So, recently a lot of people have come to me regarding advice around sharing a kitchen with strangers and how to ensure people respect your space and requirements!
It can be the most daunting and anxious part of university for coeliacs! But, remember everyone is coming from a different background and people will also have their own issues too that they will keep to themselves. So, you’re more than likely not alone in how you're feeling!
My key advice for this is to create a group chat (if you haven’t got one already). This not only creates a space for everyone to share their thoughts/feelings and any of their personal issues, but it just can be a more comfortable way of expressing emotions and telling your flatmates about coeliac disease!
Once you have a group chat, you can send a message just letting people know for example you can say something along the lines of this:
“Hey guys, I just wanted to let you all know I have coeliac disease. In case any of you have not heard of it I will just explain it briefly. It is an auto-immune disease which basically means I can’t consume gluten at all, this includes cross contamination. So, I am unable to share toasters and must be extremely careful with surfaces and my utensil’s. Therefore, I would extremely appreciate it if no one used any of my utensils or crockery to minimise the risks for me, my crockery is (you can just let them know if it’s a certain colour etc). Also, if you are using flour for example with baking, please if you could just clean up after yourselves. I will wipe surfaces down before I use them but will appreciate if you can just keep the kitchen as clean as possible!
My shelf on the fridge is …. (I recommend getting the drawer or top shelf just because there’s a reduced risk of anything touching your food! For example, no one will open your drawer whereas they may accidentally spill things or touch your food on the shelves), so please just let me know if you spill anything on it.
What contains gluten is: Rye, wheat, barley, spelt, triticale, malt, brewer’s yeast and oats.
If you have any questions or anything just let me know but thank you in advance for understanding!”
Or you can just let them know one at a time in person or if you’re all in the kitchen together, whatever you feel most comfortable with! Each to your own but I think a message can get it across clearly and concisely!
- Get either the top shelf or drawer in the fridge, reduced risk of things touching or spilling on your items.
- Get distinctive cutlery and dishes!
- Keep your toaster in your room, it stops the risk completely of cross contamination.
- For the first week until you become more comfortable with one another once washed up your dishes maybe pop them away, so you know nothing has touched them! But in most cases, you will be fine.
- You will become more comfortable around one another it just does take time!! So, don’t stress.
Good luck! You will be fine and just enjoy it!!!
Any questions or further advice my messages are always open! 💛
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