Travelling in Central America with food allergies
 

Hi everyone
I'm planning on leaving for a few weeks/months in Central America (Belize, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, etc). I do suffer from severe food allergies to nuts and peanuts. I would like people with similar allergies and who travelled to Central America to share with me their experiences. I'd like to know if it is easy to find safe food, even outside major cities. I'd also like to know to which extend people understand what an allergy is. Anyone with knowledge on the matter is also welcome to answer.

Thank you!

Are you fluent in Spanish? Assuming not, you need to have some cards made, in Spanish, that explain your food allergies, and what you cannot have. Be very specific. Get someone to help you who speaks Spanish.

Bring along several epi pens.

Thanks for the advice. Bringing some traductions and several epipens was already planned though. I would like to know if it is very risky or if as long as I am careful and buy my own meats and vegetables I will be ok.

The local cusiine in most of Central America does not use many nuts. Although lots of oil is used in cooking it is mostly soy or Corn based shortening. Belize has a lot of oriental influence (With a significant East Indian and Chinese population) so be careful there as peanut sauces find their way into many dishes. Nicaragua has a significant peanut industry so a lot of machinery is used to handle peanuts and other products, so you will have to be more allert there. If your allergy extends to coconut then be really careful as Belize uses significant quantities of Coconut oil and coastal areas of any of the countries will use Coconut oil even in a lot of breads. If you are doing your own cooking you should be ok. Def bring lots of Epipens because they are difficult to find down here.