Gluten-free living is hard enough at home. Going out to restaurants can be scary, disappointing, or just awkward. But at least the menus are in english, and you can negotiate with the servers/chefs about your meal.
My boyfriend and I stayed at an All-Inclusive resort (the GR Solaris in Cancun to be exact), and although I didn't completely miss getting hit by gluten, I think I did pretty well, and have lived to tell the tale (and give some advice to others about to do the same!)
Fortunately, the wheat-obsessed diet is pretty much restricted to Canada, USA, and Europe, as far as I've discovered. Mexico is a very corn-heavy diet...and although it's not necessarily the healthiest, it's generally pretty safe for us who are gluten-free! Problem is, the all-inclusives tend to cater to their clients...mostly, Americans. This means there are tons of pasta and bread options at the buffets.
What you CAN count on though, is that authentic mexican tortilla chips, and tortilla shells are made of corn masa. MOST sauces are based in beans or tomatoes, and authentic sauces do not contain wheat.
What I quickly discovered at my resort was that I could eat, and eat well, by making the best educated guesses/decisions about the food I was eating. I have a wide variety of allergies, so as always, breakfast was very limited (no eggs for me...), but that's totally normal back home, too.
Here are some tips for people heading out on vacation:
1. Don't stress. If you're staying at a resort, there is usually PLENTY of options. If you're eating authentic Mexican food, make sure the tortillas are made of corn (HINT: the flour ones stretch if you pull at them...corn ones won't). Mexican food is generally wheat-free anyways.
2. Make SMART choices about what you eat at the buffet.
For me, breakfast consisted of a TONNE of fresh fruit. and bacon. Fruit and bacon. If they had fresh tortilla chips out I would also have some of those with some refried beans. Load up on that delicious fruit though...it's not often you can get all those delicious melons fresh. They had a fresh omelette station, as they do at many of the hotels. If you can eat eggs, load up! Protein :)
Lunch. TACOS! Gotta love the authentic Mexican tacos. Corn tortillas with salsa verte (green tomato salsa), lots of cilantro and guacamole. Tacos are a wonderful way to enjoy your lunch while staying safe. Again, just make sure you're eating corn tortillas! I had a slip up when I decided to venture into the "American food" category for lunch...just eat the real Mexican food and you'll be fine!
Dinner. Start with a big salad. Find what's being grilled, and make sure there's no sauce. Our hotel offered some amazing salmon, prawns, chicken, and other grilled meats every night.
I pretty much stayed away from the soups offered, just in case...but twice I got some wonderful soup that I'm glad I didn't miss out on.
Lime Soup: This is traditional, and absolutely delicious.
Chicken and Vegetable Soup: One day my hotel made a delicious chicken and veggie soup that made me feel right at home. It was very obviously homemade, slow cooked, and delicious. It looked like it was fresh out of my Crock Pot!
I think you just really have to be smart about what you choose to put into your body. Take a look at what you're eating and make smart choices. You know your reactions. Take that into consideration everytime you're tempted to take a risk. It may not be worth it. Stick to the authentic Mexican food, and what you know to be gluten-free.
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