This blog post on gluten free travel tips was written by Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Mariah Bikakis.
Travelling with dietary requirements comes with its fair set of challenges and uncertainties when dining out and trying new cuisines, particularly in foreign countries where you may feel less familiar with the language. As an accredited practicing dietitian and avid traveller with coeliac disease, I’m here to share my top gluten free travel tips for fellow coeliacs when travelling in Europe (but some tips can be helpful for other countries too) to help you enjoy safe, yet importantly delicious, dining experiences when travelling.
Pre-holiday preparation
A top gluten free travel tip would be to pack favourite non-perishable foods from home in your suitcase and carry on luggage. This can act as a safety net to help ease any travel anxieties associated with finding gluten free meals abroad by knowing that worst-case scenario, you have some safe foods that you like.
Examples of gluten free foods I like to travel with include:
- Muesli bars
- Popcorn
- Shelf stable meals such as tuna & rice bowls
- A pack of gluten-free pasta (to cook up for times when you don’t want to dine out)
If possible, book accommodation with kitchen facilities (Eg. Airbnb and Hostels) to make it easier to cook up something for when you are struggling to find suitable eating out options.
Perhaps one of my favourite parts of travel is researching each destination in advance to find gluten free bakeries and restaurants. Having them saved and pinned in google maps will save lots of time and stress when you are there by knowing where the closest food options are.
Learn a few simple phrases in the local language to ease communication. Have them written down on your phone or printed out on a card (Eg. “Is this gluten free?”). Awareness of gluten can vary from place to place, so sometimes you may need to clarify what gluten means or what foods it is found in. If the wait staff seem confused when you mention gluten, perhaps rephrase to check there are no gluten-containing ingredients (Eg. “Is there any bread or flour in this dish? Is it crumbed?”). Download the google translate app – this is particularly handy with label-reading in supermarkets by using the camera option to take a photo of an ingredients list and translate it instantly.
Airport Tips
Airports can be a particularly overwhelming place to find safe gluten-free options. I recommend always being prepared with some foods in your carry-on bag such as muesli bars, bananas, tins of tuna and rice, and gluten-free bread rolls. Some options that are generally available at majority of airports include sushi, hot chips (check if they are fried in a shared fryer), fresh salads, smoothies, and grilled meats.
Day-to-day tips
Embrace the local fruits and vegetables! Not only are all fruits and veggies naturally gluten-free, they are also an excellent source of fibre to keep your bowels regular (which can become especially irregular whilst travelling). I recommend aiming for at least one vegetable side dish at mealtimes (E.g. a fresh salad or grilled vegetables). Trust me, this might sound boring, but some of the best dishes I have had consisted solely of fresh veggies. The quality of fresh produce across Europe is generally very high so it’s hard to stay away from the in-season produce. Don’t forget hydration! It is important to stay hydrated whilst travelling to keep your immune system working well and bowels functioning. If you don’t like the taste of the bottled water, other sources of hydration include iced tea, freshly squeezed juices, sparkling water and fresh fruits.
For those times you do get stuck, a good back-up option is McDonalds! While not the most nutritious option, majority of McDonalds across Europe offer gluten free burgers which are prepared in a separate part of the kitchen or sometimes come prepackaged in a sealed plastic pocket. I would use this as a last resort for those times that I was struggling to find something quick and close by. Another brand to keep your eye on is Schär, a gluten free brand that is widely available across most European supermarkets. They have a huge range of breads, frozen foods, snacks and cereals.
Gluten free travel ideas for breakfast
Anecdotally for me, the hardest meal to find gluten free options across Europe was breakfast. Many countries rely heavily on fresh pastries, breads and croissants as the staple breakfast foods, often with no gluten-free alternatives. I was lucky to discover some amazing gluten-free bakeries along my adventures which became part of my morning ritual, but for those cities that I couldn’t find any, I had to adapt, especially when I had no kitchen facilities available in my accommodation. I found myself resorting to easy on-the-go foods like bananas, muesli bars, or sandwiches I would make myself.
Some easy gluten free foods from supermarkets include:
- Yoghurt with GF muesli or honey
- Single serve portions of plain Greek yoghurt with a drizzle of honey were my go-to when I didn’t have access to a fridge
- A game changer was finding mini squeezable honey pouches in some supermarkets which were super easy to travel with
- Note: Many breakfast cereals labelled as gluten-free in Europe contain oats due to different testing procedures, so make sure to double check ingredients lists.
- Eggs
- When I had access to cooking facilities, I would scramble some eggs and brown some GF bread in the frypan to turn into an egg sandwich
- Hard boiled eggs are also a great on the go snack option
- Fresh fruit
- The quality of fresh produce across Europe is generally of very high quality so it’s hard to stay away from the in-season fruits
- I always ensured I packed a few bananas as a snack option for travel days or busy site-seeing days
- Gluten free bread
- There was a gluten free section at majority of supermarkets across Europe, so its relatively easy to find gluten free bread and cereals
- Purchase fresh deli meats and cheeses to turn into a sandwich
- For example, on travel days I would purchase a small pack of prosciutto alongside a GF bread roll to make an easy on the go sandwich on the train rides
- The quality of gluten free bread products was highly variable, especially when purchasing from supermarkets, so I recommend toasting the bread when possible to help make it more palatable
Travelling with coeliac disease, while not always easy, can be an enjoyable and exciting opportunity to explore new foods and cuisines. Being prepared before the trip can ease some of the burden during the holiday and allow for more stress-free dining adventures. On the rare occasion that you do struggle to find gluten-free foods, don’t panic! Remind yourself that soon you will be back home in the comfort of your routine and safe foods.
Please note this is general information and not specific health advice. For more specific and individual advice on gluten free travel please contact your healthcare professional. If you have coeliac disease and require gluten free travel advice and would like tailored dietetic and nutrition advice please contact Nutted Out Nutrition to make an appointment.
For travel nutrition reviews of foods on flights please see reviews on Gluten free special meals on Emirates from Melbourne, Australia to Dubai, UAE, and Dubai, UAE to Lisbon, Portugal.
