Dear Restaurant Industry,

This Tumblr page lists facts about Gluten-Intolerances, and why they should be treated as seriously as all other types of intolerances, allergies, or diseases

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Be The Change

The restaurant industry is up and coming with gluten free foods! Gluten free alternatives are in almost every grocery stores now and people who have to eat gluten free have the option to make a variation of almost any type of food. Eating out is still the hardest way to eat for people who have to eat gluten-free. Let’s change this! I am asking YOU--waiters, waitresses, chefs, managers, manufacturers, or whoever else you may be, to be the change that the massive gluten-free community wants to see in the restaurant industry. Whether your customer has a celiac’s disease, gluten-sentivity, a wheat allergy, or simply just prefers to eat a gluten-free diet, treat them as you would treat any other customer with a food allergy. Provide options, stay informed on what is ACTUALLY gluten free and what is simply just gluten-reduced, and provide that amazing customer service that the resultant industry prides itself on.

There are many food service training programs that train restaurants to cook gluten free//take precautions such as the gluten intolerance group and national foundation for celiac awareness (NFCA). Get informed and get involved!!

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Want to Become “certified Gluten-Free”?

http://www.gfco.org/get-certified/why-get-certified/

Does your restaurant make house-baked breads, pastries, or other gluten-free products? The link above will lead you to information on how to get certified gluten-free.

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

What YOU need to do

Many times when I go to order a gluten-free meal or drink at a restaurant, they will ask me if I have celiac disease. If I say no, they give me the meal without any further commentary. If I say yes, that I do have celiac disease, they will let me know that I cannot eat the meal, or they write a note to the kitchen saying to be extra cautious. This is corrupt. All customers with gluten-intolerances and sensitivities should be treated with the same care as any other customer with celiacs disease or any other food allergy. Yes, going “gluten-free” may partially be a fad, but in many cases having a strict gluten-free diet is extremely necessary. Being a part of the restaurant industry, it is important to be informed and know what YOU have to do in order to accommodate your costumers needs. 

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Drugs Can’t Help Them

Many allergies and diseases can be prevented with medications which allows for occasional “cheating”. Some people who are lactose intolerant can take pills such as LACTAID to reduce symptoms after “cheating” or accidentally consuming dairy. For those with gluten-sentivities, intolerances, or celiac disease, that is not the case. 

Did you know that there is no drug for celiac disease or for gluten-sensitivites and intolerances? According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearninghouse (NDDIC), “The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet”.

When listed as gluten-free on a menu or when asked to make a mean gluten-free, make sure your food is 100% gluten-free because drugs can’t help them this time! 

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/community-outreach-health-fairs/planning-health-fair/Documents/WYNTK_CeliacDisease-EN-SP_508.pdf

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

The Awareness Campaign

The Awareness Campaign is website that provides science-based information about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of celiac disease, and gluten-sensitivies. Through this website, you can also access extremely useful information on how to maintain a gluten-free diet.

This link ( http://www.celiac.nih.gov/PDF/CeliacDiseaseChart_508.pdf ) leads to a list of foods that are allowed on a gluten-free diet as well as, foods to avoid, products/flours containing wheat, and processed foods that may contain wheat, barley, or rye.

Being in the restaurant industry, it is important to know what is and is not gluten-free. This way, you can prevent any sicknesses from occurring while also pleasing your customers. 

Being gluten-free, there is nothing better than walking into a restaurant and seeing that gluten-free items are pre-marked on the menu. BUT, even when your menus are pre-marked, it is important to know of the ingredients that contain gluten. 

Given the oat controversy, talked about in a previous post, and other grains/products that may be detrimental to some but not all, customers will often ask about the meal and ask why it isn’t gluten free. For example, the low gluten content in certain brands of soy sauce do not bother some people, but it is just as harmful as eating a loaf of wheat bread for others. 

Being prepared tell your costumer what is in the meal that contains gluten prevents unnecessary confusion, quicker service, and happier customers! 

http://www.celiac.nih.gov

[gluten-free-diet-recipes]

NEW - Gluten Free Samoas-Style Cookies (Topped with Nuts or Coconut)

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Being in girl scouts myself, I loved girl scout cookies! My parents would buy nearly 10 boxes and we would pig out until there was nothing but crumbs left. Now, because of my gluten-sensitivy, I haven't had a girl scout cookie in almost ten years.. I definitely feel like I’m missing out when girl-scout cookie season comes around. With the raising amounts of people becoming gluten-free, I know others are feeling this way too! Check out this gluten-free samoa recipe and your whole restaurant will be filled with gluten-free parents and children who feel like they are missing out by not having girl scout cookies.

[hotglutenfreeblog-blog]

#guardians-of-the-food

Meat Lasagna

Top 10 Benefits of Gluten Free Diet - CLICK to See

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

You don’t have to change your whole menu in order to incorporate gluten-free options!! Simply replacing your typical “wheat” noodles with gluten-free noodles can make a whole dish gluten-free in many cases! Gluten-free noodles can be made from rice, quinoa, corn, or many other grains. Check out this gluten-free meat lasagna recipe to see how easy converting a classic meal to be gluten-free really is!! 

[gluten-free-diet-recipes]

Fluffy Gluten Free Ricotta Pancakes Recipe

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Having a hard time accommodating your gluten-free costumers for breakfast?? Here is a recipe for gluten-free ricotta pancakes. I’ve never personally made them, but I would surely order them if I was out to eat!!  

[aplantbasedworld]

Thai zoodle soup with eggplant and peanuts

Spiralized zucchini, sweet potato and carrot in a hot red Thai curry soup, with chunks of silken eggplant and crunchy peanuts.

http://www.quitegoodfood.co.nz/2016/04/07/thai-zoodle-soup-eggplant-peanuts/

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

I know what you're thinking, what are “zoodles”?? Zoodles are basically just pieces of zucchini cut in a way to resemble spaghetti! It may sound gross at first, but I promise they are delicious! Along with being gluten-free, they also accommodate those on the paleo-diet. This diet requires no grain at all and it really trending these days. 

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

“Gluten-Free Cooking and Baking”

Dear Chefs and Bakers,

I understand what you are going through. When I first became gluten-free, I lost all of my recipes and had to start from scratch. Luckily, it’s 2016 and we have the internet. This useful tool provides us with an abundance of alternatives and substitutes that could be used to make your existing recepies gluten-free. This specific article, (linked below) provides 27 gluten-free recipe alternatives. I hope this helps!

Your Pal,

JAK

http://greatist.com/health/27-gluten-free-recipe-substitutions

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Gluten-Free Beers

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenfreefoodshopping/tp/GlutenFreeBeers.htm 

Here is a list of 10 great gluten-free beers! Check out some of the companies listed if you are looking to increase your gluten-free beer list! 

There is also information on why gluten-reduced beers are not actually gluten-free at the bottom of the article.

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Many beers are “crafted to reduce gluten”. Although some people with gluten-sensititivies are okay with drinking these beers, be sure to inform your customer before serving them. From personal experience, most of the restaurants that I have been to put these beers on the gluten-free beer list.

I went out to eat the other day at a restaurant that is 100% gluten free, although they do have a small menu of “gluten” beers. I asked about the best gluten-free beer and she proceeded to ask if I had celiac or if I just needed a gluten-reduced beer. I told her that I had celiac and she told me that this beer is the one for me. I later looked up the beer to find this label online—“crafted to reduce gluten…”. Luckily, I did not drink the full beer at the restaurant and did not have any side effects. I have had many similar experiences. Luckily, nothing too serve has happened to me, but falsely adverting a beer on your menu as “gluten free” is dangerous for those with more serve diseases or intolerances. 

Remember to take precaution and make sure your customer is aware that these drinks may contain gluten. 

[wickedguise]

ATTENTION PEOPLE WITH CELIAC/GLUTEN INTOLERANCE

GENERAL MILLS JUST RECALLED 1.8 MILLION BOXES OF CHERRIOS AND HONEY NUT CHERRIOS THAT WERE MARKED AS GLUTEN FREE BUT ACTUALLY CONTAIN GLUTEN. 

SOURCES ARE HERE HERE HERE HERE AND HERE. 

PLEASE SIGNAL BOOST THIS. I KNOW THAT GLUTEN FREE IS OFEN DISMISSED AS A FAD DIET, BUT FOR SOME OF US, EATING GLUTEN CAN BE DEADLY. 

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivities

As you’ve probably noticed, from the increased “gluten-free” products on the shelves, rising amounts of people have been changing their diets and becoming gluten-free. Many of these people are becoming gluten free because they have developed a “gluten sensitivity” or “gluten intolerance”. These people do not have celiac disease, but their body simply just does not process gluten in a healthy manner. 

Becoming gluten-free has been perceived as a trend, and in many cases is not taken as seriously because of this. This can be detrimental to both people with Celiac Disease and with non-Celiac gluten sensitivities.

This article explains how the “gluten-free craze” has causes people with Celiac to become sick. http://qz.com/569410/the-gluten-free-craze-is-making-celiacs-like-me-sick/

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Celiac Disease

Working in the restaurant industry, it is important to know about common food related allergies and diseases. Celiac Disease is one of the many common diseases that is related to food. This is a serious autoimmune disease. For people with Celiac, eating gluten can be extremely detrimental to their health. 

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, “Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide”

Quote from: https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/

[wheat-free-diet-plan-blog]

Other Names for Gluten: amino peptide complex, Avena sativa, brown rice syrup, caramel color (frequently made from barley), cyclodextrin, dextrin, fermented grain extract, Hordeum distichon, Hordeum valgare, hydrolysate, hydrolyzed malt extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, maltodextrin, modified food starch, natural flavoring, phytosphingosine extract, Secale cereal, soy protein, Triticum aestivum, Triticum valgare, vegetable protein (HVP), yeast extract.

[dearrestaurantindustry-blog]

Gluten is PRIMARILY found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. There have been many debates on whether oats are gluten free or not. The article, “Are Oats Safe to Eat on a Gluten Free Diet?” (link posted below) from the gluten free society discusses the oat controversy. Always remember to inform your costumers when a food is made using oats. Although they can be labeled as gluten-free, everyone has a different reaction and preference

https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/are-oats-safe-to-eat-on-a-gluten-free-diet/

Photo from: http://livinggreenmag.com/2013/12/23/food-health/merry-gluten-free-holiday-infographic/