Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico gluten-free?

[dii103]

Hi everyone!

I am traveling to Nuevo Vallarta,Mexico in a week and was wondering if any one had any advice/tips/experiences in this area. I have traveled to Mexico many times before but this is my first time being gluten free. I plan on bringing tons of snacks ( especially for the plane ride!) Any advice or tips will be great! Thanks so much!

[Allielayla]

Hi there!

We just got back from Nuevo Vallarta. Where are you staying? This too was our first trip gluten free and had an easier time being there than in the US. They primarily use corn, rice and potatoes. Twice during the 2 week stay, we had to request corn tortillas rather than flour. Other than that, it was care-free. For your plane ride, I would bring snacks like you would typically bring like pirate booty, potato chips, dried fruits, etc. If you have some protein bar that is gluten free, I would bring some of those too. I actually began to buy Medifast products as well as some bariatric foods because they are very high in protein and low in carbs so many of them do not have wheat/gluten.

I a very new to this forum/group. I do not know if you are allowed to contact me personally. If you can, please feel free and we can talk about Mexico a little bit more. We live in NY and my wish is to move to Nuevo Vallarta when I retire (if not sooner). We are actually going back in February.

Let me know a little more about where you are going and we can discuss further.

Allie

[Mexican Trailrunner]

Hola Dii103,

Well, maybe I can give you a couple of tips, I live here in MX.

1. Many tortillierias cut their masa (corn meal) with wheat. Many of them sell to restaurants. You must look for the 100% Masa or Elote on their building or sign before eating the tortillas. I have my favorite tortilleria and I buy their tortillas before going to a restaurant and eat those or give them to the kitchen to prepare my meal with.

2. Mexico is nothing if not full of delicious natural foods: fruits, veges, meats, fish etc. In restaurants I ask for a plate of grilled fish/meat with beans, salad, veges etc. Ask for them to cook your food in a clean pan (casuela).

3. There is a great all-you-can-eat natural food place in town up by the church. Forget the name, anyone can direct you as they've been there a long time.

4. You can get rice crackers and some other gluten-free things at Wally World, down by the cruise ship dock.

5. Mexicans have a low incidence of celiac disease and are really not too hip to it all. And Mexicans really hate to tell you something that will make you unhappy so they might just say something is gluten-free even when they have no idea what you're talking about. Watch out for CC.

Bienvenidos a Mexico. Have great fun. Beware the wheat lurking in whitish looking tortillas, stick to the yellowish or brownish ones.

6. Mexican rice in restaurants often are cooked with chicken stock cubes that contain gluten.