A Guide To Staying Gluten-Free At Social Events

You get an invitation to a potluck or BBQ and your first thought is, “Yes, I’ll be there! Let me RVSP now.” Then reality strikes and the anxiety sets in: you want to go, but you “can’t” because you follow a gluten-free lifestyle.

Eating gluten-free has improved your health. You no longer experience abdominal bloating, fatigue, joint pain, numbness in the extremities, and headaches, and you’re full of vitality. However, it has put a damper on your social life. You’ve started declining invitations because you’re worried about whether or not there will be something for you to eat, you don’t want to be a nuisance to the host, and you don’t want to be badgered with questions about your food choices. But that’s no way to live, either! This mental toiling can be just as destructive to your social life as gluten is to your body.

Gluten is the protein found in wheat products that gives dough its elasticity. It affects those with celiac disease and non-celiac sensitivity to varying degrees, with the former being characterized by an autoimmune reaction. Six times as many Americans suffer from non-celiac gluten sensitivity than from celiac disease.