I have been dreaming of writing this post for SO long…the day has finally come for me to talk about all things being gluten free. The good, the bad, and the tasty! I have been strictly gluten free since the second semester of freshman year, but only recently have I taken it as seriously as I needed to. I thought I would give a little run down of what being gluten free has looked like for me and the steps that led me to make this change!
For starters, there are a few different routes that people take when it comes to being “gluten free.” Some people who have a gluten intolerance may just be unable to eat gluten and experience adverse reactions to it. Others have Celiac Disease which is an autoimmune disorder where one’s body cannot process gluten and a variety of uncomfortable digestive back-fires occur. I fall into this category! Gluten and I are NOT friends (unfortunately). A fun fact! Gluten is not just wheat…but is wheat, barley, rye and triticale! A lot of people don’t fully know what gluten is, so being well educated is essential to be able to advocate for yourself at restaurants and all other eateries!
My eating looks a little different now abroad than it does at Wellesley. Europe has many people who don’t eat gluten or have Celiac so most (if not all) restaurants have gluten free options! I have been able to eat so many delicious foods that I thought I would never be able to have again. My study abroad university doesn’t offer a traditional meal plan with an all inclusive dining hall so I have been doing A LOT of cooking on my own. This has actually been better for me because most of the time the offerings at the dining hall are pasta, breaded chicken or pastry-covered meat pies, which I wouldn’t even be able to eat! With being gluten free, I do find that I really struggle to eat enough protein. It can be challenging when all of the protein options have been breaded and fried with other contaminants or when the main dish is pasta + protein. However, this issue is not just one I have had when abroad but also at Wellesley.
I would like to start by discussing the gluten free options which do exist at Wellesley. There is a “gluten free room” in the Bates dining hall and the majority of dining halls will have a small box full of gluten free bread and sometimes bagels! So carbs ✅. However, from what I have encountered, the majority of protein dishes are not guaranteed to be gluten free due to cross contamination, being breaded and fried or cooked in the same ovens, friers, etc. A truly typical meal that I have embarrassingly eaten five out of the seven days of the week is usually a plate of whatever potato is offered and then a plate full of deli meat. As a student athlete, my team eats dinner together after practice almost every night. The only dining hall that is open that late is Lulu, and by 8pm they transition to “late night” which is always pizza and a smaller option like grilled cheese, burgers, philly cheese steaks, etc. So nothing I can in good conscious eat without at least a 75% fear I am going to become violently ill. It’s tough, and if my safe option of deli meat isn’t looking too hot since it has been out in the open since lunchtime, I usually opt for peanut butter toast. To be blunt, it sucks. I dread meals and often end up making my own food afterward. Choosing between getting terribly sick if I do eat gluten or not eating at all and being exhausted and depleted is a tough call.
Anyhoot! Enough of the “bad,” and now for the tasty! Attached are some amazing gluten free foods I have enjoyed thus far while in Ireland and during some travels to Italy. The biggest piece of advice I have is that food is meant to fuel you. If something doesn’t feel right for your body, make the change to look for alternate options! Even though it is really hard, my health is the most important, and I would rather make sure I feel good.
Until next week,
Anna Tutek
Carbonara from Lake Como, Italy
Nutella croissant from Milan, Italy
Pizza from Milan, Italy
Tiramisu from Milan, Italy