A Data Story by Sofia Pabon Eating Clean in Austin, Texas

Clean eating in Austin

The Meal That Changed How I Eat

My name is Sofia Pabon, and I spent years thinking food was just fuel. It wasn't until my body started rebelling — bloating, cramping, inexplicable fatigue after otherwise "normal" restaurant meals — that I started asking uncomfortable questions about what exactly is in the food I'm being served.

I have severe gluten sensitivity. Not the trendy kind where you feel a little off. The kind where eating a flour tortilla leaves me flat on the couch for two days, gut in knots, digestion completely derailed. And for years, I thought I was just managing it well enough by avoiding obvious bread and pasta. I wasn't.

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In 2025, I had surgery.

I underwent a Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy (LIS) to treat chronic anal fissures, a condition linked to the chronic inflammation and constipation caused by untreated gluten sensitivity. Research has shown that gluten can trigger inflammatory responses throughout the entire GI tract, not just the small intestine. For someone like me, the compounding damage of unaddressed sensitivity eventually required surgical intervention. That experience changed everything about how I approach food.

"Gluten-induced inflammation has been documented throughout the entire GI tract, from mouth to anus — not just the small intestine."

— GLUTEN FREE SOCIETY, MEDICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

The Seed Oil Revelation

After surgery, I began investigating not just gluten but the broader picture of what makes restaurant food hard on my body. That's when I discovered the seed oil problem. I'd been eating at restaurants that advertised "clean" or "healthy" menus but were still cooking in canola or soybean oil — industrial fats that are highly processed and high in omega-6 linoleic acid, which some researchers link to gut inflammation when consumed in excess.

Apps like Seed Oil Scout and directories like LocalFats.com opened my eyes to how many restaurants in Austin were genuinely cooking with clean fats and how many more were not. The difference when I eat at a truly clean restaurant versus one using low-quality oils is stark. Night and day.

What This Project Is

This site is my personal data story: a documented investigation of Austin restaurants through the lens of someone who has to care. I catalogued 50 Austin restaurants, tracking their oil usage, gluten policies, neighborhood, ingredient quality, and overall "cleanliness" rating. I combined personal experience with data from Seed Oil Scout, LocalFats, restaurant websites, and health food directories to build an interactive guide I wish had existed when I started this journey.

This isn't medical advice. It's one person's lived experience, documented carefully and shared openly because if I'm struggling to navigate Austin's food scene, I know I'm not alone.

🚫 What I Avoid

✗Canola oil

✗Soybean / vegetable oil

✗Sunflower & safflower oil

✗Corn oil & cottonseed oil

✗Wheat, rye, barley, spelt

✗Cross-contamination kitchens

✅ What I Look For

✓Butter & ghee

✓Beef tallow & lard

✓Extra virgin olive oil

✓Cold-pressed avocado oil

✓Coconut oil

✓Dedicated gluten-free kitchen

📱 Resources I Use

✓Seed Oil Scout App

✓LocalFats.com (Austin)

✓Find Me Gluten Free

✓Austin Gluten Free