With one in a hundred people in the UK suffering from coeliac disease, including myself, finding the right foods we can eat should be easy, right? In reality it is far from it. As there are more and more alternatives for non-meat eaters, why on earth do we not have more gluten-free alternatives around?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the digestive system (the intestines) is attacked by the immune system, meaning you cannot properly absorb nutrients. This is known as malabsorption.
Common symptoms of coeliac disease include:
- Vomiting
- Greasy and frothy stools
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Bloating and flatulence
- Abdominal pain
A little backstory
As someone with type 1 diabetes AND coeliac disease, I have said on many occasions I would rather get rid of coeliac because it is horrendous. When you have spent most of your life having the choice to eat what you want, like I have, and that choice is taken away, you realise how much of a privilege it was. Eating wheat is no longer an option for me or for thousands upon thousands of people in the UK. Unless you live with coeliac or are aware of its existence, you wouldn’t know how limiting this forced diet can be.
There are plenty of gluten-free alternatives to regular food but, on the whole, they do not taste the same and are very dry. I need to chug gallons of water just for some moisture in my mouth.
Types of food and drink containing gluten
- Bread
- Cereals
- Confectionary (wafer bars such as a blue ribband/biscuits)
- Cakes
- Pastas
- Battered food (fried chicken/battered sausage/ battered fish etc)
- Beer
- Crackers
- Sausage
- Types of sauces (BBQ sauce for example)
- Gravies
- Malt
- Soups
Honestly this isn’t even everything but as you can imagine from reading this list, gluten is in many staple foods. It is hard to find the gluten-free versions at a cheap price, or with a better or similar taste to the normal format. It is hard to find gluten-free food at all!
The big issues
My biggest gripe with having to eat gluten-free is how far behind we are with supplying gluten-free options. We make vegan food available almost everywhere now! This annoys me because we’re still limiting so many people who want to eat meals and snacks but can’t. Often, there is either no gluten-free option anywhere to be seen or the price is too high, or it tastes rancid.
Bread is an issue that hasn’t been fully resolved when it comes to the taste and texture of gluten-free versions. Gluten-free meal deal sandwiches fall apart as soon as you touch them. The breadcakes are so dense and dry that your jaw starts to hurt after chewing a little while. Tiger bread is, in my opinion, the best bread to eat. It tastes more like the real thing and in my experience, doesn’t fall apart often.
Gluten-free fast-food options?
Fast-food restaurants are a disgrace. Because in the UK you cannot get burgers, chicken and even chips, in some cases, that are gluten free. McDonalds and KFC, I’m looking at you here! However, in Spain you can get a gluten-free burger from both McDonalds and Burger King … I know they are businesses at the end of the day and want to make money but they’re already mega-rich corporations. Surely, they can afford to have gluten-free alternatives in the UK as well.
On another note, with McDonalds, they do have information their UK website stating that some of their products are gluten free, but they cannot guarantee no cross-contamination due to their kitchen set up. They allegedly offer gluten-free buns but, in my experiences, there is never an option in any of the restaurants I have been in, up and down the country, that is even when asking directly if they have gluten-free buns available.
The only big, branded chains I am aware of that provide gluten-free options are both pizza chains: Dominos and Pizza Hut. The issue I have with these pizzas are that you can only get them as a small sized pizza. But Pizza Hut, especially, make incredible gluten-free pizzas that are genuinely better than some of the regular pizzas.
Here is a challenge for you
The two absolute worst places to go and try to eat gluten-free food are airports and service stations! Honestly, the number of times I haven’t eaten before a long flight because there wasn’t an option for me at the airport is an absolute joke. I have only ever had a gluten-free meal once before a flight and that was in Alcudia.
When going down south or further up north, it doesn’t matter where, you will not find gluten-free food in a service station. I’ve learnt to prepare better and purchase something before these trips, but it is a joke.
A bonus challenge for you all, try and find something gluten free at a wedding or party buffet. You might be able to eat some crisps if you are lucky.
My personal food and drink recommendations
Living with coeliac for the last four years I have found some good gluten-free food and some good alternatives for myself that, whether or not other coeliacs enjoy them, I want to share to at least let people consider.
When it comes to alcohol, I drink spirits. I don’t even like the taste of beer, regardless whether it is gluten free or not. Gluten-free Peroni is probably the best gluten-free beer I have tasted though.
To me, gluten-free pasta tastes the exact same. I get mine from either Asda or Morrisons.
Co-op sell, arguably, the best of the bad bunch when it comes to biscuits. They sell cookies that have actual moisture, so you don’t need to drink the Atlantic Ocean to get it down your throat. They also have some decent digestive biscuits, but I recommend having the Atlantic on standby with these.
My family often make their own gluten-free buns or biscuits and I find them so much better than what you can get offered in supermarkets. So, get baking if that is your sort of thing!
As I said previously, Pizza Hut make the best gluten-free pizzas I have ever tasted. I’ve had family and friends who aren’t even coeliac try a piece and they also agree that it tastes amazing. I have never had a bad gluten-free pizza from them.
I find that gluten-free sausage rolls, although they fall to pieces super easily, are on the whole really enjoyable, cold or warm. However, places like Greggs do not sell these which angers me, so you will find these in your local supermarkets.
Lastly, try finding snacks and meals you can enjoy that don’t even contain gluten in the first place. It’s all about experimenting and finding what is right for you. There are plenty of foods to enjoy that don’t even contain gluten such as:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meat and poultry
- Fish and seafood (and sushi)
- Dairy
- Beans, legumes, and nuts
- Rice
- Caramel chocolate
Editor: Please note, this is the experience of the author who suffers from Coeliac Disease, but who is not a medical professional or dietician. For more information on following a gluten-free diet, visit the Celiac Disease Foundation website.
