Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Poland Gluten-Free

Becks85

By Becks85
in Traveling with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Becks85 Rookie
Becks85
Posted

Hello,

I'm traveling to Poland this summer for a couple weeks, and I'm really nervous about eating gluten-free and dairy-free. I've been to Poland before, but it was before I was diagnosed. I've also travelled abroad a couple times after diagosis, and I can't say that I've ever been very successful at avoiding gluten (due to the newness of the diet). Does any one have any tips or experiences to share? I appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Becks

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


buffettbride Enthusiast
buffettbride
Posted

Do you speak Polish?

Becks85 Rookie
Becks85
Posted
  • Author

Do you speak Polish?

No, but I hope to find some gluten-free restaurant cards.

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

I buy food from markets when I travel (even before gluten-free). It's a lot cheaper and you know what you're eating. True, you aren't sitting in some restaurant with a glass of wine, but you can use the money you save to take a taxi somewhere fun to eat your picnic of sliced meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and even a bottle of wine if you are so inclined.

Pac Apprentice
Pac
Posted

Open Original Shared Link

- oficial webpage of Polish celiac society.

Otherwise, I'd say Poland should be quite safe - they are the main exporter of gluten-free food in Eastern Europe and even their exported food that is not designated as gluten-free is very well labelled everywhere in the world (they export a lot of typical central-european food to North America). I've never been there after my diagnosis, so it's just my guess. (I lived gluten-free in Czech republic, right next to Poland.)

The only "problem" is that they use almost exclusively wheat starch, so if you have to avoid wheat in general, not just gluten, that might make it dificult.

Becks85 Rookie
Becks85
Posted
  • Author

Excellent point, Jestgar. I've always eaten in restaurants while travelling, but I guess I just need to realize that this may not be the best idea anymore. I'm planning on staying in hostels, so I'll try to stay at one's that offer kitchens. I'll probably save some money, too!

Pac, thanks for the website. I'm a little confused about wheat starch, though. Is this put specifically in gluten-free foods or in all foods? I've read that some wheat starch is still unsafe for people with Celiacs but other forms would be ok. I'm guessing any product labelled gluten-free, even if it contains wheat starch, would be ok then? I had no idea about wheat starch, but I guess you learn new things every day.

Thanks for your responses!

Pac Apprentice
Pac
Posted

Excellent point, Jestgar. I've always eaten in restaurants while travelling, but I guess I just need to realize that this may not be the best idea anymore. I'm planning on staying in hostels, so I'll try to stay at one's that offer kitchens. I'll probably save some money, too!

Pac, thanks for the website. I'm a little confused about wheat starch, though. Is this put specifically in gluten-free foods or in all foods? I've read that some wheat starch is still unsafe for people with Celiacs but other forms would be ok. I'm guessing any product labelled gluten-free, even if it contains wheat starch, would be ok then? I had no idea about wheat starch, but I guess you learn new things every day.

Thanks for your responses!

Wheat starch used in gluten-free products is special deproteined one. The regular 'non-gluten-free' food wheat starch is not safe. Most czech gluten-free flour mixes based on wheat starch have about 17mg of gluten per 1kg, it's just slightly more than naturally gluten-free products and withing the "safe" limits. (except for sensitive freaks like me who react to amounts undetectable by ELISA)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


irish daveyboy Community Regular
irish daveyboy
Posted

'Bezgluten' the Polish Gluten Free Manufacturer has a range of Breads, Flours and Pastas.

Open Original Shared Link

Best Regards,

David

Mango04 Enthusiast
Mango04
Posted

If you're going to be in Krakow, I'd recommend a vegetarian place called Momo. I've eaten there many times. The staff speak English and are helpful if you explain what you can't eat. Also be on the lookout for Schar products (usually sold in the bio shops) and like others have said markets...and even regular supermarkets will keep you sustained :) (Drug stores sometimes carry gluten-free products as well).

nowheatpete Newbie
nowheatpete
Posted

Heres another handy website maybe, they make gluten free products

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Maybe email them and find out where you can buy their products in Poland?

Theres also a company in germany that makes celiac cards www.delicardo.com, I'm not sure if they have Polish cards but could probably have them made considering their are som many poles in Germany.

all the best

nowheatpete Newbie
nowheatpete
Posted

This word list may also be helpful

Open Original Shared Link

Becks85 Rookie
Becks85
Posted
  • Author

Thanks again everyone for your responses! They will be very useful as I prepare for my trip!

bezglutenu Newbie
bezglutenu
Posted

Did you already go to Poland.

I have not traveled to Poland much after I went gluten-free, but I have to worn you that eating out in Poland might be a bit challenging given that wheat and dairy products are a very common ingredient in Polish kitchen, starting from soups ending on desserts. Most salads should be safe, but you still need to make sure. Potatoes and rice should be fine, but you need to make sure that butter is not used (I am assuming that you cannot have butter).

You might need to alter previously suggested text due to your dairy-free restriction, I put the items you want to remove in "[ ]" and ADDITIONS IN CAPS. This is the edited text from Open Original Shared Link :

"Jestem na diecie bezglutenowej i bezmlecznej. Nie mogę spożywać produkt

bezglutenu Newbie
bezglutenu
Posted

Oops! I added "SERDECZNIE" and meant to remove "BARDZO" from the following sentence: "SERDECZNIE DZIĘKUJĘ BARDZO ZA POMOC!" You can either leave "SERDECZNIE DZIĘKUJĘ ZA POMOC!" or "DZIĘKUJĘ BARDZO ZA POMOC!"

Did you already go to Poland.

I have not traveled to Poland much after I went gluten-free, but I have to worn you that eating out in Poland might be a bit challenging given that wheat and dairy products are a very common ingredient in Polish kitchen, starting from soups ending on desserts. Most salads should be safe, but you still need to make sure. Potatoes and rice should be fine, but you need to make sure that butter is not used (I am assuming that you cannot have butter).

You might need to alter previously suggested text due to your dairy-free restriction, I put the items you want to remove in "[ ]" and ADDITIONS IN CAPS. This is the edited text from Open Original Shared Link :

"Jestem na diecie bezglutenowej i bezmlecznej. Nie mogę spożywać produkt

  • 2 weeks later...
pawelski Newbie
pawelski
Posted

Hi Becks,

If you intend to visit Krakow, I'd recommend you the gluten-free restaurant. This is the only one I've ever heard (so and eaten there).

They offer special gluten free menu containing dozens of dishes (including traditional polish cuisine). The food is really delicious. I assure.

Open Original Shared Link

gluten-free menu (in polish, but I believe, the restaurant's staff speak English:

Open Original Shared Link

If you're going to eat outside during whole journey, the best solution would be to speak with the cooks (not with the waiters) directly or show the printed card as bezgluten wrote in the message above.

Eating in fastfoods, apart from french fries, I think you can also order kebab meat (very popular in most cities via avenues) of course with no bread, just meat and salads on the plate.

As a "packed lunch" for trips you can buy rise-bread SONKO (almost in every grocery store - even in the small ones) Open Original Shared Link

You can choose lots sorts of this bread and the rice cakes with coating (strawberry, yoghurt, chocolate)

What else can I add... If you need any help during your time in Poland, don't hesitate to call me (I'll send you my cell number via contact information).

Good-luck

  • 1 month later...
nora-n Rookie
nora-n
Posted

I am going to poland soon, thanks for the warning about the wheat starch.

There is a minority of celiacs who do not tolerate the codex wheat starch either.

I have not tried the new beow 20 ppm wheat starch yet so I do not know if I react, but I would think so.

I printed out the word list.

I guess they list wheat starch?

It was not listed on the allergy list, I guess I have to look for the words separately.

pawelski Newbie
pawelski
Posted

wheat starch is called "skrobia pszenna".

You can buy dozens species of gluten-free bread in Poland, however (as I've checked) they are often made from something they call "skrobia pszenna bezglutenowa" = Glutenfree wheat starch. So it's good to check the label.

I'm though not familiar with strictly procedures which quantify the maximum of ppm, allowing for using "Glutenfree" prefix.

nora-n Rookie
nora-n
Posted

Because of the new EU laws regarding gluten free, even wheat starch has to be below 20ppm soon.

Here in Scandinavia all producers have already made the change, but they have not updated the packaging quite yet.

The old wheat starch typically had up to 80-100ppm in northern Europe.

I just came back from Poland today, but I only looked into one supermarket and did not really look for gluten free bread, I bought some nuts and bananas. I did not notice any diet shelf or any gluten free cookies in the cookie shelf.

Here in Scandianvia the gluten free stuff is often in a shelf tothether with other health food and spelt(!) which of course is not gluten free. But some supermarkets have started to put gluten-free pasta in the pasta shelf, and gluten-free crackers in the knekkebr

  • 1 month later...
GFme Newbie
GFme
Posted

Hello,

I'm traveling to Poland this summer for a couple weeks, and I'm really nervous about eating gluten-free and dairy-free. I've been to Poland before, but it was before I was diagnosed. I've also travelled abroad a couple times after diagosis, and I can't say that I've ever been very successful at avoiding gluten (due to the newness of the diet). Does any one have any tips or experiences to share? I appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Becks

Hi Becks,

I was in Poland in 2005 and found the awareness of gluten-free eating to be very good. Every restaurant that I went into had waitstaff that spoke english and they were very cooperative.

I used the Polish language restaurant card from the back of Jax Peters Lowell's book and had no problems communicating my needs to the chefs in restaurants.

Also, find a local health food store while you are there and look for Glutenex baked products - they are outstanding!

Have a great trip and enjoy the food!

GFme

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,647
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Julie 911
    Newest Member
    Julie 911
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Buckwheat

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I agree, there can be contamination at many points--milling is another possible source of contamination for any flours.
    • trents
      Buckwheat

      By trents · Posted

      Keep in mind that with manufactured food products, "gluten free" doesn't equate to no gluten. Things that are naturally gluten free can be cross-contaminated with gluten in the field, in shipping and in processing. In the U.S. companies can use the gluten free label as long as the product doesn't exceed 20ppm of gluten. That amount still may cause a reaction in some people.
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

      Dd10 was tested for celiac four years ago bc two siblings were dx’d (positive labs and biopsies). Her results at the time were positive ema  and ttg (7x the UL), but a negative biopsy. We checked again three months later and her ttg was still positive (4x the UL), but ema and biopsy were negative. Doc said it was “potential celiac” and to keep eating gluten, but we were concerned about harming her growth and development while young and had her go gluten-free because we felt the labs and ema in particular were very suggestive of early celiac, despite the negative biopsies. She also had stomach aches and lethargy when eating it. We just felt it’d be better to be safe than sorry. Now, four years later, she doesn’t want to be gluten-free if she doesn’t “have to be,” so underwent a 12 week gluten challenge. She had labs done before starting and all looked great (celiac panel all negative, as expected.) Surprisingly, she experienced no noticeable symptoms when she began eating gluten again, which we felt was a positive sign. However, 12 weeks in, her labs are positive again (ttg 4x the UL and ema positive again as well). Doc says that since she feels fine and her previous two biopsies showed nothing, she can just keep eating gluten and we could maybe biopsy again in two years. I was looking up the ema test and the probability of having not just one but two false positives, and it seems ridiculously low.  Any advice? Would you biopsy again? She’s old enough at this point that I really feel I need her buy-in to keep her gluten-free, and she feels that if the doc says it’s fine, then that’s the final word — which makes me inclined to biopsy again and hope that it actually shows damage this time (not because I want her to have celiac like her sisters, but because I kind of think she already does have it, and seeing the damage now would save her more severe damage in the long run that would come from just continuing to eat gluten for a few more years before testing again.)  Our doc is great - we really like him. But we are very confused and want to protect her. One of her older sibs stopped growing and has lots of teeth problems and all that jazz from not catching the celiac disease sooner, and we don’t want to get to that point with the younger sis. fwiw- she doesn’t mind the biopsy at all. It’s at a children’s hospital and she thinks it’s kind of fun. So it’s not like that would stress her out or anything.
    • Inkie
      Buckwheat

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thanks for the replies. I already use a gluten-free brand of buckwheat flakes I occasionally get itchy bumps. I'm still reviewing all my food products. I occasionally eat prepackaged gluten-free crackers and cookies, so I'll stop using those. I use buckwheat flakes and Doves Farm flour as a base for baking. Would you recommend eliminating those as well? It's a constant search.
    • Wheatwacked
      Frequent nausea after gluten-free diet

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Gluten free food is not fortified with vitamins and minerals as regular food is.  Vitamin deficiencies are common especially in recently diagnosed persons,  Get a 25(OH)Vitamin D blood test. And work on raising it.  The safe upper blood level is around 200 nmol/L.    "Low serum levels of 25(OH)D have been associated with increased risk of autoimmune disease onset and/or high disease activity. The role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases   🏋️‍♂️Good job!   I find the commercial milk will give me mild stomach burn at night, while pasture/grassfed only milk does not bother me at all.  While you are healing, listen to your body.  If it hurts to eat something, eat something else.  You may be able to eat it later, or maybe it is just not good for you.  Lower your Omega 6 to 3 ratio of what you eat.  Most omega 6 fatty acids are inflammation causing.    The standard american diet omega 6:3 ratio is estimated at upward of 14:1.  Thats why fish oil works
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.