<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
A warm thank you to the 15 individuals who responded (in great detail)
to my query about my 14 YO son eating GF in Israel with a touring
group. And to one the woman who invited him to eat at her home in
Haifa!
Of those who have traveled there within the past year or so, I was
advised that he should take advantage of the foods that are naturally
Gf such as the wonderful produce, Empire and Hebrew National
meats, salads, yogurts, cheeses, herring, potatoes and smoked fish.
Also “Non-Gebrots” Passover foods are GF.
The Israel Coeliac Society website is www.celiac.org.il
<http://www.celiac.org.il> , or www.celiac.co.il <http://www.celiac.co.il
Other advise:
Take foil-packaged Tuna / Salmon [easy to put on a salad] and
Omega Smart Bars.
I have never found GF bread is Israel and FYI--they put croutons on all
their salads!
On the plus side, many meals include a variety of bean. Many of the
prepackaged hummus and tahini spreads do contain wheat as a
thickener.
In most cities, we were able to find the health food store and buy GF
bread (which takes better than any GF store-bought bread in the US).
They don't seem to use wheat in their marinates.
Israel has a great labelling law.
There is a brand of Gluten Free packaged baked goods called
"Lasova"
Best place we found to buy GF products is the natural food store in the
bottom level of the huge Jerusalem mall (Malcha mall), which is pretty
near the biblical zoo.
Angel's Bakery in Givat Shaul (I think) in Jerusalem has a lot of
Lasova, as did some other smaller Angel's we found.
The best chain to eat in was Burger Ranch -- they are very familiar with
gluten, many of the branches have GF buns, and some of them have
GF french fries (made in a dedicated french fryer)
Baked potatoes with cheese melted on them.
Make sure he knows the phrase "pikuach nefesh" - roughly translated,
it means saving a life - or that the following restrictions are necessary
for his survival. Most Jews, especially the religious ones, take that
particular phrase *very* seriously. If he can get through to the
mashgiach (Kosher
supervisor) at the places he's eating at, the mashgiach will make sure
that he is safe!
For Bacteria in the water we have found starting 2 days before the trip,
we chew 2 pepto bismo tablets each day and continue it each day
while on the trip.... it will fight the strange (to him) bacteria so that he
doesn't get what we always refer to there as 'Herod's revenge'. beware
that it will also turn his tongue and his stool black, but that is nothing
to worry about. it will do him no harm and will return to the natural color
as soon as he stops the pepto when he gets home.
a ceramic mug & immersion water heater, instant rice or grits, peanut
butter, and crackers of some sort (rice cakes can be crumbled & used
as cereal), tuna in pouches
Carry a note from his doctor saying he's on a medically prescribed diet
& needs to carry his own food to get his through airport security &
customs.
Perhaps you can network into the Hadassah hospital is Israel to talk
to a GI nurse or dietician over there. Maybe someone from the
Westchester, NY Celiac group or one in NYC will have some celiacs
who've made that trip and will reply to you.
I took a Hebrew Celiac dining card with me (copied from Jax Peters
Lowell's book Against the Grain). The Israelis, by and large, are
familiar with CD and they all took it very seriously. In every restaurant,
the server took the card to the chef who then pointed out all the food
that was safe.
GF (in Hebrew - L'lo Gluten)
Be sure that your son takes enough food with him for several days. I
had to spend a night at an airport with nothing to eat except candy
bars and potato chips.
The Israeli snacks -- called Bamba-- are all gluten free!
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