highlight gluten-free menu options.
Setting reasonable expectations for what life will be like after you adopt a gluten-free lifestyle is important because you will encounter challenges and you need to prepare to handle them well. Friends, family, and loved ones may not understand. They may not accommodate your diet when you hope or expect they will. You may find social events to be overwhelming at first, or you may get confused or frustrated and feel like giving up on the diet. You can overcome these trials and emerge stronger for them.
This book is the resource you need – wade your way through it, and dog-ear the pages you want to come back to when you need some practical or emotional reminders for how to deal with difficult issues. If you have an optimistic but realistic approach, you’ll encounter fewer obstacles along the way.
The good news is that because the gluten-free diet is exploding in popularity, you can find lots of information about it. The bad news is that not all of that information is accurate.
Be leery of what you hear and read, and check the reliability of the source on everything. If you find conflicting information – and you will – dig deeper until you find out which source is right. Just remember to keep a skeptical eye out for the good, the bad, and the completely ludicrous.
Surviving Social Situations
Eating away from home and entertaining guests at your place can be intimidating when you’re on a restricted diet, but you really can do it successfully! All it takes is a few supplies and an adventurous attitude. And with some easy food-preparation techniques, whipping up a delicious and satisfying meal – even for people who can eat anything – is no trouble at all.
Fortunately, gluten-free eating is popular. Most people have heard of the gluten-free diet, and many restaurants are prepared to accommodate you. So surviving social situations on a gluten-free diet may not be as tough as you fear.
You probably know how annoying it is to hang out with people who never do what you want to do or eat where you want to eat and constantly try to change the plans of the group. But that doesn’t need to describe you just because you need to avoid gluten.
One of the first ways for you to set the stage for social survival is to tell your family and friends about the limitations of your gluten-free diet. Be specific but brief about what you can and can’t eat. If someone asks for information about gluten or your new diet, feel free to share the basics in a positive light. No need for tons of detail on personal health issues or a lecture on the evils of gluten. If no one asks, assume people aren’t interested in making it a topic of discussion.
Use these tips to be an upbeat gluten-free diner:
✔ Asking if something contains gluten is very important because you can’t tell by looking. Ask, “Can you tell me if this contains gluten?” If it does, just skip it. No need for a big explanation. If the person you’re talking to doesn’t know what gluten is, your best bet might be to talk with the manager.
✔ Avoid saying, “I can’t eat that.” Just say, “No thanks,” when offered a gluten-containing item.
✔ Don’t pout or complain if there’s nothing you can eat at that moment. You can always eat before or after an event.
✔ Always be prepared with a protein bar or snack in your car or backpack.
✔ Avoid discussing diet or digestion issues during a meal!
✔ Don’t generalize why everyone should go gluten-free.
Successfully cohabitating with people who don’t share your gluten-free lifestyle requires a bit of organization and communication. Here are a few simple ideas to help you keep your environment safe and your roommate relations strong:
✔ Be kind and specific about your expectations of cooking and cleaning procedures. Reassure roomies that you’re not limiting what they can prepare, just asking that they keep things clean.
✔ Keep your foods and preparation items as separate from others’ as possible.
✔ Clean your kitchen well daily.
✔ If you find your frustration level rising because of lack of cooperation on the part of your roommates, take on kitchen duty yourself.
Venturing out of the house on a gluten-free diet doesn’t need to be daunting. Gluten-free eating is much more popular and understood now than it was even a couple of years ago. A little preparation goes a long way toward triumphant gluten-free dining and travel. This section offers tips on ordering at a restaurant and finding gluten-free food when traveling.
Every day it seems like a new chain or local eatery is announcing a gluten-free menu. But menu or not, you can find great gluten-free food choices almost anywhere.
Another bonus: When you ask questions, you help increase awareness of gluten intolerance! And hopefully this results in more food choices for everyone in the future.
Here are some suggestions for making your restaurant experience a little easier:
✔ Check out the menu ahead of time. If you know where you’re dining, check the restaurant’s website. Restaurants often have menus online; if not, then call and ask before you go.
✔ Narrow down your choices. At the restaurant, find two or three dishes that look good to you and that seem “safe” (no obvious gluten) and ask the server for details. Don’t expect the server to spend time going over the entire menu with you. It’s easier and safer to have him check on just a few dishes than, say, all the salads offered by the place.
✔ Get the server’s attention. Try to spend a few minutes talking with the server about your gluten-free diet and food ingredients before everyone else orders. A good time may be when he comes to take drink orders or to tell you about the specials.
✔ Communicate. Explain your dietary needs before you order and always ask the server to ask the chef whether something contains gluten or how it’s prepared. See the nearby sidebar for a restaurant card you can share.
✔ Speak to the manager. If your server doesn’t seem to get it, talk with the restaurant manager before you order. We’ve had many restaurant managers approach us during a meal and say,