For those just heading out on a summer vacation, here are a few tips taken from my newsletter. I hope you are going somewhere fun with your family or friends. While you’re there, enjoy eating out gluten free with these tips below. Use both of these to help you lead that easy healthy gluten free life. Oh and let me know if you have an extra ticket!
Travel Tips
The Summer travel season is upon us. For some people, this means a lot of anxiety around where to go and how to get there while being able to safely eat at the same time. I’m working on a fun little e-book on this topic, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here are my Three P’s for fun and nutritionally safe travel.
Plan it!
Take the time to plan out the food for your trip by researching and knowing what’s in store for you when you arrive. Check out the web sites for where you’re going and learn about the dining and shopping options in the area.
Pack it!
Create and pack a food travel kit. I have one that I take with me on trips. What goes in it depends on what’s available at my destination and how long I’m staying. It can range from simple snacks to kitchen equipment like my own cutting boards, knife and sponge. It all depends on where you’ll be staying. (This is why planning ahead is key.)
Pursue it!
Have fun while you’re there! Always have a little snack with you just in case you’re skipping an unsafe meal until you can get to a safe one. Take lots of pictures and share with others so they can visit the safe places you’ve searched out.
Eating Out Tips
When you are traveling to an event that is centered around food there are a few tips that are very helpful to those living gluten free.
Check in with your host.
Let them know about your needs and offer to speak to the caterer so you don’t give them any more work. This way you can speak directly with the people making your food and you can find out what will be served, how it will be served and how it will be prepared along with the ingredients. All of these are important information to have in order to avoid gluten.
Always travel with back up food on hand.
If it’s a potluck this is easy. You bring what you can eat and make sure you server yourself first in case there is cross contamination from others. If not pack something and enjoy the drinks and company.
If you are attending a BBQ…
you can have your food cooked in foil to avoid cross contamination as long as you know the ingredients are safe. If not bring your own foil packet and toss into the coals. We used to do this at Girl Scout Camp. Burger and diced onion, carrots and potatoes.
Above all have fun and enjoy the people you are with and don’t worry so much if you are eating what everyone else is eating. I find it’s better to be safe than sorry and get to spend time with friends and family.
Now I’d like to hear from you.
What are your favorite tips for traveling and eating out gluten free?
***** If you would like to be able to find restaurants that serve gluten free food, be our friend. http://celiacrestaurantguide.com/ *****
I recently traveled to someplace other than my mom's house and it was….interesting.
The first day I was too busy visiting friends and I simply wasn't hungry, so I ended up skipping dinner. Sustenance came later in my hotel room in the form of things I'd brought with me like natural cashew butter, coffee, and a bag of purchased sweet potato chips from the grocery store.
The second day, we were at the local mall and as I gandered around the foodcourt I started to panic. The chinese place looked iffy. The Japanese place also looked iffy until I realized that the younger girl handing out samples spoke perfect English. I was able to ask her what I could eat and because they had a Hibachi grill, she was able to tell the cook to make me stuff right there while I watched, no soy, no flour, just herbs and spices. It was tasty and safe, and I was so grateful.
The final day, I offered to cook for my friends. They happily ate the gluten-free pasta I made so that I didn't have to make 2 kinds, and once again I had a tasty, safe dinner. I purchased all the ingredients myself from the local store that I knew what was going in it.
When I'm en route, I've taken to cooking up some all-natural bacon, having some organic GF lunch meat, and a few hardboiled eggs in addition to fruit. I'm trying to consume more protein and less carbs overall.
Wonderful tips! Planning sure is everything 🙂