Any Israeli Celiacs On?

[Nikki2777]

Hi - I'll be going to Israel next week for the first time since my dx.  I've printed out the travel card and lists of restaurants, but the recent post about the Chicago Rabbinic Council alerting that some quinoa is dusted with barley made me wonder if there are basic assumptions I shouldn't be making.  

 

Are there differences in how the basics are treated?  For example, in the US, I feel safe getting a coffee from almost any sbux or coffeehouse - are there any worries about that in Israel?  Also, would I be safe to get falafel (without the pita, of course) at a roadside falafel stand if they don't fry anything else?  I don't believe I'm highly sensitive to cc, so I'd watch to make sure the falafel balls were handled safely and not with pita dusted hands.

 

Would a bag of potato chips bought at a stand or a small grocery be safe (much as I can count on this being available in the US when nothing else is?)  Are there bars I can grab and carry in my bag for emergencies, etc.?

 

Are there things I'm not even thinking about that I can do to protect myself and still be relaxed enough to have a good time?

 

Also, believe it or not, Cottage Cheese is one of my favorite foods - are there any cottage cheese brands I can trust?

 

I thought I was feeling confident that this could be handled, but now I'm not so sure...

 

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

 

 

 

 

[kareng]

Have you looked for Celiac support groups? You might google it. Not sure how current the one on the home page is. I get gluten-free noodles and a few other things from Israel.

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Celiac-Disease-Support-Groups%2C-Organizations-%26amp%3B-Contacts/Outside-the-USA%3A-Celiac-Disease-Support-Groups-and-Contacts/?Page=2

[love2travel]

Though I haven't been to Israel (on my bucket list!), I travel internationally regularly and would recommend taking along bars from the U.S. that you know are safe.  When I travel I take things from Canada just in case including bread, bars and Skittles.  You may need to frequent markets for fresh fruits and vegetables.  Also take plenty of snacks along for airports and possible delays.  I find airports and longhaul flights to be the trickiest part of travel.  We were delayed once for EIGHT hours with nothing safe at the airport except fruit.  Thankfully I had snacks or else I would have been in trouble.

[Nikki2777]

Have you looked for Celiac support groups? You might google it. Not sure how current the one on the home page is. I get gluten-free noodles and a few other things from Israel.

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Celiac-Disease-Support-Groups%2C-Organizations-%26amp%3B-Contacts/Outside-the-USA%3A-Celiac-Disease-Support-Groups-and-Contacts/?Page=2

 

Thanks for the suggestion!  I got in touch with them and they were extremely helpful, and now I have a number to call if I need advice once I'm there.

 

I'm going to bring a few bars, Go Picnics and tuna pouches 'just in case', but I'm looking forward to an easy trip.

[kareng]

Yeah!

 

I expect a full report when you return!  Keep track of places you ate - good or bad, shops to get safe snacks, etc.  And have some fun.