- Educating yourself, and then your family and friends is a long and continuous process. Err on the side of caution and assume they will be more likely to miss something, or make a mistake, than you will be. Give them a long adjustment period. I suggest cooking your first GF meal with them to show them the ropes.
- Use extra care in avoiding cross-contamination while a guest. If you have been GF for a while, think back to your process of decontaminating your home and kitchen. Mentally check off the items you went through, and ask yourself how much you know about your current venue.
- Be firm. Lay down ground rules when visiting. Remember that gluten-free living is complicated and people that care about you will want to do right by you, but may not understand fully. I insist as polite but clear and firmly that hosts not cook for me at least the first couple of times I eat with them, unless I prepare the meal with them.
- If in doubt about meal arrangements, suggest potluck gatherings. Then bring enough variety to feed yourself even if everything else is suspect.
- Learn to make your own bread. Or start with rolls or biscuits.
- Try many different flours in your cooking. Experiment with combining them for the best taste and consistency. Try brown rice and tapioca flour rolls. Try Buckwheat and Sorghum waffles. Make them from scratch.
- Look up recipes for all your favorite recipes and dishes from the time when you ate gluten (if applicable).
- Buy a gluten-free cookbook. Or some at the library. If they do not have any, ask your librarian if any are available through an inter-library loan.
- Remember that being GF is life-long for most of us. Do not cheat. Also, remember that while you will quickly see a reduction in gluten intolerance symptoms when you go GF, it can take many months or a year to completely heal your small intestinal damage. If you are a celiac, cheating will cause damage again.
- Find GF treats. Eat them.
Build well,
CRC
