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9 Top Gluten Free Travel Tips

Traveling with celiac, food allergies or dietary restrictions can be a real pain (let’s be honest), but with these 9 Top Gluten Free Travel Tips, your next trip will be a breeze and you won’t go hungry!

In fact, I apply these gluten free travel tips to my everyday life in so many ways.

I’m never without a gluten free bar or protein shake, for instance. There’s just no reason not to carry one in the car or your purse or briefcase for when a meeting goes late, you get stuck in traffic, emergency carpool duty calls ….

There are a million reasons not to go hangry, and why being prepared will mean you a) won’t cheat by peeling the cheese off your kids’ regular pizza b) won’t hit a drive-through for unsafe fries c) won’t bite someone’s head off because you didn’t do a) or b) because you forgot to pack a gluten free bar.

So for longer trips, just follow the same rules, but pack more!

A Note about Flying Gluten Free

As for plane travel, I’m always surprised when I hear folks didn’t know they could take their own gluten free food onto an airplane. Since food is not a liquid, TSA shouldn’t give you any troubles carrying your own gluten free food onto the plane.

Homemade gluten free muffins are always in my bag, but I’ve also been known to carry on leftover gluten free Pad Thai . Seriously! So good.

I often bring homemade gluten free bread on board for sandwiches or just so I have some at my destination. While I have had TSA agents inspect my bread machines with intense scrutiny, they have never stopped me for gluten free bread  (and no, I wouldn’t have shared).

I also travel with gluten free flour and baking mixes if I’m going to be anywhere where I can bake. I’m usually stopped for it in my carry-on bags at TSA, but once they see what it is, I get through with no problems. It’s nice to have safe mixes, especially, when I’m traveling, so I can have yummy food where ever I go.

See my list below for even more creative portable gluten free travel foods. (Note: for international travel, always check with TSA first since some countries limit things like fresh fruits and vegetables crossing the border.)

Check this resource for airline-specific information regarding food allergens and pre-boarding allowances.

Eating airline meals is not recommended unless they are pre-packaged , since only pre-packaged foods are governed by the FDA requirements requiring accurate food labeling . Whether by plane, train, or automobile, it’s always wise to pack your own gluten free food.

Follow these 9 easy, tasty gluten free travel tips so your next trip is safe and you won’t go hungry!

9 Gluten Free Travel Tips Everyone Needs to Know

1. don’t leave home without gluten free bars.

One of my favorite go-to gluten free foods for traveling is protein or granola bars. Portable, easy snack food that at the very least will take the edge off your hunger. It just makes good sense to have some of these in your bag at all times, especially for travel.

Did you know that most granola bars are not actually gluten free? They’re made with conventional oats which are cross-contaminated with gluten grains , so it’s important to make sure the bars you choose are truly gluten free ( here are some options ).

One better, buy bars that are certified gluten free by independent agencies or make your own homemade gluten free granola bars with purity protocol, certified gluten free oats and your favorite granola bar flavors!

As of now, Bobo’s Oat Bars , Enjoy Life Foods Chewy Bars ,  The GFBar (made with purity protocol oats) , Epic , Health Warrior , NuGo , and Thunderbird  are among those with independent Gluten Free certifications.*

2. OR Don’t Leave Home without a Gluten Free Protein Drink

Either 1. or 2. Or both. You NEED to have something portable and nutritious with you at all times. Of course, you can’t take liquids on planes, so definitely see #1 if you’re boarding a plane!

My favorite ready to drink protein shake is from OWYN (Only What You Need) **. Besides all the incredible nutrition packed into each shake (20 grams of protein; vegetables like organic kale, broccoli and spinach, Omega 3s, fiber), they’re also soy-free and dairy-free, non-GMO and free of the Top 9 food allergens, so nearly anyone can have one.

Oh, and they’re so good my daughter ASKS for them in her lunch, and I don’t mind drinking them at room temperature (they don’t have to be refrigerated until open), which means they’re PERFECT for travel or for getting me through a day. Any day. Every day.

BONUS: OWYN even makes a coffee version of their shake , so it’s got 113 mg of organic caffeine packed inside too — approximately the equivalent of one cup of coffee. (Note: I do NOT give these to my daughter.) 🙂

3. Pack a Bag of Gluten Free Trail Mix or Gluten Free Granola

Homemade gluten free trail mix is another great thing to bring along for those times when you can’t find fresh fruit or gluten free munchies. Gluten free pretzels mixed with seeds or your favorite nuts, plus some raisins or dried fruit like cranberries, and you’re done! Add in the proportions you prefer and it’ll be perfect for you (which is all that matters!).

Gluten free granola is another easy treat to pack in a bag to carry with you. Most store-bought granola is NOT made with purity protocol oats , so either do your homework or make your own.

Pour it on top of yogurt or eat it right out of the bag. It’s easy to make your own to suit your tastes and dietary restrictions – here’s my favorite homemade gluten free granola recipe . And if you can’t tolerate even purity protocol oats , here’s my recipe for oat-free granola: gluten free Quinola !

4. Bake Homemade Gluten Free Muffins

Have I mentioned homemade gluten free muffins enough times yet? I think “gluten free travel muffins” are so key I dedicated an entire travel point to them!

When I’m taking a longer trip, I always bake a batch of my go-to gluten free muffins, we affectionately refer to this recipe as gluten free “travel muffins” since they stand up to the rigors of travel so well and stay fresh for at least 5 days!

With or without blueberries or other fruit additions, these muffins are fantastic for breakfast, snack, lunch or really anytime to stave off hunger pangs. Plus, they’re not “liquids,” so you can carry them onto any flight!

Airplane snacks are mostly mixes with gluten now anyway — that’s a no-go!

And delicious muffins beat a dry snack mix any day! (your seat-mates will be jealous).

Alternatively, if you’re on a plane where they still serve peanuts, those airplane peanuts may contain gluten, so always read those labels! (Read labels on everything, always!)

I pack homemade gluten free muffins in Tupperware-type containers or zip-top bags to keep them fresh, and they stay moist and yummy for days, unlike most gluten-free baked goods.

No need to microwave or toast if your gluten free travel muffins are made with my gfJules Flour or gfJules Gluten Free Muffin Mix !

5. Pack a Gluten Free Bread Machine

Whether you’re going to your aunt Betsy’s house and traveling by car or hopping a flight across country, bringing your own gluten-free bread machine is always a great idea!

It’s like bringing your trusty oven, bread pan and kitchen to someone else’s house (or hotel room) and never having to worry about cross-contamination!

I’ve baked more than my share of gluten free bread loaves in strange places just because I had my own bread machine. If you bring along a couple of your favorite gluten free bread mixes , it makes it even easier, since all you’ll have to do is add the liquids! 

Baking your own fresh gluten free bread in a bread machine couldn’t be easier — whether at home or elsewhere — so why not travel with one?

6. BYOO (Bring Your Own Oats)

Bring your own certified gluten free purity protocol oats , so all you need is a cup, spoon and boiling water to have a healthy meal. Meaning, you can enjoy your gluten free oats in a hotel room, airport or even on a plane.

I never leave home without some in a bag for just this purpose! Just make sure your oats are both certified gluten free and either instant or specifically prepared such that they can be made with just boiling water , otherwise you’ll need a stovetop or microwave to cook them properly.

Another great option is to make gluten free overnight oats and bring the jar with you. They can be enjoyed out of the refrigerator for the day, so they’re perfect for all kinds of travel except for planes, as they’ll likely be considered “liquids.”

7. Homemade Gluten Free Baguettes Do Double Duty

Go European and bake a fresh gluten free baguette for your next trip. You won’t regret it, as you pull off chunks of scrumptious crusty bread from a brown paper bag. It’ll make your next drive feel like a romantic adventure!

With a jar of peanut butter or some hummus, you’ll be set on your next road trip!

8. Pocket Your Lunch

Don’t underestimate the power of the pocket! These homemade gluten free calzones can be stuffed with anything you like, and enjoyed hot or cold because the crust is so darned good! Hand-held food is perfect for travel – even if you’re in the driver’s seat!

Homemade gluten free Empanadas are another great “pocket” travel food.

Heck, homemade gluten free bagels are just as handy!

Another great breakfast treat is homemade gluten free Danish . I’ve made these and frozen them, grabbing the bag with frozen Danish inside and eaten them hours later on a train. They’re still cool, but not frozen, and they are oh-so-yummy! Other passengers were definitely jealous!

9. Don’t Overlook Fruit

All natural, comes with its own packaging, and is naturally gluten free. Checks off all the boxes, don’t you think?

Ok, I told you 9 Tips, but no article on traveling gluten free would be complete without lots of information on how to eat out while traveling. So … 

10. Dining Out Gluten Free When Traveling

So you’ve exhausted your travel provisions or you’re taking a longer trip or have business meetings or just need to eat out with travel companions. It’s ok. Take a deep breath. You can eat gluten free at many restaurants while traveling … with the right planning .

Gluten Free Apps

There are some great apps out where you can search for dedicated gluten free restaurants near you, search for restaurants that are certified through Allercheck / Menutrinfo , or others where fellow gluten free eaters have had good experiences.

The most trusted app I know is the GlutenDude App . All restaurants are thoroughly vetted by GlutenDude himself (a celiac) and each restaurant is divided by either dedicated gluten free or risk of cross-contamination. A crowd-sourced app option is FindMeGlutenFree .

More helpful tips when dining out gluten free at restaurants :

• call ahead during non-busy hours and ask to speak to a manager or chef about safe options for your dietary restrictions and how to order at that restaurant for a safe meal;
• avoid fast food and cafeterias;
• bring your own crackers or tortilla chips to a Mexican restaurant and order a separate bowl of salsa and guacamole — order fajitas with corn tortillas and you’ll be avoiding most of the gluten risk (ask about seasonings, especially in the rice, though!);
• ask that your chicken, steak, fish or shrimp be grilled separately on aluminum foil;
• avoid fried food;
• only order balsamic vinegar and oil as salad dressing and make sure there are NO croutons;
• go for sushi! But strictly avoid tempura flakes, soy sauce (unless it’s definitely gluten free tamari ), fake crab/krab (most California rolls), roe, and any rice made with malt vinegar.

>> Check out my Top 8 Tips for Dining Out Gluten Free At Restaurants

>>> Also see these Tips on Shopping for Safe Gluten Free Foods

>>>Looking for an all inclusive resort that caters to gluten-free travelers? Here are 7 that come highly recommended !

What gluten free travel tips and foods do you rely on most? Please share in the comments below! Only by learning from each other can we all be safer and travel happier!

* Note – some links to products are here for your convenience and some may be affiliate links. Any monies earned go to fund this blog and my free recipes. I will never recommend a product that I don’t love and feel is safe.  Check here for my full disclosure policy .

** i’ve partnered with owyn (only what you need) and use their products every day in our household. as always, all opinions are my own.  see my disclosure policy for more information . working with select brands i love allows me to keep bringing you free recipes, and i hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products i choose for my family. thanks so much for your support.

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• Pingback: Gluten Free Food at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Terminal 5 - Gluten free recipes - gfJules - with the #1 Flour & Mixes

If I am traveling by air, I always pack a frozen sandwich, Babybel cheese, crackers, Kind Bar, GF jerky, nuts, candy, oatmeal, tea and hot chocolate muffins and Schar Deli Rye bread.

I pack more GF foods in my luggage depending on where I am going. I have never been hungry on the road. If I am traveling by car I have a cooler full of fresh foods. You can’t always bring fresh fruits on your flights depending on your destination.

Good post – https://dresswellbewell.com/

Leaving for Houston on Friday and already planning on making some muffins!

• Pingback: Gluten Free Travel: Napa Edition - tips from gluten free expert gfJules

I often pack snack bags with GF cereal- easy to add milk and fresh fruit- even a plastic bowl and spoon- depending where you will be. A sandwich can be made and frozen the night before (no mayo- it will break apart). The sandwich will thaw in a few hours, add individual mayo packs to your bag and add to sandwich. A quart sized bag filled with frozen peas or beans can chill your food and will easily go through TSA checks at security. Also won’t leak when the beans thaw. Individual wrapped pieces of cheese (many choices in the grocery store), Gf pretzels and crackers, sliced small salami (sopressata), nuts, favorite candies. Always bring a few GF bars.

I know that Philadelphia Airport, for example, has a Legal Seafood with a dedicated fryer and many GF offerings. But flight delays may mean you can’t always eat there- so always travel with a planB. You do not have to be a recluse with Celiac- may not be gourmet, but you will not starve.

In other words, just pack all your own food when you travel gluten free. That’s what this article is saying to me more or less. Europe, so I’ve heard, is SUPPOSE to be far more advanced in the gluten free world than the United States is at this point. I would hope that would be true.

Well, packing your own food is great for 3 reasons: you’re safe; it’s cheaper; and it tastes better! Many parts of Europe are wonderful about safe GF food, and we’ll all rejoice when that’s universal, but it won’t change the fact that packing your own delicious GF food is still a great plan! ~jules

I have been to Italy 3 times. I order a GF meal from the airline 48 hours before departure. Because stuff happens, I bring a Plan B. Also bring enough food for the first day, and GF cereal in plastic bags. Yogurt and GF pastries are usually available in the hotel. Little grocery stores are tucked into the towns- fresh fruit, deli meats, snacks, GF treats and the Farmacia (Italian pharmacy- green neon cross over the door) have Schar products. Mention “senza glutein” and they will gladly help you.

In Rome, in Campo di Fiori is a wonderful restaurant- ALL GF!!

I cannot comment on other countries in Europe, but Italy is wonderful!

Wonderful tips, Claire! Thanks so much for sharing!!! Makes me want to travel to Europe (not that I needed much encouragement – LOL!). ~jules

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Road Tripping? Here are Some Fun Gluten Free Travel Food Ideas

• BY Susan Tucker
• POSTED IN Gluten-Free Food , Gluten-Free Life
• WITH 0 COMMENTS
• STANDARD POST TYPE

Anyone who has ever changed their way of eating knows how difficult it can be to do things that once seemed like a brainless task. Where to eat when away from home. How to shop when buying groceries. Even what snacks to bring on the next great road trip. All of these decisions suddenly go from routine in nature to a whole new world of possibilities to consider.

Choosing a gluten-free lifestyle while traveling comes with its own very unique set of challenges and obstacles. That big road trip now finds you scrambling to discover what foods will and won’t get you necessary nutrition until you’ve arrived at your destination. Here is a list of six gluten free travel food ideas to put you on the road to success.

Gluten-Free Travel Food

1. Roasted Nuts and Seeds : There are many variations on what flavor profile works best when roasting seeds and nuts. Play around with different herbs and spices and see what deliciousness you can cook up for your next awesome trip.

2. Granola Bars : The best way to ensure your granola bars are the perfect gluten free travel food is to make them yourself. Ask your friends or try this 5-ingredient recipe from the Minimalist Baker, and have fun making these palate-pleasing treats for the journey.

RELATED:   {Recipe Submission} No Bake Gluten Free Granola Bars

3. Fresh Fruit : Nothing is more identifiable as gluten-free travel food than fresh fruit. Taking a small mix of your family’s favorite freshly picked, washed, and ready to eat fruit will guarantee satisfaction for the rumbling tummies coming from the back seat.

4. Keeping it Sweet : Everyone likes to enjoy a sweet treat now and then, even when you are choosing a gluten-free lifestyle. Whether we’re talking about a twist on classic chocolate chip cookies or dressing up popcorn with some caramel and cinnamon, get creative with ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.

5.  Salad in a Jar : Chopping up all of your favorite ingredients and layering them in a glass jar is one way to ensure you get the freshest vegetables in your diet, even when on the road. Keep the dressing on the side, mix it all together when the mood strikes, and you’ve got instant deliciousness for your gluten-free travel food.

6. Pre-made Gluten Free Sandwiches : Whip up a few PB&J sandwiches using Three Bakers Whole Grain White Bread , precut into fun shapes and pack for a healthy on-the-go treat in the car or at a park.

7. On-the-go Snackers: Three Bakers new healthy, gluten-free snacks , Snackers are the perfect road trip treat. And, with four delicious flavors, all your travel companions are sure to find one (or more!) they’ll love. Choose from Real Cheddar, Award-Winning Honey Graham, Chocolate Chip or Chocolate Chocolate Chip.

As you get ready for the next amazing road trip, have fun planning out your gluten-free travel food and keep you and your family fed on the highway of life.

FIND THREE BAKERS

Last Updated June 15, 2023

How to Travel Gluten-Free: The Ultimate Celiac Travel Guide

Are you someone who travels for the food? If so, learning that you have to follow a gluten-free diet can feel devastating. Your trips might look a little different in ...

By Ashleigh Holden

Are you someone who travels for the food? If so, learning that you have to follow a gluten-free diet can feel devastating. Your trips might look a little different in the future, but that’s okay. Traveling while gluten-free can be just as awesome as when you could sample everything in sight—as long as you follow these gluten-free travel tips.

Yes, it sucks. The days of spontaneous dining are gone, and being able to pop into whatever charming restaurant sparks your interest and point at anything on the menu that you want (whether you can entirely read what’s in it or not) are gone. For a successful gluten-free trip that doesn’t end in hunger-induced tears, you’re going to need to do some advance planning.

Download apps like Find Me Gluten Free to get a good idea of which restaurants are gluten-free and actually safe to eat at. (Take the reviews on the app with a grain of salt, as many can be outdated or attributed the cause of something that made them feel sick.) Yelp is another good resource, as you can search by “gluten-free” or “Celiac” in the reviews.

Create your own Google map of restaurants that are gluten-free or safe to eat at so you can easily see what’s around you (or near your hotel) when you need to eat.

Find the Naturally Gluten-Free Dishes

Don’t let your gluten-free diet hold you back from trying new foods. Do some research and figure out what local specialties are naturally gluten-free. Think: injera in Ethiopia, corn tortillas in Mexico, or saag paneer in India. You’re less likely to have to worry about hidden gluten in a dish that’s gluten-free to begin with, and you get to feel like you’re not being restricted.

You’ll still need to ask about cross-contact, so try to stick to a place that doesn’t do many other foods that contain gluten. Often, you might find a food cart or stand that specializes in a single food, which makes it safer for Celiacs.

Bring a Gluten-Free Translation Card

Going somewhere you can’t speak the language? Gluten-free translation cards can be a lifesaver (and meal-saver). These translation cards are available in 64 languages, and clearly communicate what you can’t eat. I like these because they actually explain what gluten is, and point out hidden sources of gluten (like soy sauce) that your chef or waiter can help you avoid. They’re also durable, laminated, and pocket-sized, which makes them easy to carry around and can last through being passed around the kitchen.

I also like these ones from Jodi Ettenberg’s website Legal Nomads . Jodi is a sensitive Celiac traveler, and she created these gluten-free translation cards (with help from local translators) after she kept getting sick from gluten while traveling. These cards are good because they discuss cross-contact (and things like contaminated oil).

Take the Focus (and Pressure) Off Food

Make sure to plan lots of fun, non-food focused activities for your trip. If you make your trip all about food, you’re likely to focus more on what you can’t have. But if you pack your trip full of adventures, sightseeing, and excursions, you’ll be so focused on all of the fun things to do that you won’t miss food as much. Also, try picking out some really interesting or highly rated coffee shops or cocktail bars as stops on your trip, where you can check out the local scene but the focus is on (naturally gluten-free) drinks rather than food.

Make a Dining Plan With Your Travel Companion

Traveling with someone who’s not gluten-free can complicate things further. You don’t want to feel like you’re the reason that they’re missing out on trying the number one rated pizza restaurant in Italy, and they don’t want to eat all the gluten in front of you. Decide ahead of time if you’re okay with going your own ways for a meal or two. This lets you seek out a dedicated gluten-free restaurant to enjoy, and your companion can eat the gluten-containing specialties without guilt. Plus, you’ll each have a fun adventure to talk about when you meet back up!

Make Your First Stop the Local Grocery Store

Even before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I loved visiting grocery stores in foreign countries while traveling. I think they’re a true window into what locals really eat (especially if you keep accidentally winding up at tourist restaurants) and there are so many cool, unique local foods that you’ll find there (and can bring home with you if you like). Figure out the words for gluten ingredients (as well as local rules/symbols for gluten-free certified foods) and go wild grocery shopping. This will give you lots of snacks and meals that you can eat on-the-go or in your hotel room in case you can’t find a safe restaurant to eat at.

Plan Picnics

Sometimes, it’s easier to buy packaged food and know that it’s gluten-free rather than risking it at a restaurant. Once you’ve stocked up at the local grocery store, find a scenic spot and have a picnic meal. It’s safer, romantic, and way more budget-friendly than dining out.

Pack Snacks

I don’t agree with the advice that tells gluten-free travelers they must pack a suitcase full of gluten-free foods. For one thing, I’m a firm believer in the carry-on only style of travel. Secondly, I think travel can still be about trying new foods, and I don’t want to go halfway around the world to eat snack bars that I’ve brought from home, which is why I advise hitting up a local grocery store first thing upon arrival.

However, you should still pack some snacks, in order to get you through the flight to your destination (because airports are notoriously terrible for gluten-free options), and in case you arrive late and the grocery store is closed. Never rely on a gluten-free airline meal, as they often get forgotten (even if you reserve one) or could be subject to cross-contact. These are my favorite gluten-free travel snacks .

Book a Place With a Kitchen (or at Least a Mini-Fridge)

I don’t travel to spend my whole vacation inside my hotel cooking for myself and cleaning up after. However, it can be nice to have the option to have a meal or two in your accommodation. I tend to start feeling kind of terrible after eating out for three meals a day, multiple days in a row, so I like having a room with at least a mini-fridge and microwave so I can buy fun local groceries for easy meals. I especially like having stuff around for breakfast, so that I can eat quickly and get my day started, rather than trying to find an early meal before starting on my itinerary.

Booking.com lets you easily filter hotels on the left search bar by “amenities” and “kitchenette”. An Airbnb or VRBO is also a great choice if you want access to a real kitchen.

Don’t forget to pack these necessities for your vacation rental kitchen if you do book one.

Always Have a Backup Plan

The restaurant you picked might no longer have a gluten-free menu, or the dedicated gluten-free spot you traveled across town for is closed on the day you want to visit. Having a backup plan (or snack) packed is always a good idea.

More Gluten-Free Reading:

• The Best Gluten-Free Pizzas and Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
• The 10 Best Gluten-Free Cookbooks
• The Best Gluten-Free Pastas, Ranked
• Talia di Napoli Gluten-Free Pizza Review

Related posts:

• Gluten Free Azores Travel Guide
• The Best Gluten-Free Bagels in Boston 2023
• The Best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Boston
• What To Do In Edinburgh

I'm Ashleigh, the owner of How To Travel Gluten Free & a proud coeliac. With my firsthand experience and a deep love for both travel and delicious gluten-free cuisine, I’ve made it my mission to share my knowledge, tips, and incredible discoveries with you.

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By Connie Sarros

By Connie Sarros • January 4, 2019

Gluten-Free Foods to Take Along When Traveling

Journal of gluten sensitivity summer 2011 issue. note: this article is from a back issue of our popular subscription-only paper newsletter. some content may be outdated..

Celiac.com 01/04/2019 - The beautiful, sunshine-filled days of summertime are finally here. This means more traveling and generally getting out of the house more to enjoy the glorious warm weather.  Whether you’re traveling half-way across the country by car with your family to enjoy a week’s summer vacation, catching a flight for an overnight business trip, or just traveling around town all day on errands, it’s a given that at some point while you’re away from home you’re going to get hungry.  

You can now take advantage of a luxury that wasn’t as readily available to you even five years ago and that’s eating out on the run.  More and more chain restaurants are catering to the gluten-free diet.  But if you’re running kids to swimming lessons and baseball practice, plus you have to stop out for groceries, pick up a gift for a birthday party, and stop in to see a sick friend, you may not have time (or the finances) to eat out all the time.  Besides, when you eat out, portion size generally goes up while nutrition goes down. Keep reading to find out how to eat healthier by bringing along some of your own foods when you’re away from home.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A12): Starting with your daily routine, whether you’re sitting at a desk at an office, on the road making sales calls, or carting the kids to and from their activities, when lunchtime hits, be prepared.  Some quick and easy foods to pack for lunch can include wraps made on rice or corn tortillas, and all kinds of salads, cubes of lean and low-sodium lunch meat and cheese with gluten-free crackers, or a slice (or two or three!) of gluten-free veggie pizza.  

When your tummy reminds you in the late afternoon that it’s been awhile since you’ve fed it anything, be prepared by having some snacks tucked away in a bag that you brought along.  Even snacks can be nutritious and add to your daily fiber count.  If you have a small cooler or insulated bag, tuck some yogurt cups, cottage cheese snack packs, or veggies and a low fat dip into the bag along with a frozen ice pack to keep foods cold.  Hummus with gluten-free pita bread, flat bread, or crackers makes a good snack, or pack some salsa with low salt tortilla chips.  If you want a “munchie” type of snack, spoon some trail mix into a small self-seal bag; add some dried, seasoned soybeans for extra nutrition but don’t add any chocolate pieces because they could melt if the sun hits the bag.  Fresh fruit (apples, pears, bananas) are super easy to take along or you can cut up melons, kiwi, and pineapple to take in a plastic container along with a plastic fork; toss in some berries for color and extra fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.  Air-popped popcorn is another good option, especially if you add almonds and dried cranberries to the popcorn.  Natural fruit leathers always taste good and they’re easy to pack.  Or pack a self-seal snack bag with a nutritious, gluten-free dry cereal, tossing in some dried sunflower or pumpkins seeds.

Choose foods that not only travel well but provide as much nutrition as possible.  Peanut butter and gluten-free crackers is a healthier choice than a bag of gluten-free pretzels.  A small bag of sunflower seeds with dried cranberries is a better option than a small bag of M & M’s.  

If you’re heading for an airport, don’t assume you can buy food there or that a meal on the plane will be gluten-free.  Not many flights offer meals anymore, but even if you are served a gluten-free meal… beware.  The FDA issued a report on the sanitary conditions at the facilities of the three largest caterers providing food to airlines: LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet, and Flying Food Group.   These three companies provide more than 100 million sky meals annually to all the big airlines including Delta, American, United, US Airways and Continental.  The report states that “Many meals served to passengers on major airlines are prepared in unsanitary and unsafe conditions...” Included in the list of infractions are:  1) Unclean equipment, 2) Workers who practice poor hygiene, and 3) At some facilities, the presence of live cockroaches, flies, and mice.  Add to this that the people who make up the meals probably have very little knowledge about cross contamination issues with gluten-free foods.   Whether you’re on a gluten-free diet or not, you may seriously want to consider carrying your own food with you when flying.

If you’re taking your own food on the plane, be aware of airport security rules.  You can’t take any drinks through security; you’ll have to buy drinks once you have gone through the scanners.   Depending on your departure airport and the security team on duty that day, butter and peanut butter are considered gels and  may or may not be confiscated at the security check point.  

A little extra thought has to go into how you pack foods being taken into planes.  Tupperware and plastic containers are great except that cabin pressure changes can cause the seal to leak.  Self-seal plastic bags are ideal, just remember to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bags.  If you have a large purse, put an ice pack into a small tote bag, add the packed food containers to the bag, then squeeze the tote bag into your purse (or briefcase).  Back packs also work for packing foods.  If you’re going on a long trip and need to take larger amounts of food with you, you can find soft-sided ice chests that have wheels and a handle or you can even use a small carry-on suitcase with wheels, or even think about shipping dried foods ahead of your arrival.  If you need foods for your return trip, be sure to pack non-perishable items.  It wouldn’t hurt to put a large sticker on your backpack, suitcase or ice chest that reads, “CELIAC”.  Finally, to be on the safe side, take a note along from your doctor that states both your diagnosis and the need for your special diet.    If you’re driving across America’s highways, you have more flexibility when packing foods because you can pack a cooler and probably have access to a microwave at the rest stops.  You’ll still want foods that are easy to hold and easy to eat.  Some one-handed snacks include celery sticks filled with cream cheese or peanut butter, gluten-free protein bars, homemade muffins, dry cereal, hard boiled eggs, and let’s not forget cookies.  If you take cookies, think about baking some that have nuts, uncontaminated oats, or some of the healthier alternative flours instead of the marshmallow-chocolaty-caramel-gooey kind that have almost no redeeming nutritional value.  If you remember to pack a plastic spoon, individual containers of applesauce and/or diced fruits with peel-off lids are very convenient to have in the car.  Individual cans of tuna with the small packets of mayonnaise are good with gluten-free crackers or bread to make a sandwich.  A marinated bean salad will hold for several days in a cooler, as will veggie gluten-free pasta salads or wild rice salads.  Assuming that rest stops will have a microwave available, there’s a large variety of gluten-free individual food packets you can pack like Thai Kitchen rice noodles, flavored or unflavored uncontaminated oatmeal packets, soup containers with tear-off lids… or pack some baked beans with cooked sausage slices in a plastic container; add a side of gluten-free cornbread and a drink and you’ve got a great lunch.  Cooked chicken wings can be eaten cold but remember to take plenty of extra napkins along.  Then there’s always the time-honored staple box of raisins.

Don’t let this disease keep you from getting out of the house.   There are always viable options of foods to take along when you’re away from home. 

Granola Bars by Connie Sarros

Loaded with fiber, these bars stay fresh for several days.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ cup gluten-free flour mixture
• 3 cups uncontaminated oats
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1/3 cup raisins

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick spray.  In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to blend the oil, brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla.  Stir in the flour mixture and oats until blended.  Add the coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pecans, chocolate, and raisins.  Stir until evenly blended.  Spoon mixture into the baking pan, smoothing the top with wet fingers.  Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden.  Allow granola to cool completely before cutting into bars.  Yield:  48 bars.

• celiac disease travel
• gluten-free
• gluten-free travel
• gluten-free trip

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Posted January 25, 2019 //--> Posted January 25, 2019

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I’ve seen gluten free warning cards printed in different languages on this website previously but can’t find them now!  Help!  We’re traveling to Mexico & I wanted to print up the Spanish gluten warning card. Thanks for your help!

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Share on other sites, kareng 2,327.

Posted January 26, 2019 //--> Posted January 26, 2019

6 hours ago, DH/gluten-free said: I’ve seen gluten free warning cards printed in different languages on this website previously but can’t find them now!  Help!  We’re traveling to Mexico & I wanted to print up the Spanish gluten warning card. Thanks for your help!

I think you can just google them.  There are usually ones you can print yourself for free

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Connie Sarros travels the country speaking to celiac support groups.  She has a DVD “All You Wanted to Know About Gluten-free Cooking” and has written the following books:

• Newly Diagnosed Survival Kit
• Wheat-free Gluten-free Dessert Cookbook
• Wheat-free Gluten-free Recipes for Special Diets
• Wheat-free Gluten-free Reduced Calorie Cookbook
• Wheat-free Gluten-free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adults
• Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies
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Eating GF when traveling abroad

Q: I'll be traveling abroad three times in the next year and while I'm excited, I feel worried about food availability while traveling. I really don't want to get sick while in a foreign country. Do you have any tips for traveling with celiac disease?

Traveling while staying gluten-free (GF) can be a daunting task, but is totally possible with a bit of planning and research ahead of time.

General Tips for Traveling:

• Carry GF snacks.
• Bring GF foods such as cereal, bread and pasta.
• Have GF foods shipped ahead of time to your destination.
• Keep a restaurant card with you that explains the GF diet.
• Book accommodations with a refrigerator/microwave/kitchenette.
• Request a GF meal when flying.
• Look into travel companies that serve GF customers. 1
• Contact a celiac organization in the country you are visiting for more information about local GF foods:  nationalceliac.org/celiac-support-in-other-countries

Gluten-free Air Travel:

• On international flights and those over 7 hours GF meals are usually available upon request from major airlines.
• Keep in mind that most airlines usually need at least a week’s notice for GF requests.
• Always plan for delays or mishaps! Carry extra snacks with you.

Good Snacks to Carry:

• GF fruit and nut bars
• Cheese sticks
• Whole fruits
• Cut veggies
• GF sandwiches*
• GF crackers/rice cakes
• GF beef jerky*
• Rolled up cheese and ham*

*Keep in mind that you may not be allowed to travel with meats or other foods internationally.

Here is TSA's guide to traveling with food . Again note that different rules apply to international travel and be aware that sometimes travelers go through pre-clearance customs at the departure location , which could restrict what food you can carry with you.

Using an app such as Find Me Gluten Free can be very helpful to:

• Look up restaurants
• Find GF foods/stores
• Look up reviews

Also, check out these two helpful websites for GF travel:

Celiac Travel

Restaurant cards in different languages for download:   http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/

Gluten-Free Passport: https ://glutenfreepassport.com/pages/gluten-free-travel-cards-celiac-coeliac

• Different travel destinations
• GF stores and restaurants worldwide
• National Celiac Association. Gluten-Free, Off to A Fresh Start. Presentation. Updated May 4, 2018.

Reviewed and updated October 20, 2022.

Note: This information is provided by NCA and Katarina Mollo MEd, RDN, LDN, NCA's Director of Education. This information is meant for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for personalized medical advice or replace any medical advice provided directly to you by your health care provider. No liability is assumed by the NCA or Katarina Mollo, MEd, RDN, LDN by providing this information.

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Gluten Free Travel: Eat Safely As a Celiac, Anywhere in the World

Written by Jodi Ettenberg Last Updated on May 28, 2024

I have celiac disease and was diagnosed in early 2000s, before awareness was as high as it is now. Knowledge of the disease is understandably low in many developing countries, but myths also abound in the west. As of a May 2023 literature update , the estimated global prevalence of celiac disease is 1.4%, with some regions higher than others.

I traveled the world for a decade with celiac disease, and while I am thrilled that there are more resources out there than when I set out in 2008, they are not always suitable for celiacs. I hope this page, with my long (free!) country and city guides, and the gluten free translation cards, help celiacs feel more confident eating out and finding gluten free food—whether at home or abroad.

Table of Contents

Digital gluten free translation cards and celiac travel guides

When I embarked on my travels in 2008, I realized that needing to be strictly gluten free was an added stressor over and above the worries that crop up on the road . A friend and I started this blog around that time, but I rarely wrote about travel with celiac disease. (We were both lawyers, thus the name Legal Nomads!)

She went back to being a lawyer, which was what I had planned all along too. But I deviated from what we’d said we’d do, and kept this alternative career : roaming indefinitely as a digital nomad as my website and freelance writing took off. I traveled with gluten free restaurant cards that I found and purchased or downloaded online.

The problem is, I still got sick when I used them.

So in 2016, after hearing from others with celiac disease who struggled to eat safely on the road, I decided to build my own detailed cards. My plan was for my cards to be longer and more detailed, with special mention of cross-contact, an issue that got me ‘glutened’ around the globe.

I started with Japan, and built a very long guide to accompany the card. Initially, the cards were donation-only, but no one donated. Since I was paying for translations, and working many hours on the free guides that went with the cards, I decided to start charging for them.

As of 2024, I am offering 16 languages with several others (Croatian, Swedish, Bahasa Indonesia, etc.) in the works for this year.

I hope these cards help you stay safer when you travel, and give you more peace of mind to explore with joy.

I understand what it’s like to worry about what you’re eating. The effects of eating gluten for me last for days, and can come from something as innocuous as consuming something that was fried in oil that had cross-contact with gluten. So if I eat a spring roll made with rice paper that was fried in the same oil as a breaded product, I will still get sick.

You may have seen other gluten free restaurant cards, and many are great for those following a GF diet. As a celiac who is extremely sensitive, I still got sick using them. I very much appreciate the work and effort that went into the freely available cards—but sadly they were not enough.

The Legal Nomads cards are:

✅ Researched by a celiac who loves to eat (me!) ✅ Available for immediate download. You can save this card on your phone, or reduce the size to print and use as you travel. I soon plan to introduce PDF versions for printing, as more travelers have requested this. ✅ Provide detailed instructions with local ingredients and lists of what you can/cannot eat help you eat safely. ✅ Have a clear mention of cross-contact, care with preparation, and oil that has not been shared with anything that has gluten. ✅ Are polite but firm: they apologize for any inconvenience, but make clear eating that gluten free is not optional for celiacs. ✅ Go through two sets of translations for accuracy, with at least one native speakers who is familiar with celiac disease.

Per the New York Times :

“If you’re traveling with a health-related dietary restriction like celiac disease, as Ms. Ettenberg does, keep a series of handy translation cards that accurately convey your dietary needs.  If you’re gluten-free, Ms. Ettenberg’s own cards account for cross-contamination and many local dish names.”

For roughly the price of an appetizer, you can travel safely, with less anxiety as a celiac — and eat well while you do so.

These cards will not only explain your needs as a strictly gluten free diner, but also address cross-contact using local food names to get exactly the meal you want and need.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO ACCESS THE PURCHASE PAGE FOR EACH.

On that page, you’ll find a description of the card. English translations are also sent upon purchase!

Note: The card is available for purchase via trustworthy 3rd party site that uses https, so you know your information is safe. If you have purchased a restaurant card before May 15, 2022, you will receive a card with royal blue header and footer . After that date, the cards will be white with the new LN logo to reflect the Legal Nomads redesign. Same content, different look!

Restaurant cards available in the following languages (click to jump to the purchase page for that language):

Catalan (Spain) Dutch French German Greek Italian Japanese Latin American Spanish (Mexico, Central America, Cuba, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina) Malaysian (Bahasa Malaysia) Moroccan Arabic Polish Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal) Spanish (Spain) Modern Standard Arabic (for use in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Western Sahara, Yemen, and more ) Thai Vietnamese

NOTE: If you’d like to be an affiliate for these cards, please follow these instructions.

Catalan (Spain) restaurant card (for Catalonia – Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona, etc)

Dutch restaurant card for the Netherlands

French restaurant card (for travel to France)

German restaurant card

Greek Restaurant card

Italian restaurant card

Japanese restaurant card

Latin America Spanish restaurant card (tailored for Mexico, Central, and South America)

Bahasa Malaysia restaurant card

Moroccan Arabic restaurant card

Note : if you purchase this card, you will receive two images: a Darija (scripted Moroccan Arabic card), and a transliterated one. Some restaurants or vendors prefer reading in Darija, but per the translators it is also useful to have both versions on hand.

Polish restaurant card

Portuguese restaurant card (for Portugal and Brazil)

Spanish restaurant card (foods mentioned are specific to Spain)

Modern Standard Arabic restaurant card

(While spoken Arabic differs from country to country, a Modern Standard Arabic will communicate effectively in written form throughout the Middle East. This card can be used in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Western Sahara, Yemen, and more.)

Vietnamese restaurant card

Free English restaurant card

Since I started offering these cards, readers have asked for an English version with similar text. I already had my own card that I used in English-speaking countries, so I have made it available for free, via Gumroad (the same platform that houses all my other cards above). You can grab it here , or click on the card below.

IN THE WORKS: translation cards for South Korea, Egypt, China, Sweden, Finland, and Cambodia. If you are traveling to Iceland, many people have found that the English card above suffices. It is what I used when I was there.

Find out a little more about the translation cards and why I started them:

Testimonial from a reader named Nicole who used the Japan gluten free card:

Needless to say I didn’t get much for dinner that night, but I wasn’t poisoned either.

Testimonial from a different  reader named Nicole who used the Spain gluten free card:

Free, long (3000-5000 word) gluten free travel country guides.

In addition to the cards above, I’ve also created long celiac guides that I am offering on this site for for FREE .

Each guide has foods that are safe, foods to avoid, where to shop to buy gluten free products, local celiac societies, further reading, and more. In the pipeline: South Korea, Cambodia, Egypt, and more! My “Essential Celiac Travel Guides” series are a continuing project. So far there is the:

Essential Gluten Free Guide to France

Essential gluten free guide to germany, essential gluten free guide to greece, essential gluten free guide to egypt, essential gluten free guide to italy, essential gluten free guide to japan, essential gluten free guide to mexico, essential gluten free guide to malaysia, essential gluten free guide to morocco, essential gluten free guide to poland, essential gluten free guide to portugal, essential gluten free guide to spain, essential gluten free guide to vietnam, gluten free city guides on legal nomads.

In addition to the country guides above, there are region-specific guides on Legal Nomads.  These are less about specific dishes to avoid or eat, and more about restaurant recommendations you can enjoy. I try to focus on restaurants that aren’t catered TO celiacs, but rather ones where we can eat safely but without restricting friends who may not have the same food requests.

Northern India  

(not a city, but a post about the region)

(general guide for the city, including a long list of celiac-friendly restaurants and a gluten free bakeries section)

(gluten free guide to Ottawa, including dedicated facilities)

These cards helped me travel safely as a celiac , s o I wanted to help readers travel with less anxiety about getting sick.

For only $8.99, you can communicate your needs – including cross-contact – and explore the world with more confidence. 

Testimonial from Janice, who used the Spain gluten free card:

General Resources About Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease—not an allergy . Consuming gluten when you are celiac affects not only the stomach or gastrointestinal tract, but also joints, skin, mood, and in my case my ability to function properly due to brain fog. A wheat allergy is something different, where the body produces antibodies to proteins found in wheat. In celiac disease, however, genetically susceptible people react to a specific protein found in wheat, barley, and rye — gluten. Ingesting gluten for these patients causes a different kind of abnormal immune system reaction in the body, eventually damaging the lining of the small intestine and, if untreated, leading to consequences like malabsorption of nutrients and more .

Celiac is diagnosed via specific blood tests looking for higher than normal levels of certain antibodies (including tissue transglutaminase IgA ) in their blood, as well as a gold standard of an intestinal (duodenal) biopsy.

In 2024, Gastroenterology journal an  invited review entitled, “Opportunities for Improving Biopsy and Non-Biopsy-Based Diagnosis of Celiac Disease”, which summarized the current evidence both for and against a non-biopsy approach for the initial diagnosis of celiac disease, focusing on opportunities to improve both methods. As technology continues to evolve, we may see new, more precise diagnostic methods. The review above, for example, mentions the use of a molecular microscope to combine additional data with the standard histology data in the future. The authors of that study conclude that an increasing body of data supports a non-biopsy approach in diagnosing the condition where the patient has a high tissue transglutaminase IgA marker. For now, the gold standard remains the biopsy noted above.

Genetic testing can also help determine if someone is at risk of developing celiac disease, since people who have it carry one or both of the HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 genes. Diagnosis requires more than a genetic test, but if you don’t have these genes, this is valuable information that can help you and your family. In rare cases, a patient can develop celiac disease without these genes, but in over 95% of cases patients will have them.

With SARS-Cov-2 and the Covid-19 pandemic, however, things are changing. Previous studies have suggested that viruses may trigger the development of autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease. A February 2023 retrospective study echos this finding with Covid, finding that patients who tested positive for Covid-19 exhibited “significantly higher risks” of many autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, lupus, psoriasis, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others.

Back in 2021, researchers hypothesized that damage to the gut caused by Covid-19 might increase permeability, thus allowing a component of gluten called gliadin to pass through through the intestinal barrier, thus triggering an autoimmune response in the portion of the population who are genetically predisposed to celiac disease.

Whatever the reason, there are more and more people suffering with gastrointestinal symptoms after a Covid-19 infection, a percentage of them finding out they have celiac disease despite being previously asymptomatic.

Awareness of celiac disease is growing, and there are so many more products and accommodations available now compared to when I was first diagnosed. Some countries offer a stipend to diagnosed individuals, to account for the increased cost of gluten free food. Others have strict labeling and menu laws that make eating out a less stressful endeavor.

Still, celiac disease is not as well-known as many of us would like. Here are some general resources that may help inform your gluten free decisions:

Celiac Disease Foundations

• United States  Celiac Disease Foundation , including a discussion of related conditions .
• Beyond Celiac
• Canadian Celiac Association  
• International celiac disease foundations, listed  by country .

Celiac Primer:  For those who want to understand what exactly celiac disease is, and isn’t, see this guide .

Books to Read

• Gluten Freedom: The Nation’s Leading Expert Offers the Essential Guide to a Healthy, Gluten-Free Lifestyle , by Alessio Fasano. As the founder of the Center for Celiac Research, Fasano is one of the pioneers for celiac disease research and management, and his book is one of the more helpful ones out there. Not only does it go through the basics, but it separates facts from myth, and details suggestions for some of the scarier symptoms of glutening, like depression, anxiety, foggy mind, and joint pain. A comforting read from an expert.
• Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic , by Peter H.R. Green M.D. & Rory Jones. This book, revised and updated in December 2020, provides thorough information about celiac disease and gluten intolerance / sensitivity, as well as talking about the identity shifts that come with being diagnosed with a chronic illness. It also includes guides for safe eating (what’s safe to consume) and is especially helpful for USA readers as it collates national support groups and manufacturers.
• Mayo Clinic Going Gluten Free: Essential Guide to Managing Celiac Disease and Other Gluten-Related Conditions , by Joseph A. Murray M.D. This book is practical and specific, written by some of the leading experts in celiac disease management and diagnosis. It includes recipes, travel, and how to manage the diet changes as a parent with a celiac child.
• Celiac Disease Cookbook for the Newly Diagnosed: Guidance and Recipes for an Easy Transition to the Gluten-Free Diet , by Rebecca Toutant, RD LDN CDE. I send this cookbook to people who are newly navigating the rules of celiac disease, and it’s a great introduction to the differences in the kitchen and outside of it, written by a registered dietitian.

Interesting Articles About Gluten Free Eating and Celiac Disease

I’ve included a few articles below about gluten and other dietary restrictions and diagnoses that might be related to sensitivity to certain foods. While some of these pieces are controversial, I do think they are important to read as the more we know about celiac disease, the better we will be able to eat safely.

• This is Your Brain on Gluten ,  The Atlantic, Dec. 2013
• When Gluten Sensitivity isn’t Celiac Disease The New York Times, Oct. 2014
• Against The Grain: Should you Go Gluten Free? The New Yorker, Nov. 2014,  and the response written by the National Society for Gluten Awareness,  here .
• Gluten-free: health fad or life-saving diet?   The Guardian, Feb. 2015
• 4 Surprising Facts about Wheat and Gluten   Mother Jones, Mar. 2015
• Is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity a Real Thing? Healthline, Apr. 2015
• Alan Levinovitz on fanaticism and myth in diet   The Atlantic, May 2015
• Why Food Allergy Fakers Need To Stop   Boston Glove, Oct. 2015
• A survival guide for celiacs who travel   The Guardian, April 2016 (by me)
• 5 Myths about Celiac Disease   US News & World Report May 2016
• Here’s how an otherwise humdrum virus sparks celiac disease   Ars Technica April 2017 . “In people with genetic predispositions, viral infections can tip immune responses.”
• The Dilemma of the Gluten Free Diet WSJ   April 2018
• Not Just Gluten Sensitive: What People With Celiac Disease Want You to Know US News May 27, 2022
• Collaborative brochure about getting started with the celiac diet , from several celiac associations.

Recipes from the Road: I have a list of gluten free recipes that I’ve posted on the site.

• For other great gluten free recipes see Viet World Kitchen’s list of Asian GF recipes
• Jamie Oliver’s Gluten Free recipe page.
• For gluten free Indian and vegetarian recipes see Manjula’s Kitchen for their landing page on gluten free .
• Downshiftology has all of her best gluten free recipes under one tag, here .
• The Minimalist Bakers have a gluten free recipes section here .
• Gluten Free Living’s recipes landing page is here .
• My GF Kitchen’s site has a long list of recipes to search through here .
• Love and Lemons’ page lets you search by added parameters, like vegetarian or dairy-free. Great recipes, here .
• I follow My GF Guide on Instagram and her recipes are scrumptious and creative. You can find them all here .

A Tote Bag for Celiacs

Now in the Legal Nomads Shop: a section for celiacs . A percentage of proceeds from this tote will go to the Beyond Celiac Foundation. Donations are made on a rolling basis. The celiac section consists of tote bags and t-shirts with the slogan, “I’m not being trendy, I have the disease”.

Thank you for reading and safe eating!

Jodi Ettenberg

Jodi is a former lawyer turned award-winning travel writer and photographer who shares resources and stories from a decade of eating and living abroad. Her expertise has led to features in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC Travel, CNN, The Guardian, and more. Jodi also has celiac disease, and her longform gluten free guides and translation cards (over 15,000 cards sold!) have helped fellow celiacs eat safely as they travel.

Following a lumbar puncture that left her disabled in 2017, her work has shifted to focus on curiosity, chronic pain, and the challenges we all face when life changes drastically. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation. Please see the About page for more.

The Ultimate Guide to Gluten Free Backpacking Food

This post may contain affiliate links.

There are tons of gluten-free backpacking food options out there, but the trick is knowing where to look! In this guide, we’ve collected options as we could find to build a comprehensive resource for gluten-free backpacking meals!

Whether you have Celiac, are gluten intolerant, or just trying to cut down your gluten consumption, trying to find gluten-free backpacking food often requires an exhaustive amount of “label-reading”. This means parsing through every ingredient list with a magnifying glass to ensure some weirdo wheat-derivative wasn’t slipped into an otherwise benign-looking product.

Thankfully the backpacking food industry has realized the growing demand for gluten-free products and has not only started producing more options but properly labeling their gluten-free backpacking meals.

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So we scoured the internet to find as many gluten-free freeze-dried and dehydrated meals as we could, and we’re sharing them all in one place.  So if you are a gluten-free backpacker — this is your one-stop-shop!

The list below contains meals that are described as Gluten Free by their manufacturer and/or the linked retailer website. We haven’t independently verified this information nor can we speak to their manufacturing practices regarding cross-contamination. When in doubt, you should contact the companies themselves for more information.

What Makes For Good Backpacking Food?

There are a few factors to keep in mind when determining whether a food is good for backpacking: shelf-stable, weight, calorie density, and cook speed.

Shelf-Stable: It’s important to use ingredients that can be stored at room temperature. You can get away with bringing some things like cheese or salami if you eat them in the first few days, but for the most part, you want to skip anything perishable.

Lightweight: Since you have to carry it every step of the way, backpacking food should be as lightweight as possible. Dehydrated and freeze-dried foods tend to be lightest, though there are plenty of grocery store options we’ll review as well.

Calorie Dense: Backpacking takes a lot of energy, so you need food that can properly refuel you. When we plan our backpacking food, we try to average 115-130+ calories per ounce to keep the weight down.

Cooking Time: Consider how much patience you have to cook your food and how much fuel you will be bringing. Quicker cooking foods tend to be preferred by most backpackers for fuel conservation.

How Much Food Should You Pack For Backpacking?

For most backpackers, who plan on hiking all day with a heavier pack, Backpacker.com suggests aiming for 25-30 calories per pound of body weight, per day. For shorter hiking days (less than 2 hours) or if covering less strenuous terrain, you can scale it down to 21-25 calories per pound of body weight, per day.

Instead of eating just three meals per day like you might at home, aim to eat throughout the day and consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour ( source ) to keep your energy high and prevent hitting the wall.

Again, these are just rough estimations. Everyone’s body burns calories at different rates. So if you are preparing for a longer backpacking trip, you will absolutely want to do a few weekend shakedown trips to get a sense of what your appetite will be like.

Gluten-free backpacking Breakfasts 

One of the best things you can do to ensure you have a good day on the trail is to start with a solid breakfast. If you start with an empty tank, you’ll be playing caloric catch-up all day long. Thankfully there are lots of great gluten-free breakfasts, even for those who usually aren’t crazy about breakfast.

Backpacker’s Pantry 

• Summit Breakfast Scramble

Heather’s Choice 

• Blueberry Cinnamon Breakfast
• Apple Pie Breakfast

Food For The Sole 

Food For The Sole makes gluten-free oats in a few different flavors:

• Pumpkin Apple Pecan Energy Oats
• Coconut Mango Macadamia Energy Oats
• Blueberry Banana Crunch

Mountain House 

One of the original freeze-dried brands, Mountain House has worked hard to improve upon some of their many classics. They have two gluten-free breakfast options we would recommend:

• Breakfast Skillet 
• Spicy Southwest Style Skillet

Next Mile Meals

Focusing on producing ketogenic (keto) freeze-dried backpacking meals, Next Mile Meals offers two hearty, gluten-free breakfasts that even non-keto hikers will enjoy:

• Steak Omelette with Green Peppers
• Sausage Scramble

Wild Zora 

Offering healthy backpacking meals for a range of diets, Wild Zora has quite a few breakfast options, namely their grain-free instant cereals.

• Apple Pie Instant Grain-Free Cereal  
• Blueberry Muffin Instant Grain-Free Cereal 
• Banana Bread Instant Grain-Free Cereal 
• Carrot Cake Instant Grain-Free Cereal  
• Tropical Tart Instant Grain-Free Cereal

OvaEasy Eggs

If you don’t mind cooking in the morning, OvaEasy’s powdered egg crystals are surprisingly close to the real thing! Enjoy them on their own, with dehydrated hash browns, or as a veggie scramble.

Gluten Free Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal

Oats have always been gluten-free, however, large manufacturers have struggled with the potential of cross-contamination. Thankfully Quaker has got their act together and developed a process to produce a Gluten-Free Instant Oatmeal.

Instant oatmeal is quick, easy, cheap, and totally customizable. Just add hot water. Pro Tip: Use the packet as your bowl. Just tear off the top, pour the water in, and stir. The bag will get hot, but won’t leak. Up the calories by adding coconut or whole milk powder, or stirring in a packet of nut butter.

ProBar Meals 

A no-cook “breakfast” bar is a great grab-and-go option for any who want to streamline their morning routine. It can also be nice for people who don’t wake up hungry and like to wait a little bit before eating. ProBar offers a large variety of meal replacement bars, all of which are gluten-free.

Instant Coffee

There has been a huge improvement in the QUALITY of instant coffee in recent years. Our top go-to favorites are Mt. Hagen and Alpine Start . But if you’re seeking an exceptional cup of instant coffee, look no further than Voila . They’re hands down the Rolls Royce of instant coffee. You can’t even tell it’s instant.

Instant Tea 

Prefer tea over coffee? No worries. There are now a bunch of instant tea options available from brands like Cusa and Wild Zora . These tea packets dissolve entirely into the water, so there’s no soggy tea bag to pack out with you.

Laird InstantFuel Coffee + Creamer 

If you are going to make yourself a cup of coffee in the morning, then you might as well add some calories to the mix with Laird Instant Coffee & Creamer . This blend of instant coffee and plant-based creamer is a great way to enjoy a couple of calories with your caffeine.

Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes 

• Breakfast Scramble with Spinach and Sun-Dried Peppers
• Pecan and Maple Granola in a Bag
• Coconut Chocolate Granola
• Apricot Ginger Oatmeal
• Raspberry Coconut Quinoa Porridge

Gluten-free lunches, snacks, and bars

When we’re backpacking, we like to maintain a steady drip of calories over the course of the day. This keeps our blood sugar up and provides our muscles with a steady source of energy. We accomplish this via constant snacking. 

Morning snacks end with a large mid-day snack (aka lunch), which marks the start of our afternoon snacking. The whole hike is just one big movable feast! 

Tuna & Chicken Packets

These might not be the most weight-efficient items, but they do a great job of providing protein. Buy them plain and doctor them up with condiments, or buy some of the many flavor options. Our favorites were Buffalo Chicken , Chicken Salad , Deli Style Tuna Salad , and Lemon Pepper Tuna. * While the products we listed above are gluten-free, Starkist does have other varieties that are not.*

These premium grade, line-caught tuna packets are packed in oil for extra calories. If salmon is more your speed, Patagonia Provisions has some awesome options.

SPAM: It might have 99 ingredients, but gluten ain’t one! We were ere surprised to learn that SPAM comes in backpacking-friendly foil packets . After a nonstop diet of tuna, we were offered some SPAM on the JMT by a fellow hiker and found it to be quite enjoyable.

Greenbelly Bars 

With over x3 times the calories of a traditional energy bar, GreenBelly Meals2Go contain a whopping 650 calories per serving. This makes them a complete no-cook lunch that you can enjoy on the trail. They are also gluten-free.

Energy Bars

Our best advice when packing bars is to go for VARIETY. Don’t just load up on your favorite bar for a multi-day hike. Because after your trip, it won’t be your favorite anymore. Find a few you like, mix it up. 

The following companies offer an entirely gluten-free line of energy bars: 

• MunkPack Protein Cookie 
• Bobo Oat Bars
• Bearded Brothers
• Picky Bars 
• Patagonia Provisions  

Jerky And Meat Bars

Jerky and meat bars tend to be a little low on calories, but high in protein – which is critical for muscle repair. On longer multi-day hikes, these are good to eat towards the end of the day to help your body repair muscle tissue. 

While some low-end meat products can contain gluten (like Slim Jims) most higher quality jerky and meat bars will be gluten-free. We are big fans of Epic Provisions and Wild Zora .  

Vegan Jerky

While some vegan jerkies are made from seitan (vital wheat gluten), many are not. A few of our favorites gluten-free vegan jerky brands are Louisville Vegan Jerky Co and Jack & Friends . 

Nut Butters 

Nut butter packets are a great source of calories (and protein) on the trail, and they make for excellent grab-and-go snacks. The following companies are entirely gluten free:

• Justin’s Nut Butter
• RX Nut Butter  
• Trail Butter
• 88 Acres Seed Butter

Quinn Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels 

We have no idea how they do it, but Quinn’s line of peanut butter-filled pretzels is certified gluten-free! They have a variety of flavors worth checking out. Maple Almond Butter, Dark Chocolate-y, and classic peanut butter.

Love Corn is an entire gluten-free product line of crunchy corn that’s perfect for backpacking. Some of their flavors include sea salt, smoked BBQ, salt & vinegar, and habanero chili. Obviously, these are great by the handful, but they can also be added to any freeze-dried or dehydrated meal to give them a little crispy, crunchy texture.

Trail Mix, Nuts, And Dried Fruit

Packing an assortment of trail mix, nuts, and dried fruits is a great way to have some calorie-boosts on hand to eat while hiking. Our favorite places for nuts and dried fruit in bulk are Nuts.com and Trader Joe’s.

Gluten-free crackers

Mush is one of the defining textures of backpacking food, which is why we like to pack along something with a little CRUNCH. There are many hearty gluten-free options that hold up well in a pack like these Deli-Style Rye Pretzel Rods .

Hard cheese and cheeses that are individually packaged are great options. We also love Parmesan or Cheddar Whisps .

Honey Stinger Waffles 

A quick hit of energy, Honey Stingers Waffles makes a gluten-free line ! Perfect for when you’re feeling a little low-energy and need a little extra zip to get you up the next hill. They have a variety of flavors to choose from, and some even have a bit of caffeine for an extra little boost.

Energy Gummies 

The solid, chewy form of a gel, there are a variety of energy gummies like Clif Shot Bloks , GU Energy Chews , Honey Stinger Chews , and Scratch Lab Chews These are great to have on hand if you ever start to feel yourself bonking. They contain quick-releasing sugars and easily process calories to stabilize your blood sugar. We think of these as a “Break Glass If In Need of Calories” type of emergency snack.

Wildway Snack Mix 

These grain-free snack packs from Wild Way Of Life are a nice change of pace from the standard GORP style trail mix. Their sample pack contains Toasted Coconut Latte, Salted Chocolate Truffle, and Pineapple Mojito. Sounds good to us!

Chewy Banana Bites

We’ve all had dried banana chips before that feel like you’re biting into a poker chip. These are not those. Soft and chewy like a marshmallow, these Banana Bites by Nomad Nutrition offer a much-welcomed change in texture.  Add them to your morning oatmeal or enjoy them on their own.

Cold-Soak Lunches

Let’s be honest, there’s no way we’re breaking out our stove and cooking lunch. But…there are a lot of great “cold-soak” lunches that need only cold water and can be rehydrated in 15 minutes. These are our favorite gluten-free options.

Food For The Sole: Zesty Miso Broccoli Slaw , Peanut Super Slaw

Bushka’s Kitchen: Lentil Lunch

For a quick (and economical) hit of calories, the answer is simple: candy! While some popular backpacking candies contain gluten (Haribo Gummy bears for example) many do not. A few good gluten-free candies include Swedish Fish or Jelly Belly’s Sports Beans . Whatever you pick, make sure it won’t be too melty.

Gluten-Free Snack/Lunch Recipes 

• Dehydrated Roasted Pepper Hummus
• Tie-Dye Mango Strawberry Fruit Leathers
• Tropical Fruit Leathers
• Maple Glazed Trail Mix

Gluten-free backpacking dinners 

Dinner, the main event. We spent an inordinate amount of time daydreaming about dinner throughout the day, so it’s really nice when it lives up to expectations! There are a lot more gluten-free options now than ever before. Some from brands you know, but many more from new startups. We hit many of the highlights below.

Bushka’s Kitchen 

New to the freeze-dried backpacking meal scene, San Francisco-based Bushka’s Kitchen has some incredible gluten-free options that feature large, easily identifiable whole ingredients. While these meals are gluten-free, they are currently processed in a shared facility that also processes wheat. Meals to check out: 

• Hunter’s Pie with Ground Venison 
• Unstuffed Pepper with Ground Bison
• Hearty Harvest Bowl with Wild Boar  
• Zesty Zoodles in Avocado Sauce

Backpacker’s Pantry

Some of our absolute favorites dinners on the JMT were produced by Backpacker’s Pantry. They also have a lot of gluten-free options. Meals to check out: 

• Pad Thai: Veggie & Chicken
• Santa Fe Style Rice & Beans  
• Risotto with Chicken 
• Shepherd’s Potato Stew with Beef
• Cuban Coconut Black Beans & Rice

Fernweh Food Company

Producing dehydrated backpacking meals with low-impact packaging, Fernweh Food Company is another recent addition to the backpacking meal market offering gluten-free meals. Their product is fairly small right now, offering two dinner options, but we’ve got high hopes for them.  

• Mushroom Pot Pie
• Southwest Stew

A new freeze-dried meal producer from rural England, Firepot offers a range of gluten-free dinners. They provide full-spectrum nutrition with locally sourced ingredients that are all cooked together before freeze-drying. This “slow-cooking” technique produces a depth of flavor that can’t be replicated when ingredients are freeze-dried separately and then combined into a “meal”.  Meals to check out:

• Porcini Mushroom Risotto
• Chili con Carne and Rice 

Food For the Sole

Started by a mom and son team in Bend, Oregon, Food For The Sole are hometown heroes for us! They are an entirely gluten-free company that operates their own facility to ensure there is zero cross-contamination. Their wholesome dehydrated meals can be ordered as “full” or “lunch” sizes. Meals to check out: 

• Coconut Rice and Cuban Black Beans
• Lentil Walnut Pilaf
• Garlic Green Bean and Cashew Stir Fry

Producing dehydrated backpacking meals from quality ingredients, Good To-Go has a large number of gluten-free options. We’ll be honest, in our personal experience, we’ve had some winner and loser meals from them. Nothing was bad, we just found a few meals to be tragically undersalted. ( We’re looking at you Mexican Quinoa Bowl ) Meals to check out: 

• Mushroom Risotto  
• Thai Curry 
• Cuban Rice Bowl
• Chicken Pho (We haven’t had it, but we’re very intrigued)

Heather’s Choice

Based in Anchorage, Alaska, Heather’s Choice is another 100% gluten-free operation. They use high-quality, whole-food ingredients to create packable, dehydrated provisions. We’re really excited about these guys! Meals to check out: 

• Smoked Sockeye Salmon Chowder 
• African Peanut Stew 
• Chicken Mole and Rice
• Mom’s Spaghetti with Grass Fed-Beef

Mountain House

The OG of backpacking meals, Mountain House has been making freeze-dried meals since the 1970s. While many of their more iconic meals contain gluten (beef stroganoff), they do have a surprising number that do not. Meals to check out: 

• Beef Stew 
• Chicken & Mashed Potato
• Rice and Chicken
• Chicken Fried Rice 

Next Mile Meals is a newer company based in Oregon that focuses on keto-friendly backpacking meals. These meals are high in fats and proteins, and low in carbs and sugars. Even if you’re not following a Keto diet, their meals sound like a fresh approach compared to other carb-heavy brands.  While all of their meals are gluten-free, they are processed in a shared facility. Meals to check out: 

• Italian Beef Mariana 
• Beef Tacos  
• Chicken & Broccoli Casserole  
• Cajun Style Jambalaya

Nomad Nutrition

Based in British Columbia, Canada, Nomad Nutrition offers a completely gluten-free lineup of dehydrated backpacking meals. They are also entirely plant-based. Meals to check out: 

• Hungarian Goulash
• Indian Red Lentil Stew
• Irish Shepherd’s Pie
• Caribbean Curry
• Ukrainian Borscht

Peak ReFuel 

Another recent addition to the freeze-dried backpacking market, Peak ReFue l has one gluten-free dinner option: Sweet Pork & Rice .

Wild Zora’s 

If you’re seeking gluten-free backpacking meals, Wild Zora is a wonderful resource. Providing gluten-free products is part of their company’s core values, so you can be assured everything you find from them will be compliant. We’ve heard great things about their Chili and Chicken Curry and Bedrock Beef Chili .

Bulk Freeze-Dried / Dehydrated Ingredients

If you’re building your own backpacking meals from scratch, it can be nice to buy some individual freeze-dried and/or dehydrated ingredients in bulk. Here are some of the resources we personally use when developing our own backpacking recipes.

• Nuts.com:  Yes, they carry nuts. But also so so much more!  Nuts.com  is a cornucopia of specialty ingredients that are perfect for backpacking. 
• Harmony House:  With an unbelievable selection of freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients,  Harmony House  is another online bazaar filled with backpacking-friendly foodstuffs. 
• Emergency Essentials:   Emergency Essentials  specializes in bulk freeze-dried ingredients. Fruits, veggies, eggs, and even hard to find stuff like butter and cheese. They’ve got it all! If you’re building your own backpacking meals from scratch, this can be a great way to get access to individual freeze-dried ingredients.
• Dried Vegetables:  We tend to find a lot of backpacking meals light on the vegetables. If you don’t need the bulk sizes of Emergency Essentials, you can pick up dehydrated or freeze-dried vegetables from places like  Nuts.com  and  Karen’s Naturals  to add to packaged or DIY meals for a nutrient boost.

Condiments and extras

These are some of our favorite extras to add either calories or flavor to our meals.

• Almond Protein Powder
• Pea Protein Powder
• GF Cheddar Cheese Powder
• GF Butter Powder
• GF Whole Milk Powder
• GF Coconut Milk Powder
• GF Heavy Cream Powder
• Cocoa Creamer
• Olive Oil Packets
• Coconut Oil Packets
• GF Tamari Packets
• Sriracha Packets
• Chili garlic sauce
• Various hot sauce packets
• True Lemon & True Lime flavor packets

DIY Backpacking Recipes

The sky’s the limit if you’re up to making your own meals. While we’ve developed a lot of different backpacking recipes over there years, we’ll give you our personal favorites here (ssh, don’t tell the others!) 

• Mushroom Risotto
• Red Lentil Chili
• Sweet Potato and Kale Peanut Stew 
• Quinoa Chili

Backpacking desserts

If you’re backpacking then you’re technically on vacation and dessert shouldn’t be out of the question! Kidding aside, backpacking desserts can be great to have on hand for special occasions, like on your last night out or as a morale booster after a rough day. They can also be a great way to pad out your dinner’s calorie count. 

Dehydrated / Freeze Dried Desserts 

There are a lot of “just add water” desserts on the market. So boil a little extra water for dinner and make yourself a little something sweet for afterward!

Heather’s Choice Packaroons

What a genius idea! And completely gluten-free! These macaroons boast 170 calories per ounce, so they definitely pull their weight (pun intended) in your pack. They come in a few flavors including Amaretto, Blueberry Almond, and Sweet Coconut.

Bushka’s Kitchen: Cranberry Rice Pudding  

Food For the Sole: Cinnamon Cherry Crisp

Trailtopia creates a line of gluten-free fruit crisps for dessert, including Peach Blueberry, Apple, and Blueberry .

Cosmik Ice Cream

Freeze-dried ice cream is its own unique experience that many backpackers have come to love. While the most iconic brand, Astronaut Ice Cream, contains gluten, there is a new startup called Cosmik that offers a few gluten-free options. The Mint Chocolate Chip is well-reviewed.

Treehouse Drinking Chocolate 

If you don’t necessarily want to eat dessert, consider drinking it! This drinking chocolate (AKA totally indulgent hot chocolate) is an absolutely lovely way to wind down at camp. 

This chocolate hazelnut spread is packed with calories that are derived mostly from fats, making it well worth the weight. A scoop here and there will give your body plenty of long-lasting fuel to burn. Plus, it’s freaking delicious!

Favorite backpacking cooking gear

We have a whole post dedicated to our backpacking cooking gear picks, but here are some of the basics:

JetBoil MiniMo or Jetboil Flash 

We are really impressed with the performance of the Jetboil integrated cook systems. The Jetboil MiniMo is a great option if you plan to eat out of the pot and need simmer control. The Jetboil Flash is great if all you need is boiling water, pronto.

MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe & 1.3 L Ceramic Pot

If we’re planning on rehydrating our own meals on the trail and need the ability to simmer, then we go with a MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe canister stove paired with a MSR 1.3 L Ceramic Pot .

Check out our in-depth post about the best backpacking stoves on the market.

Backpacking Mug: GSI Infinity Mug

Weighing only 3.5 oz, this is our go-to mug for backpacking trips. It has enough insulation to keep our coffee warm in the morning and costs a fraction of the price of a double-walled titanium mug. 

Favorite Utensil: Morsel Spoon 

We love the spatula-inspired design of the Morsel spoon – perfect for scraping up every last bit of your delicious meal. (Psst, Fresh Off The Grid readers get 10% off their order using “ FOTG10 ”)

Looking for more backpacking food resources? Check out our index of all our gluten-free backpacking recipes and our ultimate guide to dehydrating food for backpacking!

This post was first published March 1, 2018 and last updated on March 12, 2021 with up to date information.

Megan & Michael are the creators of Fresh Off The Grid, a blog dedicated to helping you fuel your adventures by sharing camp cooking recipes, backpacking meals, and outdoor travel guides. Their recipes and outdoor cooking expertise have been featured in Backpacker Magazine, Outside, REI Co-Op Journal, Food & Wine, and New York Times Cooking.

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10 Comments

The Black Bart Chili by Alpine Aire is LEGIT. Their vegetarian version (mountain chili) is also incredible. ????????

This is a wonderful list and resource! As someone who is gluten-free and dairy-free I’ve struggled to find good adventure-ready meal options. I’ve been working on turning my passion for creating recipes into a food business. The first product line is eight gluten-free, dairy-free breakfasts. Check them out at http://www.backcountrystaples.com . I’m trying to collect feedback on what people think of the idea. Best, JC Coughlin

I have tried the Mountain House Italian Pepper Steak it was delicious. Being new to backpacking I started to try some that are gluten free this was a great choice.

Being a celiac patient, I feel compelled to write with the following observation about the first sentence on your website. The name of the disease is Celiac, not Celiacs. Also, it’s more accurately defined as an autoimmune disorder that attacks the small intestine with even the most minute amounts of gluten. Calling it a strong gluten intolerance miseducates the public about the disease.

Thank you for your consideration in editing that line. Anna Haupt

Anna, Thanks for your input! We’ll definitely make those changes for clarity. We didn’t mean to infer that Celiac was simply a “strong gluten intolerance” – rather, we were trying to convey that if you have a strong gluten intolerance (separate from Celiac), then this list might be helpful. But, I can see how that might have come across as minimizing the impact of Celiac. We’ll work on rewording it!

You guys are the best. Thanks very much for all thr resources I’ll be using for my first solo thru hike on the JMT this July-Aug. I can’t wait to get out on the trail! With so much gratitude, Shar

We had such an amazing time on the JMT last summer. You’re in for a treat. Enjoy!

thank you so much for this wonderful list!

Unfortunately many of the listed items aren’t truly gluten free. As someone who hikes and lives with Celiac, an allergy to gluten, I know all to well that most processed food suffers from cross contamination. Unless it is marked “Certified Gluten Free” chances are it’s not. There is also the problem that most foods can be labeled gluten free as long as they contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. That’s fine if you don’t have an allergy, but for those of us who do, well it’s very dangerous. I mean we live in America. When is health, wellbeing, or caring placed above profit by a company/corporation? My suggestion, if your backpacking, is to prepare your own food; use mail drops for long hikes. A good dehydrator and some effort can keep you safe and give you peace of mind.

We completely understand your point. It can be very difficult to determine from the outside if a product marketed and labelled as gluten-free is actually gluten-free. If you are gluten intolerant you may have a little more latitude with potential cross contamination or trace amounts of gluten, but if you’re Celiac there is no wiggle room.

When researching this article, we did the best we could to gather as many products labeled as “Gluten Free” as possible. However, if you have Celiacs, you may want to contact the companies directly to ask for additional information or, as you suggest, take your meal prep into your own hands. We’ve developed a few DYI gluten free backpacking meals that can be easily made with a dehydrator.

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10 Best Gluten Free Travel Destinations for Celiac Travelers

The original version of this guide was written wayyy back in 2019, at which point we were still living in San Francisco, working full time, and saving for the round-the-world trip that never quite materialized in 2020. But that’s a story for another time. 

Since then, we’ve quit our corporate jobs to focus full time on this here website, spent a collective five months in Europe over two years, settled in Portland, Oregon full time, and, most importantly for the purposes of this guide, eaten A LOT of gluten free food.

When we revisited this guide, we realized it needed some serious revising to make it reflect our most up-to-date experience.

So, over the winter of 2022, we did a full rewrite for this guide to bring you our top 10 gluten free travel destinations for – and this is crucial piece – foodie travelers with Celiac Disease.  

As we cover in our guide to gluten free travel, we truly believe you can travel anywhere gluten free provided you have access to a kitchen.

We know because we’ve spent a significant amount of time in both Colombia and Mexico, both of which seem like they’d be safe, but neither of which is particularly easy for Celiacs thanks to all sorts of hidden gluten. 

In this guide, you’ll find our top 10 gluten free travel destinations (cities, specifically) for gluten free travelers, ranked from 10 to 1. For each city, we’ll cover why we love the destination along with a few of the gluten free places we think you shouldn’t miss. 

By the end of this guide, we hope you have a couple of new cities to add to your (gluten free) bucket list, along with a few new bookmarked restaurants around the world. 

It’s worth noting here that we haven’t been everywhere in the world. Not even close. If there’s a place that you think belongs on the list, we’d love to hear it! Leave us a comment below and we’ll add it to our own bucket list. 

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.

The 10 Best Gluten Free Travel Destinations for Celiacs

Without much introduction or fluff, let’s get into our rankings!

This is all, obviously, really subjective. But that’s sort of what you’re here for, right? Our “professional” opinion on the best Celiac-friendly travel destinations. 

Well, here it is. We’re going to go from lowest ranking – which to be clear, is still a relatively high recommendation – and work up to our absolute favorite places to travel with Celiac Disease. 

10. Denver, Colorado

The vast majority of Alysha’s extended family lives near Denver, which means we’ve been out to Colorado’s capital fairly often over the past several years. 

We used to rate Denver more highly when it comes to its gluten free options, but after being on the road for a few years and experiencing a whole lot more of the world through a gluten free lens, it’s missing…something. And that something is hard to put our finger on. 

Denver sort of reminds us of a bigger Portland (where we live now) with a downtown core full of tall buildings and business suits surrounded by more residential areas with commercial strips with restaurants, bars, shops, etc etc. 

However, the one thing that stands out about Denver is how much it has changed over the past decade or so (and still is changing, evidenced by all the cranes around the city). 

And that change has brought a significant increase in the cost of living, which we think is one piece of the jigsaw puzzle that explains why a city is a good gluten free destination.

It’s the primary factor, we think, why Portland is so great while its bigger, more prestigious neighbors in Seattle and San Francisco are largely very “meh.”

Still, Denver deserves a spot on this list because there are a bunch of good dedicated gluten free restaurants in the Denver area (especially if you include nearby Boulder). 

The one thing that Denver is missing that every other city on this list has is a world-class gluten free bakery. Someone should start that!

Here are a few of our favorite gluten spots in Denver. 

• Quiero Arepas : If you know us, you know we’re huge arepa people. Specifically, the Venezuelan kind that are cut in half and stuffed like a sandwich. And Quiero Arepas are the best arepas we’ve had in the United States. They have two locations, one standalone restaurant south of downtown, and one in Avanti Food & Beverage in the Lower Highlands, which has a fun food hall vibe. 
• River and Roads Coffee : Come for the coffee, stay for the excellent baked goods and BREAKFAST FRIES. 
• Super Mega Bien : Great Latin American-inspired food right in the middle of the action in RiNo (so many acronyms! This one means River Arts North). Double check, but there is usually only one item on the menu – a dessert – that contains gluten. 

Read More: Gluten Free Denver – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

9. Montreal, Quebec

Montreal was an extremely pleasant surprise in terms of both the city itself, which quickly climbed our list of Canadian cities (sorry Vancouver), but also in terms of the gluten free scene. 

There’s a certain youthful energy that exists in cities with a big student population (and a relatively low cost of living), and Montreal has it in droves. It’s hip. It’s happening. The nightlife rivals cities like Las Vegas. It’s a good time all around. 

Oh, and the relatively low cost of living compared to other major Canadian cities like Vancouver or Toronto means that there is plenty of innovation to be had in the food and drink scene, which includes gluten free food. 

I guess it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that the French speaking part of Canada would have its pastry game on point, but there are several gluten free bakeries in Montreal that I wish I could pack into my suitcase and bring home with me. 

Unsurprisingly, there is also a great place for gallettes – essentially a savory crepe – that I went to on three separate occasions on one trip (so much so that they basically knew me by the third time). 

The point is that we spent a week in Montreal, and we fell in love. 

Here are our favorite gluten spots to eat in Montreal. 

• Crêperie du Marché : It is not an exaggeration to say that I went to this stall in the Marché Jean-Talon three times over the course of a week, and that they knew me by the third time I showed up, this time with Alysha in tow. Their specialty here is the savory galettes, which are traditionally made with a buckwheat batter (all crepes here are gluten free). They also have a nice selection of cider to go with them. 
• The Bakeries: There are two excellent gluten free bakeries in Montreal that are worth visiting, and they’re a few blocks apart (near Marché Jean-Talon). The first is Boulangerie Le Marquis and the second L’artisan Délices Sans Gluten et Sans Lait . Both have excellent pastries, though the sheer amount of choice at the latter option was mind-blowing (everything from pain au chocolat to eclairs and tarts). 
• Krapow : Great southeast Asian food out of a compact spot on Ave. Mont-Royal. The beef krapow, their specialty, is amazing, and we went here multiple times too. 

Read More: Gluten Free Montreal – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

8. Paris, France

For a variety of reasons, Paris – and France more generally – is the place where I get the most questions in real life. Paris is on a lot of bucket lists, and people have dreams of gluten free baguettes and crepes at a cafe along the Seine. 

It’s also one of the most controversial destinations – gluten free or not – because people have such high expectations of Paris going in.

Here’s the thing – France is TERRIBLE for Celiacs… with exactly one (okay, two or three, but that’s not nearly as dramatic or impactful) exception. 

Paris. 

French food is a nightmare for Celiacs. Between the love of fresh bread, contaminated fryers, and flour added to basically every sauce, French food isn’t even a little Celiac-friendly. 

However, Paris is actually a pretty good gluten free city. But the one thing you’re not going to find is gluten free French food (aside from bread and pastries – more on that in a second). Which, depending on what you’re looking for, may or may not be something you’re excited about. 

Paris, like many big cities around the world, has plenty of gluten free options. So many, in fact, that you probably won’t be able to make it to all of the places you’re excited about on a 3-4 day trip. 

Here are our favorite gluten free spots in Paris. 

• Boulangerie Chambelland : “I would go back to Paris just for Chambelland” -Alysha. This place is the real deal. They’re experts at both bread AND pastries, and we would put Chambelland in our top three gluten free bakeries around the world. It’s near Canal St. Martin, which is a little bit of a detour, but it is WELL worth it. Every day, if you can swing it. 
• Little Nonna : This Italian pizza spot near the Arc de Triomphe rivaled the best gluten free pizzas we had in Italy. Of the many 100% gluten free pizza spots in Paris, this was by far our favorite, and makes a great dinner option near the Champs-Elysees. 
• Cococo : This is a 100% gluten free Japanese joint in Le Marais, and after visiting twice over the past two years, it’s easily the most fun I had eating in Paris. They do gluten free bento boxes, which means a small bite of a bunch of different things, including fried chicken (which is the star of the show, we think). It’s right in the center, perfect for a lunch before or after, say, the Louvre. 

Read More: Gluten Free Paris – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

7. Los Angeles, California

When you boil it down, there are two types of people in this world. Those that prefer the vibe and layout of San Francisco, and those that prefer the vibe and layout of Los Angeles. 

Full disclosure – we’re very much the former. We lived in San Francisco for nearly a decade, and it’s one of our favorite cities on the planet.

And we’ve gotten comments and emails from people on the other side of this perpetual debate calling us typical snotty Northern Californians.

The one thing that we absolutely cannot stand about Los Angeles is the fact that you HAVE to get in a car and drive 30+ minutes to go ANYWHERE. 

However, it is absolutely undeniable that the gluten free scene in L.A. is miles ahead of San Francisco and the broader Bay Area. L.A. has a (large) handful of great, innovative dedicated gluten free restaurants, along with a couple of the best gluten free bakeries on the west coast (according to us). 

Our feelings on L.A. as a city remain mixed, but we concede that as a gluten free travel destination, it deserves a spot on this list. 

Here are a few of our favorite gluten spots in Los Angeles. 

• The Gluten Free Bakeries! Los Angeles is #blessed with a handful of great gluten free bakeries, though you’ll have to spend hours in traffic trekking across the city to get to them all. Of the many options, Kirari West was probably our favorite because of the texture on their pastries (particularly croissants, which are hard to nail!). Modern Bread and Bagel (which we’ll talk about below again) also has a location here, and their bagels are out of this world (particularly the sandwiches). Wow Bakes is a wildcard – it’s a one person operation, and you’ll have to reach out in advance to see how to make it work, but her sourdough bagels and doughnuts are great!
• Ecco Un Poco : Authentic Italian gelato right in the heart of L.A., and everything is gluten free (yes, including the cones). Last time we were here, we had a pretty extensive conversation with the people who turned out to be the owners about sourcing Italian ingredients like hazelnuts and pistachios. Delicious!

Read More: Gluten Free Los Angeles – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

6. Florence, Italy

Florence, the capital of Tuscany, also belongs on this list. Matt spent a week in Tuscany with his mom for her 60th birthday recently, and fell in love with the rustic nature of Tuscany’s food. 

There’s something special about a cool evening spent with good conversation, red wine, and pappardelle al cinghale (a thick pasta with a wild boar ragù). 

Florence is definitely a different vibe than the more rural parts of Tuscany. It’s a compact city that is perpetually full of tourists, but if we’re talking on a per capita basis, it probably is the best gluten free food city in Italy. 

From bustling pizza spots to traditional Tuscan trattorias lit by candlelight, there’s a wide range of gluten free Italian options to enjoy in Florence. 

Here are our favorite places to eat in Florence. 

• Sgrano : A 100% gluten free spot a few blocks away from the Uffizi Gallery, there are three things to know here. First, the street it’s on – Via dei Neri – is known for schiacciata, a Tuscan flatbread sandwich. People line up for hours to get their hands on one of them around lunchtime. Sgrano offers that experience, but 100% gluten free! Second is the restaurant, which offers a more robust menu including pizza. Third is their new osteria a few blocks away, which is a good place to go for a sit down lunch or dinner. 
• Da Garibardi : This is a cozy trattoria in Florence’s historic center that focuses on Tuscan cuisine. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here, and would recommend it. Especially for the pappardelle alla cinghiale. 
• Bottega Artigiana del Gusto : It’s a bit of a journey to get here, but this cozy little gluten free bakery on the other side of the river is worth it. They have a wide range of sweet and savory pastries, including ready-to-eat flatbreads and pizzas and great gluten free bread. 

Read More: Gluten Free Florence – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

5. Barcelona, Spain

Spain, like Italy, is a great gluten free destination.

Like Italy, it’s partially because of the almighty tourist dollar – the scene is generally best in big tourist destinations like Madrid and Barcelona – but also because there are active Celiac associations operating in both of those cities that provide resources to both locals and visitors. 

In particular, we used the map of certified establishments created by the Associació Celíacs de Catalunya (Catalonia’s Celiac Association) to help us find a few places in our gluten free Barcelona guide . 

We went back and forth between Barcelona and Madrid, and which city has a better gluten free scene. Ultimately, they’re roughly equal, and many gluten free restaurants and bakeries have been expanding to include a location in both, which is an interesting wrinkle. 

Barcelona slightly edges out Madrid in terms of the number of really good gluten free bakeries, so we’re putting it near the top here. 

Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Barcelona. 

• Jansana : Our favorite of the many gluten free bakeries in Barcelona! The pastries are where they really shine, and we were lucky to have stayed basically around the corner from them on our first trip, so we visited early and often. 
• The Fish & Chips Shop : IMPORTANT – ONLY ONE LOCATION IS DEDICATED GLUTEN FREE ( THIS ONE ). Things we didn’t expect to find in Barcelona (or anywhere else in Spain): gluten free fish and chips. However, this place makes some really good fish and chips, along with a bunch of other fried goodness in a similar vein. Get the coleslaw! 
• Manioca : Brazilian tapioca crepes are another food group that we’re obsessed with, and this was a find that was facilitated by the map from the Associació Celíacs de Catalunya. Everything is gluten free, and the star of the show are the tapioca crepes, with the pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread made with tapioca) and patacones (fried plantains) as worthy sidekicks. 

Read More: Gluten Free Barcelona – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

4. Rome, Italy

I know what you’re thinking. Rome? Isn’t that the land of pizza, pasta, and all things gluten?

I know that because that’s exactly what I thought before I had ever been to Italy. 

Turns out, Italy is one of the best countries to visit with Celiac Disease, provided you know where to look (which is what we’re here for). They have an active Celiac Disease association (the AIC – Associazione Italiana Celiachia ) that helps educate and train restaurants on how to 

provide a safe gluten free meal when there’s all sorts of gluten flying around. 

For more on why we love Italy for gluten free travelers, head over to our guide to gluten free Italy . 

Essentially, we like Italy because their gluten free food culture is relatively inclusive. At restaurants that cater to gluten free folks, you get to eat basically the exact same menu including pizza and pasta, prepared separately and safely, versus getting a small choice of salads (which is common in the US and other places in Europe). 

But now, let’s talk specifically about Rome, which we think is probably the best gluten free city in Italy (you’ll also find another one on this list). 

Rome is undeniably charming and romantic, but it’s also a massive city. Which means it has a nearly unlimited number of restaurants. Including a bunch of restaurants that are set up to serve safe gluten free food. 

Roman cuisine is equal parts simple and delicious, which is somewhat counterintuitive because we think of Rome as this rich, historic place. Which is true, for a small subset of Romans.

The vast majority of Romans a couple of thousand years ago were relatively poor, making do with simpler, cheaper ingredients. 

The four Roman pastas – carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and pasta alla gricia – are all made of similar ingredients with small twists that differentiate them from one another.

We like amatriciana (the only tomato-based sauce) and carbonara (which should NOT have cream in it). 

• Mama Eat / Mama Eat Lab: While not 100% gluten free, Mama Eat is a pioneer in the gluten free dining scene because they take serving Celiacs so seriously (at least partially because the owner’s daughter is a Celiac). Separate kitchens, separate equipment, separate staff. They do it right. The result is safe, delicious Italian food with a focus on Roman cuisine. Get the amatriciana (a tomato-based Roman sauce) and the pizza, whose crust is the best we had in Rome. The original location is in Trastevere, and Mama Eat Lab is a few blocks from the Vatican (great option for lunch post-Vatican). 
• Le Altre Farina del Mulino : There are a few 100% gluten free bakeries in Rome, and this one is our favorite. Mornings bring cornetti con crema di Pistacchio (our favorite), while lunchtime brings pizza al taglio (pizza by the square slice, a Roman specialty) and other savory lunch items. 
• All the 100% gluten free gelato shops: If you’re in Italy and you’re NOT doing a gelato a day, we’d argue that you’re doing it wrong. Luckily, while normal gelato shops are a bit of a minefield of cross-contamination, there are at least three great 100% gluten free gelato shops in Rome, all right there in the city center. We love Grom , which has locations all over Italy and the rest of Europe (the gelato is really good), but Fatamorgana (near Piazza Navona or in Monti) and Fiocco di Neve (near the Pantheon) are also great options. All three are gluten free, including the cones. 
• El Maìz : As we’ve already covered, we love arepas, particularly the Venezuelan version which is stuffed like a sandwich. Who would have thought we’d find a 100% gluten free arepa spot in Rome? It’s in Prati, near the Vatican, and it’s well worth a visit for something a little different than Italian food. 

Read More: Gluten Free Rome – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

3. London, United Kingdom

Ah, London. Coming in at second in our gluten free city ranking is one of the best cities in the world, gluten free options aside.

It’s massive. It’s diverse. There’s a nearly unlimited number of things to do and see. And there’s a great selection of gluten free restaurants and bakeries. 

A few years ago, we took an impromptu two week trip to London in the springtime with plans to get out of the city into the broader U.K. for a few day trips. 

By the time the two week mark rolled around, we realized that we still had things that we wanted to do, see, and eat, and we never quite got around to leaving the city. 

Putting the lack of a language barrier aside, the pure volume of gluten free restaurants in London means it has to be somewhere on this list, and it’s the quality and diversity that really brings it up near the top of the rankings. 

We ate almost every single meal out over those two weeks, from street food (arepas!) to sit down restaurants (almost all were 100% gluten free), and barely made it to all the places we wanted to eat. 

Here are some of our favorite places to eat in London. 

• Pabellón : Excellent Venezuelan-style arepas – we walked a couple miles along the Thames to get here one last time before leaving London on our 2022 trip. It’s that good! 
• Niche : Our favorite sit down meal at a dedicated gluten free restaurant in London, Niche is excellent. We enjoyed the parmesan cheddar doughnuts and the pot pie (the fillings change seasonally). I have plans to make it back here for a Sunday roast on my next trip later in 2024. 
• Ceru : Our favorite gluten free meal in London! Although it’s not dedicated gluten free, the vast majority of the menu is gluten free (watch out for the pita bread, which is not gluten free). The sides changed our lives, introducing us to the pleasure that is oven roasted parsnips and polenta fries. 

Read More: Gluten Free London – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

2. New York City

If you’ve spent any time reading our guides, you probably already know that we’re very much city people. But New York City is A LOT, even for us.

Coming from cities like San Francisco and Seattle (and now Portland), where we’re used to a small downtown core with big buildings, it still impresses us that basically all of Manhattan is more than five stories tall.  

However, that “a lot” has plenty of benefits, one of them being the diversity and volume of people. And a big, diverse population usually means there is great food to be had! 

New York City probably wins as the best gluten free food city in the United States by volume. We still think – SPOILER ALERT – Portland is better on a per-capita basis, but in terms of the total number of safe gluten free spots, New York City is hard to beat. 

From gluten free bakeries with some of the best gluten free bagels we’ve ever had to 100% gluten free sushi spots and, of course, really good Italian food, New York City is a delight for gluten free foodies. 

Here are some of our favorite spots in New York City (there are way too many to list here, so read the full guide for more. 

• Modern Bread and Bagel : We’ve already mentioned one of our favorite gluten free bakeries in the world ( Chambelland ), this place also deserves a spot on the top three list for the bagels alone, which are pretty solidly the best gluten free bagels we’ve ever had, but also the rest of the baked goods. 
• Keste Pizza e Vino : In a city full of pizza, it’s actually kind of hard to find a good gluten free pizza in New York City. Enter Keste, which is our favorite of the few options in the city. One thing to keep in mind: they use gluten free wheat starch, which we’d consider safe for Celiacs (provided it’s labeled gluten free, which the one they use is) but NOT safe for people with a wheat allergy.
• Nami Nori : You know what we love? Places that make it fun to eat. Nami Nori is all about the temaki, a specific kind of sushi hand rolls. Their rolls are kind of like a taco, but sushi. The interior is nice, and we’d sit at the bar if we were to do it again to watch the artists create their little masterpieces. They now have three locations – the original in the West Village, plus Williamsbury and Montclair, NJ. 

Read More: Gluten Free New York City – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

1. Portland, Oregon

Listen, we’re almost certainly biased here given the fact that we moved to Portland a few years ago, with the excellent gluten free food scene (not to mention the great gluten free beer and cider scenes) playing a major role in that decision. 

We love to eat. More specifically, we love to try a lot of different types of food.

And if you’re a gluten free foodie, we strongly believe that Portland is the best city in the world for eating a wide variety of gluten free foods, from Burmese to Indian to Colombian, and just about everything else you could possibly think of. 

We have a few hypotheses for why Portland is at the top of the list in terms of gluten free food (and, we’d argue, food in general).

Our favorite – and the one we spend the most time discussing amongst ourselves and with friends and family – is the food truck to restaurant pipeline. 

For whatever reason, Portland has a very established food truck culture that has become famous. That thriving food truck scene has opened up a relatively low cost option for purveyors who are looking to try something a little different. 

Combine that expanded opportunity with the lower cost of living than other cities on the west coast like Seattle and San Francisco, and you have a fertile breeding ground for innovation in Portland’s food scene. 

There are countless examples of this phenomenon in the Portland food scene. Some of the city’s most famous restaurants today (Fried Egg I’m in Love, for example) started as food trucks, and have slowly expanded into brick-and-mortar. 

Portland is a great food city, gluten free or not, and you can spend a whole lifetime eating and drinking your way through the city and never run out of new and exciting things to eat. 

That’s our plan, anyway. 

Here are our favorite spots in the city. 

• New Cascadia Traditional : I think it’s rare to find a gluten free bakery that excels in both pastries and baked goods like bread, bagels, and pizza crust. Most of the time, with a few exceptions (many of which are in this guide), usually you’ll find that bakeries tend to specialize in one or the other. New Cascadia’s specialty is their breads. Their Farmhouse bread is our go to gluten free bread, and their bagels and pizza crust are also divine. That’s not to say their pastries aren’t good – their maple bars are excellent – but they really shine in the bread department. Go when they have their pizza oven going and you can get their pizza hot straight out of the oven!
• Groundbreaker Brewing and Mutantis : Two of the top five gluten free breweries in the country are a short drive apart from one another, and they’re both worth a visit if you’re into gluten free beer. And we do mean gluten free – meaning made with gluten free ingredients in a dedicated gluten free brewery – none of the gluten-reduced stuff that has made Matt sick many, many times. Both have a good gluten free food option onsite too (Groundbreaker has Salvi PDX , whose pupusas are a great companion to a beer). Mutantis has…
• Honey Butter Country Fare : A few years back, Honey Butter Country Fare was located up near Mississippi Ave, a few blocks from where we lived. We would go here once every other week or so, and it was a magical time to be gluten free and alive. Their specialty is gluten free fair food, like corn dogs, funnel cakes, and fried Oreos (but not real Oreos, because oats). Now it’s right outside of Mutantis in Northeast Portland, which is perhaps the best 1-2 gluten free punch in the city right now. 
• Kann : The most hyped restaurant in Portland history? Seriously, there was a full court PR press happening when Kann opened a few years ago, and we managed to snag a hard-to-come-by table one night by showing up at opening and waiting an hour or so. The food is Haitian cuisine with Pacific Northwest ingredients, and we’ve been twice now and would happily go a third time if we had a reason (and fourth, and fifth). This is probably the best place for a gluten free sit down meal in Portland (though it depends on what you’re looking for). Everything is gluten free and dairy free, including the desserts. Order the cauliflower, if they have it. 
• Berlu Bakery : Portland is blessed with a bunch of great gluten free bakeries, but this is by far the most unique. They make gluten and dairy free Vietnamese pastries every weekend (pre-order by Wednesday if you want the best selection!). Our favorites are Bánh Khoai Mì Nướng (a cassava root cake with seasonal fruit) and the mango or kiwi roll, if they have it. Their savory noodle soups are also excellent, and are a recent discovery of ours that we look forward to every time we order (which is about every other week, depending on whether we’re around or not). 

Read More: Gluten Free Portland – A Complete Guide for Celiacs

Matt is the founder and main writer behind Wheatless Wanderlust, which he started back in 2018 as a way to share his gluten free travel guides with his fellow Celiac travelers.

Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up.

He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip.

Hi Matt GF in Slovenia is easy and coeliac disease is well known. There may be issues with fried foods and potential cross contamination. Some dishes are prepared using flour as a base.

Vietnam is easy as well, with rice being the base grain for most meals, either as rice noodles or rice grain. The cuisine does not use soy, rather fish sauce which is naturally GF. Obviously, fried foods are no go, but it depends if rice flour or normal flour is used. Soup is fresh and most are clear of gluten.

Two easy places fir coeliacs to travel

Croatia and Slovenia were incredible food spots for myself (Celiac) and my SO (lactose intolerant) everywhere we went, people helped us find things on the menus and while there aren’t a bunch of dedicated GF places, we never had an issue, we just told them and they said “no problem” and brought us delicious food. We also ventured to our first Michelin star restaurant in Rovinj, Croatia (Monte) highly recommend!

Slovenia was on our list for last year before we had to postpone indefinitely! I totally didn’t know about that spot in Rovinj – I’ll have to add it to our list. We’ll make it to both of those places at some point, it’s a matter of when not if. Thanks for your comment!

If you haven’t been to San Diego recently, it’s great! Citywide, most restaurants are mindful of the GF diet. Little Italy has some of our best restaurants in the city and they all have gluten free options and menus! Even our dim sum spot has a GF menu. Overall, I think it’s easier & safer to eat than LA, because LA only has some areas & then the hipster restaurants.

We sure have! Loved San Diego – particularly the Boston Cream Pie donut we had at the Gluten Free Baking Co.

My husband and two kiddos have celiac. We just returned from a trip to Costa Rica and were thrilled with all of the GF options. We found a lot of GF food (pasta, cereal, crackers, etc.) in the grocery store, and a lot of restaurants had the GF symbol next to menu options. It was fantastic!

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14 Best Destinations for Gluten-Free Travel (and Where to Eat)

Written by Becca

Updated on May 13th, 2024

Is it easy to find gluten free places to eat when you travel? We have a list of some of the best and worst countries for celiacs and eating gluten-free food.

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Table of contents

• Mexico (Mexico City and more)
• New York City
• Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City & Hoi An)
• Guatemala (Antigua)
• Canada (Vancouver & Nova Scotia)
• Estonia (Tallinn)
• Israel (Tel Aviv & Jerusalem)
• Sri Lanka (Kandy & Ella)
• Italy (Milan, Florence, Rome & Naples)
• The Netherlands (Amsterdam & Rotterdam)
• Costa Rica (San Jose, Monteverde & Santa Elena)
• Peru (Lima & Cusco)
• India (Mumbai & Kerala)

I found out that I had celiac disease in 2005. While not being able to eat gluten is hard, I did not let it stop me from seeing the world. I’ve been traveling on six continents on my own since 2009, and I’ve eaten a lot of amazing GF foods!

I’ve had a few challenges while traveling around the world in some countries that were not at all friendly to gluten-free travelers. But I’ve had some excellent experiences in countries that were awesome for gluten-free travel, and I want to tell you about those.

Let’s see the travel destinations that have been easiest for eating gluten-free. I’ll tell you about where I ate, too. Read on!

Key takeaways for gluten-free travel around the world:

• Latin American countries that have corn-based cuisines like Mexico and Guatemala are good for gluten-free travel.
• Countries in Western Europe often have well-marked menus and English is widely spoken.
• Rice-based cuisines in Vietnam, the south of India and Sri Lanka are good for gluten-free diets.
• Mediterranean countries like Israel have food with lots of fresh vegetables, dairy and meat.

Mexico (Mexico City and more)

Mexico is the best gluten-free destination for my travels as a celiac. Visitors to CDMX should visit my guide to eating gluten-free in Mexico City to check out the specifics!

The gluten-free nature of Mexican cuisine allows me to order great food from an authentic restaurant and be pretty sure that I don’t have to ask for any alterations or substitutions to the meal. The food in Mexico is based on a lot of corn products (tortillas, tamales, tostadas and totopos). For this reason, I eat so much in Mexico!

If you’re interested in going around Mexico City with a local guide, a food tour is great for that. We took one of CDMX’s best food tours, and our guide double-checked with every vendor on the tour to make sure something gluten-free could be made for me. It was so kind! To learn more, you can visit my review of the Eat Like a Local Food Tour .

Here are my favorite things to eat in Mexico: I look for all of these items on a menu to determine if I can eat a restaurant I see!

• Tacos al pastor These tacos are made with corn tortillas (it helps to check, as, on rare occasions, tacos might be made with wheat tortillas) and have meat and sometimes pineapple. They’re always served with cilantro and raw onions. They’re typically dairy-free as well.
• Enchiladas : Enchiladas are corn tortillas bathed in salsa and have a filling of chicken, beef or cheese. I usually add extra hot sauce.
• Chilaquiles : Chilaquiles, which I ‘discovered’ in Mexico, are strips of corn tortillas in a bath of salsa (my dream come true!) and have either chicken or cheese on top.
• Tacos de canasta These are tiny little tacos that sit in a ‘canasta,’ or basket, all day until they’re sold. Typically these will be sold from breakfast time until after lunch, or whenever the vendor sells his entire supply of tacos de canasta. They’re usually served cold and filled with potato, beans or meat.
• Tamales : Tamales are corn flour steamed in big leaves and usually have a small filling of chicken, beef or cheese. To find out the filling, you have to ask the vendor, so speaking some Spanish or using Google Translate will be crucial!
• Totopos : This is the way to say “tortilla chips” in Mexico. They are served in many restaurants, just like you’d find them at home, with salsa or guacamole.
• Tostadas : I ate the famous tostadas at the Mercado de Coyoacan’s tostada vendors. Tostadas are toasted (rather than fried) thin corn tortillas, and will have toppings on them for a complete meal.

If you don’t speak Spanish, I suggest getting a pocket-size Spanish-English travel dictionary for your trip, like this Lonely Planet phrasebook to help point out your allergies and learn about food words.

New York City

I can’t believe the best answer for a gluten-free travel destination was right under my nose, this whole time! As someone who has lived in NYC for a decade, I always recommend NYC to friends who have gluten-free diets.

I think what makes NYC such a great gluten-free eating place to go is that you can find any type of food in the world in NYC. When I go out to eat, I typically opt for Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Indian or salad/health food. NYC is also home to several 100% gluten-free restaurants that are attractive for celiac travelers.

I would call NYC the #1 most gluten-free-friendly destination in the entire country, due to the sheer amount of restaurants. There are so many restaurants in NYC that I typically don’t have to go far to get something gluten-free, whether street food (Halal cart!), fast casual (CAVA!) or a sit-down restaurant.

While there are of course many, many places to dine out with gluten-free food in NYC, here are a few of my personal favorite restaurants:

• CAVA : I recommend CAVA a lot of the time in Facebook forums for gluten-free travel groups. CAVA has clear menu markings in regard to gluten and dairy, and I always get a “grains & greens” bowl with chicken, spicy harissa, olives, Israeli salad and more. There are several locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Find the NYC locations .
• By the Way Bakery : My old roommate once got me a birthday cake from By the Way Bakery and it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. It’s a totally gluten-free and dairy-free establishment in the NY area. Amazing! See the goodies at the website .
• The Little Beet : I’m into the fast-casual dining scene, as you can tell (I’m always on the go!) and The Little Beet makes some delicious food for sitting down or takeaway. You can see a “full ingredient list” which helps find out what exactly is in a dish before you order.
• Tacombi : Dan and I used to go to the Fort Greene location of Tacombi while living in Brooklyn! I’d always get tacos, and never had any issues with glutening at this location or others. There are quite a few locations of Tacombi, so check out the website .
• National : This Thai restaurant (a sister restaurant to Joya) never failed me for gluten-free curry or Pad Thai. A lot of Thai restaurants in NYC can do a gluten-free curry. Either the menu will be labeled, or you can ask! Here’s the website menu .
• WILD : This Park Slope (Brooklyn) restaurant is 100% gluten-free and they make pizzas to die for! I like sitting down for a cocktail, too. Follow the Instagram .
• Bakeries at “Greenmarkets” : I’ve had gluten-free baked goods from vendors at the “greenmarkets” in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, as well as on the Upper West Side. Just keep your eyes peeled and look at ingredient labels! You may find hidden gems.

Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City & Hoi An)

Vietnam is the easiest place for gluten-free travel in Asia. I would be the expert to tell you that, as a gluten-free person who lived in Asia for 2.5 years! I’ve traveled to 15 countries in Asia, and Vietnam is the best for being gluten-free.

As a gluten-free traveler both my times in Vietnam, I ate a LOT of pho. Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup, and it is delicious, fragrant and filling, as well as gluten-free. The pho noodle is made completely of rice!

If you are a gluten-free traveler and you happen to love pho (note that it’s hard to get the vegan type, as most of the broths will be beef-based), you can try it from a ton of restaurants in Hanoi . It’s great to try the different flavors and styles at all the restaurants if you love it like I do.

More celiac-safe gluten-free foods in Vietnamese cuisine are vermicelli (round tubular thin rice noodles), ‘bun’ noodles (wider rice noodles) and noodles made of mung bean (glass noodles). Things to note are that the yellow noodles (“mee”) are made of wheat. Avoid those!

Other gluten enemies in Vietnam soy sauce and banh mi (baguette sandwiches). But, fish sauce and shrimp paste (two items that tend to give Vietnamese food its flavors) are OK. To see where I ate in Vietnam, check my Hanoi travel guide for starters.

My favorite Vietnamese dishes for a gluten-free diet are:

• pho ga (chicken pho)
• pho bo (beef pho)
• bun bo (cold bun noodles with beef)
• bun cha (rice noodles with pork. It’s still debatable how it’s made, but by looking up authentic recipes, few called for soy sauce.)

If you’re serious about traveling to this part of Asia, see my tips on how to plan a trip to Vietnam . My last tip is to get a pocket-size Vietnamese phrasebook , which I had on my first trip to Vietnam. It helped me point out foods in markets and talk to restaurant staff.

Guatemala (Antigua)

I’ve been to Guatemala twice, and having done it gluten-free the first time, I was not worried about going back again.

Guatemalan cuisine is heavy on corn, as well as eggs, chiles, salsas, meat and avocados. (I should note that the coffee is also excellent, and it’s why I wrote this Antigua coffeeshop guide .

I think what you’ll like about traveling in Guatemala as a gluten-free traveler is that the tortillas are not like Mexican tortillas (the tortillas you’d find in stores all over the world). Guatemalan tortillas (made of corn, and gluten-free!) are dense, thick and chewy. I think they are delightful.

In cities like Antigua, which is very much on the “tourist map” and very hospitable to foreigners, you’ll find some international food in addition to Guatemalan food. I enjoyed going to a taco restaurant (twice) and I liked getting a salad for takeout (with some modifications) from the cafe 12 Onzas.

Keep in mind that my options are more limited than the regular gluten-free traveler because I am also dairy-free and soy/bean-free.

Here’s where I ate in Antigua, and where you should try if you book a trip to this great gluten-free travel destination:

• 12 Onzas : This modern and Insta-worthy cafe has a healthy menu that I found easy to navigate. I had a salad with grilled chicken and got it to go!
• Pitaya Cocina Saludable : This healthy cafe has salads, smoothies, juices and a quinoa bowl on the menu for GF diners.
• Cafe Sky : I’ve been to this cafe and bar on both my Antigua trips: once for brunch, and once for appetizers and drinks. I can recommend the full
• Cafe Condesa : This cafe has some standard Guatemalan lunch fare. I was happy to have a tortilla with a fried egg, potatoes and fruit.
• Ta’Cool Taco Shop : I ate dinner at this modern taco shop and it was delicious! It was easy to navigate what was gluten-free (for me).
• La Taquiza Antigua : This simple taco joint was good for a gluten-free meal.
• Finca La Azotea (cafe) : We took a tour of this coffee farm, and at the end, had an awesome meal at the on-site restaurant. The staff was very personable and listened when I mentioned my allergies. There are chilaquiles, omelets and the Desayuno Chapin.

If you’re interested in a trip to Guatemala for your next gluten-free vacation, head to my Antigua, Guatemala, travel guide .

Canada (Vancouver & Nova Scotia)

Canada on the whole is hard to generalize, but chances are that you’re traveling to a few Canadian travel hot spots: Vancouver , Banff National Park, Toronto, Montreal or Halifax , Nova Scotia.

During my trip to Halifax and some other nearby parts of Nova Scotia, I was blown away by how gluten-free-friendly the restaurants downtown were! Every server knew about gluten allergies, and I was able to look at menus from my phone before sitting down anywhere, choosing to opt for restaurants with clear labels of GF as well as DF, for my dairy intolerance.

For traveling to Toronto, Montreal, Banff and Vancouver: these cities rate highly in terms of being friendly for gluten-free travelers and celiacs alike!

Keep in mind that in coastal Canadian cities like Vancouver and Halifax, there is a lot of seafood. Watch out for menu items like fried fish, fries, battered fish or fish that may have come into contact with breadcrumbs or Panko. If you eat shrimp, seafood, lobster, mussels and oysters, you’re probably in luck because these are typically prepared without breading.

I enjoyed a GF shrimp gazpacho and GF shrimp pasta, and there were usually options for adding baked salmon or smoked salmon to any salad.

As an example of how many restaurants in major Canadian cities cater to gluten-free diets, you can see these recommendations I have for a trip to Halifax:

• Bar Sofia : This trendy Latin restaurant has some Mexican as well as Argentine-themed dishes. Our server said most menu items could be prepared gluten-free and she was not kidding! I had the swordfish ceviche as a starter, and chimichurri chicken as a main. Here’s the menu .
• Darya : I looked at the Darya menu online and knew I had to go. It’s labeled with DF, GF, V and VE (vegan), which made it super easy for someone like me with both the gluten- and dairy-free requirements. I enjoyed a spread of three appetizers: the house-pickled vegetables, a side of mixed olives and braised green beans. The menu was overwhelming with gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian items.
• The Daily Grind : At this full-service cafe and coffeeshop , I was able to get a vegan smoothie (gluten-free of course), an oat milk latte (twice), the gluten-free house omelet and a fresh orange juice.
• Peace by Chocolate : Behold the treats! For celiac travelers into chocolate, try Peace by Chocolate . I ate a vegan gluten-free house-made peanut butter cup (amazing). If you’re not allergic to dairy, you can seek out your favorite chocolate bar, as most are milk chocolates.

Estonia (Tallinn)

Estonia is a relaxing place to travel, and English is widely spoken in the cities.

While Estonia’s cuisine is indeed true to the Northern Europe types, focused on breads of wheat and rye, meat and game, dairy products and cold-water fishes, I was delighted to find that Tallinn (the capital city) has a very health-first approach in many new coffee shops and cafes , along with restaurants.

Asking for something vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free is almost normal, which was impressive. There are lots of new healthy cafes offering modern takes on traditional Estonian food, and farm-to-table goodness.

Here are a few places to eat, where staff speaks great English and where veganism and gluten-free-ism are welcomed:

• Rock, Paper, Scissors (Kivi Paber Käärid) This funky gluten-free restaurant is located in Telliskivi and it’s the first (and “best,” according to the website ) gluten-free restaurant in the country. All food items on the menu at this restaurant is also labeled with vegan options, casein-free options and lactose-free options. Dishes on the menu like salmon tartare, creamy chorizo pasta, slow-cooked beef cheeks and a spicy rice noodle salad may make you want to eat here twice. Visit the Instagram .
• Must Puudel : Known for gluten-free-friendly meals, along with lactose-free, vegan, vegetarian and health food in a cool retro atmosphere. Also laptop-friendly, although the WiFi was not super strong. Check out their Facebook page .
• NOP : Take one look at NOP’s photos of food and you’ll be sold on this farm-to-table health-conscious eatery that also has a small health food market inside. Every item is marked with vegan/gluten-free/lactose-free markings so that you can eat with no stress. See the website .

For cafe lovers, I put together a list of the best cafes in Tallinn , and for any visitor, check out my list of what to do in Tallinn on your trip.

Israel (Tel Aviv & Jerusalem)

On my four trips to Israel , I’ve been delighted to see that servers in restaurants ‘get it’ when it comes to allergies and food intolerances. Many Israeli foods (not all, but many) are naturally gluten-free, and the Mediterranean cuisine is to thank.

A few excellent gluten-free Israeli foods to try are…

• Shawarma : Shawarma is meat that is fired on a rotating rotisserie, and it’ll be either lamb, beef or shawarma. Sometimes you can order ‘Shawarma mix’ which will be a combo of the designated meats that the restaurant has. If you get ‘chips,’ this is French fries, but you can ask if they’re fried alone (if fried with other items, the fries are likely glutened.)
• Shakshuka : This Middle-Eastern delicacy is a stew of spiced tomatoes and onions with baked eggs on top. Often, there’s a beautiful garnish of herbs. Shakshuka is usually served with bread, but you can ask for no bread, and note that you are gluten-free. Maybe the restaurant has gluten-free bread!
• Salads : Israel is famous for salads, which are all kinds of pickled vegetables or fresh vegetables with herbs. My favorites are anything pickled, as well as Israeli salad (cucumbers and tomatoes with herbs).
• Dairy : If you eat dairy, try Israeli yogurts and cheeses! Before I went dairy-free, these were some great things I liked in Israel.

At most shawarma and falafel eateries, you can treat yourself to a whole buffet of pickled vegetable toppings… all included in what you paid. This is one of the best parts about dining in Israel!

If you’re thinking of an Israel trip, start with my Tel Aviv city guide and Jerusalem local travel guide .

Travel in Colombia is enlightening and exciting, which is why I’ve gone there three times! Colombia has many types of cuisines due to being so large. When I think of eating gluten-free in Colombia, I think of ‘bandeja paisa’ and arepas, and all the tropical fruits and smoothies.

Arepas are the national hot cake of Colombia, and they’re always made of corn by definition. Curious about how arepas are made? Check out this recipe from My Colombian Recipes .

Even though no one in Colombia really knew what gluten was (and I don’t expect people around the world to have heard the word), I was able to explain in Colombia that I had an allergy to ‘productos de trigo’ (wheat products). I stuck to safe foods made of rice and corn.

Finally, on my third trip to Colombia, I learned that empanadas in Colombia can be made from 100% corn (delicious… but do try to check as best you can by asking the vendor in Spanish or finding out from the restaurant kitchen if it’s completely corn-based, or not).

In the Cartagena region, you can enjoy ceviche or other seafood dishes like grilled fish. Due to Cartagena being so popular with North American tourists these days, gluten-free food is increasingly easier to come by.

In the Medellin region, opt for the famous ‘bandeja paisa,’ which will present you with a loaded plate of things like avocado, grilled plantain, white rice, a fried egg, sausage (maybe not GF), a thin piece of steak or chicken (depending on which bandeja you ordered) and an arepa, which will be a dry corn cake (gluten-free!).

For a trip to Medellin, gluten-free travelers can eat at:

• El Trompo: Modern Colombian food drawing from many parts of the country’s resources. See photos of the food at the Instagram .
• Mondongo’s : This famous mainstay is kind of like a Colombian diner — Colombian comfort food, ‘paisa’ style. Find it on TripAdvisor .
• Criminal Taqueria : I have been to Criminal Taqueria for tacos multiple times, and I’d recommend it to any gluten-free visitor in Medellin. You can visit the restaurant’s Instagram .
• Burdo : This trendy restaurant and bar has a splendid brunch and great staff (I got tacos, corn tortillas and all! No gluten). See the pretty Burdo Instagram .

If you plan to visit Medellin, look no further than my Medellin travel guide for some tips, and bookmark the list of the best restaurants in Medellin , where I ate gluten-free every single day!

Sri Lanka (Kandy & Ella)

Traveling in Sri Lanka is such a great surprise. I knew some things about tropical and coconut-based food, but the true pleasure was eating Sri Lankan food all over the country.

Sri Lankan cuisine focuses on rice, and that is a great thing for me as a gluten-free traveler. This is a gluten-free destination that I highly recommend!

Most foods in Sri Lankan cuisine have rice and coconut oil (great for lactose intolerance). Curries are made with coconut milk and coconut oil, and served with rice.

The best Sri Lankan gluten-free foods I found were:

• String hoppers : flat pancakes made from rice noodles
• Pittu : rice flour mixed with coconut and served in a conical shape
• Curry : Sri Lankan curry usually has chicken as its protein, and no gluten nor dairy ingredients among the spices, coconut milk, oil and vegetables.
• Tropical fruit : The best treat for breakfast and dessert was juicy pineapple, mangoes, passion fruit, watermelon and bananas.
• Sambol : This is a special side dish and comfort food made of coconut, onion, lime and chilis. Wow, it’s perfect! (Want to see how it’s made? Check out this recipe .)

There are some things to watch out for, though: roti (Indian bead) and kottu (chopped wheat noodles, stir-fried). These are not gluten-free in Sri Lankan cuisine. I think it is also worth noting that in smaller establishments, minimal English is spoken, and it will be important to have a translation in the Sinhala language for “I cannot eat wheat/flour ingredients.”

If you don’t get a translation card, you can use your phone.

Italy (Milan, Florence, Rome & Naples)

For me, the first thing that comes to mind about Italy is pizza. And as we all know, pizza is made purely of gluten-containing dough. Is gluten-free eating in Italy possible?

I spoke with Catalin, an American living in Florence. She was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2016 and has since become the founder of The Celiac in Italy . Catalin consults clients on traveling safely in Italy with celiac disease, hosts gluten free culinary experiences in Florence, and is an English- and Italian-speaking resource/content creator for all things gluten-free Italy. Wow!

Catalin (who has a cool Instagram ) says, “It’s no secret that Italy is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to gluten free options. Though it may seem counterintuitive with so much of the cuisine centering around gluten-filled delights, Italians have gone out of their way to make sure the gluten-free counterparts are just as accessible.”

As an American celiac who moved to Italy a few years into her diagnosis, she can confidently say that the awareness and understanding of the severity of a celiac diagnosis in Italy is unlike any other place she has visited.

Italy even has the Italian Celiac Association (Associazione Italiana Celiachia-AiC) which, among other things, offers a certification program for restaurants to learn about celiac disease, gluten-free menu options and best practices in the kitchen for avoiding cross-contact.

“All this to say that celiacs can rest assured that a trip to Italy will be a piece of gluten free cake,” Catalin says. “Though you don’t need to speak fluent Italian to safely navigate the cuisine, it is important to have a few Italian words in your back pocket.” And here they are:

• “I am a celiac” = “Sono celiaco/a”
• “Celiac disease” = “Celiachia”
• “Gluten free” = “Senza glutine”

Catalin is a firm believer that all celiacs should have the opportunity to visit Italy and enjoy the food. Here are her favorite spots:

Mama Eat (Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples)

Mama Eat is a delicious restaurant with six locations across the country, and it features a large menu of Southern Italian classics. It is certified by the AiC and known for having a dedicated gluten-free kitchen in each restaurant. The chef, Mama Marcella, is a celiac herself and has committed her career to making sure all celiacs feel welcome at the table. When you visit, Catalin recommends ordering the “A genoves” or “A amatriciana.”

Quinoa (Florence)

As the first 100% gluten free restaurant to open in Florence, Quinoa remains one of the most popular dedicated gluten-free spots in the city. The menu is a blend of traditional Italian and Asian cuisine. That’s right, Pad Thai and Bolognese are neighbors on the “primi” page. This is one of Catalin’s favorite local spots.

Risotteria Melotti (Isola della Scala, Florence, Rome)

This is a 100% gluten-free risotto restaurant with three locations in Italy. The Melotti family didn’t intentionally set out to open a gluten free restaurant; they were simply focused on growing rice and making risotto (which hails from their home region, Veneto), and later decided to lean into this naturally gluten-free tradition. The menu is always changing with the seasons.

The Netherlands (Amsterdam & Rotterdam)

As a health-first and forward-thinking modern European nation, the Netherlands is a great place to be gluten-free.

It’s not because the cuisine itself is gluten-friendly, as it’s not (heavy on bread), but it’s because people will understand what you want and there’s a wide range of international cuisines available, along with health-conscious shops and eateries, at least in Amsterdam and Rotterdam .

In nicer restaurants (figure a sit-down establishment rather than a grab’n’go), main dishes will consist of poultry, meat or fish, with sides of vegetables, and this is the route I took in order to have some grilled or roasted GF protein.

Eat gluten-free food in Amsterdam and Rotterdam at these places I tried!

• Fenix Food Factory, Rotterdam : A Rotterdam staple for locals and visitors, this revamped space is now a trendy indoor market with vendors selling international cuisine, health food, cheese, cider and coffee. Visit the Facebook page .
• STACH Food, Amsterdam : This Amsterdam-prepared goods store has several locations in the city and is a spot for picking up coffee, gluten-free snacks and healthy drinks. Visit the website .
• Anne & Max, Amsterdam : This fresh and health-focused brunch restaurant has a full menu of breakfast and lunch foods. Make sure to check out the menu, which notes gluten-free dessert options! See the website and menu .

Costa Rica (San Jose, Monteverde & Santa Elena)

Costa Rican food is Central American, so it’s pretty simple and focused on rice and beans. At a ‘soda,’ or a Costa Rican bodega/diner, you can get “casados:” rice, beans, fried egg, corn tortilla, plantain and sour cream or cheese. This is a typical meal in Costa Rica and it’s great for my gluten-free diet! Unless there’s a wheat tortilla, you’ll almost always be in the clear for gluten sensitivities.

If you have questions, you can say, “Tengo alergia grave de harina y productos de trigo.” (“I have a grave allergy to flour and wheat products.”)

In Costa Rica, I also recommend trying the local fruits. One thing you can count on to be gluten-free during your travels is amazing fruits and vegetables! In Costa Rica, a few I recommend for being wonderful and sweet are: pitahaya (dragonfruit), guayaba (guava), mango, papaya, passion fruit and granadilla, starfruit and bananas!

Peru (Lima & Cusco)

Peru, somewhere I’ve been twice (and spent an entire month!) was good for eating gluten-free because of one thing (among others): ceviche .

The national dish of fish marinated in lime juice, accompanied by camote (sweet potato), choclo (big corn) and onions is 100% gluten-free, and is sometimes made of shrimp as well.

A big plus for Peruvian cuisine is that potato is a big part of the national food dishes. When I was in Lima for four weeks, I went to a Peruvian cooking event where I learned that the country has more than a thousand types of potato types. Can you imagine?

This being said, there are a few Pervuian foods to avoid, as well as some to be very wary of, as a gluten-free traveler. AVOID fried items, as fryers will often be shared with fried things like chicken and seafood that are coated in potential wheat products. Also, avoid things like the other nationally-famous dish lomo saltado, which is made with soy sauce (not safe for celiacs or gluten allergies!).

There is a lot of fast food in Peru, and that means fried food, cross-contamination and sauces that may contain wheat. When possible, opt for fresh food and avoid foods with dark sauces. While in Peru, I mostly ate out at health food restaurants or ate fish and seafood, including ceviche, while being able to ask in Spanish about ingredients.

_My best advice is to go to Peru armed with the Spanish version of letting restaurants know about your allergies to gluten, or helping you eat something safe. A resource for Lima is Find Me Gluten-Free: Miraflores (Lima) and Find Me Gluten-Free: Cusco .

India (Mumbai & Kerala)

India is a massive country, and I’ve been to two distinct regions there (the Mumbai area, and Kerala province, in the southwest). As India is diverse, some regions are better for eating GF than others. In general, India stretches from the very northern and ‘wheaty’ region near the Himalayas and closer to Everest, all the way to the tropical ‘rice-based’ areas that get tropical in the south.

Which region of India is best for gluten-free?

In general, cuisines in the tropics have more rice, due to how it grows best. Regions closer to higher altitudes will have more wheat and cheese. This is what my experience has shown me all over the world!

Foods in the south of India (Kerala province) are pretty gluten-free friendly, similar to Sri Lanka. Rice is served at most meals, or at least always an option. Curries are made from coconut milk and heavier curries have dairy milk.

In the middle of the country, food options will mostly always be vegetables simmered in curries or sauces or yogurts. You will usually be able to eat rice wherever you go.

Is street food in India gluten-free?

The danger for gluten-free diets undoubtedly lies in street foods, which will be very exciting because there are so many of them. It’s hard to ask a vendor if something is 100% rice from how it looks, depending on what it is. With street vendors, limited English may be available.

As with traveling anywhere, it pays to have a way of translating into local languages (Malayalam in Kerala and Marathi in Mumbai, for instance) or having a guide for the day. For a severe gluten intolerance, I would NOT advise eating street food in India under any circumstances.

Gluten-free foods in India

My favorite gluten-free traditional Indian food that I tried to eat as many places as I could was Baigan Bharta. It’s also the Indian dish I tend to eat the most often if I go out for Indian food at home, because it’s gluten-free by default (I’ve even tried to cook it)! Baigan bharta is a vegetable-based dish made of eggplant, tomato, onion and spices. It is served with rice. If you’re feeling doubtful at a restaurant, try to seek out foods you know from home, like a curry with vegetables or boiled meat, or sauteed vegetable dishes with rice.

For more resources on how to eat gluten-free in India, check out this gluten-free guide to Goa , this gluten-free Mumbai guide , which recommends upscale dining there, and Find Me Gluten-Free can help out with New Delhi.

This gluten-free adventure blog has a gluten-free dining card available, translated into Hindi.

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Booking a hostel for the first time on your trip? See my list of tips for traveling and staying in hostels, from my decade of hosteling and backpacking around the world.

Things to Know Before Planning a Trip as a Couple

Are you going on a trip with someone you just started dating? Here's a guide to our tips for how to survive your first trip or holiday together as a couple.

20 Smart Travel Tips for Avoiding Crowds on Your Trip

I prefer to travel and avoid the tourist crowds! Follow these tips for finding lesser-known spots at your destination and say goodbye to all the crowds during a trip.

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My Go-To Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Travel Snacks

You know those annoying people who have to modify their orders at restaurants? You know, the ones who need to look up diet-friendly restaurants in advance and basically can’t eat anything without 20 awkward requests to the server? Yeah, I’m *that* person. I’ve been gluten-free for about 8 months and dairy-free for 4 and let me tell ya, it’s been quite a rollercoaster of emotions. But as a traveler, I’ve managed to find some gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks that have eased the pain.

Trust me: I know how hard it is to travel with a food restriction. 

Airplane food barely meets the bare minimum of gluten-free and dairy-free. Restaurants are just barely. And trying to make special requests in a foreign language? Fugetaboutit.

And while I may be new to the allergy scene, I ain’t new when it comes to travel. More specifically, stuffing my face when traveling.  So I created a list of my favorite gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks I take on planes, road trips and hotels with questionable dining options.

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a printable shopping list of gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks!

Bob’s red mill gluten-free oatmeal cups.

This is my absolute favorite item to bring on planes. All you need is a little hot water and a spoon, ( and honey/maple syrup if you like ) and you’ve got the perfect breakfast. Only once has an airline denied me any hot water ( thanks a lot, Norwegian ). In any case, this works well if you can’t enjoy the hotel breakfast buffet.

Simple Mills Crunchy Chocolate Cookies

I’m always craving something sweet on my travels, which is why these cookies are perfect! Not only are these cookies gluten-free and dairy-free, but also free of most major allergens and like soy, corn, sesame, gums and emulsifiers. My favorite are the soft baked cookies, but those tend to break easily while traveling. The smaller cookies are a lot more travel-friendly.

Nature Nate’s Honey Packets

I’m OBSESSED with honey. It’s probably my favorite sweetener for just about everything. But most to-go honey packs are in those plastic sticks. Save the environment by getting Nature Nate’s Honey Packs. I take the whole bag with me because I really do use that much honey, but feel free to take one packet per day to add to your oatmeal, tea, or–if you’re like me–eat straight out of the packet.

Love Grown Cereal Cups

My addiction to Love Grown brand cereals is real . The cereal is made of beans and lentils so they’re 100% GF and seriously, I could go through a box of Lion’s Loops or Comet Crispies with macadamia nut milk IN A DAY.  But their portable cups makes this one of the best gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks out there. I prefer to save them until I arrive at my destination so I can get my hands on some almond or coconut milk ( very rarely will I find macadamia nut milk when I travel, which to me tastes better than all the rest ).

Easy-to-Eat Fruit

Classic, easy, healthy. My faves are easy to pack and peel like apples, bananas and oranges. Kiwis, grapes and blueberries are good too, but tend to get smooshed easily ( so bring these if you’re not cramming them in a carry-on ). These fruits are pretty travel friendly and are sold both out of the airport and after passing TSA. Plus, it’s a good way of getting that fiber in during your travels.

RXBars Nut Butter Packets

These are my second-most-favorite items to take while traveling. I usually don’t like to eat plain bananas and apples so I put this on top. But what makes RX almond and peanut butter packets different is their use of egg-whites. It is so hard to get sufficient protein with your average gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks. This gives you extra protein, plus their vanilla/cinnamon honey flavors are BOMB. They now sell jars, but their packets are better-suited for the frequent traveler for obvious reasons.

Pop Chips Nutter Puffs

Sweet, but not too sweet, these puffs give me a little extra carbs when I’m feeling like stuffing my face. The company has other flavors but this is the only gluten-free AND dairy-free travel snacks the line produces. I find myself eating the entire bag in a single sitting.

Birch Benders Paleo Pancake Mix

Okay this may seem odd, but you have no idea how often this came in handy during our road trip throughout Southern France ! Imagine you’ve had a wild night out. You wake up, your head feels like it’s being stomped on by a thousand elephants and the last thing you wanna do in the morning is go out and grab breakfast. Let alone trying to find a gluten-free and dairy-free restaurant. Simply add water to this mix, add syrup from your Airbnb ( or add a delicious mix of the RX Butter Packets and the Nature Nate’s Honey ), and voila, breakfast for you and your mates!

I couldn’t have the RX Butter Packets and NOT add their bars, right? The consistency can be a tad annoying with the sticky dates, but I have yet to find tastier gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks with enough protein and clean ingredients. My personal favorites are the sea-salted caramel and coconut chocolate.

As a GF/DF person, you know how hard it is to find substantial protein when traveling. Having a thicker-version of jerky isn’t exactly my favorite way to eat, but it’s amazing how much this will help low blood sugar while walking the streets of Prague without a restaurant in sight.

Numi Organic Earl Grey Tea

Technically, all tea should be gluten-free and dairy-free. (And if they’re not, we’ve got a serious problem.)  But nothing is worse to me than a crappy tea bag from the airlines or hotels, so I always bring my own. I also need substantial caffeine on the road and since I’m allergic to coffee ( I know, I know… ) I need me some tea!

Hippeas Vegan White Cheddar

I’m more of a sweet than savory kind-of-girl, as I’m sure my sugar-laden items above might have revealed. But when I’m feeling for something on the cheesy side, I go for these vegan white cheddar chick pea snacks. Much like the peanut butter puffs, I often bring a couple of bags because I down them in 10 minutes flat.

What are some of your favorite gluten-free and dairy-free travel snacks? Let us know in the comments!

*some of the links listed above are affiliate links. these help support this blog so that i can keep writing for you wonderful people. clicking them helps me with no additional cost to you as always, ideas and opinions expressed are entirely my own., previous post the perfect 7-14 day provence and côte d’azur itinerary, next post thanks to the instagram algorithm, i learned 5 important lessons, sebrin elms, leave a reply cancel reply.

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Traveling Gluten-Free

Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin

Published October 18, 2019

Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or an extended vacation, being on a gluten-free diet shouldn’t hold you back. With some advance planning and preparation, traveling while gluten-free is not only do-able, but may even expand your culinary horizons.

First, take the time to research, plan, and prepare. Once your destination is set and method of transportation determined, do some research on restaurants that offer gluten-free options along the way and/or at your destination. While other restaurants may still be able to accommodate your needs, those which indicate they offer gluten-free items are more likely to be a good bet. Finding new gems along your travel path can be very rewarding. But most importantly, doing the extra leg work beforehand will help ease the stress when hunger strikes. Taking some gluten-free foods along with you, whether traveling by car, plane or train should also be part of your game plan.

On the Road: Having handy snack and simple meal items on hand can be a lifesaver. Below are some suggestions for filling your cooler and dry goods tote. Many of these will work great at a roadside park; others are better for times when you’re in a hotel equipped with a microwave.

Packing your Cooler: Easy items to pack include: Individually packaged plain yogurt, aged cheese, hard-boiled eggs, gluten-free deli meats, pre-cut hardy veggies (broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, celery, cauliflower), hummus, bean dip, fresh salsa, and gluten-free wraps. Always make sure to have a fresh ice pack in your cooler to keep perishables fresh and safe.

Packing Your Dry Goods Tote Good options include: Canned whole or refried beans, canned gluten-free soup, canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines), whole fresh fruit, avocados, nuts/seeds, dried fruit, gluten-free granola, quick cook brown rice, corn chips, popcorn, rice cakes, nut butter, jam, and whole-grain gluten-free bread. (Remember to include a can opener, as well as salt & pepper.)

In the Air:

Flying can be more challenging because flexibility is reduced. Not all airlines offer gluten-free food, and many airport restaurants do not offer gluten-free menu options. In addition, security regulations may inhibit travelers from bringing their own gluten-free food items. However, once again, a little research and planning can make your trip less stressful and more likely to keep you well-nourished and healthy.

First, research your airline. Some airlines offer special meals for individuals following certain diets including gluten-free. Only a few indicate that their meals are approved and monitored by a registered dietitian. Therefore, it is up to you to contact the airline regarding their gluten-free standards. Most airlines require customers to pre-order special meals 24-72 hours in advance.

Second, come prepared. Packing some gluten-free snacks and even meals from home can save you time, money, and stress when the unexpected occurs.

Follow the steps below to pack a TSA approved snack or meal.

• For ultimate ease pack dry snacks. However if you do want to take liquids or “gels” such as yogurt, hummus, salad dressing, or dips be aware that you must comply with TSA regulations. Any liquid or gel must be in a sealed container with no more than 100 ml (3.4oz) per container. Place all liquids and gels (this includes any carry-on toiletries) into a single quart-sized Ziploc bag.
• Each traveler is allowed only one Ziploc bag.
• Only pack whole fruit through security. Half eaten bananas or apples will be confiscated unless placed into a bag or properly wrapped.
• Dry snacks or sandwiches can be packed as long as they are wrapped or are in a sealed container. Do not wrap with aluminum foil as it will interfere with the x-ray machines.

Note: If you are traveling internationally, depending on your destination, you may need to toss out any uneaten perishable food items, including fruits and vegetables.

Packing your Carry On: Bringing gluten-free snacks and meals from home can make flying both easier and healthier. Airline meals are often high in sodium and rich in calories. Furthermore, the amount of water served on long flights is not enough to stay properly hydrated. This combination can easily promote dehydration and fatigue. Choosing to bring raw vegetables and fresh whole fruits (both of which contain a lot of water) and other low sodium snack options can help you stay fueled, hydrated, and feeling good. Including items like cheese, beans, nuts, and seeds can help keep you satisfied when on the go. Minimally processed snack foods such as plain corn chips, popcorn, or rice cakes can be great additions as well.

Mini Meal Ideas

• Bring a wrapped sandwich. (Be sure to include a small frozen solid ice pack if it contains perishable ingredients like deli meat.)
• Almond butter on gluten-free bread, crackers or rice cakes, plus a banana.
• Make an antipasti plate: bring sliced apples, cut carrots, aged cheese, 1/4 cup hummus*, and gluten-free crackers.
• Snack on low sodium popcorn, trail mix, and/or dried fruit.
• Always bring an empty water bottle to fill up after you pass security. This way you can stay hydrated on longer flights.

*Follow the TSA regulations above for liquids and gels.

Dining Out Whether you are on the road or flying to a foreign country, eating out is part of the fun of travel. Researching beforehand can alleviate stress and make for a more enjoyable as well as safe dining experience.

• Find out if there is a GIG support group in or near your destination. If so, get in touch. Reach out in advance to the listed contacts for local information regarding gluten-free restaurants and other resources.
• Look for GFFS certified restaurants . These locations have been certified by GIG’s Gluten-Free Food Services program (GFFS) and are equipped to provide safe gluten-free menu options.Since not all things can be planned, following are a few tips for successful gluten-free dining, wherever you are.

Since not all things can be planned, following are a few tips for successful gluten-free dining, wherever you are.

Gather information

Review the menu and identify if there are items which appear to be gluten-free. Then, speak directly with the staff to confirm gluten-free status of all ingredients and to find out whether practices are in place to avoid cross-contact. Evaluate whether or not you feel adequate precautionary measures are in place.

Ask questions

• Review the menu to identify items which appear to be gluten-free.
• Are separate cutting boards, utensils, fryers, and toasters used in order to avoid cross-contact?
• Corn tortillas in place of flour tortillas; gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.
• Rice in place of pasta; oil and vinegar/lemon in place of salad dressing

Express Appreciation If your dining experience is a success always thank the staff for accommodating your needs.

Finally, traveling can be an opportunity to explore and gather culinary inspiration to bring back home, especially if you are traveling abroad. Look for local markets, street vendors, and specialty grocers to find interesting new ingredients and recipes that highlight the local cuisine. (However, be careful, as sometimes seemingly gluten-free items may in fact contain gluten.) Sharing the newly acquired ideas, tools, or skills you have learned with family and friends is a wonderful opportunity to educate others around you.

Revised, 2017. Original article by Selva Wohlgemuth, Bastyr University Dietetic Intern, 2015

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The Sightseeing Coeliac

Eating gluten free around the world, gluten free in the u.k: the ultimate travel planning guide – the sightseeing coeliac.

*Includes 100% Gluten Free Restaurants in England by County*

Last year during lockdown I had the crazy idea to put together an extensive guide to travelling in Europe pulling together blog posts, Coeliac association information, Gluten Free resorts and any useful information I could find for each country. I have since gone back to the blog and I have made edits and added even more information – including 100% gluten free restaurants for each country (I still have some more to go, particularly Italy and Spain that have a lot of information!) The amount of posts, even pulled together by country for some places is A LOT making it one MEGA gluten free resource!

For that reason and as many of my followers are U.K. based (and many on the hunt for staycations) I have now decided to put the information for the U.K. in a separate post. I want to make the European post a bit more manageable in size and also help those who are looking for U.K. travel recommendations to come across this post more easily.

If you are reading this from the U.K. and want advice for any European holiday, or if you are from outside the U.K. and are looking at a European holiday that includes more than just this country head over to my Europe post here.

If you’re here for the U.K. advice then welcome to my blog! I’m Rachel, and I live in Milton Keynes but regularly travel in the U.K. for work. My previous role was also based on Oxford Street, London where I ate out more than I should probably admit to!

I do eat out at restaurants with mixed kitchens, as long as the restaurant can confidently tell me their cross contamination measures. In fact, I personally prefer these restaurants as it means my colleagues, friends and family get the choice of gluteney food if they wish. If this fills you with fear, there are some 100% gluten free restaurants, and those accredited by Coeliac U.K. to help you gain confidence with eating out. I have tried to link many resources for you for each county in one place. On top of this I may use the app Find Me Gluten Free and Trip Advisor reviews for information, but do be careful with those resources as people writing the reviews may not be coeliac or take care with cross contamination. Take a look at all the resources below for ideas for gluten free days out and staycations and do whatever is right for you to be able to confidently travel. This is particularly important at the moment as with the current Covid-19 situation these can only act as recommendations as staff, restaurants, menus and ingredients can and do change – and quickly at the moment. Always make sure you are happy with the cross contamination measures in place at the time of your visit and never be afraid to leave if somewhere can not cater for you.

Popular Locations in the U.K. by County 🇬🇧

• London, Greater Manchester, Bristol, Isle of Wight, Cornwall, Devon and Norfolk all have their own sections below
• Alton Towers – Staffordshire
• Bath – Somerset
• Brighton – East Sussex
• Cambridge – Cambridgeshire
• Canterbury and Dover – Kent
• The Cotswolds – Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset
• Harry Potter World – Hertfordshire
• The Lake District – Cumbria
• Leeds – West Yorkshire
• Liverpool – Merseyside
• Newcastle – Tyne and Wear
• The New Forest – Hampshire
• Oxford – Oxfordshire
• The Peak District – Derbyshire
• Sheffield – South Yorkshire
• Stratford upon Avon and Warwick Castle – Warwickshire
• Thorpe Park – Surrey
• York – North Yorkshire

Gluten Free in the U.K. 🇬🇧

Gluten Free and the Law

34 Accidently Gluten Free Products you need to try – Becky Excell

100% Gluten Free UK 

100% Gluten Free Venues in The UK – My Gluten Free Guide 

100% Gluten Free Venues U.K. – Kasia’s Plate 

Eating out venue guide – Coeliac UK

Eating Out in the UK guide – Coeliac Sanctuary 

Where to Get Coeliac Friendly Fish and Chips in the UK – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free Kids: Restaurants with Coeliac Friendly Kids Menus 

Gluten Free at Glastonbury Festival – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea Guide (A useful guide for information, but do double check the location you select has cross contamination controls in place )

U.K. Holidays

Eating gluten and dairy free at Center Parcs – Gluten Free Alice

HF Holidays -Accredited by Coeliac UK

Gluten Free Travel Tips

How to Travel The World Gluten Free – The Sightseeing Coeliac

Gluten Free Travel Food and Snack Guide – The Sightseeing Coeliac

Top Gluten Free Travel Tips – My Gluten Free Guide

Essential Tips for Gluten Free Travel – Gluten Free Mrs D

How to Travel Gluten Free – Endless Distances

Gluten Free Travel: How to Travel the World with Celiac Disease – Wheatless Wanderlust

How to Successfully Travel Gluten Free – Jetsetting Bees

Recommended UK Chains

Banana Tree – Nationwide – Coeliac Menu

Bella Italia – Nationwide

Bills – Nationwide

The Coconut Tree – Bristol, Bath, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Oxford and Reading (Birmingham 2022)

Cosy Club – Nationwide

Dishoom – London, Manchester and Edinburgh

Ego Restaurants – North West/West Midlands based chain

Fudge Kitchen – Gluten Free Fudge in Tourist Towns – Cambridge, Oxford, Bath, York, Edinburgh

Giggling Squid, chain in the South (make sure you check the allergen matrix for may contain gluten items that are on the gluten free menu!

Honest Burgers – A coeliac favourite for burgers – various locations

Las Iguanas- Latin American Restaurant Chain that caters for many dietary requirements – Nationwide chain

The Lounges – Nationwide (Check the allergen matrix for may contains if you’re coeliac)

Mowgli, Large U.K. cities

Pieminster – Where to try Pie and Mash in the UK – large U.K. cities, originating in Bristol

The Real Greek – London and City Locations

Six by Nico – London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin , Belfast

Turtle Bay – Nationwide

Wahaca – London, Brighton, Edinburgh

Coeliac UK accredited chains

The Sightseeing Coeliac Eating out in Coeliac UK Accredited Restaurants (my favourite chains have been marked with a* on the list below)

Browns Brasserie

Brunning and Price pubs

Carluccios – Italian Restaurant Chain

Chipotle Mexican Grill*

Chiquitos – Mexican Restaurant Chain

Churchills – Fish and Chips 

Cote Brasserie – French Brasseries and Bistros*

Dominoes – Takeaway Pizza 

Filmore and Union – Healthy Coffee Shops and Cafes 

Fish n Chickn – Fish and Chips*

Frankie and Benny’s

Hard Rock Café

Lola’s Cupcakes

Miller and Carter – Steak Restaurant*

Pizza Express *

Pho – Vietnamese restaurant*

Prezzo – Italian Restaurant 

Rockfish – Fish and Chips* – Dorset based

Wadworth Pubs – Mostly West Midlands/South West

Bedfordshire 

Gluten free dining in Bedfordshire

Gluten Free Information – ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

Allergen Information – Center Parcs, Woburn, Bedfordshire 

Local recommendation – Cod and Waffle, Leighton Buzzard (Coeliac Owner)

Gluten Free Berkshire 

Gluten Free Dining Berkshire 

9 Gluten Free Restaurants Coeliacs will love in Reading – Get Reading 

Gluten Free Information – Legoland Resort, Windsor 

100% Gluten Free Reading 

Nibsy’s Café, Reading 

YayLo, Reading 

City of Bristol

Local Guide – Gluten Free Bristol Food Guide – My gluten free guide Gluten Free Bristol – Wuthering Bites

Gluten Free Dining Bristol 

Gluten Free Information – The Hide Café at Bristol Zoo

Wadworth Pubs – Coeliac U.K.

Hao Wei Chinese, Bristol

Buckinghamshire

Local Guide – Gluten Free in Milton Keynes – The Sightseeing Coeliac

Local Guide – Gluten Free Sweet Treats in Milton Keynes

Local Recommendation – Fratelli’s, Fenny Stratford Milton Keynes – Coeliac Owner

A gluten and dairy free guide to Windsor, Marlow and High Wycombe- A Balanced Belly 

Gluten Free at Xscape – Milton Keynes

Gluten Free Dining Buckinghamshire 

Cambridgeshire 

Chinese Restaurant in March, Cambridgeshire – Purple Diamond – Coeliac Owner

Gluten Free Dining Cambridgeshire

Local Guide – Guide: Gluten Free Cambridge – Kasia’s Plate

Gluten Free Cambridge : A Guide for those on a Gluten and Dairy Free Diet – A Balanced Belly

100% Gluten Free Cambridgeshire 

Gloof, Soham

Truly Scrumptious, Ely – Vegan & Gluten Free 

The Eltisley – no longer dedicated gluten free

Cheshire 

Gluten Free in Cheshire – Coeliac by Design 

Gluten Free Dining Cheshire 

Gluten Free in Chester – Visit Chester

Restaurant Information – Chester Zoo

Marmalade, Chester

Gluten Free Cornwall – Bakery 

Gluten Free Cornwall – My Gluten Free Guide

Gluten Free Dining Corwal l

Cupcakes café, Port Isaac – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free Fish and Chips at Rick Stein’s, Padstow – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free Padstow – The Gluten Free Blogger 

The Scarlett Hotel: Where Gluten Free Meets Sea – Gluten Free Mrs D 

St Ives Gluten Free Guide – Endless Distances 

Made Marion Gluten Free Bakery 

West Cornwall Pasty Co 

Gluten Free Cornwall Facebook Page 

Rick Stein’s Fish and Chips, Padstow

Gluten Free at The Eden Project 

100% Gluten Free Cornwall 

Made Marion Gluten Free Bakery, Portreath Bakery 

Cumbria (Lake District)

Gluten Free in The Lake District – The Sightseeing Coeliac

The Ultimate Gluten Free Lake District Guide – Endless Distances

Gluten Free Dining Cumbria 

Allergen Information – Center Parcs: Whinfell Forest, Cumbria

Leonard’s Field Guest House, Keswick -Owned by a Coeliac

Kirkwood Guest House, Windermere – Owned by a Coeliac

Rusland Pool Hotel

Vinegar Jones, Windermere – Fish and Chips Daily

100% Gluten Free Cumbria

No 38 Bistro, Carlisle  – permanently closed

Stonecroft – A plant based guest house in the Peak District owned by a Coeliac 

Gluten Free Dining Derbyshire

Gluten Free Peak District Guide – Endless Distances

The Maynard, Hope Valley – Fine Dining with Coeliac Management

Gluten Free Bakewell Tarts in Bakewell (and vegan)

Local Recommendation – The Coopers Arms, Derby

Coeliac U.K. Recommendations – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

100% Gluten Free Derbyshire 

The Angel – Holmesfield (Peak district) – do double check it’s 100% GF when ordering as I’ve seen reports of a couple of gluteney items being added to the menu

Amberhouse Hotel, Devon 

Percy’s Country Hotel and Restaurant – Heaven for Coeliacs – The Free From Fairy 

Local Guide – My gluten free guide to Barnstaple, North Devon – The Gluten Free Blogger

Local Guide – Gluten Free Places to eat in Croyde and Saunton, North Devon – The Gluten Free Blogger

Gluten Free Mrs D goes to Croyde, North Devon 

Local Guide – The ultimate gluten free guide to North Devon – The Gluten Free Blogger 

Local Guide – Gluten Free Places to Eat in Woolacombe, North Devon – The Gluten Free Blogger

Gluten Free South Devon – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free Dining Devon

Kawaffle, Plymouth – bubble waffles

Black Horse, Exeter : Wadworth Pubs – Coeliac U.K. Accredited

100% Gluten Free Devon

Harbourside fish and chips – 12, The Barbican, Plymouth (ensure correct branch for gluten free)

Kub, Teignmouth – currently closed

Jacksons Gluten Free Bakery, Torquay – permanently closed

The Instow Kitchen, Biddeford – Permanently Closed 

Miiko, Dawlish – vegan

Flapjackery – Wells and Minehead, Somerset and Tavistock, Plymouth – Devon

Eight Gluten Free places to eat near Bridport, Dorset – The Gluten Free Blogger

Gluten Free Dorset – Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free Weymouth – Gluten Free Mrs D

Gluten Free Dining Dorset

Corfe Castle Model Village

Rockfish – Coeliac U.K. Accredited Fish and Chips in Dorset

Wadworth Pubs – Coeliac U.K. Accredited

100% Gluten Free Dorset 

The Smugglers Run, Christchurch – no longer dedicated gluten free

Honeybuns Bakery, Dorset and Stockists

Gluten Free Dining Durham

Fat Hippo, Durham

100% Gluten Free Durham

Clair’s Gluten Free Bakery, Bishop Auckland 

Gluten Free in Durham: Coeliac Bakery of Dreams 

Clean Bean, Seaham

East Sussex

32 of the Best Places for Gluten Free in Brighton 2017 – Becky Excell 

Gluten Free Fish and Chips: Wolfies of Hove – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free Dining East Sussex

Rye, East Sussex – How to Coeliac

The Flint House , Brighton and sister restaurants in Hove and West Sussex

Gluten Free Dining Essex

Best Restaurants in Essex for Gluten Free – Love Essex

The Fighting Cocks pub – Coeliac Owner – currently closed for refurbishment

Ego Restaurant , Chelmsford

Gloucestershire

Gluten Free Dining Gloucestershire

The Old Courthouse, Cheltenham – Brunning & Price Pub, Coeliac U.K. Accredited

Gluten Free in Cheltenham – Visit Cheltenham

The Stag, Stow on the Wold

100% Gluten Free Gloucestershire 

Gloucestershire Restaurant named best in the UK for eating out in 2017 – Bangkok Canteen- 100% Gluten Free

Greater Manchester 

27 of the Best Gluten Free Places in Manchester 2020 – Becky Excell 

Gluten Free in Manchester – The Sightseeing Coeliac

Chinese Restaurant – Sweet Mandarin

Gluten Free Dining Greater Manchester

Note – Dough Kitchen is permanently closed

100% Gluten Free Manchester 

Off the Wheaten Track – Altrincham

The Remedy Kitchen – Manchester

Gluten Free New Forest and Hampshire – My Gluten Free Guide

Gluten Free North Hampshire

Gluten Free in South East Hants 

Gluten Free Dining Hampshire

100% Gluten Free Hampshire 

The Compass Inn, Winsor – no longer gluten free

The George, Alton

Herefordshire

Gluten Free Dining Herefordshire

Friday 14th Jan 2022 – Gluten Free Night at The Nest, Hereford

Hertfordshire

Gluten Free in South Hertfordshire 

Gluten Free Dining in Hertfordshire 

A Coeliacs Day at Harry Potter Studios – Coeliac Sanctuary

My Gluten Free Guide to Harry Potter Tour London – Coeliac Sloth

Restaurant Information: Harry Potter World (Note: Butter beer is currently gluten free, but not dairy free)

Gluten Free in Welwyn, Hatfield and Hertford – Facebook Page

100% Gluten Free Hertfordshire 

The Sheldan Inn, Welwyn Garden City 

Isle of Wight

Gluten Free Fish and Chips – Boathouse, Isle of Wight – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Royal Hotel Ventnor – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Ultimate list of gluten free food choices on the Isle of Wight 

Gluten Free Dining Isle of Wight

Gluten Free Me Isle of Wight – Facebook Page

Gluten Free in Kent – My Gluten Free Guide

Gluten Free Whitstable – The Ultimate Guide to Gluten Free Food for Locals and Visitors – The Gluten Free Alchemist 

Gluten Free Fish and Chips at Shakey Shakey, Herne Bay – Gluten Free Mrs D

Gluten Free Weekend in Ramsgate Kent, My Gluten Free Guide 

Medway and Maidstone Gluten Free 

Gluten Free Dining Kent

100% Gluten Free Kent 

Restaurant Review: 100% Gluten Free Oscar and Bentleys – Gluten Free Mrs D

Oscar and Bentleys, Canterbury

The Red Lion, faversham 

Radley’s Bar and Bistro, Hastings

Kerry’s Bakehouse, Deal 

Lancashire 

Gluten Free Dining Lancashire

Jollies Hotel, Blackpool – Coeliac and Dairy Intolerant Owner

Canberra Hotel, Blackpool

Leicestershire

Gluten Free Dining Leicestershire

March House Farm Shop, Leicestershire

Coeliac U.K. Leicestershire Facebook

Lincolnshire

Gluten Free Dining Lincolnshire

Skegness Rock Shop – Gluten Free Fried Donuts

The Top Gluten Free Cafes and Restaurants in Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire Live

100% Gluten Free Lincolnshire 

Mark’s Gluten Free Treats, Scunthorpe – Friday nights 

The Orbis, Stamford

London Guides

London Airports Gluten Free Guide – My Gluten Free Guide 

Local Guide – Gluten Free London by Cuisine – The Sightseeing Coeliac

The Sightseeing Coeliac Eating Sweet Treats in London 

The Sightseeing Coeliac Eating 100% Gluten Free in London 

100% gluten free London – My Gluten Free Guide 

Local Guide – Gluten Free Guide to London – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Local Guide – Gluten Free London Top Ten Restaurants – My Gluten Free Guide

London: The Best Restaurants Gluten and Dairy Free – Jessica’s Gluten Free kitchen  

Local Guide – Fish and Chips in London Guide – My Gluten Free Guide

London Guides – How to Coeliac

20+ gluten free places you have to try if you’re visiting London – The Gluten Free Blogger

30 of the Best Places for Gluten Free in London 2020 – Becky Excell 

Local Guide – 7 places to eat gluten free dinner in London – Gluten Interrupted

Local Guide – Gluten Free Guide to London – Gluten Interrupted

Local Guide – Central London Gluten Free Guide – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free Shoreditch Guide – Kimi Eats Gluten Free 

Local Guide – East London Gluten Free Guide – My Gluten Free Guide 

Local Guide – Gluten Free London – Restaurants, Cafes and bakeries – My Gluten Free Guide 

Local Guide – Tooting: The Gluten Free Suitcase Guide 

Local Guide – Gluten Free Finsbury Park Guide – Kimi Eats Gluten Free 

Gluten Free in London – Lunch and Dinner – Alexis’s Gluten Free Adventures 

Gluten Free London – A Travel Guide for Celiacs – Happy Celiac 

Coolest Gluten Free Ice Cream in London Guide – The GFG

Indigo at One Aldwych – Gluten and Dairy Free, Coeliac UK Accredited Restaurant in Covent Garden

Gluten Free Information – ZSL London Zoo 

Allergy Information – Chessington World of Adventure Theme Park, Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames 

London Breakfast and Brunch Options 

Gluten Free in London – Breakfast – Alexis’s Gluten Free Adventures 

Gluten Free in London Brunch Guide – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free in London Bottomless Brunch Guide – My Gluten Free Guide

London Markets 

The Sightseeing Coeliac’s Top London Market Stalls 

Seven Gluten Free spots you have to visit at Broadway Market – The Gluten Free Blogger

My Gluten Free Guide to Broadway Market – Gluten Free Danielle

Seven Gluten Free spots to eat at Kerb Market, Camden – The Gluten Free Blogger

Gluten Free Borough Market London Guide – Endless Distances 

Afternoon Tea in London

Afternoon Tea in London – My Gluten Free Guide

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea London Bucket List – Endless Distances 

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at Brown’s Hotel – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten and Nut Free Afternoon Tea at Claridges – Gluten Free Mrs D 

From Russia With Love: Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Peggy Porschen Gluten Free Guide: The Pinkest Bakery in London – Endless Distances 

100% Gluten Free London 

Apres Food Co, Clerkenwell

Arepazo Bros, Camden Market

Beyond Bread – Permanently Closed 

Cookies and Scream, Highbury and Islington – 100% Gluten Free and Vegan Bakery

Floris Foods – Broadway Market on Saturdays

Free from Bakehouse, Borough Market

Grom Gelato, Piccadilly Circus

Holy Carrot, Knightsbridge – 100% Gluten Free and Vegan

Indigo, One Aldwych – Covent Garden – Gluten and dairy free

Khlear Labs – Gluten Free, low carb and sugar free

Leggero, Soho and Mercato Metropolitano- Italian – currently closed

Libby’s Sugar Free and Gluten Free Bakery , Notting Hill

Maize Blaze, Camden Market and Hackney- Colombian

Niche, Angel

Paladar, Southwark – Latin American Restaurant

Plant Hub, Hackney

Romeos Sugar Free Bakery, Islington (looks to now be 100% GF)

Station 26, Brixton

Vida Bakery, Brick Lane – Gluten Free and Vegan

Yorica – Permanently Closed

Gluten Free Dining Merseyside 

Independent Liverpool Guide to Gluten Free Eats 

Local guide – 11 Places to Eat Gluten Free in Liverpool – Gluten Free Horizons

Guide: Gluten Free Liverpool – Kasia’s plate

100% Gluten Free Merseyside 

The Nakery – Liverpool

North Norfolk Gluten Free Guide (Cromer, Holt, Wells next the Sea, Norwich)

Plan your North Norfolk Coast Weekend – Glutarama

Gluten Free Wells Next The Sea, The Crown Hotel – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free Dining Norfolk

Gluten Free Great Yarmouth- Great Yarmouth Tourism Board

The Grove, Cromer

North Yorkshire

Gluten Free at Salt’s Diner, Saltaire – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Gluten Free York – Gluten Free Travellers

Coeliac and Gluten Free York Facebook Page

100% Gluten Free North Yorkshire 

Bored of Sandwiches , Harrogate – Permanently Closed 

Northamptonshire

Gluten Free Dining Northamptonshire

Where to Enjoy Gluten Free Food in Northamptonshire

Bar Encore, Towcester – permanently closed

Nat’s Kitchen (100% GF and vegan) – available at Magazine Heaven(Not 100% GF), Rushden Lakes

100% Gluten Free Northamptonshire

Little Bakery of Happiness, Wellingborough – Markets only, the store has closed

Wheatsheaf, Dallington – permanently closed

Northumberland

Gluten Free Dining Northumberland

Northumberland Arms, Felton

Nottinghamshire

Gluten Free Dining Nottinghamshire

Gluten Free In Nottingham – Coeliac Society at University of Nottingham 

Allergen Information – Center Parcs: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

100% Gluten Free Nottinghamshire 

Dottie’s Tearoom, Nottingham – 100% Gluten Free – currently only operating takeaway and looking to close the tearoom permanently

All Mine Cakes, Southwell

Oxfordshire

Gluten Free Dining Oxfordshire 

Knife and Fork 

The White Rabbit Pub, Oxford – home of the White Rabbit Pizza

Duke of Marlborough Country Inn and Restaurant, Oxfordshire

Best Places to Eat in Oxford if you are Coeliac

The Red House, Newbury

Beetle and Wedge , Moulsford -on-Thames

Rutland 

Gluten Free Dining Rutland 

100% Gluten Free Rutland 

The Orbis, Oakham – permanently closed, the branch in Stamford is still open

Gluten Free Dining Shropshire

Local Guide – Gluten Free in Bath – My Gluten Free Guide

Gluten Free Somerset – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free Dining Somerset

100% Gluten Free Somerset 

Cafe Nouveau, Frome

Gluten Free Gourmet Bakery, Wells 

The Green House, Ilminster

Pie and Tart, Glastonbury – Permanently Closed 

Sow and Arrow, Clevedon – Keto

Flapjackery – Wells and Minehead, Somerset and Tavistock, Devon

South Yorkshire

Gluten Free Dining South Yorkshire

Bistro in the Barn, Sheffield

Cafe Creme, Barnsley

Wagon and Horses, Oxspring

Gluten Free Sheffield – Steeliac

In Good Taste, Rotherham

Chinese Fish and Chips, Bramley Rotherham

100% Gluten Free South Yorkshire

Darton Coffee House, Barnsley

Staffordshire

Gluten Free Dining Staffordshire

Alton Towers Theme Park – Special Dietary Information

Gluten Free Information – Drayton Manor Theme Park

Oceans of Tamworth

100% Gluten Free Staffordshire

Little Vegan Bakehouse – Vegan and gluten free cookies – follow for market locations

Suffolk 

Gluten Free Dining Suffolk 

Allergen Information – Center Parcs, Elvedon Forest, Suffolk

Restaurant Information – Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park, Suffolk

Queens Head Bramfield

Jakery Bakery, Southwold

Surrey 

Gluten Free North Surrey 

Gluten Free Pub: The Stag on The River – Gluten Free Mrs D 

Naturally Chinese, Surbiton

Gluten Free Dining Surrey 

Gluten free at Thorpe Park

100% Gluten Free Surrey 

Glutopia, Kingston 

Primal Kitchen, Bagshot 

The Willow, Kingston – Permanently Closed 

Tyne and Wear

Quick Gluten Free Guide to Newcastle- Gluten Interrupted

Gluten Free Dining Tyne and Wear

Guide: Gluten Free Newcastle – Kasia’s Plate

100% Gluten Free Tyne and Wear 

The Lily Tree Bakery, Newcastle 

Warwickshire (Stratford on Avon)

Gluten Free Dining Warwickshire 

Restaurants at Warwick Castle 

Gluten Free Menu at Bensons, Stratford Upon Avon 

Arrow Mill – Coeliac UK Accredited Pub/B&B near Stratford Upon Avon 

The Bell, Alderminster – Coeliac UK Accredited Pub/B7B in Alderminster near Stratford Upon Avon

Gluten Free Coventry – Facebook Page

100% Gluten Free Warwickshire 

The Golden Cross Pub – Food 100% gluten free, Coventry

West Midlands

Gluten Free Dining West Midlands

Local guide – Gluten Free Birmingham – A Balanced Belly

West Sussex

Gluten Free in West Sussex 

The Highdown, Goring By The Sea – Coeliac UK Accredited pub/B&B

The Ginger Fox, West Sussex (15 minutes from Brighton)

100% Gluten Free West Sussex

Vegan Street Food, Worthing – 100% GF and Vegan

Greyhound Brewery

West Yorkshire

Gluten Free Dining West Yorkshire

G-Wu – Gluten Free Chinese

Golcar Lily, Huddersfield

100% Gluten Free Leeds 

Wildcraft bakery, Leeds

The Oxford Place, Leeds 

Gluten Free Dining Wiltshire 

Allergen Information – Center Parcs: Whinfell Forest, Wiltshire 

White Hart Wroughton, Swindon – Traditional English Pub Accredited by Coeliac UK, with rooms to stay

Walnut Tree Inn, Mere

Fox and Hounds, East Knoyle

Worcestershire

Gluten Free Dining Worcestershire

Fish and Chips Daily in Broadway, The Cotswolds

Dick’s Smokehouse, Bromsgrove – Coeliac Owner

Some British Recipes to Try 

GF + DF Ultimate Gluten Free Toad in the Hole Recipe – Becky Excell

GF + DF Fish and Chips – Jessica’s GF Kitchen

Gluten Free Cornish Pasties – The Gluten Free Blogger 

Gluten Free Sausage Rolls – My Gluten Free Guide 

Gluten Free Scones – My Gluten Free Guide

Gluten Free Victoria Sponge – My Gluten Free Guide

GF + DF Carrot Cake – My Gluten Free Guide 

GF + DF Battenburg – Gluten Free Alice 

GF + DF Donuts – Gluten Free Alice 

GF+ DF Bakewell Tart – Gluten Free Alice 

GF + DF Lemon Drizzle – Gluten Free Alice 

Gluten Free Shortbread – Jessica’s GF Kitchen

Gluten Free Apple and Blackberry Crumble – The Gluten Free Blogger

Northern Ireland and Ireland

Coeliac Society of Ireland 

Coeliac UK advice for Ireland 

Gluten Free Accommodation in Ireland

Gluten Free Ireland

Top ten Foods to Try in Ireland (with recipes to make your own)

Coeliac in Belfast Facebook Page 

Gluten Free Belfast – Gluten Free Travellers

Gluten Free in Dublin – The Sightseeing Coeliac

Local Guide – Gluten Free Dublin 

Restaurant Information – Tayto Land, Ireland 

Gluten Free Dining Antrim

Gluten Free Dining Armagh 

Gluten Free Dining County Down 

Gluten Free Dining Fermanagh 

Gluten Free Dining Londonderry and Tyrone

Local Guide – Gluten Free Takeaways in Belfast – Gluten Free Fi

Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Coeliac UK 

16 Foods you must eat when in Scotland 

Five Homegrown Businesses that Every Scottish Coeliac Should Check Out – The Positive Coeliac 

Local Guide – Gluten Free Takeaway Central Scotland Guide Part 1 – The Positive Coeliac 

Gluten Free Dining Aberdeenshire

Gluten Free Dining Angus 

Gluten Free Dining Argyll and Bute 

Gluten Free Dining Ayrshire 

Gluten Free Dining Clackmannanshire

Gluten Free Dining Dumfries and Galloway Gluten Free Dining Dumfries and Galloway 

Gluten Free Dining Dunbartonshire 

Gluten Free Dining Dundee 

Gluten Free Dining Renfrewshire 

Gluten Free Dining Falkirk

Gluten Free Dining Fife 

Gluten Free Dining Highlands 

Gluten Free Dining Inverclyde

Gluten Free Dining Lanarkshire 

Gluten Free Dining Lothian  

Gluten Free Dining Midlothian 

Gluten Free Dining Moray 

Gluten Free Dining Orkney Islands 

Gluten Free DiningPerth and Kinross  

Gluten Free Dining Scottish Borders

Gluten Free Dining Shetland Islands 

Gluten Free Dining Stirling 

Local Guide – The Ultimate Gluten Free guide Edinburgh – Gluten Interrupted

My Gluten Free and Dairy Free Guide to Edinburgh – Gluten Free Alice

Gluten Free Edinburgh

11 of the Best Gluten Free Places in Edinburgh – Becky Excell

Gluten Free Edinburgh – A Travel Guide for Celiacs – Happy Celiac 

9 Great Gluten Free Places to Visit in Edinburgh – Coeliac Sloth 9 Great Gluten Free Places to Visit in Edinburgh – Coeliac Sloth 

Gluten Free dining Edinburgh

100% Gluten Free Edinburgh

Sugar Daddy’s – Gluten Free Bakery, Edinburgh

Tupiniquim Crepes

Gluten Free Beer in Edinburgh – Bellfield Brewery Tap Room and Tour – Coeliac Sloth

Tupiniquim Basil Crepes, Edinburgh – Alexis’s Gluten Free Adventures

Edinburgh 100% Gluten Free – The Coeliac Plate

Gluten Free Places to Eat in Glasgow – The Gluten Free Blogger

Six of the best gluten free restaurants in Glasgow- Glasgow

Gluten Free Glasgow 2020 – Becky Excell

Gluten Free Dining Glasgow

Gluten Free Glasgow

100% Gluten Free Glasgow

Wildflours – Glasgow’s Gluten Free Bakery

Dakhin South Indian Kitchen

Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

12 Traditional Welsh Foods you should try 

Gluten Free Stores in Wales – Schar 

Gluten Free Dining in Anglesey 

Gluten Free Dining in Cardiff City

Gluten Free Dining in Carmarthenshire

Gluten Free Dining in Ceredigion

Gluten Free Dining in Conwy

5 Great Gluten Free Places to Visit in Llandudno – Coeliac Sloth

Gluten Free Dining in Denbighshire

Gluten Free Dining in Flintshire

Gluten Free Dining in Gwent 

Gluten Free Dining in Gwynedd

Gluten Free Dining in Monmouthshire

Gluten Free Dining in Pembrokeshire

Gluten Free Dining in Powys

Gluten Free Dining in Swansea and Mumbles 

Places that serve Gluten Free in Swansea, Mumbles and Gower – Visit Swansea Bay

Gluten Free Swansea 2019- Zinco Lounge – Gluten Free Gez 

Gluten Free Dining in Vale of Glamorgan

Gluten Free Dining in Wrexham

100% Gluten Free Wales

245 Lewis’ Diner, Newport 

245 Lewis’ Diner, Newport – 100% Gluten Free

Big Bear Blondies – Follow for market locations

Note: Writing a gluten free travel blog is a passion project of mine but the website has an annual subscription cost so it actually costs me money to run. If you find my guides helpful please consider buying me a virtual coffee through my  kofi link  to help me run this free resource for gluten free travel. Thank you!

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9 best gluten-free meal delivery services to try in 2024

Meal kit delivery services have a variety of benefits: They can be a great way to prepare fun and flavorful meals without having to sprint to the grocery store each week. But when it comes to specific dietary restrictions like a gluten-free diet — which limits the intake of wheat, barley and several other grains — it can be hard to pinpoint the ones that fit your needs. Fortunately, many meal kits and pre-made meal delivery services offer gluten-free menu items and plans for tasty, creative and easy-to-prepare meals when you’re in a rush.

To determine the best meal delivery services with gluten-free options or entirely gluten-free menus, we spoke to nutritionists and dieticians about the best services to try out and highlighted each individual service’s pricing, delivery frequency and meal options.

SKIP AHEAD Best gluten-free meal delivery services

Selected. Our top picks

How we picked the best gluten-free meal delivery services

We talked to our experts about important features to consider when shopping for gluten-free meal delivery services. Here are the most important ones to keep in mind when making your decision:

• Dietary restrictions: If you’re gluten-free or follow any other restrictions, such as a vegan or vegetarian diet , look for meal services that offer a variety of options to fit your dietary needs.
• Serving size: How many people are you looking to feed that follow a gluten-free diet? If you’re only feeding yourself, it’s likely best to select a single-serve prepared meal. But if you’re also feeding a gluten-free family or partner, browse customizable plans with multiple serving sizes (typically ranging from two to eight servings).
• Customizability: Having a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten, or choosing to follow a gluten-free diet for other personal or health-related reasons, doesn’t mean you have to constantly eat the same meals. Look for services that provide a weekly rotating menu with several gluten-free options that serve you and your needs.
• Pricing: The price of gluten-free meal delivery services are based on the quality of meals and ingredients, the frequency of your deliveries, how many people you’re cooking for and the specific meal plan. However, seeking gluten-free meals shouldn’t mean paying more for your meal plan. While not all services on the market cater to every dietary restriction or need, we’ve selected services that don’t increase the price for gluten-free restrictions.
• Delivery dates and times: Most services will offer customizable plans to choose which days (and sometimes times) you want to receive your kit, so consider when you’re available to receive your meals to ensure they don’t go to waste. Most will also let you pause plans or skip weeks as needed, which allows you to be more flexible with these services.

Best gluten-free meal delivery services

We spoke to experts about their favorite meal delivery services that either provide gluten-free options or have an entirely gluten-free menu. We highlighted their specific recommendations below — all of which offer pre-made meals or a combination of meal kits and ready-made items — and noted their costs, serving sizes, and the number of meals they deliver per week.

Best overall gluten-free meal delivery service: Sunbasket

Price is based on four meals per week for two people/servings.

Sunbasket offers both ingredient-based meal kits and pre-made meals, all of which the brand says consist of high-quality ingredients and organic produce. One of Sunbasket’s 10 available meal plans is the Gluten-Free Friendly meal plan, which features five to eight gluten-free options each week. Both Resnick and Lisa Moskovitz, CEO of NY Nutrition Group and the author of “ The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan ,” say that Sunbasket is their top choice for healthy meal kit deliveries. “It has a variety of options that can be modified for carnivores and strictly plant-based eaters alike,” says Moskovitz. 

The Fresh & Ready option, which Sunbasket says comes with single-serve meals you can heat in the oven or microwave in just a few minutes, also has several gluten-free options to choose from. If you don’t feel like committing to a single plan, the service lets you mix and match with over a dozen meals from its weekly rotating menu.

Cost: Starting at $12 for meal kits and $10 for the Fresh & Ready meals, with an additional $6 for shipping | Serving size: 2 or 4 for meal kits, single-serve for Fresh & Ready meals | Number of meals: 2 to 5 per week

Best health-conscious: Splendid Spoon

Splendid spoon.

Splendid Spoon offers over 50 healthy, ready-made meals and snacks that include smoothies, soups, noodle bowls and larger dishes— and everything is gluten-free. You can select a box size of seven, 14 or 21 meals and choose your meals for the week. Your cart will automatically fill with Splendid Spoon’s bestsellers, or you can manually swap in your favorites.

Ariane Resnick , a special diet chef and certified nutritionist, recommends the service for anyone who wants “healthy meals in a flash.” “They taste as healthy as they are, which is a downside for some and a bonus for others.” she says. The large selection of juices and smoothies and the convenience of thawing one at a time is also a big plus, says Resnick.

Cost: Starting at $10 per meal and $85 for the plan, with an additional $13 for shipping (free if you order 10 or more meals) | Serving size: Single-serve | Number of meals: 5 to 20 meals per order

Best budget-friendly: Purple Carrot

Purple carrot.

Purple Carrot offers both prepared meals and meal kits, so you can choose the level of effort that you want to put into your meals. The meals are all fully plant-based, and Purple Carrot provides several gluten-free recipes to choose from, as well as gluten-free pre-prepared meals . 

“The meal kits are a wonderful blend of familiar and innovative — think kimchi grilled cheese and Baklava overnight oats,” says Resnick. And because the meals are fully plant-based, Purple Carrot can be an easy way for people to “add more plant foods into their diets without having to fully convert to veganism,” she says.

You can customize the number of dinners you get per week, which range from two to four meal kits and six to 10 pre-made meals. Deliveries take place on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays depending on your shipping location, and you can choose to skip a delivery on any given week.

Cost: Starting at $11 per serving for meal kits and $13 per serving for pre-made meals with free shipping | Serving size: 2 or 4 servings for meal kits and single-serve for pre-made meals | Number of meals: 2 to 4 for meal kits or 6 to 10 prepared meals per week

Best for gluten-free beginners:

Epicured allows you to choose from a rotating menu of over 50 pre-made meals spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. All Epicured meals are entirely gluten-free and low-FODMAP, which means they don’t feature certain carbohydrates and food additives that can be hard for some people to digest. “They’re a great option for those with SIBO, IBS or a generally sensitive tummy,” says Moskovitz.

If you don’t want to choose individual meals, Epicured also offers several pre-selected programs, including an omnivore , pescetarian and vegetarian program, that helps you ease into a low-FODMAP diet, according to the brand.

Once you select your meals and register, each weekly order is automatically renewed — if you don’t manually pick your meals, orders are locked in on Friday afternoons with the same meals you previously selected.

Cost: The average price for each meal is around $15 and shipping is free if your total weekly order is over $100 (if not, the shipping cost depends on the delivery location) | Serving size: Single-serve | Number of meals: As many (or as little) as you want

Best chef-prepared gluten-free meals: Cookunity

Price is based on six meals per week.

Having a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice the joys of dining out. Cookunity offers chef-prepared meals with a wide range of gluten-free options for you to enjoy at home, with subscriptions ranging from four to 16 meals per week, Resnick says this service is one of her favorites: “I appreciate that they provide full ingredient lists, down to the individual ingredients in cheeses.” NBC Select social commerce editor Sadhana Daruvuri also enjoys it because she can get a variety of delicious meals while still spending about the same amount she’d spent on groceries, she says.

You can also filter meals by other dietary restrictions, like dairy-free, high protein, vegan, vegetarian and more.

Cost: Starting at $11 per meal with free shipping | Serving size: Single-serve | Number of meals: 4 to 16 meals per week

Best for multiple dietary restrictions: BistroMD

Price is based on 20 meals per week.

BistroMD offers a specialized gluten-free plan that lets you choose from over 100 gluten-free meals each week, according to the service. The Gluten-Free program provides breakfast, lunch and dinner for your choice of five days or seven days. The service also offers an EATS (Essential and Tasty Snacks) program that provides healthy snacking options for an additional charge. “BistroMD prides itself on being ‘doctor-designed’ and therefore is more medically therapeutic than most other companies,” says Moskovitz.

Cost: Starting at $7 per meal for the full program 7-day plan and $8 per meal for the full program 5-day plan | Serving size: Single-serve | Number of meals: Five to seven meals per week

Best splurge-worthy: Sakara Life

Sakara life.

Price is based on three meals per day for three days in the brand's Signature Nutrition Program.

Although Sakara Life is on the pricier side for a meal delivery service, it offers a large selection of ready-to-eat meals, all of which are gluten-free, organic, dairy-free and plant-based, according to the service. You can choose to do a one-week trial program if you’re just getting started, or you can select a recurring subscription program that automatically renews each week with a set menu of meals that rotates weekly and seasonally. Sakara Life also lets you choose the number of days you want to receive meals (three or five days) as well as which type of meals you would like to receive (breakfast, lunch and/or dinner).

The full five-day gluten-free meal plan is a great way to jumpstart your wellness journey, according to Moskovitz. “Sakara is very popular among my clients because of [its] varied menu, top-quality ingredients and delicious taste,” she says.

Programs include the Signature Nutrition Program — which comes with up to three meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner, depending on your location) and your choice of two, three or five days — and the 30-Day Reset , a four-week program that lets you choose at least two meals (breakfast, lunch and/or dinner) for up to five days per week.

Cost: Starting at $28 per meal with free shipping | Serving size: Single-serve | Number of meals: 2 to 15 meals per week with the brand’s signature plan

Best gluten-free guided program: Provenance

Price is based on average cost for 8 meals per week.

Provenance offers ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that are entirely gluten-free and dairy-free. “These organic prepared meals are great for those with intolerances, and most of the ingredients are also locally sourced and sustainable,” says Moskovitz, adding that the meals taste as good as they look, based on her personal experience.

The service also offers a Provenance Detox program, a six-day nutrition program where you can choose either an omnivore or vegan and plant-based plan. This program provides weekly prepared meals, detox teas, prebiotics and more (however, this program is only available for delivery in Los Angeles and New York City).

Cost: Starting around $15 per meal with $10 for shipping and $320 for the Provenance Detox program | Serving size: Single-serve | Number of meals: Choose between 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 items for weekly meal delivery and get 12 pre-prepared meals, 12 detox tea servings and more with the detox plan

Best for gluten-free snacks and groceries: Hungryroot

Hungryroot, which is more of a grocery delivery service with a lot of the same benefits and customizations as other meal kits on this list, offers several gluten-free items to choose from. When you take the initial quiz about your preferences and dietary needs, Hungryroot creates a personalized grocery plan to meet those needs. In addition to delivering fresh food for the week, it also sends you specific recipes based on the groceries in your order, and you can edit your delivery every week in case you want a specific ingredient or food item.

With the ability to choose the type of meal you want and customize the groceries you get, Hungryroot “allows you to be a bit more adventurous and cook from the hip, or also follow the recipes exactly,” says Ben Leonard, chef and culinary manager for GreenPan cookware..

Cost: Starting at $65 for three two-serving meals (about $11 per serving), with an additional $7 for plans under $70 | Serving size: 2 to 4 per recipe | Number of meals: 3 to 8 recipes per delivery, in addition to other grocery items

select Change up your dinner plans with the best meal delivery services

Meet our experts.

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef and certified nutritionist. She’s also a recipe developer and has written about nutrition, health, wellness and identity for a variety of platforms, including The Kitchn, Livestrong and Simply Recipes.
• Lisa Moskovitz is a registered dietitian and the CEO of NY Nutrition Group . She is the author of “The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan,” a program that focuses on simple and sustainable ways to lose weight.
• Ben Leonard is a professional chef and culinary manager for GreenPan cookware. 

Why trust NBC Select?

Mili Godio is an editor at NBC Select who has extensive experience covering meal delivery services, including prepared and vegetarian meal services . For this article, Godio spoke to threesix experts about what to consider when shopping for a meal delivery service and how to determine the best one for you. They also shared their favorite meal delivery services to try out.

Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

Mili Godio is an updates editor for Select on NBC News.

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Sakara Life Review: I Tried The Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Plan For 5 Days

Kate Hudson, LeAnn Rhimes, and Hilary Duff are big fans.

Being vegan, my diet is a *little* restricted, and it can be a serious chore to make a variety of fun meals. But Sakara Life's fully plant-based pastas, cakes, and muffins practically had me drooling over my phone screen. I promised myself I'd try it out when I could afford to (more on that, later!). I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to test out three of their programs and plans over the past two years to see if the popular meal delivery service is really worth the hype .

What is Sakara Life?

Those of you who are really tapped into the health and wellness world have likely already heard of the meal subscription service (Kate Hudson, LeAnn Rhimes, and Hilary Duff are all huge fans, to name a few!). But ICYMI, Sakara Life is a fully plant-based, gluten-free, and soy-free program that brings ready-to-eat meals straight to your door along with a full schedule of what to eat every day.

And, when I say "ready-to-eat," I mean that each meal, with the exception of the occasional soup or curry, literally comes in its own container, fully ready to eat without prep. Basically, it's the next best thing to having a chef in the house.

And, that's exactly the point. Co-CEOs Danielle DuBoise and Whitney Tingle founded Sakara Life to make eating healthy easier. I mean, if you've ever had the thought "If someone could just bring me a healthy meal right now, I'd eat it instead of ordering take-out," you're absolutely not alone.

But for me, the most exciting part of their philosophy is that it isn't centered around a "diet." "This is a lifestyle, not a diet," Tingle and DuBoise told me. "There is no dieting, no failing, no guilt, and no wagon to fall off."

After speaking with the founders and trying three of the plant-based, gluten-free meal plans out myself, here are my honest thoughts.

How does Sakara Life work?

Though the meal delivery service offers a range of goal-oriented programs from a five-day detox to a gut health reboot , metabolism reset , and even a month-long bridal program , the most popular one is their signature nutrition program (their ongoing subscription). They also have limited-edition programs, like special detoxes and seasonal resets. I tried the signature program and gut health reboot at different points last year, then the spring summer reset most recently—each for one week.

Now, it's important to note that one "week" for Sakara Life is five days. For those five weekdays, you get 15 fully organic meals (three for each day) that are divided between two different deliveries since all the food is made fresh. Each delivery also came with bags of their detox and digestive teas , along with a few single-serve packs of their cult-favorite cacao metabolism powder .

The goal is to pack in as many nutrients as possible—most lunches and dinners are largely based on leafy greens. "We pack at least six cups of leafy greens per day," say Tingle and DuBoise. "Soon enough, you'll be craving them." I mean, I personally wouldn't say that after five days I started to crave spinach, but there were some particular meals like rainbow pad thai and quesadillas that I do still daydream about now, a year later.

How are meals packaged?

Each meal comes in a simple cardboard box with liners and ice packs—all of which are recyclable. I've tried and tested a lot of meal delivery services, so trust me when I say that this is one of the easiest one to unbox. Not only were there zero spills, there wasn't excessive packaging I had to worry about, and none of the food was freezer burned or soggy, either.

They even provide a full calendar for the week, detailing which foods to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so there's practically no time between you deciding you're hungry and grabbing a full meal.

How much does Sakara Life cost?

Those of you who have heard about Sakara Life know that it comes with a seriously luxurious price tag. Five days of 15 meals cost $460, which is about five times the amount I spend on groceries from Whole Foods for seven (or more) days in New York City. Granted, I'm not meal prepping gluten-free donuts and healthy pasta on a daily basis.

Here Are Some Of The Sakara Life Meals I Tried

I'll admit that being vegan, I had a bit of a head start here. Meat lovers may have a bit of a harder time cutting out animal-based proteins and dairy. I was personally overjoyed to find out that I could eat foods like cake and burgers that weren't overly-processed like some vegan alternatives can be. Despite the fact that every plan I tried had distinct goals, each one actually had extremely similar foods. In fact, some meals were the exact same.

For example, I had the same red beet burger in the signature reset program as I did in the gut health reboot program. That's because Sakara Life works with in-house nutritionists and wellness coaches who specifically make sure you're eating the right foods on the best days and at the most ideal times in order to achieve your goals. The strategic timing of each meal in your day (and week) is what makes each plan distinct.

In terms actual dishes, the breakfast items were some of the best I've ever had—there were crispy donuts, a rich chocolate cake topped with chocolate sauce, waffles, parfaits, and more. (Need I remind you that this was all completely organic, plant-based, and gluten-free?!)

I swear I had moments at which I thought I was being lied to. There's no way these foods could be healthy and taste as good as they did. You get the gist. Breakfast was a home run every single day.

On most days, lunch was typically a salad or a nourishing bowl. These were a bit more hit-or-miss, which brings me to one of the cons of the program. When you cook your own food or go to a restaurant, you can choose ingredients you like or dislike to keep out of your meals—that's not the case with these.

A few of their salads were heavy on fruit like pomegranate and oranges. I simply prefer my salads sans fruit, so those were a bit harder to get through. Other days, there were delicious, savory lunches like a pad thai salad I am actually still thinking about (I could have eaten it straight out of the fridge, but decided to heat up a bit).

Dinner was always a more fun meal. I had a delicious black bean pasta, chickpea coconut curry, and quesadillas that even featured drool-worthy vegan cheese. As I mentioned, you can eat everything straight out of the fridge, but I threw some things (like donuts and waffles) in my air fryer for a few moments because I generally prefer hot meals.

Are Sakara Life’s meals filling?

On my first couple of days on the signature reset program, I got super hungry in between lunch and dinner. I was either eating dinner early and then eating something else a few hours afterwards, or I would snack on some nuts in between lunch and dinner. By the third day, something switched. I don't know if it was my body adapting or if the meals just got more filling, but I was barely able to finish all the food given to me in one day.

On the gut health reboot and spring summer reset programs, I felt full and satisfied most of the time. There were a few days I needed to supplement my meals with a protein shake or some nuts. I typically run and do Pilates or yoga every single day, so I found myself needing more fuel on the days I did more intense workouts.

Do meals come with supplements or any extras?

Each Sakara Life delivery I received came with bags of their detox and digestive teas , along with a few single-serve packs of their cult-favorite cacao metabolism powder . Though the detox and digestive teas weren't particularly noteworthy, they were nice additions to the plan. Since they're both caffeine-free, I typically enjoyed these in the afternoon or post-dinner.

The metabolism powder was a huge standout for me. It's been a staple in my pantry ever since I tried it two years ago. Essentially just raw cacao powder with coconut powder and a few other minerals like kelp and horsetail extract mixed in, I don't truly believe that this actually does anything for my metabolism, but it's delicious . To me, it tastes just like hot chocolate without any sugar. Yah, that may sound unappealing to some, but as someone with an aversion to sweets, I love it. I simply add a bit of hot water and soy milk for a hot, creamy treat in the winter time or blend it with cold oat milk and ice in the summer. But, if you have a sweet tooth, Sakara Life recommends adding a scoop of the powder to smoothies.

Besides food, each plan also came with an informative manual containing details on the plan I was doing, why certain foods were chosen for it, and tips on how to best optimize my time on the plan. Each of the three times I tested different programs, I appreciated how comprehensive this was. For example, a lot of their dishes feature unique ingredients that I'd heard of but didn't actually know about, like chlorophyll or kelp. (Idk about you, but those aren't exactly on my weekly grocery list.) The booklets would do a deep-dive on each of those ingredients and explain all the benefits. Knowing exactly what I was putting into my body really enhanced my experience.

In each manual, DuBoise and Tingle also advise you to moderate your intake of caffeine, meat, alcohol, dairy, and processed foods. "We don't prescribe cutting them out entirely—you're not on a diet—but you'll see the best results if you take an occasional break and allow Sakara Life nutrition to fully work its magic," they say. Personally, I love my morning chai so I didn't cut out caffeine, but I did completely abstain from meat, alcohol, dairy, and processed foods. I woke up every day feeling a lot less bloated , so I'm sure that was a big part of it.

How much weight did I lose with Sakara Life?

Though my personal goal was not weight loss, I actually did lose two to four pounds in five days on each program I tried (which I gained back after getting off each plan, to be clear). Let's acknowledge that was probably mostly water weight since I was only doing this for five days, but I will say that I felt way less bloated and loved knowing that I was packing so many nutrient-rich vegetables into my diet without feeling like I was just eating boring salads.

Does Sakara Life have good customer service?

You can reach out to Sakara Life's representatives by phone or email from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST on weekdays. I reached out to them a few times about questions I had regarding my meals and deliveries, and they got back to me within 24 hours each time.

Is Sakara Life easy to cancel?

Though Sakara does have the ongoing signature plan you can subscribe to, most of their plans are a week to a month long. For the plans that have a finite amount of time attached to them, you can cancel them seven days before starting to get a 100 percent refund. If you want to make any changes to your deliveries outside of that, or wish to cancel your ongoing subscription, you have to let them know via e-mail by midnight on Wednesday the week before you're supposed to receive your next delivery.

Ultimately, is Sakara Life worth the money?

Simple answer? If you have the cash, then yes, Sakara Life is *absolutely* worth the money. You're getting high-quality ingredients and delicious foods that most of us can't cook in our own kitchens.

I actually didn't realize that the minor stress of figuring out what to eat every day, three times a day, was taking its toll until it was completely eliminated. And, rather than waiting to get a break in my day to eat, I could listen to my body and grab a quick meal whenever I started feeling hungry.

Of course, Sakara Life's clientele isn't exactly the average American—it's no secret that access to health food in our country is oftentimes limited to those with privilege. According to the American Journal of Public Health , communities of color have the least access to healthy foods.

And, as an Indian woman, I would be failing myself not to mention that "sakara" is actually a Sanskrit word, despite the fact that neither founder identifies as South Asian. The website says that Sakara translates to "thoughts becoming things," though I am personally unfamiliar with that translation. For me, the word and many of its derivatives actually translates to " sugar ."

Despite all that, Sakara Life does its part in offering a " Sakara Scholarship " where they offer select women the ability to try the nutrition program for free based on the answer to the question: "Why are you applying for the Sakara Scholarship?" They also donate ingredients to City Harvest , an organization dedicated to ending hunger in New York City.

Eat Clean, Play Dirty: Recipes for a Body and Life You Love by the Founders of Sakara Life

If you're like most of us and can't afford to subscribe to the full program for years on end (though tbh, I'm manifesting it), I recommend doing it for even just a week—perhaps before a big event where you want to feel your best.

And, if that's not an option for you either, they have a cookbook for $26 on Amazon that includes tons of the recipes Sakara Life's meal program has, like red beet burgers and pancakes. I already own a copy and love making the cauliflower steak sandwiches—if only to get me one step closer to living my best Hilary Duff-adjacent life.

Neha Tandon is the former senior commerce editor of Women's Health. She has written for New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, BRIDES, Harper's Bazaar, Business Insider, Byrdie, and Well+Good. 

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Gluten-Free Restaurants in Moscow, Russia

Last updated June 2024

1. Saperavi

Gf menu options include: bread/buns, dessert, 2. cafe pushkin, gf menu options include: dessert, 3. khachapuri, gf menu options include: sandwiches, 4. max's beef for money, gf menu options include: dessert, fries, 5. varenichnaya №1, gf menu options include: salad, soup, 6. saperavi.

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Best MLB stadium food: Ranking the eight top ballparks for eats in 2024

“A hot dog at the ballpark is better than steak at the Ritz.”  

  – Humphrey Bogart 

This old quote has been repeated so many times over the years that it’s become as ubiquitous as Wee Willie Keeler’s “Hit ‘em where they ain’t” and Yogi Berra’s “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” 

But Bogart’s remark conveys the undeniable truth that concessions at ballparks are pivotal to the enjoyment of a game.  

We learned this a decade ago, when USA TODAY Sports Weekly published a 30-week series that featured one Major League ballpark per issue. While each stadium’s history, architecture and gameday experience were examined, readers made it clear that they wanted to know much, much more about one aspect of each park: food. 

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

So we modified the format of the articles to devote significantly more space to this topic, culminating in a special pull-out section in the publication devoted to nothing but concessions.  

The readers were happy. 

It’s now time to provide an update on this all-important subject matter. And make no mistake about it, the front offices know full well the necessity of offering top-notch eats to fans.

These are our top eight MLB ballparks in concessions for 2024:

1. Oracle Park, San Francisco 

The park where you smell the garlic fries long before you see them has been considered the pinnacle for ballpark food since it opened in 2000 – even if some of it is a little unconventional. You’re probably not shocked to hear there are offerings called “roast pea protein-based hot dog with roasted red pepper chutney and arugula” or “impossible cheesesteak,” but head out to center field for two standouts.

One is Orlando’s Caribbean Grill, with its new jerk chicken chimichanga, and the other is the Crazy Crab’z. A strong case can be made that the Dungeness crab sandwich here is the single best food item at any ballpark anywhere. No wonder about 2,500 of them are served at every home game.  

2. T-Mobile Park, Seattle 

Like San Francisco, it’s worth a trip here just for the food. The Mariners have always been adventurous when it comes to concessions (remember when they introduced grasshoppers?), and the trend continues with crab pizza, açaí bowls, Chinese dumplings, tofu tots, katsu and Seattle’s own take on a Dungeness crab sandwich. 

3. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles 

For decades, the Dodgers felt confident that fans only wanted to eat Dodger Dogs. Following a massive renovation of the infrastructure in the stadium a decade ago, food-prep areas were added directly behind every concession stand. Suddenly, fans had options like Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Italian and much more.

Your grandfather who grew up attending games in Chavez Ravine would be shocked to know that sushi, chicken katsu, and carne asada are on the menu. And don’t look now, but these variations of Dodger Dogs are being offered this season:  Extreme Bacon Wrapped; Gluten-Free; Fried; Grilled; and even Plant-Based.

4. Citi Field, New York 

Because the two ballparks are so incredibly different, it’s hard to conceive that Citi Field and Yankee Stadium were designed, constructed and opened at the same time. When it comes to fun concessions, the Mets’ home beats its counterpart in the Bronx hands-down, with the incredibly popular Shake Shack on the center field plaza and a rotating line-up of local restaurants (RyRy’s jerk chicken, chicken skewers from Poprice, and Benny’s Cubanos) in the Taste of Queens carts in right field . And early reviews of the new Korean fried chicken are extremely positive. 

5. loanDepot Park, Miami 

Many fans outside South Florida aren’t fond of the color scheme and avant-garde design of the Marlins home, but we should all be able to agree that the concessions here are terrific. Look for Intentional Wok and Sliderz at the mini food court near the left-field foul pole. If you’re hunting for a bargain, there are “3o5” stand s (which means “$3 or $5”) on all three seating levels. Here the hot dogs and sodas are $3 while beer is $5. 

6. Petco Park, San Diego 

A number of big-league parks have started using the online ordering feature of MLB’s Ballpark app. Petco Park is one of them, so fans can now order from their seats. New food offerings for 2024 include Italian, Mediterranean and gelato. Don’t worry, the famous fish tacos are still on the menu! 

7. Coors Field, Denver 

Sometimes a certain concession item becomes synonymous with a ballpark. A classic pairing is Coors Field with Rocky Mountain Oysters (for the uninitiated, they are deep-fried bull testicles). There is still a stand near the left-field foul pole that sells this acquired-taste item, but nearby is one of baseball’s best burger stands, the Helton Burger Shack. Don’t miss Biker Jim’s gourmet hot dog stands on both the field level and the upper deck, and The Rooftop in right field, where millennials flock to eat and drink (and not pay much attention to baseball).  

8. Rogers Centre, Toronto 

It’s hard to imagine that when the Blue Jays debuted the modern marvel known as SkyDome in 1989, there was considerable buzz over the fact that there was a fully operational McDonald’s inside (touted as being the largest in North America!). Today, the Golden Arches are long gone, but in their place are exceptional food offerings, particularly in the rebuilt outfield “neighbourhoods.” Here you’ll find local favorites like poutine and a new hot maple and bacon hot dog, and underneath the field-level seats, there will shortly be fine dining for season-ticket holders.  

About Joe Mock: Joe has examined all 30 Major League parks, all 23 spring training parks and all 119 affiliated Minor League parks – plus plenty of indy league and college facilities. He covers sports facilities for USA TODAY publications and he’s operated  BaseballParks.com  since 1997. There he’s posted nearly 100 in-depth reviews of pro parks that have opened in the last quarter century. His ballpark expertise has landed him appearances on the Travel Channel and History Channel. You can  follow his ballpark escapades on X @baseballparks .