Birthright Tips and Tricks for the Gluten Free!
- Zoe Wernick
- May 20, 2016
- 4 min read
Gluten Free and coming on Birthright? Mazel Tov! Get ready for the trip of a lifetime. And don't worry - you and your allergy will be fine.
(For those who don't know what Taglit Birthright is, it is a 10 day all expenses paid trip to Israel for all people aged 18-26 with at least one Grandparent of Jewish descent. For more information, or to sign up, click here!)
I went on the Taglit Birthright trip to Israel a little over two years ago now, but before I went I remember worrying about if I would be hungry the whole time. I stuffed my already-too-large-suitcase full of granola bars, some Gluten Free bread, a couple of apples, and told myself that this was a free trip and if I was little hungry, then oh well, I'd call it a diet. But a diet it was not, and well, let's just say that those Granola Bars enjoyed their trip to the Holy Land and back as much as I did.
I was worried that I'd be that annoying odd man out - to be honest, I really loathe my allergy not just for the complications it causes, but because I hate coming off as pretentious when I have to say "Oh, I can't eat that, I'm gluten free." I know, I know...I shouldn't be ashamed but I just haven't found a way to say it that doesn't give me the shivers! Oh well. I say it anyway because it is important.
But the most surprising thing to me, is that on my trip, I was not alone! There were 3 out of 38 of us that were Gluten Free! One with Celiac, one with an intolerance (who proceeded to enjoy every pita that came her way), and me in the middle with my wheat allergy. So instead of feeling like the odd man out, we had a little club of compadres.
I did perfectly well on my trip finding things that I could eat. To be honest, I was never even a little hungry. I went to bed stuffed every night, woke up still stuffed, but there was a buffet waiting for me and I was not one to dissapoint it! I thought when I returned, surely I had gained 10 lbs, but either from the Mediterranean food or perhaps the grueling pace of Birthright, I was right where I had started.
Don't be afraid to let your Birthright group know ahead of time that you're Gluten Free (especially if you're highly sensitive Celiacs), but also don't worry - you'll be fine. Here's what you need to know:
Breakfast and Dinner:
Breakfast and Dinner are at your hotel 98% of the time, and it's a buffet. There were always plenty of options for our GF group. For dinner usually there were meat devoid of sauces, potatoes, rice, some soups that were broths, and roasted vegetables. There were always TONS of salads too. For dessert, there was almost always gelato, and sometimes even blanchmages (Malabi here). For a special treat - try the pink ones. They taste like soap! (That's the rosewater, not my kind of taste). On the one night you go out for dinner attach yourself to one of your Israeli peers if you feel better with a translator, but usually the menu's are in English where you'll go. Many have things marked GF, and if you're not sure, there's always your handy, if not terribly satisfying salad.
For the breakfast buffet there were always eggs, the TONS of salads make an appearance again here, lots of yogurt, cottage cheese, and fruit. See? You'll be fine.
Lunch:
Lunch is on your own usually. Snag a few pieces of fruit from Breakfast if you're worried about what you can find on the road, and this is where a pre packed granola bar can be handy, but not necessary. I always found something. You can always get Schwarma on a plate accompanied by different salads or some hummus.
Or, if you're not allergic to nuts, lunch can just be your Bamba course. What's Bamba, you ask? All you need to know is that it's Israel's National Snack, and Israeli's are extraordinarily passionate about it. So just come to Israel and ask your guide to point it out to you. Munch away on the bus as you drive through the desert. (If you're a highly sensitive Celiac you have to make sure to get the Bamba marked Gluten Free, otherwise there is the risk of shared equipment in the regular kind).
But now that I live here in Tel Aviv, I have so many more tips for how you can have an authentic eating experience here while being mindful of your allergy! Below are the resources you need from my site to get the most out of the culinary side of your Birthright trip. But what I hope you understand is that the main point here is that you don't have to worry about the food, you'll have plenty of options!
You're about to embark on what truly is the trip of a lifetime - you going to make about 40 new lifetime friends, see some incredibly amazing beautiful ancient things and places, and just generally have your mind blown about 100 times a day.
It's exhausting and exhilarating and beyond what you can imagine.
So Mazel Tov, and Welcome Home!
"Required" Reading for the GF coming on Birthright (Click on the titles below):
4) Choose Your Own Adventure/Guided Walk for the Gluten Free through Shuk HaCarmel: Coming Soon!
Below are just a few photos from my trip, but they don't even begin to do it justice! When I went it was one of the coldest weeks on record in Israel, so don't worry about it being cold most likely when you come!
Have you been on Birthright already? Do you have any other tips and tricks for participants! Leave a comment below! :)
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