Is the gluten-free fad/trend/diet/lifestyle pittering out?

7elizamae
7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
What do you think? I bake and cook at a large church on the weekends and we are having fewer and fewer requests for gluten-free items.

We had lots of requests about a year back, but not so much now.

Replies

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    I think the "fad" part of it is definitely fading, finally, which is really nice. I know that for me, where I actually get sick when I have gluten, I was getting tired of restaurants screwing up my gluten free order, cross contaminating, etc because most people were only doing it as a "diet". It definitely took away from the seriousness of a true gluten allergy or of people living with celiac.

    But we are still out there, and we still can't have gluten... It's just that people have definitely come to understand that if you CAN have gluten, it's almost impossible not to. Nobody just wants to eliminate gluten from their diet and is happy with it.
  • adge1475
    adge1475 Posts: 77 Member
    I'm not gluten free, never needed to be, never tried to be, but I've found that a lot of restaurants, if you request something gluten free, will ask if it's a "Preference or an Allergy" - big difference. And I totally agree with baileybiddles, people who get anal about a dietary restriction that isn't required, just trendy, detracts and can often endanger the people who have to avoid it because, idk, they want to LIVE.
  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 275 Member
    I hope the fad is fading. Anyone who really has celiac sprue can now find many choices and those who are simply jumping on the low carb bandwagon can continue to follow low carb diets without fooling themselves. If they want to blame carbs for their weight problems, that's fine, but it does not mean that they are actually suffering from celiac sprue.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    The fad was helpful to the extent that it became easier to find products and restaurants have more options. I hope it fades out now, because maybe the prices will drop, finally. It's ridiculous how much it costs for gluten-free products. Needing to eat gluten-free is quite difficult already without it adding so much to the grocery bill.
  • pwtaa
    pwtaa Posts: 18 Member
    I'm GF because of Celiac Disease..I am getting really good at it. But as far as this discussion the fad has helped and hurt. Helped bc we were given more options but hurt because of the cost. I find that restaurants are starting to take it much more serious. I have had several occasions where the chef has came out and made suggestions as to how he can create a dish that is close to what's on the menu and I can still have it.

    A year ago when we would go out they could provide you with their allergen menu but didn't pay close enough attention to cross contamination. I unfortunately are one of those people who when I get glutinized I spend 2 days working from home to deal w/ cramps and IBS.

    So thanks for helping us get there Fad Dieters...but now back off so we can afford to live.
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
    As someone with coeliac, cross-contamination is a constant worry when I'm eating out of the house, and it always scares me that some places might not take that seriously because the faddy people who want GF food won't become ill from stray crumbs. When the fad was in full swing, I didn't mind too much because I thought that if so many people were asking for GF, more options might be made available which would be great, but I quickly realised that those people often caused food prep staff to be careless out of no real necessity to be mindful of contamination. It's annoying, because any place worth their salt wouldn't cook a vegetarian's burger in animal fat, and vegetarianism isn't a medical necessity like coeliac, it's almost always completely a choice - not hating on veggies at all, I respect their choice, just pointing out that it's unfair that those of us with medical food requirements often don't get the same consideration given to those who choose a certain food lifestyle. Hopefully now when the fad properly dies down, those of us who have to eat GF will be taken seriously, and not considered hipsters or something!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    SteampunkSongbird wrote: »
    As someone with coeliac, cross-contamination is a constant worry when I'm eating out of the house, and it always scares me that some places might not take that seriously because the faddy people who want GF food won't become ill from stray crumbs. When the fad was in full swing, I didn't mind too much because I thought that if so many people were asking for GF, more options might be made available which would be great, but I quickly realised that those people often caused food prep staff to be careless out of no real necessity to be mindful of contamination. It's annoying, because any place worth their salt wouldn't cook a vegetarian's burger in animal fat, and vegetarianism isn't a medical necessity like coeliac, it's almost always completely a choice - not hating on veggies at all, I respect their choice, just pointing out that it's unfair that those of us with medical food requirements often don't get the same consideration given to those who choose a certain food lifestyle. Hopefully now when the fad properly dies down, those of us who have to eat GF will be taken seriously, and not considered hipsters or something!

    This. I hate getting the question, "Is it a preference or an allergy?" Ridiculous. Because if it's an allergy they make it in the separate kitchen area to avoid cross contamination. I've had them make in the wrong place before and I've gotten pretty sick. Stop it faddies!
  • aimelee
    aimelee Posts: 216 Member
    edited November 2014
    i have a 2yo daughter with Celiac Disease, and i hate that i have to feel like an *kitten* when i ask for gluten free options at restaurants, because so many people do it because it's a fad. I always have to explain that she has an actual condition that will make her very sick if she eats gluten. SO frustrating!!!

    Edited: I agree with what everyone else has said about the cost. I'm SO grateful there are so many GF products out there, but hopefully the fad will die off and the prices will drop a bit...GF products are SO pricey, and it is tough when you don't have a choice!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    the fad is a great thing for celiacs it brings the disease to the forefront and improves choices.
  • Original_Beauty
    Original_Beauty Posts: 180 Member
    I'm GF because I have to be, not by choice. I have coeliacs. My daughters also have caeliacs too :(

    The upside to the 'fad dieters'is they have helped get a lot more options on the market. GF diets do not automatically make you lose weight, like people may think.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    I think it has...since the south park epidode :lol:
  • KameHameHaaaa
    KameHameHaaaa Posts: 837 Member
    Tat
    chrisdavey wrote: »
    I think it has...since the south park epidode :lol:

    That's cuz now everyone is afraid of their **** flying off! ;)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories