Last Updated on March 15, 2018 by Natalie
I’m finishing up spending 5 days in Queretaro, Mexico (and surrounding areas). I don’t speak any Spanish yet, except about 10 words. Also, I forgot my Spanish language “I’m a celiac and I can’t have gluten” card. How easy or difficult is it to find gluten free food in Mexico with celiac disease?
I ate somewhat carelessly
Amazingly, I did NOT get sick! Of course, I had a translator for my lunch meals, which helped a lot. Otherwise, I took a lot of risks. I usually don’t, but after I didn’t get sick eating mall tacos, it felt like the world was my oyster!
The tacos were a simple affair. Corn tortillas with chopped up meat inside. On the side: spicy guacamole, coleslaw, and bean and ham soup.
Mexican food in Mexico is amazing, with emphasis on the amazing. Though I was careless, I did stick to tacos because those were easy to order by myself and my poor Spanish language skills. I’ve barely even scratched the surface of the amazing foods here.
Trigo is the word for wheat in spanish
It is fortunate that I learned that because when I came across some cajeta between wafers, I was able to identify that they contained wheat. And no, I didn’t eat them. I’m not that reckless!
Because you need a picture of food in a post about food. I found this in the airport. Delicious!
➜ Are you flying with food allergies? Visit Flying with Food Allergies to read the best tips for staying safe!
Always take your language card
Being an undiagnosed celiac for so long and knowing how miserable I was makes me very careful now. While I didn’t want to have a devil-may-care attitude, I also haven’t yet learned enough Spanish to explain my food issues. This was a huge risk and I ended up being very lucky. I do NOT recommend that you play with your health!
That being said, the food in central Mexico is delicious and moderately safe for celiacs. Given my language limitations, I ate mostly tacos. This was not a hardship!
Our relocation consultant told me there are many dishes I will be able to eat in Mexico. It’s exciting! I’m really looking forward to trying new foods, especially since corn is a staple in Mexico.
Anecdotal account of visiting Mexico with celiac
A friend of mine with celiac told me she didn’t have any problems with the food in Mexico, either. If you have your celiac card with you, I would imagine that you will also likely have a safe and fantastic eating experience in Mexico. Since we are moving to Mexico, I will post more about food and celiac as I learn more about the country and the amazing dishes I have yet to encounter!
Have you visited Mexico as a celiac? Did you have a good experience? What dishes would you recommend?
