Special Needs Eating

I have a severe shellfish allergy. Many people, upon hearing that, have exclaimed, "Oh, my! That must be so hard!"  No, it isn't. Because I don't have great memories of eating shellfish (as they do). I am not tempted in the least to snitch a bite. 

Years ago, I was at a conference and a couple came to meet me there for a meal at the conference center.  The wife brought a jar of food she could eat. To me it looked bland and untasty, though I have no idea what it really tasted like. And, given my experience with shellfish, I have to believe that what she was eating tasted much better to her than the ill effects of eating what was being served to the rest of us. 

Being gluten free is not as hard as it was 50 years ago I'm sure.  The best way to eat gluten free is to eat meat, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit - the way God intended. ;) 

But, it's a lot more complicated than that.  There are a few ingredients that are often in packaged GF foods which I cannot eat.  So I still do a lot of label reading. 

I never expect that people will cater to my needs, but I do need to know if the food they are preparing is GF or if I should bring my own. 

Our adult Sunday School class has food every Sunday. I do not count on eating it. If I'm able to, it's a treat.  

Our church had a meal one Saturday during missions conference. It was a baked potato bar with salad.  Easy enough.  Our church has a 5th Sunday lunch four times a year.  When signing up, there is an option to check, "I'm bringing my own meal." That way there are enough tables & chairs, but not too much extra food.  

I had a sad experience once (mainly where I was starving, but had nothing to eat, and got emotional & felt excluded), so now I take my own lunch.  

Recently in advance of attending an annual event, I emailed the coordinator: 

It’s often easier if I bring some food I can eat that is similar to what is on the menu.  Do you know what will be served this year? Or is there someone else I should ask? 

How do you navigate tricky eating situations? Or hosting situations?