Eating out gluten free
If you need to maintain a gluten free diet, eating out can be daunting experience, particularly initially. Often dishes on restaurant menus contain gluten. Many are obvious, such as dishes with pasta, pastry or bread, other uses of gluten may be more hidden, eg if stock powder is used in risotto and sauces, or flour is dusted on food so that it doesn’t stick to the pan when being cooked.
Many Australian restaurants are becoming more gluten aware and offering gluten free options because more people are asking for them. Some restaurants even indicate the gluten free dishes on the menu. Others still will modify some dishes to be gluten free if you ask. So the best way to enjoy eating out is to speak up and ask! And don’t be embarrassed; restaurants get asked about catering for specific dietary needs all the time, and this is only increasing.
Some key tips for enjoying eating out:
- Contact the restaurant prior to going and ask if they provide gluten free options
- Before ordering, ask the waiter which dishes are gluten free or could be gluten free, they may be able to modify some dishes
- Don’t assume dishes that sound gluten free, eg, risotto, are in fact gluten free. Always check with the kitchen
- Ask The Coeliac Society in your state if they have a list of local gluten free friendly restaurants.
For some of the hidden uses of gluten that you may not be aware of, check out our previous blog “Gluten Free Cooking Tips for Family and Friends”. This blog also provides some handy hints for cooking for people who need to eat gluten free.