Restaurants: What You Might Not Think Of

I'll admit: eating out at restaurants can be incredibly scary, not just for those with celiac but intolerances, allergies, and general dietary restrictions. If you think about it, you're putting your health in the hands of people you may never meet! So, here are some personal things to consider/ask for when eating out: 

1. Fryers 

Fryers are one of the biggest factors going into cross contamination. For example, if (gluten) breaded chicken and french fries are put in the same fryer, it will most likely result in traces of gluten in one's meal. So, if you're incredibly sensitive to even small amounts of gluten, I would highly recommend inquiring about a restaurant's fryer, asking whether they have a separate fryers for breaded versus non-breaded meals, etc.

2. Gloves

This is pretty self explanatory, but still essential. Cross contamination is quick to appear without these small details. Personally, I always ask whether gloves are changed before my meal is made.

3. Kitchen Equipment

This means things such as knives, bowls, etc. should be cleaned in between meal preparations. Additionally, cutting boards made of porous materials such as wood or plastic are known to retain gluten particles. In that situation, having a separate gluten free area or reserved equipment is a good option.

This is a snippet of what I've learned from eating out; hopefully I will be adding onto this list in the future!

Until next time, 

Genuine GF