If you have specific dietary needs, it is essential to communicate them clearly when eating out.
Describing your diet
Use the verb ser (to be) to describe lasting conditions like allergies and intolerances. Adjectives like celíaco (celiac) and alérgico (allergic) change their endings to match your gender (-o for masculine, -a for feminine).
When specifying what you are allergic or intolerant to, use the preposition a (to) after the adjective.
| She is celiac and cannot eat gluten. | Ella es celíaca y no puede comer gluten. |
| He is intolerant to lactose, so he avoids dairy products. | Él es intolerante a la lactosa, así que evita los lácteos. |
| I am allergic to nuts and eggs. | Yo soy alérgica a los frutos secos y al huevo. |
Ingredients and hidden allergens
To ask or state what a dish has in it, use verbs like tener (to have) or contener (to contain).
| This bread does not contain wheat nor gluten. | Este pan no contiene trigo ni gluten. |
Common ingredients to look out for include:
- el trigo (wheat) and el gluten (gluten)
- los lácteos (dairy products) and la lactosa (lactose)
- los frutos secos (nuts)
| Does that cake have nuts or any dairy product? | ¿Esa tarta tiene frutos secos o algún lácteo? |
Cross-contamination
If your allergy is severe, you may also need to ask about cross-contamination. The Spanish word for "trace" is la traza (most often used in the plural as las trazas).
| What scares me is if the dish contains traces. | Lo que me da miedo es si el plato contiene trazas. |
| He is very allergic; even traces are a risk. | Él es muy alérgico; incluso las trazas son un riesgo. |
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