I came across an Instagram post by Ballard’s recently. The all-vegan restaurant published a photo of their new culinary creation. It was a pumpkin and white wine stewed cabbage Kiev with a tomato cream, green bean and horseradish salad. It was at that moment when I thought and commented:
“It’s moments like these when I really wish I wasn’t Coeliac.”
Yep, I said it.
We now live in a time when conversations around illnesses and inclusion are at an all-time high. If public opinion is anything to go by, I should be embracing my auto-immune disease.
I won’t always embrace Coeliac Disease, but I am grateful.
Since my Coeliac diagnosis, I’ve been very grateful for the food businesses that cater to those who need gluten-free. I am grateful whenever a business says they can cater for me and offer me more options than I know what to do with. But that sense of food FOMO never goes away, no matter how good I am on a gluten-free diet.
Though, I miss foods I used to eat.
There are times when I wish I wasn’t Coeliac because I miss those foods I used to eat and love. I miss a warming bowl of oats on a wintery Melbourne morning. I miss crumbed culinary masterpieces like Ballard’s Kiev because I miss that satisfying wheat-ey crunch. I even miss a decent loaf of bread, still hot out of the oven. And, don’t get me started on cakes and dessert.
Food businesses now offer a tonne of options
While I miss the good ol’ gluten days, food businesses are coming to the party with loads of options. I can eat in confidence at any number of food places in my travels, provided a give them some pre-warning.
But it’s nice to dine without businesses treating me different.
Vegan food businesses love to feed their guests without making them sick. Give businesses enough notice and they can, generally speaking, provide you with an unforgettable meal.
Though, I have experienced discrimination. I once visited a local burger place that had vegan gluten-free options. I chatted to the staff about their options, but the owner of the business refused to serve me. He said that some of his family members were Coeliac. So he assumed the severity of my Coeliac Disease was on par with his family members.
It was in this moment I had no autonomy over my food choices. I was no longer in control of my own illness and decision to eat there. That control was taken away from me in an instant.
Since my Coeliac Disease diagnosis, I have had to navigate my diet with more precision. Most of my vegan gluten-free experiences have been positive and delicious. I do miss those days when I didn’t have to be diligent. But I don’t miss being sick, fatigued and sore at all.
