Yesterday, my boss wanted to do something nice. They ordered Chick-fil-A catering for the whole office. Unfortunately… it didn’t go well for me.
I wasn’t in the office on Thursday when the order was placed, so when it arrived on Friday, they said, “We got you a veggie wrap!”
Ooof.
I don’t blame the attempt. Honestly, I appreciate the thought — it shows they were trying. But it also shows just how woefully misunderstood being gluten free really is.
Afterward, I went to look at the Chick-fil-A catering menu myself, hoping maybe there was something they could have gotten right. There wasn’t.
The box lunch options are chicken sandwiches, spicy chicken sandwiches, or nuggets — all served with chips and a chocolate chip cookie.
So I dug a little deeper. Salads are technically an option, but even their recommended salad dressing contains gluten. So even if they’d ordered me a salad, it probably wouldn’t have been safe anyway.
Finding something I could eat took me over five minutes — and that’s me, someone who knows what to look for. It’s hard to be upset when I realize how unrealistic it is to expect someone without that knowledge to figure it out perfectly on the first try.
On Monday, I’ll talk with them. I’m going to share what I can safely order from the Chick-fil-A catering menu, and I’ll follow up with an email that lists local restaurants and my safe options. Hopefully next time will go more smoothly.
But still — moments like this are a reminder that living with celiac disease can be socially isolating. Even when people mean well, it’s a small reminder that what’s easy for everyone else will probably never be quite that easy for me. 💚
Related on FatCeliac.net
- Celiac and social isolation: what people don’t see
- Eating out safely: restaurant tips that work
- Why gluten free is so misunderstood
- Navigating workplace events when you’re gluten free
- How to handle catering when you have celiac
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