Gluten free diet ? No problem !

03. December 2020 Category: Lanzarote Costa Teguise

By Lauren Cooper - Costa Teguise Office

Living in Lanzarote doesn’t mean you have to leave all your food comforts behind. Whats more you will no doubt find many new food comforts for you to feast on and enjoy. Having lived on the island for a few years now and needing a Gluten free diet , I have managed to crack the food code of Lanzarote. Here I would like to share a few of the tips I have picked up over the years for anyone thinking of relocating here .

The supermarkets on Lanzarote are different to those In the UK they sell food and some household items. You do not find aisles full of greetings cards, toys, clothes, like the typical British supermarket. This lesson was never clearer than on lockdown, with only food available in the Spanish branded supermarkets, we turned to Lidls´ middle aisle! What a place that turned out to be. It was a great source of entertainment for 9 weeks, we found crafts, painting items and tools to help with our dodgy DIY.  With brands like Lidl, Mercadona and Hiperdino, you no doubt will find your favourite, or not like myself who switches it up and goes to all three!

Generally, most locals shop around. I prefer the farmers markets for my vegetables. After lockdown this changed, I discovered a great independent fruit and veg shop locally. It is always fresh and great value. With markets being an integral part of Canarian life, it is great we are starting to welcome back some markets again. Wherever you stay here, I strongly advise you to check out the food markets. Not only will you get some bargains, yet you will also get to know the locals, their tastes and hopefully discover something new.

If all else fails, and you think garlic bread is exotic, there is the British supermarket Overseas in 3 locations on the island. They offer you those food comforts from back home. If you like proper bacon, pasties, British ales, chicken kievs, etc, then this place maybe your first port of call. I personally think it is worth a visit if only for the sweet aisle; It´s a little trip down memory lane.

The biggest thing for me personally is sticking to my gluten free diet. One great thing is that labelling laws are the same as the UK, all allergens are in bold. My first Spanish lesson was ingredients and reading labels. Mercadona have a great choice in breads, plus many other products. Hipodino supermarkets go one step further for you. They label all their products in a black background that are gluten free. It makes trips round the supermarkets much faster. Many restaurants have a gluten free menu ,my personal favourite is the Cesare in Costa Teguise.