Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Troubles At Restaurants


lazyperfectionist

Recommended Posts

lazyperfectionist Newbie

OK, so first let me say is my whole family is celiac and we've always had troubles at restraunts. Especially my parents because they're exceedingly sensitive. We always call before, inform the waiters/waitresses, etc, etc. You know the basic celiac restaurant advice. We even have troubles with the restaurants with the gluten-free menus! So I'm just curious has anyone had the same problems? Any advice to help? I just want to make sure were not the only ones. :(


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



gfp Enthusiast

It really depends what you call trouble....

I tend to view all resto's as risky, its just a fact of life....

You seem to be doing everything correct but remember you are dealing mainly with people on minimum wage who might lack motivation from time to time.

My advice is never to expect too much. Its frustrating but less so than looking forwards to eating something and turning up and just loosing confidence. Often its "no problem" then 2 minutes later "would you like some bread" .. etc.

I've found the worse thing is when you wait and wait and your absolutely starving, then you end up taking risks you wouldn't otherwise have taken.

I tend to find its best to find 2-3 places that you feel a good vibe regarding confidence, then keep going back and tip like crazy when they make a big effort or remember something ....

Try and be positive, if you are steered away from something be positive you didn't risk it... sometimes hard when its the item on the menu you really want... or when the waiter(ress) suddenly suggests more bread? but that doesn't always mean they were not on the ball when talking to the kitchen...

I always try and talk to the kitchen myself, when possible but its sometimes hard and then I try and get a floor supervisor and ask them. London is terrible for getting to talk to the kitchen's and the floor staff often don't speak English which doesn't help ... A couple of weeks ago I ended up asking for the supervisor because the waitress didn't speak English beyond "You want drink something" and finally got the supervisor who spoke better English but I still ended up speaking in Italian .. (at which point she suddenly got the point ... "oh celiachia .. si" ... After this she ran off to the kitchen and communicated in whatever language they shared (probably sign) but I ended up OK :D

Anyway, that probably doesn't apply to you but it just shows that things often don't do as expected but the outcome can be OK. I was lucky to get an Italian ... probably better than finding an English speaking waiter/ress (not that its really possible in London) ..

I did however find one place where all the staff seem well trained, I was told I can't have the fries ... well it would be easy to be dissapointed (since its a grill) but instead I convinced myself I'm over the moon finding somewhere understands CC.

For every bit of advice there are examples of the opposite ... phoning in advance is good but often the staff will be different when you arrive... etc.

I honestly think being flexible and have a backup so you can walk away if they just seem to not get it is the best...

Finally .. take advice from others and stick together. Sometimes I find myself just leaving the sald because they added some unknown dressing... but uless you make a point the next celiac will get the same.

Sometimes I think we are our own worst enemy when it comes to awareness ?? How many of my bad experiences are due to someone before me and how many after me got poor awareness because I didn't speak up?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,938
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Moni74sl
    Newest Member
    Moni74sl
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      This is not a weakness.  It is a serious threat to your health.  I once read an interview with a representitive of a large company.  He proudly stated that his wheat based product is more addictive than potato chips.  The other issue is cultural.   Perhaps this book will help Gluten-Centric Culture: Chapter 5 - Grabbing A Bite Together.  It is published here on Celiac.com free to read.  Chapter 1 starts here Gluten-Centric Culture: The Commensality Conundrum - Chapter 1 - Are You Kidding? At first I ate anything, regardless of nutritional value. Fritos, M&M Peanuts, potato chips, fruit, steak; anything else. Like most habits, it takes about thirty days create the gluten free habit. Pretend you've moved to another country where the food is entirely different.  Don't try to recreate your old diet based from commercial gluten free foods.  Gluten free foods are not fortified, so be aware of vitamins and mineral intake, especially vitamin D.  Vitamin D deficiency is practically a given.  You probably already have deficits from the malabsorption caused by villi damage. Some symptoms respond immediately, others take time to heal.  I counted 19 different symptoms that got better.  Some, like permanent stuffed nose, I was told was normal for some people. Welcome aboard @Crossaint !  
    • cristiana
      Great advice from @trents.  A couple of other tips. Firstly, always try to have a good stock of gluten-free alternatives in the house so you aren't tempted to give in when there is nothing else available. Secondly,  as you will have noticed, gluten-free bread does taste quite different from regular bread.  But I think it was my GP who said making toast with it makes it taste much more like the usual stuff - and I would agree there. If you haven't already I suggest you give it a try. But remember, you will either need to toast it under a clean grill, or your Mom will need to buy you your own dedicated gluten-free toaster.
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @Crossaint! Are you living in the same home with your mother? Your experience with the cravings is very common in the celiac community, especially among the recently diagnosed. It might surprise you to hear this but gluten has addictive qualities much like opiates. It plugs into the same pleasure sensors as gluten in the brain and so for some people, there can be a significant withdrawal experience. It usually begins to subside in a matter of weeks but is perpetuated with inconsistency.  I think three major things need to happen for your to get on top of this: 1. You need to understand that more is at stake here than the number of bathroom trips you make if you can't stick to your gluten free diet. There can be some serious long-term health consequences such as osteoporosis, neurological damage, a host of medical conditions related to poor vitamin and mineral absorption and even small bowel lymphoma.  2. You need to help your mom understand how serious this is and how important it is to your long term health to be consistent in eating gluten free. Both you and she need to understand that celiac disease is not just a matter of inconvenience or discomfort from a little GI distress. It is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and damage to the lining of the small bowel that can have serious health consequences over time. 3. You need to redirect your mom's baking skills toward creating delicious gluten-free creations. Challenger her with it. Gluten-free does not have to mean "it tastes awful!" One good place to start is with a good gluten-free carrot cake recipe. Another is gluten-free zucchini bread. These are two things that taste just as good made with gluten-free flour as they do with wheat flour. There are a ton of good gluten-free recipes on the Internet. Not everything can be made to taste as good with gluten free ingredients as it does with wheat flour but many things are pretty close. And you know what? After a while, you adjust and many gluten-free foods become the new norm for you. You don't miss the wheat ones so bad anymore. Yes, you may still have flashbacks of "I remember what this or that wheat thing used to taste like and I really miss it" but not so often as time goes on. Check out the relevant sections on this forum for some good recipes and get your mom going on it for the sake of her kid.
    • Crossaint
      Was recently diagnosed with Celiac after almost 16 years of suffering. The first week gluten free was amazing, my brain was working, i wasnt as bloated, i even started to not have to use the toilet 12 times in an hour. Excellent! But i keep having uncontrollable cravings for gluten. My mom is an amazing baker, woth no sympathy for my weakness and live for food, so of cohrse i ended up eating a bunch of gluten today. i dont know how to stop, i know its poison but at the end of the day i just feel like i need it. Will be re attempting gluten free tomorrow, but im scared that i wont be able to stop myself from eating the deliciously poisonous devil that gluten is. 😞
    • Awol cast iron stomach
      I wanted to say hello, and add that  early in eating gluten free I had  to avoid processed foods due to too many ingredients. I also had additional intolerances that needed time to subside. My team suggested I limit gluten free processed foods, as I was having issues with items with too many ingredients. I see Trents explained some of the culprits when he responded.  I found it helpful to go whole foods  diet. When I need inspiration I found Paleo and AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) recipes helpful to offer variety to my palate.  Often our bodies in the early stages prefer we go whole foods/ minimal processed foods. In turn, I realized I prefer freshly made salad dressing which I still make to this day. My pocketbook also finds making my own has its benefits.    Best wishes.  
×
×
  • Create New...