Gluten Free in Budapest

Gluten Free Travel to Europe

Plan Ahead

Food

Traveling to Europe with food allergies is something that requires planning.  Prior to travel, I have been downloading and printing Gluten Free Travel Cards so that a language barrier does not stop me from communicating my dietary needs to food service personnel. These cards have been a tremendous help!

I pack gluten free snacks for the long flight and trips through the airport. Many airlines will provide gluten free meals on international flights, check with the airlines as you research.

Lodging

My husband and I seek out vacation rentals so we can have a kitchen to cook. This provides us with the opportunity to prepare gluten free meals and have snacks on hand. Not only is this a "safety net" as it may be difficult to find a plethora of gluten free restaurants in the city in which we are traveling, but it also is a cost savings!

Gluten Free in Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a beautiful, cosmopolitan city. It has been nicknamed the Paris of the East and the Bangkock of the West.  The Danube flows through the city separating Buda and Pest. The city is busy in the summer as many cruise ships dock and the passengers get out and explore the region. My husband and I found the city very BIKE FRIENDLY but found the cost of bike rentals to be higher than in other cities we have visited. The city has beautiful architecture to explore as well as historical monuments/sites. The market is a wonderful place to explore as well as the caves and thermal baths. 

Below are pictures of the Holocaust Memorial (near Parliament), Parliament at night taken from the Castle, and the Cave Church.

Everywhere you turn in Budapest there is a beautiful building. Along the river you see one beautiful bridge after the next. My husband and I enjoyed visiting Margaret Island, a local getaway in the middle of the Danube. There is even a small zoo on the island!

Gluten Free Cooking

My husband and I enjoyed finding different gluten free products in the store and cooking in our apartment. The vegetables were excellent and we found great pasta and bread too!

This yogurt was excellent ... with fresh fruit and toast!!

The abundance of paprika was a delightful addition to a meal!

Sandwiches always taste better on great bread. Gluten free breads in Budapest were easy to find and high quality.

Gluten Free Dining

PadThai WokBar is a restaurant we visited often. The food was great AND healthy, the prices reasonable, the restaurant had a steady stream of patrons, and the employees were very friendly. The employees went out of their way to teach us simple Hungarian terms to help us with our communication!

Each dish was gluten free, tasted great, and was prepared within minutes! The desserts were a treat too!

Travel with a food allergy requires planning. Do not let a food allergy stop you from exploring a new place. Focus on what you CAN eat. Focus on the CAN and you will have an enjoyable trip and learn invaluable lessons about other cultures! Travel is a great teacher!

Active Lifestyle and Active Travel Requires Nutrition to Go

I lead an active lifestyle and take active vacations. I love real foods, natural sugars, and limited ingredient products (when I purchase packaged foods). NuGo Nutrition has products that meet my needs and I am sure you will love them as much as my husband and I do!

NuGo bars are healthy choices as the company believes in using fresh, NON-GMO ingredients. They are committed to keeping artificial hormones, sweeteners, and maltitol (which causes digestive distress in some people) out of their products.

NuGo has a variety of bars that meet a variety of dietary needs including gluten free, vegan, soy free, low fat, and low sugar. Pack one in your gym bag, suitcase, or pocket today!

Gluten Free Dining at the Marche in Toronto

Traveling with food allergies can be DIFFICULT. You pack a few tings for emergencies, but do not have a contingent plan if nothing is possible on a menu. You live in a world of CAN at home, but need to explain to restaurant personnel what you CANNOT eat.

One way to find success as a traveler with food allergies is to look for restaurants that have variety. Many limited menu restaurants do not have enough on hand to customize a recipe. When traveling to Toronto take time to go to Marche for a meal.

Marche is a great place for a group with diverse eating interests to eat. Marche is a great place to go if each guest wants to pay his/her own way. When you walk in Marche you are given a credit card and you pick up a tray. When you order food from one of the stations, they swipe your card. The stations are varied and include pasta, pizza, smoothies, salads, fish, burgers, steaks, rice noodle dishes, desserts, and a coffee bar. When you leave the restaurant, you give the attendant your card and pay.

Marche has options for a variety of tastes and dietary needs. Enjoy a meal there when you visit Toronto!

Dig Cafe ... A Restaurant to Visit in Frankenmuth, Michigan

A new FARM to TABLE restaurant opened in Frankenmuth, Michigan recently and it is worth a visit. Dig Cafe (Delicious International Goodness) has a menu based on organic, local, seasonal produce. Every effort is made to modify the menu items to fit those with food allergies. Gluten Free and Vegan options are plentiful on the menu.

Enjoy food made with love at a family owned restaurant. You will fall in love with the food and come back for more!

Gluten Free Food Products That PACK Well

In the summer many of us have busy schedules as we take advantage of the extra hours of daylight. Many of us take advantage of the summer to travel and spend more time outside.

When we are on-the-go we look for easy to pack items. The items need to be light, small in size, and unbreakable. If we are packing for an outdoor adventure, we look for items that will not spoil or melt in the summer heat. If we are packing for a road trip or flight, we are looking for items that will not spill and cause a mess as well as items that do not have a strong odor in an enclosed space.

I like my grab-and-go items to be not only gluten free but also nutritious, satisfying, and tasty. I try to pack multiple textures and flavors to satisfy me

A few products from the recent New Hope Blogger Box are great for an active lifestyle:

Bellucci Organic 100% Italian EVOO Squeeze Packs. They are great for dressing a salad at the point when you are going to eat it. Now the salad can be made at home and it will not be soggy when you go to eat it. I also worry about dressing a salad in advance of travel. I am not a fan of the dressing leaking out and getting all over everything. This solves that problem!

Enjoy Life Crispy Grain & Seed Bars. The size is great for packing. They are the right combination of crunchy and chewy. You feel satisfied eating them and they keep you fueled for a while!

Crunchsters. Crunchsters come in a variety of flavors. They are packaged in an easy to pack, single serving sleeve or a bit larger package that can be shared. They are made from a sprouted mung beans, something that sets them apart from other allergy friendly snacks.

Gluten Free TRAVEL ... pack EnjoyLife Grab-And-Go Packs

When you are gluten free and traveling you tend to want to have a reliable "stash" of tried-and-true snacks until you can get adjusted to where you are. This is especially important when in transit - through an airport or on a road trip and relying on service stations.

I like to pack raw nuts, dried fruit, and bars as they are easy to pack, small in size, and do not require refrigeration.

Enjoy Life Fruit and Seed Mixes are great! I now include them as part of my travel snacks.