What is Gluten Free in Spanish (+ Translation Cheatsheet)

If you’re traveling to a Spanish-speaking country like Spain and follow a gluten-free diet, you’re going to need to know how to communicate about your dietary needs in Spanish.

After all, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to test out all the yummy food Spain is famous for!

By the way, why do I know gluten-free vocabulary in Spanish? Well, first off I’ve been gluten intolerant for about 10 years. I’ve also lived in Spain and am actually a former Spanish teacher!

So, I know all too well the anxiety that comes from trying to find gluten-free items while traveling. And, if you don’t speak Spanish, it adds a whole other level of stress!

In this post, you’ll find a quick guide to communicating your dietary needs in Spanish. While it’s up to you to make safe food decisions, I’m certain it can help you ask and order gluten-free food in the Spanish language. That’s why I made it for you, after all!

You’ll also find a link to a free, printable Spanish gluten-free cheat sheet! Download it, and save it on your phone for easy reference while you travel.

How to Say Gluten-free in Spanish (Sin gluten)

The most direct and obvious translation of gluten free in Spanish to say “sin gluten.” Sin gluten literally means “without gluten” in Spanish.

Gluten free in Spanish is pronounced seen-gloo-ten.

Fortunately, as a cognate (a word that looks similar to English), it’s very easy to learn! Plus, if you butcher the pronunciation of “sin gluten,” you’ll still be understood. 😂

📩 Get your free Spanish Gluten-Free Translation Sheet here.

How to Order Gluten-Free Food in Spanish

Although “sin gluten” is easy enough to say, and you’ll likely be understood, you might want to communicate a little more thoroughly—both to reassure yourself that you’re in fact ordering gluten free and for the fun of speaking another language!

Here are some examples of things you might say when you’re determining if a restaurant has gluten-free food:

• Do you have gluten-free options? – ¿Tienen opciones sin gluten?
• Can I see the gluten-free menu? – ¿Puedo ver el menú para celíacos?
• Do you have gluten-free bread? – Se sirve pan sin gluten?

When ordering, you might want to be more specific with your requests. Here are some things you can say in Spanish:

• Does this dish contain gluten? – ¿Este plato contiene gluten?
• I’d like my burger without bread. – Me gustaría la hamburguesa sin pan.
• Can you prepare my food in a separate area? – ¿Se puede preparar mi comida en un área separada?
• Do you use the same fryer for gluten and gluten-free foods? – ¿Usan la misma freidora para alimentos con gluten y sin gluten?

We’ve included these sentences and more in our downloadable Spanish Gluten Free Cheatsheet for easy reference.

Helpful Spanish Vocabulary for Gluten-friendly Dining

Once you’ve progressed in your Spanish journey, you start to realize there is a lot of vocabulary you need to make sense of the world around you like all the ways to express how tasty something is in Spanish. Thus, I’ve included some popular ingredients and other words you might need when eating out in Spain or reading ingredient labels.

Here they are:

🚫 allergy – alergia

📜 allergen menu – menú de alérgenos

🌾 barley – cebada

🥐 baked goods – productos de panadería

🍞 bread – pan

🍞 breadcrumbs – pan rallado

🍤 breaded – empanado

🍽️ buffets – bufés

🚫 celiac – celíaco/celíaca

⚠️ cross-contamination – contaminación cruzada

🌾 couscous – cuscús

🥖 flour – harina

🍳 fried – frito

🌾 gluten – gluten

❌ gluten free – sin gluten

🔥 grilled – a la parrilla

🌾 harina de trigo – wheat flour

📝 ingredients – ingredientes

⚠️ intolerance – intolerancia

🌾 kamut – kamut (a type of wheat)

🌾 malt – malta

🌾 oats – avena

🍝 pasta – pasta

🍝 pasta dishes – platos de pasta

🍞 rye – centeno

🥘 sauces and gravies – salsas y guisos

🌾 seitan – seitán

🍴 shared utensils – utensilios compartidos

🌾 soy sauce – salsa de soja

🌾 spelt – espelta

🍞 toast – tostada

🌾 triticale – triticale

🌾 wheat – trigo

🚫 wheat-free – sin trigo

🚫 without bread – sin pan

🚫 without sauce – sin salsa

🥦 vegan – vegano

🥕 vegetarian – vegetarian

Gluten-free Spanish Translation Cheatsheet

I’ve put together a gluten free Spanish guide for you! It’s sized as a one-page, 8.5 x 11” PDF.

It includes basic vocabulary, phrases, and ingredients you can use when interacting with Spanish speakers. There’s a section on expressing gratitude, too. Saying please in Spanish never hurts, either!

You may download the translation card by filling out the form below. Enter your first name and email as directed. Then, the freebie will be sent straight to your inbox!

Click the button in the email to get your download. You may print it, or save it to your phone so that you can reference it on the go!

Spanish for Gluten Free FAQs

In this section, I’ll answer a couple of questions people often ask about eating gluten free in Spanish.

Wording for Gluten-free in Spanish: Last Bite

After reading this guide on how to say gluten free in Spanish, you’re prepared to order your food “sin gluten” in Spanish-speaking countries! 

That said, please remember that this post is only meant to guide your conversations and empower you to communicate your dietary needs in Spanish. It’s up to you to determine what you can or cannot eat, especially if have celiac disease or are otherwise allergic.

Learning these phrases or carrying your cheatsheet with you will help you communicate, understand what’s on the menu, and—most importantly—participate fully in the culture of the country you visit.

¡Vamos!

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