Thursday 26 July 2012

Keeping your stash of gluten free food!

Going to an event, a party, wedding, even a funeral as a coeliac, you always have the dreaded thought of will there be something I can eat?

After going hungry and having to leave parties early so that I could eat some dinner, I soon learnt to have a stash of gf bars in my handbag. I have a stash of sesame snaps, and various gf health bars. So while everyone else is eating a scone or some delicious snack, I'm eating my gf snacks. The hostess always feels guilty when they see me eating my bars but there are some events in life, like a wake, where food allergies are the farthiest thing from anyone's mind.

My lovely readers, who are coeliac or who suffer from an allergy of any type know too well what I'm talking about. It's being invited to an event and having to contact the restaurant to ensure that they provide some gluten free food, before you can say if your coming or not.

It's being invited to a barbecue and bringing your own meats that are gluten free or telling your friends that you are gluten free. It makes everything harder from finding a gf pizza place, to trying to remember which Asian dishes are ok to take the risk and order.

A lot of entrees particularly at Thai restaurants are full of gluten, it's hard sitting and watching everyone else eat the lovely entrees that you can no longer eat. Some restaurants have a gf labeling system, making ordering, eating and the after effects so much more pleasant.

What many coeliacs of all ages find difficult is going to that conference, the weekend away, a bus trip, you have to declare that you are a coeliac very early on, this is so the chefs and other people involved in food preparation can organise our food. Unfortunately if we don't fill those forms in in the required time, or sometimes they just get lost, it's a scramble trying to find something safe that you can eat.

If you are lucky enough to own a caravan and be taking a trip around Austrslia or another country, my advice would be to stock up on your gf cereals, some easy meals, snacks, biscuits etc. when you come across very small towns they aren't going to have a huge supply of gluten free food, but if you have your stash you know you won't go hungry.

Happy shopping for your vital stash of gf goodies that will now take proud place in your handbag, your saviour from going hungry again!

For any more information just comment or email me.