Eating Out on a GF Diet

Pizza

More and more pizza places are becoming gluten conscious. If making a booking, call ahead to ensure there are gluten free bases available. For pizza delivery you can have Gluten free Dominoes and Gluten free Hell Pizza. La Porchetta, Gina’s and I Buco and now all have gluten free options. Just make sure your toppings are also gluten free.

Indian

Most Indian food is gluten free. You can even have poppadoms! Just steer clear of the breads and deep fried starters and you should be OK.

Thai

Thai food is also mostly gluten free. If you want to order a noodle based dish make sure you ask for rice noodles. Again, say no to those deep fried starters.

Mexican

Be wary of tortillas! CHECK with the kitchen as to what their burritos are made from as the supermarket brands contain wheat. You should be able to get the kitchen to make a simple dish on rice if their tortillas aren’t made from corn.

Chinese

If you want to eat this cuisine, you have to have a lot of faith in your communication skills (and your local takeaways). Ask for no MSG, choose dishes on rice, or rice noodles and avoid battered options like sweet & sour pork. Remember, soy sauce is made from wheat, so it’s safest to ask for an unseasoned meal.

Burgers

The following places have gluten free burger buns if requested, there will normally be an extra charge for these as well. Burger Fuel, Burger Wisconsin, Murder Burger, The Chip Shop are all safe. Just make sure you check your fillings are also gluten free.

Turkish

Falafel, hummus, salads and rice are gluten free. So you can definitely find a meal at a Turkish restaurant. Avoid breads, and if you want other sauces, check if they are gluten free first. Always ask about the meat before ordering   some places combine with breadcrumbs. Don’t forget to check their fillings and omit the tabbouleh from your GF kebab – it’s full of wheat.

Fish & Chips

The problem with chips is cross contamination  so these are totally out for coeliac’s unless you make them yourself at home or go to The Chip Shop in Royal Oak. Grilled fish should be OK, but almost everything else is a no go zone.

Japanese

Beware of sushi! It’s not just the soy sauce, check which vinegar they use to cook the rice with. Avoid all noodles, tempura and dumplings and check about sauces and condiments before ordering. Wagamamas is a good place to go.

Steakhouse

Stick to simple dishes. Most decent places will make you a simple meal like steak with steamed vegetables. Be sure to let the chef know you are gluten intolerant to ensure they take the best care with your meal.

In general…

Keep ordering simple. If you want a sauce, check whether it is safe with the kitchen. Avoid breads, pastas, crumbed or battered foods, noodles and MSG. Order simple and satisfying dishes  non processed meats, vegetables, legumes, rice, tofu, fruits and cheeses are fine to eat. If you can, call and ask ahead. The kitchen will be easier to deal with if they’re prepared.

If you are Coeliac, or are very gluten intolerant it is always best to let staff know. Most people are still not aware of issues around cross contamination and will not even think twice about re-using a knife, or putting your gluten free bread into their normal toaster. Just let them know. Explain that it is a serious allergy which can make you very ill. This way you can feel more confident about how safe your food is, and they will know more for next time.