Eating out isn’t so easy.

By September Mostransky

May 11, 2021

Chances are, you've never had to worry about being able to eat something at a restaurant. After all, there are usually countless options ranging from light salads to heavy burgers. However, if you're like me, and have dietary restrictions, then you likely struggle to find anything to eat at a restaurant, and understand the anxieties and hardships that come with going out for a bite.

It wasn't my choice to be gluten, dairy, sucralose, and dextrose free. I suffer from a rare condition called lymphocytic colitis. I was forced to eliminate many foods from my diet. Others, like me, have to get rid of specific ingredients from their diets due to conditions such as celiac disease, or from being lactose intolerant. Some also refrain from ingesting certain foods because they aren't good for the body.

A study by Harvard shows, “Gluten provides no essential nutrients” In fact, it often leads to an increase in “intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut,” which was found from research done by Healthline. Because of detrimental effects from gluten and other ingredients such as dairy products, people have chosen to stay away from them.

For me, finding foods I can consume from the grocery store alone is hard. So, one can imagine the challenge of dining at a restaurant. When I get asked to go out to eat, I say no. Those asking me don't understand why I respond this way, and most times get mad at me for it. They don't realize that I want to go out to eat, but cannot, because even after meticulously analyzing the menu numerous times, I can't find one single thing.

Most restaurants don't offer numerous options for those who have dietary restrictions. One would think that huge restaurant chains would offer more gluten or dairy free options. People have food restrictions, so it's only reasonable to assume that restaurants would be able to accommodate them. Yet, this is not the case.

Most restaurants offer salad as their GF or DF options. The Cheesecake Factory offers the standard dry gluten free pasta too, but it's nothing special. I wouldn’t pay $22 for it. For some, salad and mediocre GF pasta is fine especially when it's the last resort. For me, my illness prohibits me from eating many vegetables therefore even salad isn’t an option.

Salad and GF pasta shouldn't be the only options for people who have to or want to live a lifestyle without gluten, dairy, or other products. It’s crucial for restaurants to grow their menus and make them more inclusive. More people are being diagnosed with diseases that impact what they can and cannot eat, and more are learning the dangers of everyday ingredients and therefore refraining from eating them.

It's time for restaurants to make their menus more comprehensive since people are frequently developing allergies or becoming more aware of food ingredients. If restaurants added in choices that were gluten, dairy, dextrose, and sucralose free then I would love to go out and enjoy a meal, but until then I can’t.