If you are on a gluten-free diet and looking to eat out, there are plenty of options in Brentwood that offer specific dishes on their
menu for gluten-intolerant people. There are some key differences between celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
According to local registered nurse
Chris Cosper, celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, while gluten intolerance is a sensitivity.
When dealing with celiac disease, the individual has to avoid gluten entirely as it damages your small intestine when digested. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. Being gluten-intolerant can sometimes require limiting gluten from your diet but not removing it entirely.
Cosper noted that as a result of being gluten-free also there is a lack of vitamin intake, vitamins such as vitamin D, B12, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and fiber. He says that taking a multivitamin should be a part of your routine to ensure there are no vitamin deficiencies.
If you’re looking to dine out in downtown Brentwood or elsewhere, there is an option to do so while on a gluten-free diet. Zephyr Grill & Bar offers three dishes – butternut squash soup, molasses glazed meatloaf and grilled salmon – that are labeled ‘GF’ or ‘gluten-free’ on their lunch menu in bold letters next to each item. For dinner, they offer those three items as well as their braised short rib, scampi surf and turf, New York strip steak and their rib eye steak.
They also offer two vegetarian and three vegan options for dinner.
Zephyr states at the bottom of their menu that as a full-service kitchen, they can not guarantee that any item will be ‘completely’ free of any allergens.
While Zephyr is a full-service kitchen, Chipotle has gluten-free dishes and P.F. Chang has separate ovens for gluten-free dishes. There is a difference between cross-contact and cross-contamination.
Cross-contact, according to Beyond Celiac, is when a food is transferred from one surface to another, while cross-contamination is when bad bacteria touches safe food or surfaces.
There is a list of commonly asked questions and answers at beyondceliac.org for cross-contact and contamination such as the risk of using a toaster for both gluten and gluten-free products or using the same water to boil gluten-free and pasta that contains gluten.
Dining and Cooking