We have had many participants who follow a gluten-free diet attend our program over the years, and they fully enjoyed their trip. However, experience has also raised our awareness of the challenges you may face with the food in Israel, and therefore want to help ensure that you are properly prepared should you be confirmed on a trip.
While there are always different options of food on Birthright trips, it may be difficult at times to find food appropriate for a gluten-free diet – in our experience, Israel just seems to be a bit behind the US in this regard!
Firstly the hotels, where you’ll be eating most breakfasts and dinners, do not always have a wide variety of foods that they will “guarantee” as gluten-free. Secondly, for lunches, which are typically during free time in various locations around Israel, there is no guarantee of enough variety of food outlets to always ensure suitable gluten-free options.
The trip staff are aware of all the participants’ dietary requirements and are always there to help, however, they may be limited given the resources in each location to cater to specific needs. If you encounter any issues with food, inform your staff member so that they may assist you.
Given all the above, we highly recommend that you bring a substantial amount of non-perishable gluten free food with you to eat in Israel and on the plane. The amount to bring will depend on your individual needs, and varies between different participants, but I’m happy to discuss this with you more over the phone. In addition, if/when you are offered a trip, you must contact Mayanot directly to order a gluten-free airline meal. This does not happen automatically.
Our goal is to ensure the success of your experience while in Israel and to make sure that you are comfortable while on the trip.
