I have to say, I was a little nervous about going to Aruba, since I didn’t really know how “gluten-friendly” the island was. To be fair, I’m often nervous before travelling to a new place due to having Celiac – but I make sure to read up as much as I can, pack some extra snacks in my luggage, and make do with what my destinations has to offer!
To be honest, I’m that girl that packs half her suitcase full of food for a long vacation – seriously, I’ve packed bags of trail mix, boxes of protein bars, and anything else that can travel well and keep me full in case there’s no options for me. But this time around, we were planning on staying on the island for a month (which turned into 2 months pretty quickly!) So I packed a few of my go-tos that are hard to find outside the US, and then crossed my fingers and hoped for the best!
This is the list of food items I brought with me. As you’re planning on what to bring yourself, I’d think about how long you’re going to be here, what travels well (non-liquid, non-perishable, not easy to open and make a mess on-transit), and what you “can’t live without”. For me, that definitely included these items!
My Go-To Foods to Pack for Aruba
- Gluten-free Oats (for oatmeal, granola etc.)
- Gluten-free Soy Sauce
- I brought individual packets, which are great to take with you to a restaurant in case they don’t offer a gluten-free option
- Powdered Peanut Butter
- great for smoothies, non-liquid, and barely weighs a thing
- Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
- I mean, how could I go without EBTB for 2 months??
- Granola Bars
- I packed about 10 RXN bars, which came in handy for hikes and to keep in our rental car in case I got hungry
- Spices: curry powder, cumin and coriander
- I almost took these out of our suitcase when it got too heavy, but I’m glad I didn’t, because we used these spices a lot for curry dishes. If you don’t make curry often, I’d think about what other spices you use on a regular basis and decide whether it’s worth it to pack them rather than to search grocery stores for them once there!
Gluten-Free Options in the Grocery Store
What makes me most nervous before a trip is wondering what kind of options will be available in the grocery store, and there’s usually very little information to be found online (trust me, I’ve looked)! Thankfully, gluten-free products are becoming easier and easier to find – even six years ago, when I was first diagnosed, it was way harder to find gluten free products (especially ones that tasted good!) in the US, let alone other countries. I’ve been able to find gluten-free items in nearly every place I’ve travelled to (even somewhere like Morocco!) but you never know quite what you’ll find until you’re there, or how expensive they’ll be.
When I’m travelling – especially when I’m on a shorter trip – I try to stick to a mostly naturally-gluten-free diet, rather than stocking up on boxes of pasta, packages of bread, and other shelf-stable items. Here’s a list of easy to find grocery items on the island that are naturally gluten-free:
Naturally Gluten-Free Grocery Items in Aruba
- Fruit
- Super Foods (and most other grocery stores, based on availability) has all the staples we’re used to in the US, like strawberries, bananas, avocado, etc. but I’d recommend branching out and trying some new options like:
- plantains (so good fried/grilled!), mangoes, guava, & dragon fruit/pitaya (only available June through September)
- Super Foods (and most other grocery stores, based on availability) has all the staples we’re used to in the US, like strawberries, bananas, avocado, etc. but I’d recommend branching out and trying some new options like:
- Vegetables
- Again, the island grocery stores have many of the items we’re used to, but they also have some veggies that aren’t often found in the US and are so fun to try, like:
- mamotica (see picture below), white asparagus, chikito cucumber, and more!
- Again, the island grocery stores have many of the items we’re used to, but they also have some veggies that aren’t often found in the US and are so fun to try, like:
- Canned beans
- Canned vegetables & fruit
- Hot dogs & most meats and fish (but be careful of marinated meat/fish)
- Cheese
- Arepas (check the packaging to make sure, but 99% of arepas are made of corn)
- Corn tortillas (again, check packaging to make sure)
- Frozen fruit (great for smoothies)
- Snacks like potato chips (Lays are common here), mixed nuts, etc.
- rice, potatoes, other naturally gluten free starches
But of course, it’s easy to start missing all the gluten-free packaged foods we’ve come to know and love. Thankfully, I’ve found a good variety of these kinds of packaged foods in a number of grocery stores. Here’s a list of the stores I’ve frequented throughout my trip, and the kinds of gluten-free items they stock.
Gluten Free Packaged Goods – By Store
- Super Foods
- Super Foods is a tourist favorite in the Palm Beach resort area. It’s probably the store with the most gluten-free options, but they do come at a premium since they’re imported.
- Gluten free beer
- Gluten free wraps (Toufayan brand)
- Gluten free pasta (an assortment of different brands)
- Gluten free bread
- Super Foods is a tourist favorite in the Palm Beach resort area. It’s probably the store with the most gluten-free options, but they do come at a premium since they’re imported.
- SUPER Do It Center
- We come here far more often than Super Foods since it’s closer to our Airbnb, and it still provides a great variety of options.
- Schar gluten free products (cookies, bread, etc.)
- Katz gluten free munchkins (in the freezer section)
- Gluten free pasta (an assortment of different brands)
- Gluten free wraps (Toufayan brand)
- We come here far more often than Super Foods since it’s closer to our Airbnb, and it still provides a great variety of options.
- Save-A-Lot/Save More
- This is a grocery store geared towards locals, so they have great prices. While they don’t have much labelled gluten free, it’s worth mentioning that they have frozen gluten free bread slices & rolls at a very affordable price. I opt to buy these and keep them in our freezer rather than buying a large package of Schar bread that might go bad in a few days!
These are just the grocery stores that we’ve frequented during our stay – I’m sure there’s other stores that have a couple of options, but if you’re looking for the American food you know and love, I’d take a trip to Super Foods or SUPER Do It and stock up!
Travelling to Aruba as someone who’s gluten-free shouldn’t be super nerve-wracking. My advice is:
- Pack the gluten-free foods that are tough to find here (like oats, cookies, soy sauce, beer) and that travel well
- Opt for naturally gluten-free foods whenever you can
- Rent a place with a kitchen, and preferably one that has a toaster oven, microwave, and stovetop/hot plate to cook your own food
Sustainably Gluten Free 