Eating gluten free on a trip

ashcky
ashcky Posts: 393 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I am taking a short trip with my boyfriend for a concert and since I realize that eating Gluten free I can't just eat out every meal I need to come prepared. How much food do you bring with you if you're going out of town? What keeps best?

We have discovered a restaurant that is GF because the owner has a daughter with celiac so we plan to go there once. I've been GF for almost 4 weeks, my docter recommended it because I have been having a lot of digestive problems. They have cleared up since eliminating gluten and cutting back a lot on dairy.

Hope everyone's doing well!

Replies

  • minniemoo1972
    minniemoo1972 Posts: 295 Member
    edited July 2016
    Because your not coeliac eating a food with gluten (sauce, soy sauce etc) isn't going to be life threatening so finding Truely gf places to eat isn't as vital....just try to eat as healthily as you can. Pack a few cereal bars, fruit for those times you can't find anything vaguely fitting your dietary needs.

    Edit for bad spelling
  • klrenn
    klrenn Posts: 245 Member
    Where are you going? A good number of restaurants have gluten free options on their menus (I'm allergic to wheat) I never pack food for trips.
  • aquablue_1111
    aquablue_1111 Posts: 40 Member
    I'm not gluten-free, but my kid was recently diagnosed with a whole slew of food sensitivities (soy, dairy, wheat, eggs). Can I tell you that packing school lunches and going out to eat is a complete pain in the behind? (Ok, pity party over, moving on...)

    I'm assuming you'll have access to a small fridge and hopefully a microwave? For snacks, how about hard-boiled eggs? There's not much prep to those and you can eat cold. Other snacks can be nuts/seeds, nut butter + celery/apples, hummus + carrots or fruit. Those don't take a lot of room and the fridge doesn't have to be ice-cold. For meals, pre-cooked stuff so you can either eat cold or re-heat easily like GF pasta + sauce, GF pizza, soups or salads. You could do sandwiches like chicken salad, egg salad, etc.

    If you guys don't mind bringing a small cooler, that'll help give more space in addition to the hotel fridge.

    For the amount of food to bring, it would really depend on the # of meals you'll be eating in the room or on the go.

    Hope this helps!
  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
    I have celiac and don't have too much of an issue with eating out. Restaurants especially fast food have menus online and lots of options. If they dont, you can eat meat, veggies, fruit, salads, potatoes, rice, etc. Ask for a clean cook surface/pans, and limited seasonings (salt/pepper) unless you can confirm they are gluten free. Avoiding dairy is much more difficult. My son has a severe dairy allergy and we have a hard time at restaurants. There is butter and cheese everywhere. We can only safely eat at restaurants that have an online ingredient list.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    I have been gluten free for over 4 years. Fast food restaurants are difficult, so for travel days in the car, I usually pack a cooler with meals that we can easily eat at a rest area. I pack Think Thin bars and Kind bars for snacks. But I have not found eating at most restaurants to be very difficult. We eat at steak houses (warn them of your allergy so they can eliminate any seasoning that potentially have gluten), seafood places and even many pizza places have gluten free crusts. Some chain restaurants that have GF options are Smashburger, Noodles and Company and Panera. It can be difficult at first, but honestly, once you are used to it, you manage just fine. It just becomes a way of life.
  • ashcky
    ashcky Posts: 393 Member
    edited July 2016
    Thank you all! I'm making sure our hotel has a fridge and microwave. I am looking up GF options at restaurants before going. Before going gluten free I would have a lot of pain, bloating and gas after eating my meals. Pretty much everything I ate was full of gluten and I feel so much better since switching. I just worry about getting sick if I eat out even opting for the dishes that are gluten free.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Gluten free is so trendy right now that I wouldn't think you'd have an issue traveling.
  • klrenn
    klrenn Posts: 245 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Gluten free is so trendy right now that I wouldn't think you'd have an issue traveling.

    That's true, but it doesn't hurt to mention that it's truly an allergy (because it's so trendy). I had a waiter ask me if it was an allergy or a preference (it affects how stringent they are in the kitchen) I appreciated the distinction and the waiter was even wearing gloves when he brought me my dish.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    klrenn wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Gluten free is so trendy right now that I wouldn't think you'd have an issue traveling.

    That's true, but it doesn't hurt to mention that it's truly an allergy (because it's so trendy). I had a waiter ask me if it was an allergy or a preference (it affects how stringent they are in the kitchen) I appreciated the distinction and the waiter was even wearing gloves when he brought me my dish.

    I know that it's an allergy...but it's also something that's just trendy...I know plenty of people who aren't celiac or otherwise have no issues doing gluten free...'cuz it's cool.

    I was simply pointing out that due to it being trendy there really shouldn't be any issues traveling...heck, the store down the street from me sells gluten free plastic silverware...I'm pretty sure plastic ware doesn't have gluten in it in the first place...but hey...put it on the packaging and charge and extra $5 eh...
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Gluten free is so trendy right now that I wouldn't think you'd have an issue traveling.

    Unfortunately this isn't always true. Lots of issues with cross contamination for those with a true allergy. I can't even eat in a place that shares a kitchen with gluten containing ingredients or I risk winding up in the hospital with a breathing tube.
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