I was just wondering if anyone has any experience of gluten free food while camping in France. My son has coeliac's and I am a little nervous of how I will cope getting him GF food while away. I will of course be taking his bread, won't be able to take his cake mix as obviously no oven! I can get frozen GF fish fingers and chicken etc but agan due to not having a freezer this will not be an option.
Any suggestions would be great!
------------- Dawnie
May: Hurley Riverside
June: Northam Farm
and Bank Farm!!
July: TBA
Aug : Woodovis
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
You can get some gluten free foods from the large hypermarkets in France. I've seen a variety of products available, and the labelling appears to be the same as in this country - but I haven't actually taken much notice.
Can you not take some gluten free breadcrumbs, and make your own fish fingers from the delicious fish you can buy in France? A little fish will make a lot of fingers, same with chicken nuggets - make your own from a chicken breast fillet.
I have been really impressed at the French versions of 'free from' ranges at the main supermarkets - certainly 'Intermarche' had a good selection. Make sure you know the french translations of ingredients that contain gluten so you can check the regular foods as well.
Failing that much of French food consists of fresh ingredients - barbecuing etc should give you some scope for plain fish/meat etc. to be cooked. Buy plain mice and make your own burgers.
thanks for the reply, I do now make breaded fish and chicken, but always finish them in the oven for cooking, I'll definately try tho! I am very Lucky that he loves fish!
------------- Dawnie
May: Hurley Riverside
June: Northam Farm
and Bank Farm!!
July: TBA
Aug : Woodovis
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Galettes (savoury pancakes) are made with gluten free buckwheat flour. I'd probably be concerned about contamination from wheat flour though... You could make some yourself though, then you'd be sure.
What you need to remember if in a restaurant is to ask for FARINE FREE . The French are slightly more clued up to people with coeliac disease than in England.
We were in a restaurant in St Omer with my daughters mother in law who is coeliac and asked for gluten free and they asked if she was coeliac. In England many times we have asked for gluten free and they have asked us why??
I agree with the above, french supermarkets are usually better than ours, i would take a translation of 'coeliac' and 'gluten free' with me.
Can I be cheeky and also mention that we run a baking website that has a few gluten free baking products the site is http://www.kitchenfoods.co.uk it maybe worth a look.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Glad to hear France is up to speed with Gluten Free, I agree with the comments about the UK some eateries have not got a grasp on what this means or I end up having to pay for an adults meal.
Had a look at the baking website cheers for that, I tend to do a lot of baking and cooking myself. SLowly my son is getting to like more and more, when we went to France 2 yrs ago he was on a Gluten challenge, which meant he could eat wheat to see how he reacted, consquently he loved the bagettes and donuts etc. I hope he doesn't remember too much of the finer culinary delights of France.
------------- Dawnie
May: Hurley Riverside
June: Northam Farm
and Bank Farm!!
July: TBA
Aug : Woodovis
Not really any experiance myself but my brothers wife and son have the same problem and travel a lot especially France. He cooks loads for them anyway so just converts his normal meals to his cadac.
He also made up and laminated some little cards explaining the condition and asking them to recommend something from the menu or help them check the lables in supermarkets etc.
He has never had a problem, if you make the effort to speak even a few basic words and then show them the cards most people are only to happy to help.
As someone with UC, I share some of your son's concerns! Life's just hard sometimes, at least as a grownup I can drink the wine!
I just had a quick google for you and this pageseems to have all the info you'll need.
And here's the listof what is ok and what is forbidden, from the French Association of Gluten Intolerant People. I suggest you run it through Google Translate if you're unsure of anything. But take it with you so you can check the words on the packaging.
my husband has just found out he has gluten intolerence and his mum is coeliac. My husband lives in france and although there is less GF choice of foodstuff in the supermarkets generally, he has found that in the restaurants they are more aware of Gluten Intollernce (more so than in the UK) so it has been quite straightforward. He just asked for his food to be "au nature" E.G .......I will have the chicken breast with the breadcrumbs and he will have the le poulet au nature. He has not had a problem yet. Feel for your son as being coeliac is not much fun eh!.
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Topic: Gluten Free in France
