Explaining Celiac to Coworkers

Work food culture is relentless. Birthday cakes, catered meetings, holiday potlucks, the candy jar on someone’s desk. You can’t avoid food at work, which means you can’t avoid explaining celiac disease, at least partially.

Here’s how I’ve navigated it.

How Much to Share

You don’t owe anyone your medical history. But some explanation usually makes life easier.

The Minimal Explanation

“I can’t eat gluten. It’s a medical thing.”

This is enough for most situations. Polite, brief, doesn’t invite extensive questions.

The Standard Explanation

“I have celiac disease, it’s an autoimmune condition where gluten damages my intestines. So I can’t eat anything with wheat, barley, or rye, and I have to be careful about cross-contamination.”

This gives people enough to understand it’s serious without being a medical lecture.

The Full Explanation

Save this for close coworkers or managers who need to understand for accommodation purposes. Include the autoimmune nature, the long-term health risks, and why “just a little bit” doesn’t work.

The First Conversation

When you’re newly diagnosed, you’ll need to have some version of this conversation:

In team meetings: “Hey everyone, quick announcement, I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, so I won’t be eating most of the office food. It’s not a choice, just a health thing. If there’s ever a potluck or catering, I’ll bring my own food.”

One-on-one: “I wanted to let you know I have celiac disease, so I can’t eat the birthday cake / office snacks / catered lunch. Please don’t take it personally, it’s not about the food being bad.”

Getting ahead of it prevents awkward moments later.

Handling Common Situations

Birthday Cake

Someone’s always having a birthday. Someone’s always cutting cake.

Options:

• Politely decline and don’t explain every time
• Bring your own GF treat to have during celebrations
• Just not be in the room (if you can do this gracefully)

What I do: I usually say “no thanks” with a smile, and if they look confused, add “dietary restriction.” Most people accept that.

Catered Meetings

The eternal challenge. Sandwiches, pizza, pasta, all unsafe.

Options:

• Eat before the meeting
• Bring your own food
• Ask the meeting organizer in advance if they can order a GF option
• Pick at whatever’s safe (usually fruit, maybe a salad)

What I do: If I know there’s catering, I eat before or bring something. I also let admins/organizers know about GF options for future orders, many caterers have them now.

Team Lunches

When everyone goes out to eat together.

Options:

• Research the restaurant in advance
• Suggest restaurants you know work for you
• Eat before and order something small (or safe) at the restaurant
• Occasionally skip (but not so often you become isolated)

What I do: I’m usually the one who offers to pick the restaurant. “I know a great place” = I know a safe place.

Holiday Potlucks

The most dangerous work food event. Everyone brings something, cross-contamination is everywhere, you can’t verify ingredients.

Options:

• Bring your own complete meal (that you actually want to eat)
• Bring a GF dish to share and eat mostly that
• Eat beforehand and just have drinks
• Skip it (if you won’t be missed)

What I do: I bring something substantial that I’d be happy eating as my whole lunch. If someone asks why I’m only eating my own dish, I explain briefly.

The Persistent Offerer

There’s always someone who keeps offering you food despite you declining. “Are you sure?” “Just one bite?” “I made it from scratch!”

Strategies:

The broken record: “No thank you. I have celiac disease.” Repeat exactly the same way each time.

The medical redirect: “My doctor says no. Wish I could!”

The direct approach: “I appreciate it, but I can’t eat that. Please stop offering, it actually makes it harder for me.”

Most persistent offerers mean well. They want to share. But they need to learn that this isn’t negotiable.

Handling Pushback

Occasionally someone won’t accept your explanation:

“My cousin is gluten-free and she cheats sometimes.”

Response: “Celiac disease is different from a gluten sensitivity. For me, there’s no cheating, it’s not an option.”

“But it’s homemade, so it’s healthier.”

Response: “Homemade doesn’t mean gluten-free. Anything with wheat, barley, or rye is unsafe for me.”

“You’re being too picky.”

Response: “It’s a medical condition. I don’t have a choice about this.”

You don’t need to convince everyone. Some people won’t get it. That’s their limitation, not yours.

When You Need Accommodations

If your job involves required food events or meal-based meetings, you may need formal accommodations:

• Talk to HR about your diagnosis
• Document what you need (safe food options at mandatory events, ability to bring your own food)
• In the US, celiac disease can qualify under ADA for reasonable accommodations

Most workplaces will work with you once they understand it’s medical.

What I’ve Learned

You can’t control what people think. Some will get it. Some won’t. Focus on the ones who do.

Food events are not as important as they feel. Missing a piece of birthday cake doesn’t hurt your career.

Bringing your own food is normal. Lots of people do it for lots of reasons. You’re not that weird.

The awkwardness fades. After a few months, everyone knows. You don’t have to keep explaining.

Good colleagues will remember. The ones who care about you will start checking labels or asking if you can eat things.

A Note on Isolation

Work food events can feel isolating. Everyone bonding over shared food while you sit there with your packed lunch.

This is real. It can be lonely.

But:

• Connection happens through conversation, not just eating
• You can be present without participating in the food
• Some of my best work relationships are with people who’ve never seen me eat the same thing they’re eating

Don’t let food exclusion become social exclusion. Show up, participate, bring your own food, and don’t make it weird.

The Long Game

Eventually, celiac disease becomes just a fact about you that coworkers know. Like being vegetarian or having a nut allergy. Background information.

The explanations get easier. The situations become routine. The awkwardness decreases.

You’re building a new normal. At work, like everywhere else.