If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
When you’re diagnosed with coeliac disease, the only treatment available is to follow a strict gluten free diet. But that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to eating out.
You may have more confidence in gluten free recipes that you make at home, where you have full control over the ingredients and how they are prepared. However, that doesn’t mean eating in is your only option. With a little research and planning, you’ll be surprised at how many local options you have for eating out. Read on for our top tips on eating out gluten free.
The best way to be sure of safe gluten free meals is to plan ahead. Don’t wait until you’re out and about and start feeling peckish, hoping you can find a gluten free meal nearby. Think about the day ahead and where you’re going to be when lunch or dinner time roll around, then research your gluten free options in that part of town. It might not be as spontaneous as happening across a quaint little bistro down a side street, but it will be much simpler and safer.
A good way to find gluten free meals when you’re eating out is to choose a restaurant that has been independently assessed and approved. Coeliac UK lists 3,000 accredited UK restaurants in their eating out guide, and you can search by postcode and food style to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Restaurants in the guide have been carefully checked, not only for the content of their gluten free meals, but also for their understanding of how gluten free meals should be prepared to avoid cross contamination.
Of course, a restaurant doesn’t have to be in the guide to be a good place to eat. These days, many restaurants offer gluten free meals as part of their menu. However, it’s well worth calling ahead just to check on how these meals are produced, to be sure that they’re prepared safely. Talk to the restaurant manager, or better still the chef. They should be happy to answer your questions and put your mind at ease.
Even if you’ve checked out your restaurant in advance, it’s still worth making sure your waiter or waitress understands your dietary requirements. For added peace of mind, you should double-check when your food arrives.
If you’re taking part in a group meal, such as a meet-up of old friends or a work night out, try to get involved as early as possible. That way you have more chance of steering the event towards a restaurant that you know serves safe gluten free meals. It’s much easier to be part of the planning than it is to get a restaurant changed once it has been booked.
If you can’t be part of the selection process, or you can’t get the restaurant changed, then all is not lost. You can still get in touch with the restaurant ahead of the meal to see what they can do for you. Most restaurants will be happy to accommodate special dietary requirements if you give them advance notice so they can plan ahead.
Eating out can be intimidating when you’re first diagnosed with coeliac disease, but you’ll soon figure out how to make it work simply and safely. Just remember, you should never have to compromise just to please your friends, family or work colleagues. It’s better to cause them a little inconvenience than it is to cause yourself discomfort of coeliac symptoms.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.