Extended Trip to Nepal

[Meghgem]

I'm sure this has been covered, and covered, and covered again, but I'm just feeling stuck (I'm also new here). I'm going to be traveling to Nepal for a 10 month research trip that's likely going to require some travel outside of major cities (in a few months). I've found myself a card in Nepali that explains my dietary needs, and I'm working on getting comfortable verbally stating my requirements. I've been to Nepal several times pre-diagnosis, but obviously I wasn't paying much attention to things like gluten cross-contamination. I know that there are so many dishes that are naturally gluten free, but I also know that knowledge of cross-contamination in kitchens is spotty at best, so I'm a little worried that even if I order food that I'm 100% sure has no gluten-containing ingredients, I'll still end up getting glutened because chefs may not take care when preparing something like say, momos, in a very small kitchen next to some nice safe daal bhat. 

I've seen several travel blogs positively gushing about naturally gluten free food in Nepal, but I've just been glutened too many times by restaurants in the US that are "allergy-friendly" establishments to feel like I could trust any restaurant anywhere unless I can see the food being prepared. Anybody with any experience hanging out over there for longer periods of time? What did you do for snacks? I've bought myself a cute little tiffin box so I can take my own food with me when I go out with friends, but I'd love to not feel held back by celiac.

[Scott Adams]

Having a restaurant card in Nepalese is great, and you may also want to take GliadinX with you, as it can break down small amounts of gluten in your stomach, before it reaches your intestines (they are a sponsor of this site). This would be perfect for small amounts of cross contamination that you might encounter. 

For what it's worth, I've eaten at several Nepalese restaurants in my home city and have never had any issues. Whenever I've mentioned my dietary restrictions to them they seemed to be very attentive, and knowledgeable, however, I'm sure that you may encounter issues, so it's best to prepare. 

[Meghgem]

Thanks, but I’m not looking to take anything to allow myself to tolerate any  gluten. Do you have any suggestions that don’t involve promoting a supplement that sponsors this website? Holy cow that made me so uncomfortable and literally immediately suspicious. Do they pay you to promote their product? 
 

From nationalceliac.org:

One important point here is that it does NOT replace the gluten-free diet. Enzymes on the market offer a false sense of security because people who use enzymes might believe they can be less careful with their diet. This can lead to harmful consequences in the long term. There’s no good evidence that the enzymes currently on the market (GliadinX, Gluten Digest, Gluten Rid, Gluten Cutter and others*) can protect people with celiac disease from even small amounts of gluten.

So thanks, but hard pass from me. 

[Scott Adams]

No, I'm not paid to promote them in forum posts, but they do pay for banner ads here.

You can read the peer reviewed research posted on their site and decide for yourself, and nationalceliac.org appear not to have done that:

https://www.gliadinx.com/publications

[ChrisBa]

I am not sure about Nepal but I do travel a lot to many different countries and I understand your concerns as I share them. It is not always easy to speak to a chef or watch the preparations of your food. So I always take protein nut bars with me. If you don't do nuts there are many more out there you might try. 10 months is a long time but a few of these for those occasions when you really don't feel comfortable with a certain restaurant they come in handy. They provide a good meal replacement for those times. They are easily packed and last for a long time. Learn about the naturally Gluten Free dishes and if possible prepare them yourself. Just something to think about. Most importantly, Enjoy your trip!