Disclosure: All photos used in this post have been taken from Coeliac Australia’s Website or Instagram page. I was given permission to use them, and do not own them in any way.
I know, this sounds pretty odd. I thought that too when Mum and Dad asked if I wanted to go with them to a Gluten Free Expo. Honestly, I wasn’t too keen on going since I thought it would be pretty boring, like looking through a grocery store with no shopping list. I thought I’d just give it a shot and see what it would be like since it was a trip to Sydney on my day off work. But it actually surprised me how fun this expo was, and how important it was for so many people there.
The Gluten-Free Expo was hosted by Coeliac Australia, an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of those with coeliac disease. Coeliac Australia has had a large impact on everyday Australians, even if they do not realise. They were involved in changing the laws for food and medicine labels to state whether a product contains or may contain gluten, so that those with food sensitivities are well informed. The charity is currently supporting national research to find a cure for coeliac disease, while educating those with the disease as well as food manufacturers and businesses so that these people can live easier.
The Gluten-Free Expo offered a range of food and market stalls, information stands, and scheduled seminars to help people suffering from coeliac disease and gluten allergies. It also helped bring awareness to charities and fundraisers like Coeliac Australia, and supported their petition to the government to introduce a monthly subsidy for essential gluten-free foods for those with this disease. It was an all-day event for anyone who wanted to join, with or without the disease.
Why Was It So Important?
For those who don’t know, my mum was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2020. Like so many others, she didn’t even know that she was dealing with this illness when she went to the doctor with her symptoms. But since her diagnosis, it has become tough to manage food and cross-contamination, as even a small trace of gluten can make her very sick. I can see how anxious she gets when we eat out, even if the waiters tell us that the food is 100% gluten-free. Because we can’t see what’s going on in the kitchen, there’s an uncertainty that weighs on all of us when we go out to restaurants, since food that has been prepared in the same place as those containing gluten can still have a large effect on Mum. There have already been a few incidents where we were told the food was gluten-free, but were let down later when mum had a bad reaction to what she had eaten. So her anxiety towards food is definitely valid.
Going to this expo was a way to support my mum through her new challenges with coeliac disease, as well as expanding our family’s palate of foods. When we booked the tickets, I was expecting it to just be a small expo with a few groups of people trying out foods from a select number of stalls there. Boy was I wrong! The venue was massive and it was so busy you could barely get around without squeezing past people. There were so many food stalls selling different things from brands I’d never heard of or seen in our grocery stores at home. I guess that was the point in coming though, to find new foods for Mum to eat.
“Hey Honey! How Was the Expo?”
As we walked past each stall, we were given samples of their foods to try. Everything tasted amazing, even for gluten-free foods! As someone who eats both gluten and gluten-free, I honestly couldn’t taste the difference. Every stall we walked past would offer us free samples, which sounds amazing, but I became very full within the first half hour. I have a hard time saying no, ok. With each sample, mum was able to buy whatever foods she wanted to take home, and try out new brands along the way. Of course, I had to help her look up online retailers and scan all the barcodes and so on. But with a few trips to the car, we’d bought all the food we enjoyed.
The Gluten-Free Expo also offered seminars from different people across a range of specialties for those wanting more information about coeliac disease. This was a really thoughtful way of helping those who have recently been diagnosed, or those who have never really reached out for help. They included talks from specialist doctors, as well as people living with the disease itself. Although I’m not personally affected by coeliac disease, I learned some really interesting things from these talks, and so did my mum. We were told how the disease develops in the human body, the many ways it can possibly be treated, as well as what people can do to ensure their body gets the right amount of nutrients without gluten. I also learnt that researchers are currently undergoing a range of trials and testing to try to find a treatment or cure for coeliac disease, including a possible vaccination. It’s fascinating that this amazing exploration is happening when we have no knowledge of it at all.
Although the seminars had a lot of information to unpack, the audience was involved by asking questions at the end of each talk. I believe you learn more by asking questions, so this was a really important segment. A lot of the questions also related to other people in the audience who may have been too scared to raise their hands. You could see how connected the crowd was by the nods and murmurs after each question was delivered. We were connected with those around us, like the lady who was sitting behind my parents and I who showed us a Facebook group of coeliacs recommending gluten-free restaurants around NSW. Although we weren’t coming to the expo for the crowd, we met so many amazing people, and Mum finally felt like she was part of a larger community.
Before we even entered the building when we first arrived, we were given goody bags with an assortment of gluten-free foods. And we were given some free items from some of the seminars we listened to. Aside from all the free food and samples at the expo, there were some great deals you won’t find in stores. Like buying 5 cake mixes and getting 1 free. Or buying 4 boxes of cookies valued at $6 each for only $10! This is probably why we went home with a car full of food, but technically we’re saving money here. Technically.
“It was nice to have people like me, I didn’t feel isolated like I usually do. I was one and the same.”
The Coeliac Australia Gluten-Free Expo was really important to my mum, as I’m sure it was for so many other people who joined. As well as finding some great gluten-free foods she could eat, my mum was able to be around other people who were going through the same thing she was. “It was nice to have people like me, I didn’t feel isolated like I usually do. I was one and the same.” The whole day was a great experience for all of us. But now we have to do something about all this food…
The Travel Journal 
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