You have to think that when one of our top local radio stations goes to the tagline “You are gluten-free and we are commercial free” that you are in a place with plenty of gluten free options. And you would be correct. According to the Huffington Post, Chicago is ranked fifth in the nation for gluten-free menu choices. Huffington Post reports that as much as 29% of the nation is trying to cut back on or eliminate gluten even though only 1% of us are true celiacs.
At this time of year a lot of us take vacations, which are a challenge when you have food allergies. When you have food allergies, stopping for a quick bite at a roadside fast food place is out of the question. In addition you may, like me, travel often to a place like Florida, a state with no dots at all. Disney World accommodates allergies, but what if you need to go somewhere that is not at all gluten-free friendly?
If you are reading this because you have other food allergies, I would like to give you a tip. Even if you can eat gluten, when you can, eat at restaurants that cater to the gluten-free community. Most of us celiacs are reactive to gluten and something else. Something else may be dairy, corn, soy, nuts etc. At a restaurant that caters to us, the staff is trained in avoiding cross-contamination, trained in understanding multiple allergens and far more likely to take you seriously.
As far as getting to the destination, what I do is a combination of bringing my own food (TSA always checks my luggage, mystified at someone who would check a suitcase full of bread and muffin mix) and eating at one of the national chains (Outback, Bonefish, P.F. Changs) that cater to gluten-free diners. If pressed, I will eat prime rib, a dry baked potato and steamed broccoli no sauce. Its tedious, but its almost always allergen-free. I did a whole post on road trips with allergies, which I can boil down to bring large coolers of your own food and refreezable ice packs. Stay in hotels with refrigerators and freezers to refreeze the ice packs, and eat only the bacon and fruit at the breakfast buffet.
There are people who think you can just make your needs known and be safe. That may be true for some people but I am that person who cannot eat a salad if a crouton touched it and was then removed. Having become after eating sushi, mayonnaise, and other theoretically “safe” foods when out I now stick with places that understand my needs.
So anyway, enjoy the map and enjoy your summer vacation. And if you are looking for a fun place to visit this August, think about coming to Chicago and know that you have lots of choices here.
Here is the link to the graphic I referenced in this article
