The Christmas holidays are synonymous with conviviality and sharing, the time when families gather to celebrate Christmas or the arrival of the New Year. For people with celiac disease, however, as often happens on other similar occasions, these moments can be truly complicated: the impossibility of consuming foods with certain ingredients, or simply the specter of contamination hovering over every course, can be a considerable burden, transforming a moment of joy into one of pure terror.
Fortunately, a few small steps can help ease this burden. Since 1990, the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) has been a key point of reference for the entire celiac community, and this year too, it will provided advice and practical tools for facing the holidays with complete peace of mind, both for those with celiac disease and for their friends and family.
All Gluten Free And You're Safe
It's not just about choosing gluten-free foods, but sometimes the problem can also be hidden in contamination: for this reason, it's advisable to opt for a unique gluten-free menu. And there's no need to be discouraged, because gluten-free diets are much richer than one might imagine and allow you to create delicious dishes with meat, fish, milk, traditional cheeses, eggs, fruit, vegetables, legumes, and many cereals or pseudo-cereals such as rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, and oats. With a pinch of creativity, you can prepare excellent dishes. However, as the CDF suggests, you should avoid foods such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, couscous, bulgur, seitan, khorasan wheat (kamut), and all other varieties of wheat.
Therefore, favor all foods that are naturally gluten-free, while for processed foods —bread, pasta, desserts, sauces, and flours—for added safety, you can look for the GF inside a circle or oval, which is the registered trademark for gluten-free and a guarantee of safety for all celiacs.
Little Tips in The Kitchen
Choosing a completely gluten-free menu minimizes the risk of cross-contamination. In any case, it's essential to thoroughly wash cutlery, utensils, pots, pans, plates, glasses, and silverware, especially if they've previously been used with foods containing gluten.
However, if you've opted for both a gluten-free and a non-gluten-free menu, be extremely careful not only to clean all your utensils but also to keep the foods separate during preparation and cooking. Even the oven and toaster pose no risk if cleaned carefully. For added safety, there are commercially available bags for reheating gluten-free bread in the toaster, thus avoiding any contamination.
What If I Want to Eat Out?
No problem: thanks to the Find Me Gluten Free Mobile app, you can check which restaurants are participating in the gluten-free Eating Out program. If you're planning to spend your holidays abroad, you can do so with complete peace of mind thanks to the website of the European Federation of Celiac Associations (AOECS): in the "Eating Out Gluten Free" section, you can find the Celiac Associations of the various countries and also check which restaurants are suitable for celiacs.
However, be careful of any leftovers: always check that the containers used for the doggy bag do not derive from cereals containing gluten – the same also applies to disposable plates and glasses used at home, even if they are usually safe because they are made from cellulose pulp or corn.
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