Canary Islands with Nut Allergy DD

[MissWooWoo]

DD has peanut and tree nut allergies which we carry epipens for. This is the first time we will have flown since her diagnosis and first time to Spanish speaking country (previously we've had a couple of days in France but as I speak a little French I felt more confident).

I speak no Spanish other than hello/yes really (terrible I know!) so would really appreciate some help in getting together some shortish phrases that explain that dd is allergic to nuts and the severity of this allergy, also to ask "does this contain nuts? and useful phrases in Spanish in case of an Emergency.

Also if there are any Spanish people here or people who are very au fait with Spanish food are there any foods/dishes that might have nuts in them that might not be obvious? Words for nuts in Spanish that might be used on food packaging would be helpful too.

I know I can get some of this info from the net but I'm really looking for some reassurance and personal experiences about things to watch out for.

TIA

[freefrommum]

First thing you need to know is that there isn't one handy word for 'nuts' in Spanish unfortunately. The term 'frutos secos' covers all nuts but it also covers dried fruits too such as sultanas and raisins. 'Cacahuetes' or 'maníes' mean peanuts and 'arachis' is also a peanut derivative (I think it means peanut oil but not sure). There are plenty of allergy translation cards available online, some free others you have to pay for. Here are 2 sites offering free cards: www.brokerfish.com/food-allergy-translation-cards and glutenfreepassport.com/allergy-gluten-free-travel/food-allergy-translation-cards/#.UUH8SjBm_Qy

Here are the translations of some other nuts:
Almendras = almonds
Anacardos = cashews
Avellanas = hazelnuts
Castañas = chestnuts
Nueces = walnuts
Pecanas = pecans
Pistachos = pistachios

We travel to Spain regularly as we have a house there. My DS is allergic to milk, wheat, eggs and nuts plus DD is coeliac. I speak Spanish so it is easier for me but it is definitely doable I promise. You will need to check with the staff when eating out and hand them one of the allergy cards so that they are clear about your DD's allergies. Many ice creams, desserts, sweets and chocolates in Spain contain nuts so probably best avoided unless it's something 'safe' and individually wrapped like a plain Magnum. I would stick to simple dishes like meat or fish with veg and potatoes/chips without sauce if eating out as almonds are quite often used in sauces. As in the UK, I would also avoid Chinese or Thai restaurants due to use of peanut oil and loose bakery goods due to cross-contamination.

[MissWooWoo]

thanks freefrommum that's really helpful.

DD doesn't really like sultanas or raisins so I think we'll just generally steer clear of anything "frutos secos". My main worry is peanuts rather than almonds etc. YY to avoiding Thai and Chinese, thankfully she's quite a bland eater and would prefer meat and chips and fruit (and loves magnums) so I'm sure we'll be fine, but always good to be prepared!