A diner with coeliac disease brought her own ingredients to a restaurant and helped the chef prep her meal, sparking intense debate from viewers.
Lina Jabbour takes no risks when going out for dinner – packing a full kit of her own food that she knows is safe to eat.
The 49-year-old recently brought a cart full of goods to an eaterie, which she explained to the chef how to cook.
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The branding consultant shared the footage online to show the reality of living with the disease – which she says involves “constant risk management”.
The clip has racked up an eye-watering 2.1m views and nearly 40,000 likes.
“When eating out, I often have to adapt depending on the level of understanding, transparency, and risk involved,” Lina told What’s The Jam.
“Sometimes I bring a fully prepared meal, and other times, especially when I’m eating out spontaneously or don’t have food with me, I bring my own ingredients.
“It’s something I’ve learned to do when there’s no guaranteed coeliac-safe environment.
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“I explained the risks and asked specific questions about the shared kitchen, spices, utensils, and preparation methods.
“After that conversation, the restaurant chef agreed that I could bring my own safe ingredients.”
Lina, from Lebanon, was diagnosed with the disease in April 2024, but had been living with undiagnosed symptoms all her life.
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Since the diagnosis, she has become more vocal online about the reality of living with the condition.
Lina posted her trip to the restaurant on social media with the clip gathering a whopping 2.1m views.
The post also received 39,000 likes – but the reactions were mixed.
Lina said: “Many individuals without coeliac were surprised by the level of planning and vigilance involved, while people with coeliac reached out to say they felt seen and understood.
“For a lot of us, this isn’t about preference or lifestyle, but about constant risk management and mental load, and the response reflected that shared reality.
“What’s important to understand is that coeliac disease doesn’t stop at avoiding gluten.
“It affects how people socialise, travel, eat outside their homes, and trust food prepared by others.
“Even when communication is clear and everyone has good intentions, the responsibility still falls heavily on the person with the disease.”
Unfortunately, many viewers branded Lina “embarrassing” after watching the clip.
One person added: “Embarrassing. Eat at home.”
A second person said: “I’m embarrassed to be a coeliac from watching this.”
Another user said: “why is everyone so mad? if the restaurant didn’t want to accommodate her then they would’ve just said no and I’m sure she would’ve made something for herself, but as someone who has worked in restaurants/food for 6 years, it is never bothersome to take a little extra time and care to make someone feel welcome.”
One person added: “This is educational for restaurant staff because the customer is showing the proper way to serve someone with coeliac disease, not everyone is coeliac knowledge certified.”
A fifth person also defended Lina, saying said: “Coeliac disease sucks.”
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