Tips for Eating Out While Gluten-Free

The age old question of where to eat has plagued men and women alike for centuries. 
Food can be a very personal thing, so spending time finding a place to eat, only to be 
completely devastated by the awkward discovery of a poor food choice is probably 
something that basically everyone seeks to avoid. This is even more apparent when you 
have particular dietary restrictions because you’re attempting to make major changes in 
your health and appearance. The purpose of this article is to share a few tips for eating 
out. 

Pick A Restaurant That Can Provide the Experience

There are very few things in life more frustrating than trying something new that you are 
excited about, eating the food and then suddenly realizing that the food is terrible. It 
might take a moment, but it’s worth it to be sure that you’ll get what you’re looking to try. 
This could mean calling the restaurant a few days in advance to ask them questions 
about their menu items. 
Be sure that you budget in time to have discussions with the chef. Once you know what 
you options will be, it’ll be easier to make a selection.  

Eat During Low Volume Hours

If you’re not planning to meet up with friends or groups that adhere to a strict dining 
schedule, then eating at such arbitrary dinner times serves little to no purpose at all. 
This means that you can eat earlier than when most people crowd into the restaurant, or 
wait until the dinner rush has passed. This way, any dietary restrictions that you have 
can be addressed without making the night more difficult for the staff, and they will be 
less likely to contaminate your specially prepared meal with gluten or make mistakes on 
your order. During that time, you can sit and enjoy your meal in peace.    

Be Concise About Your Needs

There’s nothing more grating than someone who can’t get to the point. In a high-
pressure environment of a restaurant, time is money, and keeping things efficient saves 
everyone from having issues. Be direct and concise about what you need from the 
restaurant staff. It’s important to note that you are on a medically restricted meal plan for 
your health benefit. If you have a serious allergy, then it would be a great idea to wear a 
medical bracelet to signify the gravity of your need to have any items that touch gluten 
to be substituted by the server's suggestion. This way, your server will have a more 
vested interest in keeping you safe. 
