Today someone I know is leaving for study abroad in Africa. She does not have Celiac Disease but is gluten intolerant. My friends started asking her what she is going to eat there and how she will communicate her needs, because one of the main staples in their diets is wheat. She didn’t think about it until that moment but realized it would be difficult. Fortunately I was able to tell her about Gluten Free Restaurant Cards. A tool that I relied heavily on after my diagnosis.

These cards translated what Celiac is, what I can or cannot eat and what will happen if I eat gluten. These cards came in every language you can imagine and I have used them in Spain, France, and Italy. With the invention of technology these cards are compiled in an app with translations for pretty much every language you would want. Unfortunately for my friend they did not have the language she needed, but they had one that was similar that she will be able to use this semester.

These cards have become second nature to me after using them for 10 years but I realized they are not something everyone knows about. If you are traveling abroad anytime soon, I hope these will help! You can download the app for the iPhone here https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gluten-free-restaurant-cards/id294997385?mt=8