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Loading...8 Things You Need to Know Before Going Gluten-Free
- by Julie M. Rodriguez
- February 14, 2013
- 12:00 pm
8. Don’t just assume if your order at a restaurant will be gluten-free.
Remember all those guidelines about cross-contamination in the kitchen? They apply when eating out, too. Always be sure to ask kitchen staff how they handle food in the kitchen and what measures they take to prevent cross-contamination. Ask specifically if they have a gluten-free menu available. You can even ask to speak directly to the chef or manager before ordering anything if you feel unsure about the restaurant. (And if you’re still worried about cross-contamination, don’t feel bad about leaving and finding another restaurant.)
Just remember: even if a food should be naturally gluten-free doesn’t mean it’s safe. I’ve heard restaurant horror stories about rice pasta being boiled in the same water as wheat pasta, or crumbs from regular pastries falling onto gluten-free pastries in a display case. An otherwise gluten-free salad will be unsafe if croutons are added on top — and just picking them off probably isn’t good enough to prevent you from getting sick. Likewise, french fries are often fried in the same oil as items that have been breaded, making them unsafe for a gluten intolerant person.
To sum everything up…
By now you should have a pretty clear idea of the pros and cons of going gluten-free. In short: the upside is that if you suffer from celiac or gluten sensitivity, you’re going to feel a whole lot better than you did before. And who doesn’t want to feel healthier, have more energy and lower their lifetime risk for serious health problems?
The downside: eating truly gluten-free is difficult and often incredibly frustrating. It can be even more difficult if you live in a household with family members who still eat a regular diet. You can feel depressed and isolated when going out to eat or attending social events, where there may not be anything safe for you to eat. It’s not a diet I’d recommend to anyone who doesn’t truly need to avoid gluten for health reasons.
In the end, it’s a deeply personal decision that you’ll need to make with the support of your doctor.
Related Stories:
Can “Gluten-Free” Food Be Trusted?
Is Going Gluten-Free The Right Choice For You?
Consumers Still Waiting on FDA to Clearly Define “Gluten-Free”
Read more: celiac disease, celiac sprue, cross-contamination, diet, gluten free, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, wheat
Photo credit: Moyann Brenn via Flickr
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Recent Comments from Causes
Nice to read it, thanks for sharing.
What a cutie!
You are talking about human beings involved in toxic tanning and dying of leather... ?? I am not worried…
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This is some great info. Forwarded to my aunt! :D
Where is the science? Every quack and crystal seller has jumped on the gluten bandwagon because of some cock hatted theory that we are designed to eat ancient foods. Every allergy nowadays seems to have gluten at its root cause, got a cough? Gluten intolerance. Itchy scalp? Gluten. My dog dragging its arse along the ground? Gluten. People are being prescribed gluten by non doctors, non scientists, people who admit to having no knowledge of anything modern! Beware! Ask them what makes them qualified to diagnose and prescribe? Ask them to explain the science behind their theories, on paper if needs be...and not theoretical science or general speculation, actual proven science!
All modern foods are removed from ancient foods, the ancestral cabbage or carrot has no resemblance to the modern carrot or cabbage. Very few foods do. We have intensively farmed everything, genetically modified by natural selection. And now we live longer, are stronger and smarter. And if a few people are genuinely allergic to modern life...it is a small price to pay for progress.
To say that a Ceoliac sufferer can tolerate a little gluten is like say someone is only a little "pregnant"..hogwash.Some people may feel better excluding gluten or reducing gluten in their diet even though they are not coeliac .
I went gluten free years ago with incredible health improvement. I am not gluten intolerant, just believe wheat and corn (which even though is gluten free gave up too) are very contaminated with fungus from bad farming. The meals I make are delicious and my baked goods are so incredible everyone wants me to start selling them. You don't have to give up good taste if you do it right. Also to Robert P. statement on Oats. Not all oats are gluten free, but they do make gluten free oats just find it on the label and is not as available will find at whole foods and other natural markets.
Let's face the facts. Celiac Disease is a virtually a death sentence unless one could be sent into isolation like leprosy of the past. Cross contamination makes it near impossible for a sufferer to expect any quality of life. Little is said about the family members that must live in the same household. Wheat contamination appears to be as bad as a virus which means that all surfaces that have been touched by a hand that has been contaminated like virtually every thing at Walmart's means a celiac sufferer would need to wear gloves and a hazmat suit.
Oats have gluten in them, just less of it than wheat, rye, or barley. It really bugs me when articles say oats are OK for people with celiac or gluten intolerance. A lot of doctors spread that fallacy.
noted
Great tips about contamination. Almost everyone sticks the knife back in the peanut butter jar. One should keep their own food labeled with their name on it.
People go on a gluten free diet because they are allergic to gluten...not so that they will lose weight.
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