Where to Find Gluten-Free Celiac (Coeliac) McDonald's Options in the Netherlands

The excitement of having a gluten free McDonald's cheeseburger had us making a detour into the Netherlands twice during our recent trip to Belgium. We are three celiacs (or coeliacs) with one also having type 1 diabetes, and one gluten eating husband. Our first McDonald's was in the city center of Maastricht. There were large posters inside the restaurant advertising the gluten free options. The fries and frites sauce were gluten free as well. The young man taking our order was very patient as I checked that indeed everything was gluten free and he took special care to remind the workers that this was an allergy order.

While not as pretty as the poster, the cheeseburger did not disappoint. The bun held together and tasted very much like a cheeseburger from Canada or US McDonald's. They do indicate on their website that not all locations offer gluten free options but you can search on their website for locations with gluten free options.

Here is the link for the Gluten Free offerings from McDonald's in the Netherlands. MENU

Our second Netherland's McDonald's was in Terneuzen. This location was along a motorway.

At this location we ordered from a screen and had to choose the gluten free options. It was more difficult to order, as although the screen did have an english language option, you had to keep updating it when you added a new item. I would suggest ordering from the counter if at all possible as one of our items arrived not on a gluten free bun. The staff took the gluten free requests seriously and I am happy to report that we did not have any signs of cross contamination.

This meal was the most expensive McDonald's meal I have ever had. The bill for 4 people was over €50 for everyone to have a drink, fries and a burger. It was a tasty treat after years of not being able to have McDonald's.

#GlutenFree #Travel #Netherlands #McDonald'sGlutenFree #McDonalds #Celiac #Coeliac #Diabetic

Travel to Maastricht, Netherlands: Beautiful bookstore with gluten free cafe next door.

The first stop on our European trip was the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands, right by the Belgian border. We visited Boekhandel Dominicanen, a beautiful bookstore inside of a cathedral with three floors of books, records, stationery, magazines, and games, along with a small café in the back. The majority of the books were in Dutch, with small French and English sections, but the real star was the building itself. According to the store’s website, the 13th century church had a wide variety of purposes, from a slaughterhouse to a boxing arena, before becoming a bookstore in 2006. The upper floors are open metal platforms with railings so visitors on the bottom floor can still look up and appreciate the church’s architecture. It was quite busy when we visited on a Saturday at 10 am, but the store was large and there was lots of room to browse.

Boekhandel Dominicanen Book Store - Maastricht Netherlands

Door of Boekhandel Dominicanen

Plague on building

Browsing - Maastricht

View from above

Boekhandel Dominicanen

Browsing the shelves.

Instead of stopping for a snack and coffee in the bookstore café, we opted for the gluten free bakery right next door called Natuurlijk! Charlotte. The entire store is also organic, plant-based, and vegan.

Natuurlijk! Charlotte

They offer a variety of different loaves of bread and pastries, ranging from bars and cupcakes to pies and cakes. They also had a drink menu with coffee, tea, and lemonade. The man behind the counter was friendly and helpful, and was able to explain all the items to us in English and answer questions about sugar content and ingredients for one of our family members with diabetes.

Gluten Free cafe

Gluten free bread offerings

We chose the havergist loaf (center in the above picture) to go, which was great for breakfasts with fruit and jam in the mornings during our trip. It was hearty and the crust was tough, but the inside was soft.

Gluten Free pasteries

We also tried the Biologishe Kaneel, or cinnamon, cupcake, the Biologisch Wortel, or carrot, cupcake, and the Biologisch Bananen Brood, or banana bread. They were all moist and flavorful and stayed together well.

Vanilla Gluten Free Cupcake

Beverage options

In terms of drinks, we tried the espresso and the iced cappuccino, which were both made with our choice of plant-based milk. We also had a locally made lemonade.

We took our pastries and drinks outside to enjoy on the bench in front of the store. It was a wonderful start to our European adventure, and we were delighted to find such a delicious, accommodating café right next to one of the most beautiful bookstores we had ever seen.

Helpful Travel Links for Masstricht:

Bookstore:

Boekhandel Dominicanen https://libris.nl/dominicanen, Boekhandel Dominicanen website

Gluten Free Cafe and Bakery:

Natuurlijk! Charlotte.

Parking:

We drove from the Brussel Airport to Masstricht arriving around 10 a.m. We parked in a parking garage that is part of a mall, Mosae Forum, in the city center. It was easy to find a parking spot and it was a lovely 6 minute walk to the main markt square and the bookstore.

https://www.mosaeforum.nl/algemeen/services

#GlutenFree #Netherlands #Masstricht #BoekhandelDominicanen #Travel #Natuurlijk!Charlotte #BookStores #Europe