I’m sure by now you have heard about gluten. To put it simply, gluten is a substance that is often found in wheat, which is a common flour ingredient. For some reason going on a gluten-free diet is now a big health craze, and if you say you are gluten free there is a chance you won’t be taken seriously. But people who are gluten free abide by that diet because they literally can’t ingest gluten. Usually, it’s because of celiac disease, where the body can’t digest gluten, but I am gluten free because I am allergic to wheat. While wheat and gluten aren’t exactly the same thing, they are often combined together in foods, meaning I can eat anything that says it is gluten free. Although, living with this allergy has become pretty laughable because wheat is such a common ingredient.
1. Birthday parties are awkward
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I can’t eat pizza, or cake for that matter. I was born with this allergy, so going to birthday parties as a kid was always kind of awkward. The pizza would be brought out, but I couldn’t eat it. So, I would either have to eat before I went to the party, or fill up on chips. With the cake I could eat the icing, which still brings up some questions from other party goers, or I could hope for ice cream.
2. People constantly ask you what you eat
Whenever I tell people about my allergy the immediate response is, “What do you eat then?” Wheat/gluten isn’t in everything, it’s just in a lot of things, and there are different types of flours that are used for baking. So, while I can’t eat things like Tastycakes or Oreos, I do have plenty of other options.
3. Going out to eat with friends is a struggle
I’m aware that my allergy is a struggle. Going to a new restaurant means hoping there is something I can eat, which typically boils down to grilled chicken and fries. Of course, being in college, my friends often want pizza, or maybe want to go to Olive Garden, and I don’t want to be that person that goes, “But I can’t eat there so we can’t go.” I hate doing that, so I’ve become more open to menu options, and suggest Chinese restaurants a lot.
4. Dealing with really crappy gluten free brands
I’m sure you’ve seen a “gluten free” section in the supermarket. If you have, you’ve probably noticed how small it is. Take the size of it, and then cut it in half, and that’s how many products are actually good. There’s a reason why wheat/gluten is the most common type of flour used – it makes food taste good. That doesn’t mean that gluten-free products don’t taste good, it just means that most don’t taste good. Usually, because gluten-free products are also put together with dairy free, and nut free, even sugar free, and no matter what kind of baking god/goddess you are, it’s hard to make that combination taste good. Basically, never have gluten-free pizza. Also, when you actually find a product that does taste good, it is often discontinued. Honestly, the amount of struggle I’ve gone through just to have pasta is ridiculous.
5. Wondering if something is breaded and taking the risk
My allergy is actually pretty severe, and I would not have a good time if I accidentally ate something with wheat/gluten in it. For example, sometimes fries are breaded and it’s hard to tell, and depending on how hungry I am, I might eat a little bit and wait to see if my lungs start hurting. I should really stop doing that.
6. Being immensely happy when someone buys or bakes you a gluten-free food
You can do no wrong in my books if you actually go to the trouble of baking or buying me a gluten-free snack or meal. One, you actually took the time to consider my needs and thought it would be a nice thing to do, and two, it’s not exactly easy to bake or buy the food. Gluten-free products are expensive.
While this article might not sound like it, living with this allergy is pretty manageable, I just have to be careful, but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult because there are a lot of things I didn't mention. Honestly, you’ll never understand the struggle of going to a pastry shop and realizing you can’t eat anything in the store, unless if you have the allergy/intolerance yourself. So please, next time you meet someone with a gluten intolerance don’t ask them what they eat.
