Travelling to Portugal with Coeliac Disease

[ginaribena]

My DS (3 and a half) was diagnosed about 6 months ago as coeliac, and thriving! We would really love to join my parents on our first holiday abroad with children in Portugal, but I'm nervous about managing his diet in a foreign country where I don't speak the language.

My kids cookbook suggests taking some pasta, bread, crackers etc with you, and we will be self catered - but if we feel confident may have one or 2 meals out.

Can anyone share their experiences in Portugal or give me any tips? Thanks!

We have been to Majorca and Spain with our daughters (both who have Coeliac Disease). Thinking about Portugal this year. Whether we book or not - we will print out a few of these - and the English version!
www.celiactravel.com/cards/portuguese/

Although half-board last year - we took a few loaves of bread, boxes of cereal, biscuits, and even crisps - so at least they could snack easily (took up half a suitcase - plenty of space though when we retuned!)
Spanish supermarkets had their own brand food labelled "sin gluten" (without gluted) which made life really easy - praying Portugese ones to the same.

we're going to Canaries with Coeliac DD (2.5) in a couple of weeks and i was just going to go armed with some GF bread/pasta/snacks/stockcubes and then buy rice/chips etc out there...

i will also be googling the spanish for Gluten-Free!!

as a veggie since childhood, i got very used to going prepared into foreign lands... essential phrasebook plus the local language for Vegetarian/no meat/ no fish/ "no, not even crabsticks (in French)"!! ;)

good luck :)

Sorry don't know about Portugal but I found Spain easier than here as so many foods are labelled 'sin gluten' meaning 'no gluten', even crisps which I find a nightmare over here. I'm pretty sure the Portuguese for gluten free is 'sem gluten' and wheat, rye, barley, oats and malt are 'trigo, centeio, cevada, aveia, malta'.