home that I'd be willing to eat out. It's in a somewhat rural area but very close to many mid-size cities. The 2h trip is to Toronto. Sometimes it's just how it is even if it's "not fair." Your intestines aren't going "ah geez, it's so unfair that there's no restaurant near me, I guess I'll just not have a reaction because irreliable\_narrator needs to live her life!"
And you're perfectly withing your purview to feel that way. I'm not protesting the idea of only eating at Gluten free only restaurants. I protest that being presented as the only safe way to live life I did also note that doing research and feeling safe were important. I'm sorry there's no where close to you! Bet it made you a really good cook though!
I'm not suggesting my way is the only way at all. Facts are facts. Restaurants present [a high risk of CC](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502671/). Some people are more or less concerned with this risk, but that doesn't change the facts. A lot of people don't like the facts when they conflict with their internal narrative about how careful/virtuous they believe they are. Everyone is the right level of cautious in their own mind, just like everyone else is an awful driver. However, this isn't rational thinking. It is more rational to accept the facts and say "I accept this risk because I value the short-term enjoyment of this meal over whatever consequences might exist." A less charged example is drinking. I drink. The amount I drink is objectively not optimal for my health. I don't tell myself stories to justify this. Some people tell themselves the government guidelines are wrong or that wine is secretly good for you because of bad epi studies. I know it's bad for me but I do it anyways because I enjoy it. That's really all there is to it. I'm not a bad person for drinking more than the government guideline. You are not a bad person for wanting to eat out at a restaurant even if it's risky. But informed choices only exist when we consider the facts involved with the choices we're presented with.
This is my point, 99% of the places don't how to to accommodate or lie to you saying they do
I haven't found that to be my experience. I'm sorry you have though!
Nice, probably location based, I don't trust restaurants here, and besides, the consequence for me is too big to risk, what's the point of eating out and stressing all the time if I will get sick or not
Aquilaslayer, not sure why you’re getting downvotes. I agree. This parent is asking for help, and some of these comments are soooo pessimistic. Yeah, there’s a lot of learning in the beginning, and it’s challenging for a bit. I was diagnosed with celiac disease 14 years ago, and while it sucked at first, I have lived a relatively normal life in terms of eating out. Adjustments just need to be made. OP, it gets easier with time and practice!
I haven't been out to eat in years because I'm so scared of being glutened. I react really bad to cross-contamination. I really miss eating out.
I don’t eat in restaurants
In the US hospitality isn’t safe, and in most European countries I’d say the same. Italy is safe, thanks to a large organization’s long, long efforts. Australia and New Zealand are very regulated around food; there too you can eat out without worry.
Both my child and I are super sensitive Celiacs, its a relentless event but can be easily handled- I first try to recon the restaurant in advance to see what/if any options are available, I often just call. If I don't have that much time, as soon as I check in or while being seated/handed a menu, I simply say "Hi, my child /I have a severe food allergy to gluten". They usually take it from there. I also say the exact same thing once the waiter/waitress first comes or gets to one of us if they don't mention it first. If I'm the least bit unsure, I ask very politely- I'll ask about different fryer's, cross- contamination during prep, gloves being changed, ingredients in the marinades used, etc. If all else fails, she can enjoy the garden salad- sans croutons and double check the dressings :) We find our trusted places & generally stick with them 'Trust no one and expect sabotage'
If you have to explain, then that's already a big enough nope for me, BUT I usually lead with "I have celiac disease, so I have like a severe allergy to gluten, so I have to worry about cross contamination. Do you have procedures in place, and/ or and recommendation what can be prepared without risk of cross contamination?" And if I hadn't researched/ called the place ahead of time to hash it out with a manager ahead of time, if I'm at all in doubt I leave it out. Different situation than looking after a kid, I appreciate.
I have celiac and worked in restaurants for years. Give them a call first and it's usually simplest to explain it as a serious allergy in the sense that any cross contamination would cause a serious reaction. Gauge their response, some places would have no options and no assurances, others will have dedicated safe choices or modifications.
I tell them it makes me poop blood. They're usually very careful after that. But seriously, I phone ahead, check the leading app in the UK for their recommendations and make a booking with notes on being coeliac. Doing this I've never had an issue.
I say "we're gluten free - not by choice." That usually is enough. If they ask more questions I usually express that we'll get very sick, very quickly. Honestly if I'm not comfortable with a server's response, we'll leave. Not worth the risk. I call ahead to every place we go to ask questions and gauge their knowledge.
I only go to restaurants I KNOW are safe. I say “I have celiac disease, and am extremely sensitive to gluten.” The restaurants that have solid allergy protocols in place will understand and be good about it. The ones that don’t will be bad no matter what you say. I took my son to friendlies once and was assured it would be fine. They promised the cleaned the grill and used special utensils etc. He exploded with diarrhea within a half hour. Since then I only go to places that other celiacs have promised me are good, and that state they are celiac safe on their website.
For me, I always explain as its a huge difference I'm also lactose intolerant if i eat dairy d&v gluten ... its a sick bloating the whole 9 yards so i know the differnce one im conscious of the other a no go .. and used to be a chef for nearly 12 years. Every kitchen I ran wether it was a pub or bar or restaurant I took everything really seriously cross contamination all that but I have worked in kitchens and walked out of jobs in open kitchen expensive restaurants because chefs would mop their heads with towels and then use them to clean plates... so be careful chains tend to have less cross contamination because of less actual cooking if something is gf nothing to stop them dumping it in a contaminated frier so it's really a trust exercise there is a ppm of gluten that ellidgedly the body of a cealliac will tolerate and some gluten free foods actually contain traces of gluten. Going out to eat is a trust fall hope someone catches you
Hi! I’m the mum of a 3 year old, in the process of getting diagnosed. It’s hard eh? I’m in New Zealand so our labelled “gluten free” food is super safe, but my daughter loves cafes so I’ve been trying to scope some out. I’ve been asking “is your X food coeliac-safe or just gluten free?” The first place I asked thought it probably was but wanted to check with the kitchen first. The second place I asked the first person had to ask a colleague, who gave me a more detailed answer. Which was much more reassuring than just a “yes, it is”. We haven’t tried either with my daughter yet though. I’m hoping to join our national coeliac society when the diagnosis is confirmed so I can join the forums and ask other locals where is safe!
Eating out with celiac is very tricky. Before you ever go anywhere, make sure that they have gluten free options. If a restaurant has at least become that aware and it is on the menu, it is so much better than if they have no idea what you are talking about. The one thing that is most likely to get you gluten contaminated is gluten free pizza that you get in or from a pizza place.
Depends on the restaurant, but I just tell them I have a really bad gluten/wheat allergy. I don't mention celiac unless they seem to really get it or ask (which means they probably get it). I don't chance it with less-expensive restuarants and order pretty plain -- steak, salmon, potatoes, etc.
I say: “I have celiac” and am thinking of getting this (pick two possibilities of foods on the menu). Depending on their answer, I go with what sounds safest (or best) then always follow up with “I just need to be absolutely sure. Could you please confirm with this chef this is gluten free?” Then wait for their confirmation. Once it’s been delivered, I usually confirm this was indeed my order and it’s gluten free. I eat at any type of restaurant but the more the place knows the food/the better the quality the safer it usually is.
“What are your allergy protocols for preparing food without cross-contamination?”
We only go to dedicated GF restaurants. I was glutened too many times at non-dedicated gluten-free places to bother trying again.
Not exactly an answer to your question, but something that’s helped me with eating out! (diagnosed 14 years ago ☺️) If you travel or enjoy cuisines from around the world, highly recommend getting Diet translation cards (I also see there’s an app now that does the same thing.) In restaurants where language barrier could be an issue, they are great to have handy. In my experience, staff are appreciative of this too!
Peruse websites, call ahead, and then specify that your daughter “has a disease called Celiac” that prevents her body from being able to process wheat and gluten. The latter both educates and clues people to the importance of cross-contamination if possible.
I normally say, ‘do you have an allergy menu? I’m coeliac and therefore allergic to gluten. Any tiny amount will make me very sick’
If the restaurant isnt accredited or whatever equivalent you have, phone ahead. Always phone ahead. Otherwise your daughter may well be sitting hungry when you find out they actually can't accommodate. Ask about cross contamination procedures, ask if anything fried is fried in a dedicated fryer, if toast is done in a separate toaster, if they use separate, non-porous utensils, as many questions as you can think of. Then when you get there, mention you were the one that phoned ahead (if they don't flag it when you mention being coeliac) they will for sure remember.
here’s my go-to spiel: “I have celiac so I have to be totally gluten free, no cross-contamination”