If you or someone you know has a gluten disorder, such as celiac disease, you know how complicating and frustrating it can seem getting food from a grocery store or local market. What do you do if you want to go out to eat instead of staying at home? Today, Medi-Rents will discuss ways of looking for gluten-free restaurants and what you can order.
We have all been to great restaurants with great food. But, have you been to a GREAT restaurant before? The Gluten-Free Resource Education Awareness Training (GREAT) restaurants are a part of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. These two groups provide training to foodservice professionals to meet gluten-free needs of their customers and to serve gluten-free meals safely and confidently.
It will take time to research and try different foods to know what kind of tolerance you have towards certain foods, which will make it more challenging when eating out. Before you order, ask to see a gluten-free menu or tell the waiter about your condition. Even though celiac disease isn’t an allergy, it may be easier to explain to the waiter that your gluten disorder is an allergy, so they can prepare your food accordingly. An example if you happen to order eggs at a larger, sit-down breakfast chain is they put pancake mix in with eggs to fluff them up. Ask your waiter to make prepare your eggs with a fresh cracked egg only.
If you’re thinking about going out this weekend for something different try doing these things:
- Call ahead to see if the restaurant offers a gluten-free menu.
- When ordering, ask how the dish is prepared, if they’re any spices or mixes and if there any garnishes.
- Is there a separate preparation area for gluten-free food, separate cookware or do they use a separate cooking or frying area?
- Be proactive. If you feel your meal isn’t what you ordered, ask to speak to the manager.
Medi-Rents can’t prepare your food, but we can provide you with enteral and nutritional supplements. If you want to go to a Maryland restaurant that is GREAT Certified, check out Z Pizza in Rockville or Sweet Sin Café in Baltimore.
Tags: Celiac Disease, Healthy Diet, Healthy Living