delicious home made empanadas!

It’s always exciting to discover gluten free eateries or at least restaurants and cafes that serve gluten free options when travelling. They make us happy and add to the cultural experience of travelling. There are gluten free wonders awaiting us, the gluten free travellers, in all corners of the globe but unfortunately these places are not limitless.

Some countries and locations are better than others in catering for gluten free visitors but no matter where we choose to explore there will almost certainly come a time, especially on longer trips, when you want to cook your own meal. For six months of 2010, John and I lived and travelled in South America, through Argentina, Chile andUruguay. As we travelled down through Patagonia to Tierra Del Fuego and back up through Chile to the Atacama Desert we stayed in hostels and prepared at least one meal in the hostel kitchen every day. Sometimes it was stressful but these tips saved me from going hungry or glutenating myself.

When ready made gluten free food is impossible to find and no restaurant has coeliac friendly options, preparing your own meals in the hostel is the safest option, not to mention by far the cheapest. Choosing naturally gluten free products will keep your costs down too. Bases like rice, potatoes and polenta are going to be much cheaper than specially produced gluten free pasta or spaghetti (and much easier to find). When combined with simple, low cost and naturally gluten free ingredients such as eggs, tomato paste, yoghurt and various fruits, vegetables and spices, fast, simple and delicious meals can be made.