For the celiacs that come to visit Rio de Janeiro , some precious tips in order to have safe meals and snacks:

In Brazil , there is a law that determines that the nourishing products companies print the classification "Contains Gluten" or "It does not contain Gluten" in the labels of their products.  Still thus, there are many products without this information.  Therefore, only buy industrialized foods, that have the registration DO NOT CONTAIN GLUTEN on the label or packing, even though apparently, does not have any ingredient with gluten on its composition.

In Rio de Janeiro, we don’t have supermarkets with a gluten free section, but in some natural food stores, it is possible to find breads, biscuits and flours without gluten (There are some addresses by the end of the page);

On the beach, is very common to see people selling food, flavorful snacks, of which you will be able to eat without fear:  cooked maize, salty popcorn, peanuts, tapioca, pamonha, cocada...  In the case of other snacks, sandwiches, barbeque and hot cheese; total the absence of gluten is not guaranteed.  It is always good to inquired before eating.

As it happens with the supermarkets, Rio still does not have specific restaurants for celiacs; So it is safer to have plates as barbecue, salads, grilled meat in general or feijoada; and it’s always good to ask and confirm that does not contain gluten, to leave no doubt about the ingredients to prepare the food.  PS:  In the case of grilled fish or fried meat, always ask if they receive any wheat flour before grilling, since this practice is very common in many restaurants.  The beans sometimes can also be prepared with wheat flour.

You can present to the waiters the following letter that explains what you can or cannot eat:

To print this text as a card, click here

For dessert, there’s no mistake, enjoy the fruit salad and home made fruit candies.  Some ice creams also contain gluten, so you’ll need to check the information on the package (mainly the chocolate flavors).

To drink, be careful with the traditional caipivodca, vodka contains gluten, so order the caipirinha – the one with cachaça (aguardente/pinga). Do not leave Rio without drinking coconut water; beyond being flavorful it is very nutritional. The fruit juices are also a good choice.

For the time being, the Celiac disease is little known in Rio , that’s what makes us the main inspectors of foods without gluten. Therefore, if you feel like visiting the kitchens of the restaurants or confirming each ingredient of a plate, do not feel uncomfortable, it is your right.

And always remember:  if you have any doubt, do not eat!

There are many details to take care, but they are necessary to have a better stay in Rio . Follow these tips and Welcome to Rio !