Im a registered dietitian who chose my profession because I love food.
I fall into the latter camp.
One of the ways I went gluten-free while traveling in Germany was to just skip the breads and buns.
The crispbread Scandanavia is known for, but gluten-free.
Looking back, I classify my travel life into two distinct eras: B.C.
(Before Celiac) and A.D. (After Diagnosis).
There was flaky spanakopita in Athens and crepes stuffed with tuna, egg, and spicy harissa in Tunisia.
One of the ways I went gluten-free while traveling in Germany was to just skip the breads and buns.
In the A.D. era, Ive missed sampling many of the regional specialties for which my destinations are known.
The giant potato pancake called rosti that Switzerland is famous for?
Half the places I visited used flour to hold theirs together.
My other go-to for gluten-free dining when I was in Germany: a potato with sour cream.
I basically subsisted for a week on tortilla espanolaa plain egg and potato omelet.
Traveling with celiac disease kind of sucked a little bit.
My other go-to for gluten-free dining when I was in Germany: a potato with sour cream.
A basket of the crispbread Scandanavia is known for, gluten-free edition!
Each restaurant chalkboard that featured the days specials followed by a cheery Guten Tag!
(Good Day!)
looked like it was mocking me with a sneering Gluten Tag.
My plate of Swedish meatballs the way they’re intended to be enjoyed (with gravy, mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and pickled cucumber), all gluten-free.
A basket of the crispbread Scandanavia is known for, gluten-free edition!
I suppose I shouldnt have been too surprised that Stockholm was a veritable oasis for gluten-free foodies.
So what was so differentand impressiveabout eating out in Stockholm?
A typical gluten-free breakfast at my hotel.
You notice the difference immediately upon approaching a restaurant counter or receiving a menu.
This meant I was able to partake in foods that are typically off-limits to me at home.
For example, restaurant meatballs at home almost always use breadcrumbs as a binder.
(I opted for the reindeer.)
It was absolutely delicious.
Encountering them was complete happenstancewhich, to me, suggests how commonplace they are.
I reached out to Stockholm-based dietitian Jeanette Steijer to reality-check my impression of Stockholm as an especially celiac-friendly city.
A typical gluten-free breakfast at my hotel.
Spending time in Stockholm was a true vacation from the excessive worry about eating out that I usually have.
There are a few varieties Id still like to try.
