I am part of many FB groups and everyone always asks what the best Hawaiian island is for gluten free. There are many factors to consider and that is why I have summarized some important facts for you.
The truth is, everyone is different and has different priorities and needs. That is why I cannot tell you the best island, because honestly, they are all good and you will have a great time no matter where you go.
I want to make your holiday planning easy. I want you to have a relaxed holiday…..
…..Now, let’s go get it.
Interesting fact: Did you know that underwater volcanoes erupted thousands of years ago to form the islands of Hawaii?
Gluten Free Hawaii
I have been to the Big Island, Maui and Oahu, so my assessment does not include other islands.
Let’s be honest……..
These are the most popular and there are so many fun things to do on each of them, so you will not be disappointed.
My scorecard is based on the following things:
- Is there a gluten free bakery?
- Are there 100% gluten free restaurants?
- Are there other options for gluten free restaurants?
- The quality and price of the food
- Are groceries easily accessible?
- Is there a resort that can accommodate gluten free?
Gluten Free Bakery Hawaii
Many people want to indulge and eat sweets on their vacation. That is why having a 100% gluten free bakery can be super important for you. Or maybe you have kids and they have a major sweet tooth.
| Big Island | Maui | Oahu |
|---|---|---|
| I did not find a 100% gluten free bakery. | Sugar Shop is a 100% gluten free bakery. They are delivery only. | Sweet Marie’s Hawaii is a 100% gluten free bakery. Items must pre-ordered at least 48 hours in advance. Pu’uwai Aloha Bakery is also 100% gluten free bakery as well. |
| Big Island |
| I did not find a 100% gluten free bakery. |
| Maui |
| Sugar Shop is a 100% gluten free bakery. They are delivery only. |
| Oahu |
| Sweet Marie’s Hawaii is a 100% gluten free bakery. Items must pre-ordered at least 48 hours in advance. Pu’uwai Aloha Bakery is also 100% gluten free bakery as well. |
If a bakery is important to you, then you see above that both Maui and Oahu have one.
If you can live with all the sweets and chocolate bars you can get at grocery stores, then maybe this is not a deciding factor for you.
100% Gluten Free Restaurants in Hawaii
The best type of restaurant to eat at is, of course, a 100% gluten free restaurant. Especially when you are on vacation, you do not want to be lying at home in bed being sick. You can also decide on the specific area on the island that you can stay by the offerings of gluten free restaurants.
| Big Island | Maui | Oahu |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Potato Kitchen is 100% gluten free restaurant which offers some awesome and unique dishes. Racha Thai, in Waikoloa is a 100% gluten free place too. Lotus Café Express food truck is 100% gluten free and you can find it at various places on the island. | Brick Oven is a 100% gluten free restaurant and is very good. I loved the pizza and everything that I tried on the menu. | I do not know of a 100% gluten free restaurant. Greens & Vines was a 100% gluten free place, but is now closed. |
| Big Island |
|---|
| Sweet Potato Kitchen is 100% gluten free restaurant which offers some awesome and unique dishes. Racha Thai, in Waikoloa is a 100% gluten free place too. Lotus Café Express food truck is 100% gluten free and you can find it at various places on the island. |
| Maui |
| Brick Oven is a 100% gluten free restaurant and is very good. I loved the pizza and everything that I tried on the menu. |
| Oahu |
| I do not know of a 100% gluten free restaurant. Greens & Vines was a 100% gluten free place, but is now closed. |
As you can see, the Big Island wins this category as they have more options for 100% gluten free restaurants. Not to mention, you can get food at a food truck that is dedicated to gluten free which is cool.
Alternatively, some of the best gluten free pizza that I have ever had is from the Brick Oven on Maui. You can decide where you are on this one and see if you want more options and look at the menu offerings for each place.
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Gluten Free Restaurants in Hawaii
While some people eat only at dedicated gluten free restaurants, some people will eat at other places that take precautions to reduce the chance of cross contamination.
I for one, will ask many questions about the cooking process and if I am happy with the answers, I will eat out at other restaurants.
If you call ahead and try not to come at peak times, this is setting you up for a better experience.
| Big Island | Maui | Oahu |
|---|---|---|
| You will have a lot of options for gluten free eating all over the island. You can have variety, especially if you travel around the island. | You will have gluten free options at restaurants that you can eat at and the service industry deals with food accommodations pretty well. | There are so many gluten free options on Oahu. You will have no problem finding options if you can access transportation or have a car. |
| Big Island |
|---|
| You will have a lot of options for gluten free eating all over the island. You can have variety, especially if you travel around the island. |
| Maui |
| You will have gluten free options at restaurants that you can eat at and the service industry deals with food accommodations pretty well. |
| Oahu |
| There are so many gluten free options on Oahu. You will have no problem finding options if you can assess transportation or have a car. |
The service industry in Hawaii is familiar with dealing with food accommodations.
If you communicate with the server, manager or chefs about your requirements and they can answer all of your questions, then it is possible to eat out at other restaurants.
Restaurants can change owners, chefs and menus: please contact the restaurant to ensure a gluten free meal can still be offered.
Quality & Price of Gluten Free Food in Hawaii
If you are travelling to Hawaii, then you must know that it is expensive. My responses below are taking that into account, as well as, the idea that much of the food is sourced from local farmers and is of high quality. This generally, leads itself to the natural food that is prepared from scratch and the chef can make accommodations in the preparation because it is not frozen.
| Big Island | Maui | Oahu |
|---|---|---|
| You can find high quality food with higher prices and some lower price options for those people who have a tighter budget for Hawaii. The grocery stores and fruit stands are also great choices for snacks. | The gluten free options in Maui are high quality and high price. There are some mid-price options as well. If you are looking to reduce the costs of your vacation, you can eat at home more often. Alternatively, if you want to eat out, you will have lots of options. | The gluten free options in Oahu have high quality and you can find mid-price and high price options. If you are looking to reduce the costs of your vacation, you can eat at home more often. Alternatively, if you want to eat out, you will have lots of options from resorts to high priced restaurants. |
| Big Island |
|---|
| You can find high quality food with higher prices and some lower price options for those people who have a tighter budget for Hawaii. The grocery stores and fruit stands are also great choices for snacks. |
| Maui |
| The gluten free options in Maui are high quality and high price. There are some mid-price options as well. If you are looking to reduce the costs of your vacation, you can eat at home more often. Alternatively, if you want to eat out, you will have lots of options. |
| Oahu |
| The gluten free options in Oahu have high quality and you can find mid-price and high price options. If you are looking to reduce the costs of your vacation, you can eat at home more often. Alternatively, if you want to eat out, you will have lots of options from resorts to high priced restaurants. |
While of course you can have bad experiences at restaurants and not like the food, you will generally have good food quality with great flavor.
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Gluten Free Food in Hawaii – Groceries
If you are like me and do not want to eat out for every meal, then you will have many options at the grocery stores for breakfast, snacks and some meals.
| Big Island | Maui | Oahu |
|---|---|---|
| Big Island has many grocery stores such as, Safeway in Kona and Foodland Farms in Waimea and Kea’au. The island also has KTA Super Stores and other health food stores. | Maui has Safeway, Foodland Farms and Times Supermarket. If you are shopping for groceries, you will be able to find options at all the grocery stores. Down to Earth, is a shop that has loads of gluten free products for purchase. It has smoothies, salads and even gluten free pizza. | Oahu has Safeway, Foodland Farms and Times Supermarket. They have a Down to Earth shop too. They have many locations, but I checked out the one at 2525 South King Street, Honolulu, plus there are 4 other locations on Oahu and Maui. |
| Big Island |
|---|
| Big Island has many grocery stores such as, Safeway in Kona and Foodland Farms in Waimea and Kea’au. The island also has KTA Super Stores and other health food stores. |
| Maui |
| Maui has Safeway, Foodland Farms and Times Supermarket. If you are shopping for groceries, you will be able to find options at all the grocery stores. Down to Earth is a shop that has loads of gluten free products for purchase. It has smoothies, salads and even gluten free pizza. |
| Oahu |
| Oahu has Safeway, Foodland Farms and Times Supermarket. Down to Earth is a shop that has many gluten free products for purchase. They have many locations, but I checked out the one at 2525 South King Street, Honolulu, plus there are 4 other locations on Oahu and Maui. |
Each island has options that you will love. There is no real difference between islands as each offer everything that you will need.
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- Discover the Best Way to Travel Gluten Free.
- 55 colored pages.
- Invaluable resources.
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Hawaii Gluten Free Resort
While some people rent an apartment or condo, some people love to go to resorts. This is a great option for people and I love that hotel chains and resorts are getting better and better at dealing with dietary restrictions.
| Big Island | Maui | Oahu |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Waikoloa Village has options for gluten free at your disposal. | Grand Wailea Resort can accommodate gluten free meals. If you are looking to kick your feet up and settle in at a resort, you can on Maui. | Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina – Noe can accommodate gluten free meals. |
| Big Island |
|---|
| Hilton Waikoloa Village has options for gluten free at your disposal. |
| Maui |
| Grand Wailea Resort can accommodate gluten free meals. If you are looking to kick your feet up and settle in at a resort, you can on Maui. |
| Oahu |
| Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina – Noe can accommodate gluten free meals. |
Detailed Gluten Free Island Guides
To see even more amazing places to eat gluten free in Maui, see the article link for the best advice.
Flying to Hawaii
You should also call ahead and book a gluten free meal when travelling. Whichever airline you choose, make sure to pack a snack to get you through a long lay-over or delay.
See what the meal options are at some popular airlines:
Air Canada Gluten Free Meals – Special meals guidance
United Gluten Free Meals – Special meals guidance
American Airlines Gluten Free Meals – Special meals guidance
Delta Gluten Free Meals – Special meals guidance
Hawaiian Airlines Gluten free Meals – If you are flying with Hawaiian Airlines, you can request a gluten free meal. Take a look at their website for all the special meals guidance here.
Gluten Free Hawaiian Food
Now it is time to get familiar with some new recipes with a Hawaiian twist. I have a super easy crock pot Hawaiian chicken meal that you will absolutely love.
| Ingredients | Directions |
– 2 lbs. of chicken cubed Sauce | In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, salt and pepper and chicken and mix well so the chicken is coated. In a frying pan or wok, over medium heat, add olive oil and sear the chicken cubes on each side. This will take approximately 8 minutes. Now make the sauce and mix well in a small bowl. In the crock pot, add half of the sauce, then add the cooked chicken, then the rest of the sauce on top. Cook on low for 4 hours. In the meantime, steam the broccoli and dice up the green onions. Once the crock pot is done, you can top with the steamed broccoli and diced green onions. Feel free to add rice as a side dish. |
Eating Gluten Free in Hawaii
Hawaii is amazing. It has such beauty, that is difficult to describe.
Pictures do not do it justice. That is why you must experience it for yourself.
I also have fabulous gluten free guides for the Hawaiian Islands once you have decided which one you are going to:
Gluten Free Guide to the Big Island
If you are considering a trip to Hawaii and have some questions, reach out and send me an email at GlutenFreeTraveller. Or leave me a comment below.
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Cheers, I hope you enjoyed my lovely trek,
Brett – The Ultimate Gluten Free Traveller
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