I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease just after my 17th birthday. At the time, I had just finished my junior year in high school, and eating gluten free at school was a challenge. I had always packed lunches, ever since elementary school (when I refused to eat sandwiches), and so I was used to bringing lunch. But what do you bring to school when you can't eat most of the snacks and staples of the packed lunch?
College was worse. I ate in a dining hall at a small liberal arts school. The school was too small to accommodate food allergies effectively, and I saw people with serious allergies have to leave the cafeteria because of contamination. In comparison I was lucky, but I still felt cheated. I ate primarily off of the salad bar, and quickly became bored of the few gluten free foods on offer.
During the last six years, I have only occasionally had access to refrigerators, microwaves, kitchens, or gluten free prepared foods. I have learned, little by little, to be self-sufficient, proactive, and creative. I think some of the skills that I have learned could be useful for others who search for quick, cheap ways to eat gluten free, even when out of the house. I want to master the bag lunch, which so many normal people take for granted.
These days, I am a graduate student, and I am able to bring a lunch, store it in a refrigerator, and microwave leftovers. But I still have to watch my peers devour pizza at seminars, down beer at the end of the week, and disappear to eat out for lunch. Also, I tend to go home for dinner because I would rather not bring two meals.
My aim in this blog is to share what I do to affordably eat gluten free on a graduate student schedule and salary, and to solicit advice from others in the same predicament. Shall we pack our lunches together?
No comments:
Post a Comment