In a Sea of Gluten: Seven Tips to Navigate a Gluten Dominated Food Industry

For most people, choosing a restaurant is only a matter of deciding what you are in the mood for whether it be McDonalds or sushi, pizza or Chick-fil-a. They read through the menu and order without a second thought, only concerned about filling their stomach. And honestly, that is how it should be: pick your restaurant, order your food, and consume with a happy smile on your face. Learn how to Navigate a gluten dominated food industry.

A year ago, I used to be one of those people in the drive thru, picking whatever I wanted to my heart’s content, never realizing the hassle that can lie behind simply ordering a meal. Until, late June 2022, when my doctor urged me to go gluten free to help my body cope with its heath issues.

Willing to do anything, I cut all gluten out of my life cold turkey. And it worked! I felt amazing once all the gluten had worked its way out my system. However, I was not prepared for the trials ahead on my new journey of staying gluten free.

At first, only positives came from my new diet. I was no longer achy, my joints did not get stiff, and I was no longer having severe stomach pain after every meal. Then, some of my coworkers and I decided to go out to dinner after a long week to Texas Roadhouse. I went without even thinking until I got my menu and realized:

Everything was swimming in gluten.

The buttery rolls on the table. The steak-fries cooked in the same oil as the onion rings. Every part of my meal was tainted by gluten. And although, I did not consume any outright, I went home that night feeling sicker than I had in months. Lying in bed, I suddenly realized that I was now a stranger in a land that I had once been able to be navigate freely. I was a gluten free castaway surrounded on all sides by a sea of gluten.

In the last ten months, I have learned seven little tricks on how to keep my body healthy and safe in the midst of being surrounded by a gluten dominated food industry.

1. Research, Research, Research!

When I first went gluten free, I naively believe that this new diet simply meant cutting out all wheat from my life. But as I conducted research, I was shocked by all the items that I consume regularly that contain gluten. These items include condiments like ranch and soy sauce; candies like Twix with a waver at the bottom; and ingredients that have gluten in them as a thickener.

Everywhere I turned—it seemed—I was surrounded my gluten on all sides. My amazing mother was not perturbed, however. Sitting in front of the pantry as I read the long list of things I could no longer eat, she adamantly took up the task to finding alternatives for me so I could eat the same meals as my family.

She substituted regular flour for almond flour. She stopped preemptively putting soy sauce on her stir-fry leaving it on the side so I could eat it too. Slowly but surely, she turned my research into our new lifestyle, eliminating gluten from our home, and educating everyone from her coworkers to my great aunts about daily items that contain gluten.

2. Talk to Your Gluten Free Friends

I was absolutely blessed by the Lord to have several friends who have been gluten free for years come up beside me to help when I began this journey. From teaching me how to bake gluten free items to warning me about the restaurants that cook fries in flour, they helped educate and encourage me.

I realize not everyone has this opportunity, but I highly recommend surrounding yourself with people who also walk the gluten free road. Or, finding communities like Healthy Living Series by Susan Neal that encourages and educates you while on this journey. You will be surprised how much invaluable knowledge they have about surviving in a gluten dominated world.

3. Know Your Menu

Before you go out to a new restaurant, Google their menu. This little trick has become habit for me in the last year. Whenever I try someplace new, I scour their online menu looking for items for me to eat so that I can already have a game plan when I arrive at the restaurant.

Personally, I have found that any place that serves rice such as Mexican or Asian restaurants to be safe places to eat. Burrito bowls are my personal go-to since their base component is rice and they always have a protein like chicken or pork. Everyone is different, but I encourage you to know what gluten-free items you love and look for them on the menu.

4. Speak Up

At the start of my gluten free journey, I kept running into the problem of being too passive with my diet. I allowed my friends and coworkers to whisk me off to restaurants I knew I couldn’t eat at. I always left either with a rumbling stomach or a hurting one. Eventually, I learned to speak up and kindly inform them about my gluten free diet. As I got more comfortable and learned more gluten free tricks, I began to recommend places to eat that I knew were GF-friendly instead of passively waiting in the background.

Over time, my friends and family began to become aware of my needs and now, the places I recommended months ago our the group’s personal favorites. At first, it was uncomfortable speaking up for what I needed, but I quickly realized that I am a steward of my own body and not speaking up was more dangerous than voicing my opinion.

5. Eat Before You Go

I learned this trick a few months ago when a new coworker of mine invited me out-to eat. I knew I couldn’t eat there but they had been so adamant about the “amazing menu” and I did not want to disappoint them. So, an hour before I left to meet up with them, I ate a hearty snack of pepperoni, cheddar cheese, and grapes to ensure that I would not be tempted to eat something I knew would hurt me later on.

At the restaurant, I ordered a blackberry lemonade and a small salad so that she was not the only one eating but I was also not risking my heath either. I find this trick is beneficial when spending time with new people because it both keeps you safe but also does not unintentionally insult anyone.

6. Ask Your Waiter Questions

I used this trick just last week when I went out to Vallarta’s with my women’s bible study group. Pursuing the menu beforehand, I knew they had traditional tacos but the menu never specified whether they were made in a corn or flour shell.

So, I asked.

Smiling at the waiter, I asked him what the options were concerning taco shells and he told me they could provide both flour or corn. When I told him I am gluten free, he and the rest of the staff went above and beyond to make sure that no gluten touched my plate, leaving me a very happy customer and earning them a very large tip as a thank you.

I am a born extrovert, and I realize this trick comes easier to me than others; however, I have an alternative for the introverts out there. If you are eating with close friends, ask them to inquire about the menu, but don’t forget to speak up about your needs. It is never rude to establish boundaries especially between your stomach and gluten.

7. Remember You Are Not Alone

I am still learning this trick, because it is easy for me to get discouraged while staying gluten free, especially when I see people eating foods I once—and still—adore. Sometimes, I get tempted to throw my diet out the window, because I just want to eat without worry, but then I realize: God made me this way. He designed every aspect of me, including my sensitive stomach, and I am commanded to be a steward of my own body. This thought propels me to stay strong in the midst of discouragement.

Additionally, surrounding yourself with other individuals who are gluten free (like previously mentioned) can help encourage you. For me, I was also given an amazing support system of a family who goes above and beyond to make sure I stay healthy and safe, but also encouraged.

I hope you can use these simple seven tricks to help you still enjoy good food while dining in a gluten dominated food industry.