Managing celiac disease or any other condition that requires a restricted gluten-free diet is challenging even from the comfort from home. Travelling to a foreign destination can make it even more so. Fortunately, with some proper planning and advanced knowledge, managing celiac disease in France, the the land of patisserie (pastry) and pain (bread), does not have to be "pain"-ful. With a little knowledge about gluten-free French foods and terminology, your travels through France should be pain-free.

The Association Francaise des Intolerants au Gluten translates to the French Association of the gluten-intolerant. If you can read French, you will find a lot of information on their website that will help you navigate the country gluten-free. If you don't, print out their list of "produits génériques autorisés/interdits" or "list of acceptable and forbidden foods" and bring it with you whenever you are at a restaurant, a bakery or even a grocery store. The "inderdits" are the forbidden foods. The list is incredibly detailed, and includes gluten-free product lines and distributors, as well as detailed information such as particular types of regional sausages that are gluten-free. Association Francaise des Intolerants au Gluten http://www.afdiag.fr/

The term "bio" means organic in France, and "magasin bio" means a health food store. Larger “bio” stores carry greater selections of gluten-free products including muesli, cereals, muffins, small cakes and cookies, although even smaller "bio" stores have an impressive array of gluten-free products. There are literally hundreds of "bio" stores throughout the country, so your best bet is to ask for a bio store with foods that are "sans gluten" or gluten-free.