I have, very recently, been diagnosed with Celiac disease and am overwhelmed! No wheat....even wine vinegar (only cider vinegar), is off the table. That means on my 3 week trip to France no crepes, sandwiches, French bread, croissants!....yikes! Fortunately, this will be my 4th trip,so the good news is I have had the experience of eating all of the above and will, likely, be feeling a lot better. Bad news, I know what I will be missing! Suggestions for alternatives?
Posted by
Northeast Ohio, USA
707 posts
My wife and I do not have CD, but we do avoid gluten. Fortunately, there are gluten-free bakeries in Paris; the one we'll probably use most, since it is closest to our rental, is http://www.noglu.fr/. But if you google "gluten-free Paris" you get lots of options. I don't know about crepes yet; but we'll be there in a week, and if I find out anything useful I'll post it.
Posted by
Northeast Ohio, USA
707 posts
Posted by
Paris
10194 posts
Another great option for tasty French treats is a bakery called Helmut Newcake. I had a friend with Celiac visiting recently and we went there to pick up some desserts for a dinner party- they were absolutely delicious and gorgeous too.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
There are gluten free items available in most larger grocery stores.
May I suggest you have a card printed up in French that says you must eat "gluten free" and that you have "celiac".. easier for waiters to understand.. and as you well know , there is hidden gluten in foods you may not assume,, ie: meat dredged in flour , sauces thickened with flour etc.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
1068 posts
To be on the safe side, you can always feast on the things you buy at open air markets (or the nearest Monoprix)... plain yogurt, fresh fruit, fresh veg, seafood (boiled prawns, raw shucked oysters), those lovely roasted chickens, delicious and amazing French cheese, charcuterie, and the like. There are so many wonderful choices you may not even miss the bread and crepes! And when dining out, why not try Asian food?
Plenty of folks in Europe eat gluten free, and celiac is well-known there. Have a couple of cards saying you have "la maladie coeliaque" printed up if you are unsure if you'll be understood by your waiter... but since you've been to France 3 times before, it sounds like you are savvy.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4853 posts
Or, since you're on vacation, unless it's life threatening give yourself a vacation from being gluten free.