Travelling with Celiac Disease
I was diagnosed as celiac when I was 4, and for the longest time I was eating the plainest of food and scared to eat out. It was a horrible experience, and it wasn't until recently that I've begun to appreciate food and love trying food from different cultures. The biggest hurdle I had to overcome with that was the confidence to do so – there will always be a part of me that worries about the safety of what I'm eating, but it's time to experience life to the fullest!
This page is dedicated to helping others with celiac disease, or those with gluten intolerance, live your best life while still staying healthy and feeling good while enjoying travelling around the world! I've added some resources to help you find food that's yummy and good for you at the bottom.
Tips
Tips on Travelling Gluten Free
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If you're travelling somewhere that speaks a different language, I recommend bringing a translation card with you that explains what food you can and can't eat in the local language. Resources are down below.
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Use the resources at your disposal - the internet! There are several fantastic apps and blogs out there that can help you find safe places to eat. I've included some apps I like to use down below!
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Snacks! I will always have a stash of gluten free snacks on me to get me through the day if there's nothing I can eat, or I just don't feel safe eating. Rice crackers and granola bars are typically my go-to as they're quick and easy to pack.
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Don't be afraid to try new foods. This is what kept me eating plainly for years, but there is so much better food out there. Do your research, double check at restaurants, and if you know it's safe, don't be afraid to try it.
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Most importantly: advocate for yourself! Don't be like me years ago and just not eat if you don't feel safe – that's no fun and you start to feel sick anyway. Talk to the staff at restaurants to find out what's safe for you, and talk to them about what you need the kitchen to do to keep you safe. No one is going to be mad at you or put out for requesting your food to be prepared using clean knives on a clean surface, and it will make all the difference to you.
Resources
Below are some Apps that can help you with your journey, and links to download some gluten free translation cards!
Find Me Gluten Free
FMGL is my gluten free bible both when I'm travelling, and looking for a new place to eat where I live! It's a free app that helps you find gluten-free restaurants, bars, cafes, grocery stores, and fast food places!
Here are some features of the app:
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Search: Search by location or address, or filter by type of food
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View menus: See menus for each business
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Get directions: Call or get directions to each business
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Read reviews: View ratings and reviews from other users, and submit your own. The reviews give safety of the establishment, taste of the food, and variety of gluten free menu items
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Bookmark businesses: Bookmark businesses to find later
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Leave reviews: Leave detailed and honest reviews to help others in the gluten-free community
Here is a link to my FMGL page with a few of the reviews I've left!
Atly
Atly is a free app that helps users find new places to visit, save them, and share them with others! There are also subscription-based maps.
Here are some features of the app:
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Discover new places: Atly offers a variety of maps based on interests, such as hiking, vegan restaurants, and date night spots. Users can get insights and tips from other map members.
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Save places: Users can save places of interest to their My Map.
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Add places to maps: Users can contribute their own places, ratings, and posts to the map.
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Create maps: Users can create their own maps, add map admins, and create tags.
Gluten Free Scanner
This app lets you scan the barcode of any products, and it will let you know if it's gluten free or not!
It doesn't work all the time, and I still recommend reading the ingredients, but it's a good tool to have!
This site has tons of great resources and tips for celiacs, and has translation cards in a variety of languages for you to download.