If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
The Christmas party season can feel like a bit of a challenge for anyone who is following a gluten free diet. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little preparation and some careful checking of ingredients, you can still enjoy all the fun of the festive season, from drinks at the office Christmas party, to a meal out with colleagues and friends.
In this article, we’ll guide you through what you can and can’t eat and drink this Christmas, and we’ll point you at some useful resources to make your festive feasting simpler and safer.
The easiest way to guarantee a tasty, gluten free meal is to visit a recommended restaurant or one that you know and trust. Coeliac UK helpfully provide a venue finder on their website to get you started. Simply enter the style of food you’re after, your postcode and the distance you’re prepared to travel, and they’ll make some well researched local recommendations for you to try.
Unfortunately, venues for big Christmas dos are often booked by your work, family or friends months in advance. So by the time they announce the event, it’s often too late to enquire if they have gluten free options. If this is the case, it’s well worth contacting the restaurant directly to see what gluten free options are available. Most venues will offer at least some gluten free menu choices as standard, and with advance notice, they may be able to extend these options.
With corks popping to celebrate the Christmas season, it’s good to know that Champagne and prosecco are both gluten free. Wine is also gluten free, from your fine wines with your Christmas roast to a welcome, warming glass of mulled wine on a frosty night. A seasonal sherry or a glass of port with your Christmas cheese are also fine.
The good news is that all spirits and liqueurs are gluten free, including those originally made from grain, such as malt whisky. The distilling process removes gluten from the spirit, leaving it safe for coeliacs to enjoy. You could even indulge in that most festive of all seasonal tipples, a glass of Baileys on ice. According to the Baileys website, ‘Baileys is produced with ingredients that do not contain gluten’ (however it’s worth noting that they stop short of guaranteeing that the product is gluten free).
Unfortunately, standard beer, ale, lager and stout all contain gluten, although cider is normally fine. But don’t worry; you can still raise a glass thanks to the increasing range of gluten free beers that are available these days. Both on the free-from shelves and in the normal wines and beers section of the supermarket. Always check the packaging for the words ‘gluten free’ and look out for allergy warnings about wheat, oats, rye and barley in the ingredients list. Some products will also have warnings that they ‘may contain’ traces of these ingredients, due to cross-contamination during production. Check out our guide to reading food labels here.
Crisps are made from potatoes (or in some cases vegetables such as carrot and parsnip), which are naturally gluten free. However, sometimes the flavourings used can contain wheat. It’s always best to check, especially if you’re at a party. Nuts in their pure form are naturally gluten free, but again, if they have any flavourings added, it is always best to check the packaging.
Of course, no December in the office, or family Christmas at home, is complete without a tin of sweets to share. And the great news is that many of your festive favourites are gluten free. Cadbury says that Roses and Heroes (except the mini Double Decker) are gluten free chocolate. And that timeless Christmas favourite, Quality Street, contains gluten free chocolate across the whole selection. Matchmakers are also a gluten free chocolate option, but sadly that staple of Santa’s sack, the Terry’s Chocolate Orange, is off limits, as are Celebrations, which contain both wheat flour and wheat gluten.
Celebrating at home makes it much easier to be sure you are eating and drinking gluten free. Most of the major supermarkets offer a growing range of gluten free party foods to make your celebrations simple. If you prefer, you can make your own using the many festive food ideas on our Glutafin website. BBC Good Food also has loads of gluten free Christmas recipes for you to try.
However you choose to celebrate this festive season. We’d like to wish you a very happy, and safe, Christmas and a glorious gluten free New Year.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
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