Food & Beverage

Most gluten-free diners find eating out a challenge

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May 3, 2021

A majority, 85%, of gluten-free diners find eating out "extremely challenging" or "very challenging," according to a survey conducted to commemorate Celiac Disease Awareness Month.

The survey, Challenges Facing the Gluten-Free Community, polled 1,000 consumers and was commissioned by the Good for You Gluten Free website, according to a press release.

"Most gluten-free people want to eat at restaurants, a normal human desire, yet eating out poses a high risk of cross contamination that can leave someone sick to their stomachs; this happens regardless if the restaurant offers gluten-free options or not," Jenny Levine Finke, founder of the Good For You Gluten Free website, said in the release.

Other challenges faced by the gluten-free community include the high cost of food (71%), feeling emotional or anxious about food (55%), maintaining a healthy weight (53%), and being healthy (51%).

About one-third of the respondents said they maintain a dedicated gluten-free kitchen at home, and nearly 79% prepare the majority of their meals. Nearly 78% describe their gluten-free diet as "very strict," yet 44% would or maybe would eat something that came in contact with gluten.