That's La Plagne
How to plan a ski holiday with dietary requirements
How YOU can have a stress-free experince skiing in La Plagne with food intolerances.
Dietary requirements & food shopping, La Plagne
Each village in La Plagne has a minimarket with a good selection of produce.
Boulangerie
Bakery for daily french bread.
It’s expensive!
Food shopping at 2000m will cost you more!
Good range but limitations
Improving year on year!
Staff are mostly helpful!
Ask for help finding what you need.
Opening hours
8am - 8am. Some closed for siesta from 1230-1430.
Try the local options.
Try some of the local ingredients.
Join behind the scenes today and get the insider scoop
Surviving ski holidays with dietary requirements
Heading skiing with family and friends should be a magical time. But any type of holiday with food intolerances can definitely be a challenge. Especially active holidays like skiing and snowboarding.
As you may know, après ski and food are a huge part of an alpine experience and a successful ski holiday. Whether you’re dreaming of crèpes and pain au chocolat for breakfast or a traditional Savoyarde fondue for dinner. Those winter ski temptations are all around you!
The issue comes when you, a family member, or friends have food intolerances or follow a restricted diet. It can seem like these delicious treats, which are such a part of a ski holiday, are off-limits.
But I’m here to tell you that they aren’t! And hopefully, knowing that you can find some of these ingredients and food products in La Plagne will help reassure you that La Plagne is an excellent ski holiday destination for those with specific dietary requirements.
Just a note – if you have food allergies or food intolerances, or suspect that you do, then it is imperative that you consult a doctor or dietician. This post is for informational use only and does not constitute medical advice in any way.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS IN FRANCE
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: dietary requirements in France are not always catered for. Which can come as a surprise. France is known for its haute cuisine. And it is centered around meat and dairy products. If you eat these items, you’re in luck, as they are abundant throughout La Plagne. However, if you follow a plant-based diet or have intolerances restricting these products, you’re probably keen to know what vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free menus and products you can find in La Plagne.
I recently covered La Plagne’s best vegan and vegetarian restaurants. And it is true that there are more catered ski holiday and ski chalet companies that can cater to vegan diets, as well as food allergies and intolerances. But if you are keeping the cost of your ski holiday down with a self-catered ski holiday, then you need to know what food products you can find throughout La Plagne on your ski holiday.
Whether you're a seasoned vegan, following a gluten-free diet or lactose intolerant, hopefully, this article will clear up some questions about what food products are available from the various shops around La Plagne.
I found a good range of products for different dietary requirements and food allergies and can't wait to share them with you all. When planning your next ski holiday to La Plagne, knowing that you can buy these specialist products will hopefully help you relax and enjoy your winter holiday.
And if there is something specific you are looking for and I haven’t mentioned it, drop me a comment below, and I’ll get the answers for you. But hopefully, this review has something for everyone.
Let's dive in!
WHAT FOOD SHOPS ARE THERE IN LA PLAGNE?
La Plagne is made up of 10 smaller villages, connected by pistes and free shuttle buses. Each town in La Plagne has a replication of the core typical village shops: Spar supermarket, bakery, tabac and tourist information.
For food shopping, your main shop will be the Spar mini supermarkets, which you can find in Plagne Centre, Plagne 1800, Plagne Soleil, Aime 2000, Bellecôte and Belle Plagne. Then there is also a Sherpa mini market in Plagne Centre.
It’s also worth remembering the bakeries in each village and the cheese and charcuterie shops for those eating meat and dairy.
There was a full butcher in La Plagne Centre until 2022, but it has now closed. However, if you want a specific cut of meat, you can order it with them the day before, with payment on order.
When researching this article and speaking to the shop staff, they order the bulk of their products at the start of the winter. So they do have more variety of vegan, dairy-free and plant-based milk at the start of winter. But post-February peak season (i.e. the kids half term ski holidays), there are fewer choices left.
Vegan food shopping, La Plagne
First up is the dairy selection – or non-dairy section.
I found some delicious plant-based alternatives from the dairy section of both the Spar and Sherpa supermarkets in Plagne Centre. The other La Plagne village supermarkets will also carry a similar/same range. I found:
Oat milk | Almond Milk | Coconut Milk | Soya Milk | Coconut Yoghurt | Goats milk yoghurt | Sheep milk yoghurt.
I couldn’t find any lactose-free dairy products at all while writing this. So if this is something you or your family needs, you will need to make alternative arrangements.
I didn’t find any vegan cream or vegan cheese. I did ask at the cheese shop (fromagerie) in Plagne Centre, but the lady looked at me like I had two heads..! So whilst plant-free diets are becoming more common in France, getting some products that would be standard in UK supermarkets is still challenging.
Gluten-free food shopping, La Plagne
In France, people traditionally buy their bread daily from the boulangerie (bakery). Most French villages will have a small bakery at their centre. However, you can get pre-sliced bread from the Spar and Sherpa supermarkets. I found two gluten-free sliced bread options at the Spar.
I then checked at the bakery in Plagne Centre, the only bakery in the resort providing baguettes for all the other satellite locations. They don’t make gluten-free baguettes or any gluten-free products.
Speaking to the supermarket staff, they have selections of cakes, biscuits and muffins. But I couldn’t find gluten-free flour or pasta anywhere in La Plagne.
Daily food shopping, La Plagne
Snack food, La Plagne
Next, I wandered over to the snack aisle and found a few gems. It’s quite standard in France to have a strong selection of dried fruit and nuts for snacking on. So if these are part of your diet, you’ll find a good selection. These also make a great snack option on chairlifts and whilst out skiing.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, La Plagne
In the produce section of all the Spars, you can load up on fresh fruits and veggies like strawberries, avocados, kale, and sweet potatoes. These will be perfect for smoothies, salads, roasted dishes, and everything in between. However, you be paying a premium for these items – a small shop for one person can easily set you back 50€.
Basic food shopping, La Plagne
Finally, getting your daily staples and filling your kitchen for the week is quite easy. You’ll find canned beans, pasta sauces, lentils and quinoa. These items always come in handy when I need a quick and easy meal. Plus, they're versatile enough to use in many different recipes. There is a large pasta selection and some wholemeal pasta but no gluten-free pasta options.
That’s La Plagne and shoppping for food intolerances in La Plagne
Overall, my “food allergen and dietary requirements” grocery haul was more successful than expected. It is still difficult to find some products, but compared to 10 years ago, the selections are much better.
But really, just remember that a ski holiday in La Plagne – or anywhere in the world, is not just about the food – or the skiing! So take the time to relax, enjoy your time in the mountains, and create those magical memories with your loved ones.
What are your must-have food products? Is there anything I’ve missed that you’d like to know about?
Let me know in the comments below!
TOP TIPS
- If you can shop in the valley, do it. The supermarkets are full size and much cheaper than the mountain mini-markets.
- Opening hours. Don’t forget that supermarkets in the valley often close on Sundays and at 8 pm daily. Up the mountain, several mini-markets close for a siesta between 1230 – 1430.
- If there is an important/critical item for your diet, I recommend bringing it with you OR getting it ordered and delivered to your accommodation. I have had several friends do this with baby formula or lactose-free milk, which we couldn’t rely on finding in La Plagne.
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