{"id":1297,"date":"2018-06-06T19:14:32","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T23:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kanootours.com\/articles\/?p=1297"},"modified":"2018-06-23T11:51:41","modified_gmt":"2018-06-23T15:51:41","slug":"gluten-free-travel-bolivia-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kanootours.com\/articles\/gluten-free-travel-bolivia-2018","title":{"rendered":"Gluten Free Travel in Bolivia in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Need to eat gluten free and want to travel in Bolivia? Its not easy we know but we have some tips.<\/p>\n

The rise of people following gluten free diets around the world is well known and in response there a have been a lot more products come to market with supermarkets having dedicated sections for gluten free products.<\/p>\n

In Bolivia though it is far less common or understood as it might be in Europe or the USA and it is certainly more of a challenge to find suitable places to eat, products to buy or arrange for tours that will cater to your needs.<\/p>\n

Things are changing little by little though and there are now Bolivian product lines that are gluten free, more things labeled as gluten free and therefore the awareness is at least increasing.<\/p>\n

There are also more restaurants in Bolivia offering gluten free options now which was almost unheard of just a few years ago (see tips section below).<\/p>\n

Without a doubt though – it is still a challenge to be gluten free in Bolivia.<\/p>\n

We wrote this article to help provide some tips & advice but also to make you aware of some of the issues you might have to deal with.<\/p>\n

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Potential Issues<\/h2>\n

In Boliva the biggest problem is finding places that truly understand gluten free and that take the issue seriously.<\/p>\n

Through no fault of their own, your average Bolivian that works in the kitchen of a restaurant or hotel is not going to know much or anything about gluten, gluten free, celiac disease nor the reasons for people wanting to avoid eating gluten.<\/p>\n

They are very unlikely to know the potential serious consequences for some people.<\/p>\n

Even less likely is that they will know which foods contain gluten, those that are gluten free or anything about the risks of cross contamination by preparing gluten free food with the same utensils as those used with gluten.<\/p>\n

Even in places that advertise gluten free options cross contamination is something that you should consider is a likely possibility.<\/p>\n

It can be hard to get your message taken seriously sometimes and some people will certainly just brush it aside as just another strange thing that foreigners do and you need to be aware that this could be the case.<\/p>\n

Your own personal reasons for being gluten free will likely dictate what levels of risk you can expose yourself too.<\/p>\n

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Gluten Free Food on Tours<\/h2>\n

\"Meal<\/p>\n

More and more tour operators in Bolivia are aware of the need to offer gluten free options and you may see this advertised but you should approach this with caution still, especially if you have a serious allergy to gluten \/\u00a0 celiac disease.<\/p>\n

As mentioned above , the issue is a lack of understanding by the people preparing the food so whilst agencies can request that the operators provide gluten free food and the operators can instruct the guides, staff, restaurants, hotels etc to provide this it is all too easy for something to go wrong.<\/p>\n

If you do manage to get a gluten free meal on a tour there is certainly a good chance it was prepared using the same utensils as the no gluten free foods.<\/p>\n

If this is a potential issue for you then you would be best advised to avoid the risk and arrange your own food.<\/p>\n

Even if you receive guarantees , unless the person giving those guarantees absolutely understands and is preparing the food themselves it is likely to be taken less seriously.<\/p>\n

In tours to remote places like the Bolivia Salt Flats<\/a> it is quite common for people with gluten free requests to have issues with not receiving the correct food or getting enough food during the tour so we always recommended people take their own supplies as well to be sure.<\/p>\n

The better agencies like Red Planet<\/a>, Perla de Bolivia<\/a> and Quechua Connection<\/a> tend to have a better track record with providing custom meal options but even then food can be a bit plain.<\/p>\n

Buy some none perishable items like nuts, biscuits etc at the very least for backup.<\/p>\n

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Tips & Resources for Gluten Free in Bolivia<\/h2>\n
USEFUL SPANISH PHRASES<\/strong><\/h5>\n