How to Ask About Ingredients in Spanish Before You Order
By Lingobi · Published on 10/19/2026
When you are ordering somewhere new, guessing about an ingredient is not worth it. A clear question gives the server a chance to check with the kitchen.
Ask ¿Este plato contiene gluten? to find out whether a dish contains gluten. You can replace gluten with the ingredient you need to check. To explain a restriction, say No puedo comer... (“I can’t eat...”) or Soy alérgico/alérgica a... (“I’m allergic to...” ).
Activity
Build the correct sentence.
English → Español
Sentence to arrange
Practice next
Say the important part clearly
Some ingredients have regional names. Peanuts may be called cacahuetes in Spain and maní or cacahuates in parts of Latin America. If an allergy is serious, name the exact ingredient and ask the staff to confirm it with the kitchen.
Try the question with milk: ¿Este plato contiene leche? The pattern stays the same when you change the ingredient.