Summertime is such a social time. As the sun comes out, so do we, for picnics and garden parties, barbecues and buffets. It’s a wonderful way to spend time with your friends and family. But, it can also present a real challenge to your gluten free diet.

When you’re eating at home, using gluten free ingredients prepared in your own kitchen, you can be in complete control. This helps you to avoid issues like cross-contamination and ensure that only gluten free ingredients are used in your meals and snacks.

Unfortunately, when you go to a party or a barbecue, you don’t have that same level of control. So how do you keep to your strict gluten free diet at those summer social events? Let’s take a look at some simple ways to stay gluten free this summer.

Plan ahead

If you’re invited to a party with a buffet or barbecue, it’s worth getting in touch with the host beforehand to explain your special dietary needs. Once they understand your requirements, they can make sure that you have options available that only use gluten free ingredients. They can also take steps to avoid cross contamination, such as those we discuss below.

If you can’t be certain that there will be gluten free food available, you can always take your own gluten free dish made using one of our tasty recipes.

Eating beforehand is also a good idea. This will stop you from making bad choices when you feel really hungry and find yourself surrounded by lots of delicious, but gluten rich foods.

Foods to avoid at picnics and barbecues

Some gluten containing foods are obvious and easy to avoid. For example, burger buns are normally made from wheat flour and should be swapped for a gluten free alternative, such as Glutafin white rolls.

However, there are many ‘hidden’ sources of gluten that you should also be on the lookout for this summer. These include:

1. Burgers (including veggie burgers) – these may contain breadcrumbs and other sources of gluten, check the label
2. Processed cheese – sometimes this can be coated in wheat flour
3. Sauces and salad dressings – many dressings are made from gluten free ingredients, but you should check the labels carefully to be sure
4. Processed and marinated meat –meat in its natural state is gluten free, but processed and marinated products are not always made using gluten free ingredients (check out our gluten free marinade and spice rub recipes)

Take care when you share

You need to take extra care when you’re eating from a buffet or shared food table. There is a real risk of cross contamination. Here are a few tips to help you stay gluten free:

1. Watch out for gluten free foods that are presented next to gluten containing dishes (check for crumbs or drips that may have contaminated the gluten free food)
2. Avoid sharing serving spoons between dishes (or ask your host for your own, clean spoon)
3. Make sure no one has dipped their food into gluten free sauces or dips (or better still, ask for a separate, fresh serving on the side of your plate)
4. Ask if you can be first in the queue for the food (this may seem rude, but it reduces the risk of accidental cross contamination when other guests have gone before you)

Bring your own

If you’re concerned about eating out of home, the best way to ensure that you’re only consuming food that is made from gluten free ingredients is to bring your own. If you’re worried about seeming rude, you can always position it as a way to help and provide the host with extra food choices and it means that you can enjoy your food with complete peace of mind. Make sure that your gluten free dish comes with a lid or is covered with cellophane, and don’t forget to bring your own dedicated serving spoons to be completely safe.

If you bring your own gluten free burgers or sausages to a barbecue, ask for them to be wrapped in foil before they’re cooked. That way they won’t get contaminated by other foods, grill utensils or the grill itself.

With a little forethought and preparation, and some extra vigilance on the day. There’s no reason why you can’t still enjoy summer to the full, even with coeliac disease. All we need now is some sunshine!

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