amber

Hi all,

I noticed recently (while trying to check if I was allowed the goodies on the office table) that Cadbury website has a page with gluten information, listing all the products that do and don't contain gluten. Pretty good. Be nice if all companies did that. Re soy sauce, I was pretty sure tamari wheat free was also gluten free. Hope that's right. Gotta love orgran. I love their falafal - it is even SCD compliant.

Many companies don't list gluten free products as much anymore as the labelling laws mean that you don't really need to refer to them. I am not sure if you are in NZ or Aus. but I assume the laws are the same in that any allergy causing ingredient must be listed on the label whichs makes determining if a product is gluten free so much easier than it was a few years back.

I actually visited my daughter last November, and the next time I visit, we plan to fly to Melbourne for a few days. My daughter says it reminds her of Europe.

Yes, Australia is far superior to the US when it comes to restaurants that are willing to accommodate people with gluten sensitivity. In Cairnes, I was able to order hamburgers with gluten-free buns, and there's a Brazilian barbecue place in Sydney where almost everything on the menu is automatically gluten free (including the cheesy bread and the pasta). I'm also amazed at how well educated and aware most Australians are. Sometimes when I'd order a gluten-free meal, another customer would turn to me and ask, "Oh, do you have celiac?" Here in the States, hardly anyone has even heard of celiac. Funny thing--when I went on a snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairnes, four out of the 23 passengers on the boat had celiac disease. The crew told me, "There's always at least one of you blokes on every trip we make!"

Oh, yeah, I LOVE Australia! So, just be careful at restaurants outside of Disneyland--the servers and cooks aren't very well educated. You'll find that a lot of the restaurant workers in Southern California are immigrants, and they possess a low level of education. I usually just buy fresh food at a supermarket rather than risk eating in any of the restaurants there. That's why I just eat at Disneyland exclusively--no reason to go elsewhere.

Sorry I didn't see your post until now. Great to hear you had such a good experience when you were in Australia with regards to gluten free. That is amazing that 4 out of 23 passengers on the boat tour were celiac! Yes, celiacs seem to be everywhere these days. Thanks for your advice regarding Disneyland. We will probably eat most of our meals in Disneyland as we can trust that they know what they are doing. Did you need to make reservations before you got to Disney or could you just turn up at lunch or dinner? We will be going in September so it is not the busiest time of year.

If you do end up coming to Melbourne let me know and I will tell you about some gluten free friendly places to eat.

Amber,

I hadn't realized that you'd responded personally to my posting...until now. My daughter lives four blocks from Bondi Beach. Whenever I visit her, I'm always astounded that the neighborhood bakeries offer gluten-free pastries, muffins, and breads.

Bondi Beach would be an interesting place to live. The beach is a great people watching place on a hot summers day. We really enjoy watching Bondi Rescue. Have you seen it? It is a reality show based on the day to day activities of the lifeguards at Bondi Beach. We have been to Bondi once and I remember their being a pizza place somewhere where they did a very nice gluten free pizza. I don't know how long it has been since you were last here but I have noticed more and more gluten free everywhere (well here in Melbourne at least). We just back from dinner at a local restaurant and my daughter had a delicious gluten free spaghetti with calamari and prawns. They told us they could do any of the pastas gluten free and most of the main meals were gluten free also. We could have gone to at least 6 or 7 other restaurants very close by that had gluten free options so yes, gluten free is definately booming here.

I'm Australian and I'm used to walking a lot (and Sydney is really hilly) and I had no problem walking around Anaheim, it's flat as a pancake. I felt safe wandering around, it was all families. I even walked alone from the park to my hotel around closing time (there were crowds of families walking to their hotels too and my friends were at a hotel on a different shuttle route to me). I stayed at the Sheraton Park Hotel on South Harbor. Disneyland itself is awesome for gluten free, and there is a PF Changs on Katella and a McDonalds on South Harbor but beyond that, I think options were going to be a bit limited.

That said, while I was happy walking around, food4less looks like a long walk, the blocks are really big. And you're walking away from the main park area on a busy road. I had a look on google maps and it looks like a nice suburban area so the supermarket is probably decent sized but I personally wouldn't walk there.

Thanks for your reply. I'm sure it will be fine walking around. I think I will just get a cab to one of the health food stores to get some gluten-free supplies for my daughters breakfast. The rest of the meals we will eat at Disney and places like PF changs. We are only there 3 nights then off to New York which seems to be the best city for gluten-free in the USA from what I have read.

No, it's not true that Californians don't walk or view people on foot suspiciously. Things are pretty spread out in SoCal though, so we tend to jump in our cars out of habit. The terrain is also hilly. I could walk to my local grocery store but the steep uphill slog home with my groceries wouldn't be any fun so I tend to hop in the car.

There are usually a lot of people on foot right around Disney because it's also where the Anaheim Convention Center is. I've never been uncomfortable walking in that area of Anaheim and you will find a lot of restaurants and hotels clumped right around Disney. As I mentioned, there looks to be a Food4Less on Katella that may be convenient depending on where you're staying.

I thought it might have been a bit of an exaggeration. Mind you these people lived in a wealthy gated community so it probably was true there. I am pretty lazy myself when it comes to walking and tend to get in the car when I could actually walk. I am not at all concerned about walking in Anaheim but was wondering why it was considered not walking friendly. Thanks, I will check out the Food4less.

Definitely call your hotel and ask about transportation to a grocery store as well as a fridge in your room. SoCal is not generally walking- friendly and the area around Disney is a veritable zoo.

When you say it is not walking friendly what do you mean? I have heard that Californians generally don't walk and if you were to go for a walk in your suburb people would look at you strangely or even suspiciously. Is that true? Friends of ours lived in Florida for 6 months and they said that nobody walked anywhere where they lived and that the kids didn't even walk to school. They didn't know why that's just the way it was.

We were there in December. My kids went crazy for the giant turkey legs. One of those around 11 and those kids were good to go until 7-8pm!! Lots of little stands with fruit, chips, giant pickles, snacks, etc... Plus all the restaurants. It was a great experience! (well food-wise.... )

Those turkey legs sound like something out of the Flinstones Well it sounds like my daughter will definately not be starving. THanks!

Cheese in the US should not be a problem. I have seen a few fancy cheeses with beer in them but that is obvious and not on nachos.

PF Changs , pei Wei, outback steak house , Wendys, Chick Fil A are usually good about gluten-free.

We have restaurants that have " gluten-free" menus that aren't really. They will say at the bottom or if you ask, that they don't use a clean place on the grill to cook or they fry with the the gluten stuff.

If you know what cities you will be in, you could ask on the restaurant thread by city.

Thanks Karen. I'm not sure what the problem with the cheese was as I wasn't there to ask them further about it. I can't imagine that cheese would have gluten. Thanks for that list of restaurants. It might be kind of embarrassing for us to go to Outback Steakhouse being Australian but at least they have a gluten-free menu. I will check out the websites of your other suggestions too. THANKS!

We were ther 3 years ago. There are groceries and " quick" shops around. You can get yogurt, milk, chips and nuts at the 7/11 or Quick Trip. You might ask the hotel you are staying at about local grocery stores. I think there is a Whole Foods not too far. Some hotels have shuttles that will take you places. There is a sort of bus line ( trolley) that goes around, too. Ask your hotel.

Thanks Karen I think we will bring some cereal from home just in case we can't find any. I have heard about wholefoods but I don't think it is walking distance. I will get a cab if its not too far.

When I visited Disneyland four years ago, I wanted to stay and live there permanently. It was like living in a gluten-free city--it was wonderful! When you arrive, simply walk up to the information booth and request the gluten-free food list. Almost every single restaurant offers gluten-free meals (pasta, pizza, hamburger buns--you name it!). I have never felt safer! Their staff is extremely well educated, and when you order a gluten-free meal, the head chef will appear at your table to discuss your needs very thoroughly. Even at the ice cream parlors, I was treated in a very special manner--they used clean scoopers and opened new vats of the ice cream flavors I'd chosen.

However, as far as gluten-free food at the nearby restaurants, I don't really know what to say. I live in California, but in the Northern part....and when I stayed in Anaheim near Disneyland, I ate all of my meals at the park. Hopefully, someone lives in Anaheim and will be able to answer your questions about restaurants and markets nearby.

By the way, I've been to Australia twice (my daughter lives there), and I'm very, very impressed with the way your country handles the whole gluten-free issue. A recent private poll that was taken on this forum indicated that many people agree that Australia is the best country to visit when it comes to eating gluten free. Truthfully, I wish I could emigrate there....but, alas, because I have a history of recurrent breast cancer, I could never pass the health exam to become a permanent resident. However, I plan to visit often! You're so very fortunate to live in such a wonderful country!

Thank you so much for your reply and for the nice things you said about my country It will be our first visit to the US though my husband and I went to Hawaii for our honeymooon 20 years ago. It sounds like Disneyland will be a wonderful gluten free experience from what you have described. It is my 15 year old daughter who is the celiac and she will be loving it I am sure. It is great to be able to go somewhere and not have to stress about food and whether people understand what gluten actually is. Well done to Disneyland! We are also going to New York which apparently is very good for gluten free then on a cruise on Royal Caribbean. We are really looking forward to it. Where does you daughter live in Australia? Thanks again :)

Hello,

We will be visting the US from Australia in September. Our first stop is Anaheim where we will be visiting Disneyland. I am aware there are many options for gluten free eating within the park though recommendations would be appreciated.

Can anyone suggest what restaurants there are outside the park which understand gluten free and perhaps have a gluten free menu. I am aware of PF Changs which we plan to visit. Also is there anywhere at all to purchase gluten free foods within walking distance of Disneyland. We won't have a car when we are there. If there are no supermarkets or heatlh food stores nearby do you think they would deliver to our hotel? We will probably stay somewhere with a kitchen so we can at least cook breakfast in the room.

Thanks

Open Original Shared Link

Here's the US list. I know it's hard for me to get a list for another country. I guess it looks at where you are and gives you your own country.

This list is a bit confusing. It does list the wheat for hash browns but says its hydrolized which is considered to be so processed it's gluten-free. The shakes are odd. It says vanilla shake syrup ( how helpful ). But if you go down it will list the ingredients of the syrup. The Reece's McFlurrys look Ok but I just glanced at them. You should read closely if you are putting them in your mouth.

Thank you. I had a look at your link and you are right it is a bit confusing the way it is set out. Our McDonalds site is much easier to read. Anyway, it is very helpful and I will print it out before we go. Looks like the Reeses shake is okay which my daughter will be happy about. I want to research where we can go before we get there. Just makes the trip less stressful. I don't want to be wasting time wandering around looking for gluten free food.

Also another question if you don't mind. Sometimes my daughter goes to TGI Fridays here and has the nachos. They tell her the cheese is not gluten free as it is American cheese and they subsitute it. Is it common for cheese in America to not be gluten free? Here I can't think of any cheese that has gluten in it. We always assume that cheese is okay here but when we go to the US should we be wary of cheese.

Hi Guys

I'm moving to Australia next week and i would love to know if anyone has been or maybe lives there, do they have any information about products or gluten-free Restaurants I can eat in?? I am going to Perth first for 5/6 months then i will travel so any information is greatly accepted.

I have checked out celiac society of Australia and each region had its own costs which are very pricey at 110 dollars for membership.

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

Where abouts in Australia are you moving to? You should have no trouble finding gluten free foods in Australia. Most supermarkets have a health food section with plenty of gluten free options. Also there are many products throughout the supermarket that are labelled gluten free and many that are gluten free by ingredient. In Australia the law states that any allergy causing ingredient much be listed on the label therefore once you work out how to read labels it is very easy to tell if a product is gluten free or not. An example of this is if you pick up a yoghurt and it says thickeners but does not state what type it will be gluten free as if it did have wheat it would have to be stated on the label.

As far as restaurants goes awareness of gluten free is very good in Australia. Many restaurants and cafes indicate on the menu the items that are gluten free. Where I live in the suburbs of Melbourne I can choose from gluten free pizza, gluten-free fish and chips, gluten-free charcoal chicken, Indian, Thai, Italian all within a five minute drive so you have no problem. Even small towns often have gluten free options available.

If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Amber,

In the US (and in Canada), McDonald's potato products are fried in dedicated fryers at the front of the store by the window crew. Everything else that is fried is done in the back by the grill crew. There is no risk of contamination via the fryers. I eat the fries and the hash browns without concern, and have never had a problem.

I can't offer any advice about the other items. They are all full of sugar, which, as a diabetic, I avoid. Based on what I know, they are gluten-free, but I haven't tried them to see if I react.

Thank you! I just wanted to clear that up as I have heard conflicting reports about McDonalds in the USA.

We are visting the USA from Australia later on this year. There may be times when it is convenient for us to go to McDonalds. Here the fries, hash browns and most of the shakes and sundaes are gluten free amd quite a few of the cakes in the McCafe.

After reading about the fries issue on here I have come to the conclusion that in the US the fries are under the recommended level of gluten content. Therefore they are deemed to be gluten free. Is this correct? Also are the hash browns gluten free? Are the shakes and sundaes and McFlurry's gluten free there? I have heard that you have Reeses McFlurry's there which is rather exciting. Are they gluten free?

Thanks

Hello,

We are a family with 2 kids (one is our 15 year old celiac daughter) and will be visiting New York in September as part of a 3 week trip to the USA from Australia. We haven't booked any accommodation yet for New York but will probably stay around Midtown. I have done quite a bit of research regarding eating gluten free in New York and know that there are plenty of options. I like the sound of Risotteria in the West Village. If we were to stay around say Midtown how difficult would it be to go to Risotteria? How much would a cab cost? Is it easy to get the subway there. Where are the best places to buy gluten free foods - Wholefoods? Any other suggestions for gluten free restaurants in and around Manhattan? Thank you!!

Thanks everyone! That has clarified the situation for me.

Hello,

Are the fries at McDonalds in the U.S. gluten free? We will be visting there later in the year and whilst we are not particularly interested in going to McDonalds I would like to know whether the fries are gluten free or not. Here in Australia the fries at McDonalds are gluten free as are the hash browns and various sundaes, shakes etc. I have heard that the fries in the US are not gluten free. I have also heard that they weren't in the past but now they are. Can someone please clarify so that we know to avoid them if we do happen to visit a McDonalds (which I hope won't be necessary but you never know!).

THANKS

[

Thanks for all that helpful information. We are visiting the USA this year and may stop over in Vegas for a couple of days. My sister who is celiac said that Vegas was not very good for gluten free food when she was there and she ended up eating lots of Carls Junior carb free burgers. She wasn't looking for fine dining though so maybe that is where the difference is. If you are willing to pay a bit more you will be more likely to have a better gluten free experience. Anyway, I will print out all your recommendations if we do go to Vegas. THANKS!!

Does anyone ever eat at Nandos?

According to their nutrition info the chips and some of the chicken products are ok. It would be handy to sometimes to be able to get some chicken and chips. I eat at other take away places but always been a bit cautious of Nandos, for no good reason.

Hi,

If you grab a menu from Nando's it lists which products contain gluten and which don't. Most of the chicken is gluten free and I think they have changed the chicken salt recently and now it is gluten free. My daughter has been eating Nando's for years with no problem. The spicy rice is okay too and a few other items.

Another vote for Australia. We find it easy to find gluten free foods whether in the supermarket or in cafes and restaurants. We just visited a small town called Byron Bay and nearly every restaurant and cafe had gluten free options marked on the menu. Even many of the pizza chains offer gluten free pizza now. Within a couple of miles of my house we can get gluten free pizza, fish and chips, Indian food, Thai Food and Turkish food.

Hello,

In Florence we went to Ciro & Sons. This restaurant is located near the Duomo so is very central and easy to get to. They have a gluten free menu and our daughter enjoyed gluten free pasta and gluten free crepes for dessert. You can order a gluten free pizza if you give them some notice. They are very knowledgeable about gluten free and the food was good. Google Ciro & Sons Florence for their website and address details.

Also in Rome we went to a restaurant called Renovatio 46a which is located just outside the Vatican walls. Again google for further information re. location. They had gluten free pizza, pasta and lots of gluten free desserts.

When travelling in Italy have a translation card with you describing that you need a gluten free diet. Celiac disease is well known in Italy as it has the the highest rate of coeliac disease in the world.

Happy gluten free travels.

In our experience, it is best to minimize food brought into the country (we took a month long trip to Australia, landing in Melbourne). Any sort of produce is absolutely out, even if dried. They had no problem with us bringing in our candy. In our experience, it is best to bring in nothing.

I am looking for some information about whole grains and beans in Australia. We stuck primarily with meats and produce on our trip there, and did quite well (except the budget seemed substantial). At home we have relied on buying bulk bags of carefully sourced grains and beans to help round out our diets. We are planning a relocation to Perth, and I am a wee bit nervous about food sourcing. How hard it is to find gluten free whole grains? We currently use WHOLE teff, rice and sorghum carefully sourced here in the states, test our bulk bags for contamination and proceed with a rigorous washing procedure. I am also trying to figure out if I will ruin my ultrasonic food washer by running it on an inverter there, as I assume that I will be unable to purchase one there for the Australia electrical system. Any insight would be appreciated.

I am also interested in hearing about food processing and preservation there, as we process and preserve a lot of our own foods here. Are mason jars and supplies easy to find there? Are small, commercial dehydrators available there, should I figure out how to better use solar energy for those endeavors, or should I consider bringing mine from the States? How is sourcing whole nuts there - easy, hard, expensive?

And does anyone have recommendations for celiac savvy healthcare in Perth? A celiac savvy allergist in Perth would be a fantastic find for us. And do you have any comments about joining The Coeliac Society of Australia? Does anyone have recommendations for compiling the most important paperwork for submission to our medical care providers in Australia, as well as submission for The Coeliac Society? Our family has members that have celiac and wheat allergy, as well as members that have been deemed too risky to challenge with gluten due to past history.

Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Hi,

I am from Melbourne so I can't really speak for Perth but I would think you should be able to get whole nuts and grains. I know that here in Melbourne there are places where you can get those things. I am not sure about Perth though. I would suggest that when you come to Australia that you join the Coeliac Society in Perth. What you will need is a doctors letter of some sort saying that you are required to be on a gluten free diet. Only one of you need join. What you will receive is membership to the society which includes information books, recipe books, a quarterly magazine and state newsletter, food samples etc.

Here is the website for the Coeliac Society:

Open Original Shared Link

There is plenty to read on the site and if you click on Western Australia on the map you will get information specific to Perth (Western Australia).

They should also be able to help you with finding dieticians, doctors etc. with a special interest in coeliac disease.

If you want to do preserving and dehydrating you can do that here. I remember my Dad buying a preserving kit and preserving fruits when I was a small child so yes that should be no problem. I don't know what mason jars are though. Just google preserving kits Australia or dehydraters Australia. You can buy dehydraters for drying fruits etc. also.

There is gluten free bread available in the supermarket and there are plenty of gluten free bread mixes around to make your own bread. There are many gluten free products available and awareness is very good and improving all the time. As I said I can't speak for Perth which tends to be less up to date as the Eastern states in many areas but I think you will find what you are looking for online.

HI AMber, I'm curious what hotel you were at where the chef was so helpful.

Thanks

Hi Ken,

It was the Swissotel and the restaurant was Kopitiam. They did try hard to please and the chef came to our table to talk to us. He did not have much knowledge of gluten free food though but was happy for me to discuss it with him and for him to show us the sauces he was using. There is little knowledge of celiac disease which is understandable really as the rate of celiac disease in Asia is so low. Having said that places such as Singapore have many tourists that visit and have special dietary requirements so it is in their best interests to learn.

Hi, we were in Barcelona last year before a cruise. We were only there for one day before and one day after the cruise. Our daughter is a celiac. As it was a public holiday there were many places closed. We were very tired after a long flight from Australia so we didn't fancy walking around looking for somewhere to eat for too long. We had to resort to having dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe which is far from a Spanish experience. The reason we did that was because we knew that they had a gluten free menu and it was just easier to go there than have to try and find a celiac friendly place. She had a burger without the bun which she liked. For breakfast we had some rice cakes with peanut butter which we packed in our case and some fruit. The markets were closed or else we could have found something there probably.

If you google you will find some suggestions. Many of the suggestions were located too far form where we were staying but there are some places in Barcelona which do cater for a gluten free diet. Aparently the main department store has a food section which has gluten free goods. Again, it was closed when we were there so I can't comment on the range.