I have Celiac Disease and cannot eat anything with gluten (primarily wheat and wheat based products) without getting quite ill. I also have friends with serious allergies to shellfish and nuts. It’s hard enough to eat safely in your home area with the ability to ask questions in your primary language, but traveling, especially to areas where I’m unable to understand the menu and ask questions in English, can be a challenge.
Fortunately, the internet has a plethora of information to help people with food allergies when traveling. But, it is important for you to be an advocate for yourself, asking necessary questions and making informed decisions about whether you consider the food safe to eat for your dietary issue.
I primarily travel independently, but recently took a trip to Italy with Road Scholar. Road Scholar does a good job of letting you know if they can accommodate for your particular issue, and made arrangements ahead of time for the meals they provided. For the other meals, I turned to the internet to get some guidance.
A simple google search on ‘how to eat gluten free in Italy’ yielded a number of helpful sources. One that I have used before is Celiac Travel . They have Gluten Free Restaurant Cards for many different countries. The cards explain (in the local language) what people with celiac can and can’t eat. You show the card to the server and often they will bring the card to the chef for guidance. The cards are free (with a request for a voluntary donation). Often, useful forums will pop up in the search that will highlight both good and bad experiences with specific restaurants regarding your particular allergy.
Another helpful option is to use Google Translate to translate the menu to English (or another language). For example, the translation might show that the item is breaded and thus should be avoided. Many times, the menu appears online and you can do some advance planning before you get to the restaurant.
My internet search also showed that Italians in general are quite knowledgeable about Celiac disease and many restaurants have undergone training in proper accommodation. For example, in Italy, many restaurants had gluten free pasta that they cooked in individual portions in water separate from the regular pasta. I soon discovered the GROM chain of gelato where I could eat gelato to my heart’s content without concern about cross contamination.
Regardless of your food allergy, it is important to determine what might be your ‘go to’ meals if you have difficulty finding meals on the menu that accommodate your needs to your satisfaction. For me, grilled chicken on a salad without dressing, a fruit and cheese plate, or plain meat and vegetables are usually reasonable alternatives. Many places I’ve traveled also have a dedicated gluten free/allergy free bakery, where sometimes you can find savory items in addition to sweets.
Restaurant owners, chefs, and servers generally want you to have a good experience at their restaurant. Many chefs are well educated in food allergy accommodations. By doing some advance research and making a list of the items you know you can eat (and not eat), you should be able to find something you can eat in a restaurant. If you can’t, politely excuse yourself and try another restaurant.
In many locations, people have access to local grocery stores and other sources of allergy safe foods if they have concern about restaurant meals. I discovered that in Italy, the local pharmacies stock gluten free food in addition to the grocery store, because Celiac Disease is a medical condition. In addition, many of the open air markets have fruit, vegetables, and other allergy safe food.
Armed with knowledge about your condition, the ability to translate the menu (or request a menu in your primary language), the willingness to ask questions of the server and chef, some guidance on the ingredients commonly found in the local cuisine, and some flexibility to substitute known safe foods, travelers with food allergies can travel in many counties and eat in selected restaurants with confidence.