Traveling, dining out, or shopping with a food allergy can feel stressful. Good news: with a few clear Spanish phrases, you can explain your needs confidently and stay safe. In this lesson, you’ll learn practical vocabulary and polite requests to talk about allergies, intolerances, and dietary preferences.

Essential phrases (Frases esenciales)

Here are the core structures you’ll use. Read each phrase with its translation, then try them in the exercises.

• Soy alérgico/a a + alimento. = I’m allergic to + food.
• Tengo alergia a + alimento. = I have an allergy to + food.
• Soy intolerante a la lactosa. = I’m lactose intolerant.
• No como + alimento. = I don’t eat + food.
• ¿Esto contiene + ingrediente? = Does this contain + ingredient?
• ¿Qué lleva? = What’s in it? (literally: What does it “carry/include”?)
• ¿Puede ser sin + ingrediente? = Could it be without + ingredient?
• ¿Tiene opciones sin gluten/veganas/vegetarianas? = Do you have gluten-free/vegan/vegetarian options?

Tip: In Spanish, “sin” means “without”; “con” means “with”. You’ll use these a lot: con queso (with cheese), sin queso (without cheese).

Quick practice

Use “sin” and the allergy structure.

¿Puede ser queso?

Tengo a la lactosa.

Estoy alérgico a la soja. → Soy alérgico/a a la soja. Use ser, not estar, to talk about allergies. Soy alérgico de los frutos secos. → Soy alérgico/a a los frutos secos. Use the preposition a, not de.

En el restaurante: pedir y explicar

You arrive, sit down, and you need to make your needs clear, politely.

Useful openings:

• Disculpe, tengo alergia a… = Excuse me, I have an allergy to…
• ¿Podría ayudarme? Tengo unas restricciones. = Could you help me? I have some restrictions.
• Para mí, ¿podría ser sin…? = For me, could it be without…?

Now, put a short dialogue in order.

Translation of the dialogue:

• Customer: Excuse me, I’m allergic to gluten.
• Waiter: Of course. Is it an allergy or an intolerance?
• Customer: Could you recommend something gluten-free?
• Waiter: We have salad and soup that don’t contain gluten.

Asking about ingredients

Use “¿Qué lleva?” and “¿Contiene…?” to check what’s inside.

Try building a polite request with "¿Puede ser…?" + sin + ingrediente.

Polite requests with poder (to be able, can)

We often use poder for polite requests: ¿Puede…? (Can you…?) and ¿Podría…? (Could you…?) with usted to be respectful in restaurants.

Examples:

• ¿Puede traerme la carta de alérgenos? = Can you bring me the allergens menu?
• ¿Podría cambiar la guarnición? = Could you change the side dish?

Common foods and allergens (Alimentos y alérgenos comunes)

Here are frequent items you’ll talk about:

• frutos secos = nuts
• gluten = gluten
• marisco = shellfish/seafood
• lácteos = dairy
• soja = soy
• huevo = egg
• sésamo = sesame
• pescado = fish
• carne = meat
• vegetariano/a = vegetarian
• vegano/a = vegan

Practice a few key nouns and verbs:

Culture notes (Notas culturales)

• In Spain and many Latin American countries, restaurants increasingly list “alérgenos” (allergens) on menus or have a separate “carta de alérgenos”. Ask: “¿Tiene la carta de alérgenos?”
• “Sin gluten” is widely recognized, especially in Spain where “celíaco/a” communities are active. Bakeries may label items “SG” or “sin gluten”.
• “Alergia” (allergy) vs. “intolerancia” (intolerance): an intolerance (e.g., lactose) is often less severe but still important—staff may ask which one you have.
• For preferences: “Soy vegano/a” or “Soy vegetariano/a” is clear. Still explain specific items: “No como carne” or “No como lácteos”.

Mini-quiz: choose the best Spanish phrase

Test your understanding and learn from the explanations.

Put it into practice

Combine “sin/con”, allergies, and requests.

¿La sopa lácteos?

Handy patterns to memorize

• Soy alérgico/a a + X.
• Tengo alergia a + X.
• ¿Esto contiene + X?
• ¿Qué lleva + plato?
• ¿Puede ser sin + X?
• No como + X.

Extra example lines you can reuse

You’ve got this!

With these phrases, you can clearly explain allergies and preferences, ask about ingredients, and request changes politely. Next time you order, try starting in Spanish: “Disculpe, tengo alergia a…” and follow up with “¿Puede ser sin…?”

Stay safe, eat well, and keep practicing. ¡Buen provecho!