Planning a trip to Spain. Any food advice?
#115687 - 10/25/04 01:02 PM
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I've been researching types of food that I might be able to eat when I go to Barcelona next year. It seems the rice, tortillas and plain grilled fish and chicken could work, but most of the foods seem spicey and pre-mixed together. I'm not sure how the restaurants will respond to my asking for bland dishes. Garlic reaks havoc for me in the gas department, so that's out. Is saffron okay? I'm also planning to bring a small suitcase full of food along, too. But I'd still like to be able to partake in the tapas restaurants.
Let me know what you think. Thanks!!
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Huh. That's so funny! I will check it out.
And Heather, thank you so much. I've been feeling alot better since going on the diet 5 months ago. I even have a BM now every day! It was definately alot of trial and error, but now It's all very exciting. ;-)
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paella with just chicken and fish and veggies - YUMMY! but in a restaurant be careful because they often add sausage, etc.. so talk to the waitstaff about allergies.. also- spanish omelettes wihtout yolks would be a good thing as long as they aren't cooked in butter- spanish omelette=omellette filled with potato!
if you don't speak spanish- consider having a card written out to take with you that states you are allergic to: and lists problem foods- dairy, meat, garlic, etc..
My parents did that in Japan and just handed it to staff- it said they didn't speak japanese and these were the things they could eat and couldn't eat and they got yummy safe for mom meals that met dads Kashrut requirements everywhere they went.. didn't always know exactly what it was, but they enjoyed it.
Amie
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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I have been living in Southern Spain for almost 10 years now. I have never been to Barcelona so I don't know if they have the same types of food as we do down here.
There is always an abundance of fresh bread which I eat alot. Here french fries (patatas fritos) are served with all the meal and salads are really big too. Most foods are cooked in plenty of olive oil. When we go out I usually eat some sort of fish, most of the time salmon or I get a nice grilled chicken breast. It has been my experience that it is not easy to order food cooked differently than the what is on the menu. It can never hurt to ask though. I just stick to foods that I know are safe to eat.
I would definitely bring along safe snacks. How long will you be staying? I have heard Barcelona is a wonderful place to visit. I hope you have fun. If you have any other questions I will be glad to try to help.
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Janey
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I lived in Spain for about 6 months, two years ago. I have been to barcelona and it is amazing. I didn't have IBS at the time, but I will try to think about safe foods for you to order. Unfortunately you can pretty much forget about anyone preparing anything special for you -- it's just not really done as easily over there. If you are staying in a big hotel, you probably have better luck asking them to make somethign special than you would at a tapas bar.
Here are some pretty safe things I can think of:
cookies called "marias" are sold at every store and are similar to graham crackers. I do think they probably contain a little milk and eggs, but I am not bothered by those things when they are baked into a product -- I just can't eat them straight. If that sounds like somethig you can tolerate, go into any store there and buy some.
At the tapas bar: Boquerones are white anchovies that are marinated in vinegar and oil. They are not really anything like the pizza anchovies we think of here, and I love them. They are also not friend, which is a rare find in espana. Tapas are always served with lots of bread, so munch on that. Remember that this trip is about having a fun experience -- so if you stand at a tapas bar and all you can eat is the bread, focus on the fact that you are in spain having a great time -- you can eat other foods when you get home.
Also remember that Barcelona is probably the most international Spanish city. You are very likely to find other cuisines, other restaurants, in the city.
If I think of more things I'll tell you. I have to admit that when I went to Salamanca this summer for a weekend to visit my host family, I cheated on the diet the whole time. I had all kinds of ham and pork and other things -- I really cheated the whole summer. My stress was non-existant and I got away with everything. I don't recommend that, but it worked for me! 
PS -- Tortilla Espanola (spanish omelette) is traditionally made with lots of yolk and lots of oil. While the potatoes do provide a good cushion of soluable fiber, I wouldn't consider it, as traditinally prepared, to be safe. You can probably have a bite and get away with it. I've adapted the recipe to make it IBS safe, and I feel like I posted it but now I'm not sure. I'll have to do a search on the recipe board and if I find it I'll bump it up.
Good luck and enjoy your trip. Spain is wonderful.
Panda
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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