Gluten Free Travel

Gluten Free Travel

You might encounter a bit of a problem when when you first start on your Gluten Free journey while you are travelling, but as with anything else, taking the proper precautions and following them  will make it easier over time.

As with dining out, it is important on your travels to find a restaurant that is familiar with the gluten free diet and the risks of cross-contamination.  There are a variety of apps available that can help you find great restaurants anywhere you visit. This is a great online resource for Allergy friendly restaurants anywhere. Remember, you still need to be your own advocate and ask the proper questions and not be afraid to ask for the manager to ensure you get a safe meal.

Travelling by air:

If you are flying, try to make sure that you call reservations and request a gluten-free meal ahead of time because they don’t normally carry them on board and need to be ordered in advance. The time they need varies but give yourself at least 3 days. Most carriers have that option, but again, it’s always best to call ahead and if not then ask what can be done if there is not a GF option.

Make sure to take pre packaged gluten-free snacks with you to tide you over for short flights [try to find healthy options vs overly processed ones].  If you can, always make sure you eat just before you go through security. Also call ahead and ask what foods you are allowed to carry on board. Otherwise, if they do not fit under the guidelines, they will be confiscated.

Travelling by car:

If you  are traveling by car it makes it a little bit easier as you can take your snacks and keep a cooler in the car. Frozen yogurt tubes, and frozen yogurt drinks will keep longer and keep the other foods cool and are a great healthy snack to have along the way. Hard boiled eggs and some cold cuts will also keep well in the cooler on a long day trip.  A cold salad with quinoa and chickpeas will also keep well in the cooler and is both healthy and packed full of protein and is perfect to have on hand for the impromptu picnic along your route. Carrot or celery sticks are also great to munch on along the way . Always make sure that you have plenty of fluids and keep well hydrated.   If you are stopping in hotels along the way,  you can make reservations ahead of time and request a refrigerator in the room so that you can keep some refrigerated items in it during the stay.

Most hotels will supply a refrigerator in the room if you ask, and sometimes a microwave as well even though they don’t have a little kitchen.  Reserving a room with a kitchen is ideal, as you can prepare your own meals and decrease the risk of cross-contamination but not always an option.  If you can, another great option is renting a house at your destination vs a hotel room.

You may want to do a little bit of cleaning before hand to make sure that all surfaces are really clean and that there are no contaminated surfaces. If you can prepare the meals, you are sure to cut down on the risk of cross-contamination and enjoy the entire holiday!

Some specific destinations and resorts such as Disney are wonderful at catering to all kinds of nutritional needs and will also make your holiday worry free.

*Disclosure – although I have been compensated to write this post, all opinions stated are my own.