Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free in Germany & Holland

[Guest guest]

Hi, y'all. I'm contemplating joining my husband on a trip to Germany and

Holland at the end of next month. I can't eat gluten, eggs, dairy, or soy.

I'm about to start googling to see what I can find, but---anyone with

similar restrictions have experiences to share, restaurants to suggest,

grocery chains to recommend, etc.? The travel is in Frankfurt, Bonn, Bremen,

and Enschede.

 

Many thanks.

 

Sally

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jennifer Stahl

Friday, March 27, 2009 3:11 AM

Karen Fielder

Re: Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free in Germany &

Holland

 

 

Hi there!

 

There are a few good options as far as stores go. If you can find a Reformhaus,

DM (Drogerie Markt), Tegut, or can order online - you are in great hands. Most

of your GF items here will list if there is soy, dairy or if it is a vegan

product. Obviously with it being Germany, there are not too many vegan or

vegetarian options with the prepared gluten free items...

 

A great place to start of course is with the German Celiac Society.

http://www.dzg-online.de/ -- We found out through their monthly magazine about

some options in Frankfurt when we were going to register our son at the US

Embassy. Sadly we were in and out so fast, and so tired from getting up extra

early for the drive, we missed going to the restaurant that makes Pizza once a

month gluten free. (An Italian Restaurant called " Restaurant La Favola " )

 

I am not sure about Holland, but I do see that many of the gluten free items

have nearly every language of the EU represented on the back, AND Russian, so

you shouldn't have a problem there. I remember seeing the flag from Holland on

many Schär items.

 

Online you can shop with the following companies rather well:

http://www.alles-glutenfrei.de/

http://sz-glutenfrei.de/shop/index.php

http://www.querfood.de/

http://shop.metzgerei-boeckle.de/ <-- these guys make sausages that have no

pork, phosphates, gluten, egg product, additional flavorings or aromas, or

commercial spice mixes that are questionable. We've ordered a few items from

them and they are top notch. You couldn't do any better except by making it at

home yourself (seriously!)

 

As far as stores to shop and get whole foods from, your best will be Rewe, Toom,

Edeka (from time to time - and only for whole foods), Tegut (organic and top

notch!), REAL and Netto is also ok from time to time.

Shopping is vastly different in Germany in that your cashier will say " hello " ,

the total cost and " have a good day " at the end of the purchase but will

otherwise not engage you in conversation otherwise, unless he or she knows you

personally. You must pay for plastic or cloth bags, so I suggest bringing your

own cloth or backpack if you'll be walking. Some stores also sell some shopping

trollys (the pull along bags that are almost like a carry-on peice of luggage)

for somewhere between 15 and 30 Euro. It depends usually on the time of year and

promos they have.

 

If anyone has any dairy free milks, the Reformhaus or Tegut and DM should have

it. I haven't seen much in that area at the other stores.

 

For frozen goods, REAL has the best selection. There are Almondy frozen cakes

from sweden (not sure if these are dairy or egg free though, it's been a while

since we had one), DS4You has some good products, Shär has a couple -- and I've

seen some of them beginning to creep into stores like Tegut.

 

I remember when we stayed in other cities, we try to find these shops and make

as much as we can at the hotel, and have mostly whole foods on hand, a peeler

for carrots, and eat only at restaurants that are reccommended by the DZG

(German Celiac Society). I am sure someone from there could hook you up also

with the group from Holland, or depending where you'd stay, you could take many

items along with you on your trip from Germany.

 

One thing you do need to know is that there is not much selection outside of the

online shops, the Reformhaus and DM for Celiac friendly cereals... and cereal

here is Müsli -- not like anything American (Chex, Envirokidz etc) - and is

meant to be " over the top healthy " -- it will have all kinds of grains in it

andoften nuts or raisins and the like. I have found only Two cereals that I can

handle and one is a very plain corn flake (you have to add lots of sugar!) and

one is a chocolate corn puff that looks and tastes like chocolate Kix.

Everything else I just use to make homemade bran muffins - it's not good for

much else. -- I have checked again and again in the cereal isles and not

found any options at the major food chains. Tegut has a GF section, and it has

much the same options as DM and the Reformhaus. They have a slightly different

selection on snacks though.

 

If your hotel has a mini-bar/fridge - you might want to get yourself water at

one of the local stores (Pfand means that when you return it, you get a small

amount of $ back), and also get some juice to keep on hand. We did this while

travelling and it was a lifesaver. We kept cups, disposable silverware and

plates on hand. Had we planned ahead, I would have brought cloth napkins, our

own silverware and things to tidy up so we didn't have any mess left behind.

 

The DZG can also give advice for good celiac friendly hotels, who have

restaurants that can cater to you. I remember Berlin and Leipzig had pretty good

accommodations. I do not see why Frankfurt am Main would not, as there are so

many Celiacs in the City. I seem to recall something about Bremen not too far

back in my DZG Aktuell, but I would have to go back and look, and the baby wants

to nurse and take a nap right now.

 

Wish I had more advice, we're usually just on the lookout for gluten free and

basically kosher items, low on soy... I just notice if things have additional

cross thrus like dairy and egg from time to time. With our needs, I end up

having to make most everything at home. Hammer Mühle, Schär, Alnatura, Solena,

and similar brands usually will have things marked if it doesn't have certain

items in it and are clear with their lableing at the very least in German. The

biggest thing with Hammer Mühle though, is that they do use modified wheat

starch that is certified gluten free in some of their items... so be on the

look-out for " Modifiziertes Weizenstärke " listed in obviously GF items.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

Jennifer in Hessen, Germany

 

 

 

 

 

--

Karen Fielder <karenandbrandon

Jennifer Stahl <meg-a-bytes

Thursday, March 26, 2009 10:02:31 PM

Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free in Germany & Holland

 

 

Jennifer,

 

Can you reply to this post and I'll forward it to the gal on a vegan and gluten

free board that I am on.

 

Thanks,

 

Karen

 

 

Sally Parrott Ashbrook

Thursday, March 26, 2009 1:53 PM

 

Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and soy-free

in Germany & Holland

 

 

Hi, y'all. I'm contemplating joining my husband on a trip to Germany and

Holland at the end of next month. I can't eat gluten, eggs, dairy, or soy.

I'm about to start googling to see what I can find, but---anyone with

similar restrictions have experiences to share, restaurants to suggest,

grocery chains to recommend, etc.? The travel is in Frankfurt, Bonn, Bremen,

and Enschede.

 

Many thanks.

 

Sally