Spain And Portugal

[LRgirl]

Hi,

I am going to Spain and Portugal soon. I have multiple food allergies, milk, rice, egg,peanuts, etc.. I think I should be ok if I stick to grilled meats and veggies. Does anyone have any organic grocery stores and vegan restaurants they could recommend? I'd also like to bring over some of my own food. What is the policy on bringing food onto a flight?

Thanks,

Traci

[eKatherine]

I spent 3 weeks in Galicia before I became gluten-free. At the time I was trying to eat a low-carb diet, which I found almost impossible over there, though since I was on a meal plan, you might have more luck.

Unfortunately they rarely serve vegetables in restaurants. In the cafeteria I was eating in, the vegetables were uniformly overcooked to a grayish pulp, and everybody said that was typical for home cooking.

They also often put hard-boiled eggs in many things you wouldn't expect to find them in, like salads.

About the only foods available for breakfast are breads, pastries, and hot chocolate.

At least peanuts will be easy to avoid. They only eat them in bars.

I'm wondering what else you are meaning you're allergic to when you say "etc.". Do you eat fried potatoes? I have no idea how you could determine whether they were prepared without cc, but often they are served at every meal, even in fancy restaurants.

The markets are good. I recommend you buy and eat a lot of fresh fruit.

[LRgirl]

I also can't have oysters and pinnapple. I haven't been on an airplane in a while.. Do they have a very strict policy on bringing your own food into Spain and Portugal?

[eKatherine]

I have heard that it is not too difficult to be gluten-free in Spain, but I can't comment on this. There are a lot of restaurants that cook meals to order and are accomodating in general. I recommend the Triumph dining cards to help you with that.

I found people to be friendly and helpful in Spain. Do you speak any of the language?

Have you made your itinerary yet? The Iberian peninsula has a lot of territory in it. If you know where you are going, let us know, and maybe someone will have more specific recommendations.

[floridanative]

Usually the plane is not where the food restictions lie. You can bring most anything to eat on the plane. You just can't take produce into the country you're visiting. This is true even of CA visits here. I took tons of food on vacation (didn't need a lot of it as it turned out) but no produce was allowed in Brittian. I took crackers, dressing packets, energy bars, pretzels, biscotti and dried fruit. I took lots of baggies as well and each day I made myself an emergency food bag to carry in my purse all day. I used my crackers with the hotel cheese in the morning since mostly they served breads/pastries, cheese and fruit. I've heard Spain is particularly Celiac friendly but know nothing about Portugal.

One thing is for sure - you will be shocked at how much easier it is to eat out safely over there then here. It's great when you're there and then when you get back to the strange looks every time you eat out here, it's a bummer! Have fun!

[LRgirl]

Hi,

I don't speak Spanish or portugese. However, we are going with the Cosmos tour group, so we should be ok. Our itinerary is:

Day 2 Fri. ARRIVAL IN MADRID, SPAIN.

Day 3 Sat. MADRID-SALAMANCA-COIMBRA, PORTUGAL.

Day 4 Sun. COIMBRA-FATIMA-LISBON.

Day 5 Mon. LISBON.

Day 6 Tue. LISBON-SEVILLE, SPAIN.

Day 7 Wed. SEVILLE.

Day 8 Thu. SEVILLE-CORDOBA-MADRID.

Day 9 Fri. MADRID.

Day 10 TRAVEL HOME

Thanks so much for your help!

Traci

[DILIROTH]

Since you are visiting mainly larger cities I think you will be able to find some good eating options. Plus, the tour guide should speak the languages and be able to assist with your dietary needs. The tapas bars are really fun! I have only run into trouble in the small, less populated areas of Northern Spain. We plan on visiting Seville later this fall and are really looking forward to the trip.

Enjoy,

Theresa