4 Tips for Navigating Dietary Restrictions at Work
An etiquette guide
My celiac diagnosis coincided with my job going fully remote at the start of the pandemic. I was really lucky that I didn’t have to navigate dietary restrictions in an office setting early on in my celiac journey as I was just learning how to advocate for myself and think on my feet.
Four years later, I still work remotely full-time, but I occasionally get together in person with my colleagues for meetings, travel for work-related events, and attend industry conferences throughout the year.
I’m pretty comfortable speaking up for myself now—when I have a meeting IRL, for example, I typically ask if I can be the one to choose where we order lunch from or where we go for dinner. (Cava, Sweetgreen, and Little Beet are my favorite fast casual spots for work lunches, FYI.)
Conferences are a different story—the gluten-free food is always so hit or miss. Either the gluten-free option is gross (and gluten-free and vegetarian are often lumped together in one yucky meal) or none of the food is labeled with allergens and seems too risky to eat.
That’s why I always use the Find Me Gluten-Free app before traveling to identify celiac-safe food options near the conference venue—and I pack plenty of emergency snacks with me. (You can use my exclusive discount code to save $5 on a premium FMGF membership!)
To help you navigate your dietary restrictions at work, I chatted with etiquette expert Suzy Lins (aka The Manners Maven) for her best advice.
How to navigate dietary restrictions at the office
1. Inform the organizer in advance of your dietary restrictions
If you’ve RSVPed to a work event but no request about dietary restrictions has been made, then politely inform the organizer in advance about your needs so they can plan accordingly.
“You can say something like, ‘I have some dietary restrictions, and I thought you should know,’” suggests Lins. Depending on the type of event, Lins says you can offer to bring your own food or suggest an alternative.
“If it’s not a situation where you can request dietary options in advance, you may want to eat before the event or bring your own snacks,” says Lins.
2. Offer to bring a dish you can eat to office potlucks
Headed to a potluck party at the office? Use this as an opportunity to introduce your colleagues to some of your favorite gluten-free dishes.
“If it’s a potluck party, the individual with the dietary restrictions should offer to bring a dish they can eat,” says Lins. “In my experience, many times these food items are the most popular at the potluck because they’re unique!”
3. Don’t feel bad about declining food if it’s not safe
“If you show up to an event and are offered something you can’t eat, it's perfectly acceptable to politely decline the food item,” says Lins.
How, exactly, should you phrase your response? “You can simply say something like, ‘Thank you for offering, but I actually have some dietary restrictions that prevent me from eating [the specific food]. Is there perhaps an alternative available?’” suggests Lins.
Most hosts will understand and be accommodating, adds Lins. “The key is to make sure you are discreet without making a big deal about it,” she says.
4. Express thanks for any accommodations made
Finally, Lins recommends expressing your appreciation for any accommodations that have been made for you. “'You can say, ‘Thanks for considering my dietary needs. I appreciate your thoughtfulness,’” she says.
What to do if you’re the one organizing a work event
Are you the one who’s doing the planning for a work-related event? You should take into consideration that a colleague may have dietary restrictions.
“When sending out the invitation, you can include a request for dietary restrictions,” says Lins. “The host/planners should make every effort to have some food options available for this co-worker.”
You can also ask your colleague for suggestions of what they can eat. “The person with the dietary restrictions may consider getting involved in the planning to ensure that the planning committee considers the needs of others,” says Lins.
Have any other tips for navigating dietary restrictions in a professional environment? Drop a comment and let me know!
Great article!! My work life is almost the same as yours in terms of WFH most of the time but still popping in sometimes and to external events. One thing that really does bug me is when GF food is made available and someone who doesn't need it, decides to try it! I have missed out on my lunches several times because someone took the food allocated for dietary needs. It is such a selfish and inconsiderate thing to do. One lady, when I challenged her, was so rude in telling me that the food was laid out as options and there was nothing wrong with her wanting to try something new. Seriously! Finally, my other peeve is people holding their food above the GF options at buffets! If the GF food is not kept away from the rest, I won't risk having it. Sorry, I must sound very grumpy this morning, but your article brought this all back to me! Still, love your suggestions for navigating through it all.
Great Information. When I was working in an office setting, I would just decline the food provided. But there were times that accommodations were made for me, which I felt was very nice of the staff organizing the event.