Traveling can be tricky for anyone, but if you have any food restrictions, allergies, or intolerances it can be downright frustrating! A few summers ago my husband and I were traveling from TX to the Florida Keys for our 20th wedding anniversary. I had snacks packed, but nothing that could serve as a meal. There was an 8-hour portion of the drive in which all we saw was a Subway. There were no other restaurants. We stopped because I thought that surely I could find something safe to eat at Subway. When I asked the young lady behind the counter if they had any gluten free options, she looked at me like I had 3 heads. I was familiar with that look and knew I better just eat the snacks I brought with me. I’d rather be hungry than glutened! We still had a long road ahead. I gained some helpful information from this situation:
If at all possible, bring a cooler with actual meal options.
Thank goodness I had GF snacks!
So many people still don’t know about Celiac & gluten intolerance.
Research restaurant options before traveling so I don’t get in that situation again.
Nowadays whenever I’m going out of town for a week or more, I will take 2-3 bags of food and a cooler. I will share with you the contents of those bags and cooler to help you plan your next road trip. Luckily, I love to cook, so if we are going to a place with a kitchen, I take food items with me for cooking (GF flour, GF rice, GF pasta, my herbs and spices, etc). If I can buy certain items at a grocery store where I am vacationing, then I do that. I live in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and even here I can’t always find what I need. If in doubt, I pack it. Here are some of my favorite snacks that I take with me when I travel.
Cooking when travelling is one of the best ways to avoid being glutened. I have some favorite products that I pack that make cooking easier. We also save a lot of money bringing food and cooking our own meals. Here are some of the products I take with me when I travel.
In the cooler I pack premade sandwiches. I like to bring my own condiments (like dijon, ketchup, plant-based mayo, and relish). Things like premade guacamole, hummus, and salsa are perfect also. Add some bottles of water and iced tea and you’re all set. Before I started minimizing the dairy intake I would travel with cheese cubes.
Like I said I love to cook, but I also love to go out to dinner. Since I’m a lifelong foodie, I love learning about food, recipes, and other cuisines. I love reading menus and observing how a chef/owner runs their restaurant. I always research the restaurants beforehand. That way I can download the pdf of the GF menu ahead of time if possible. I seek out people on Instagram from the city to which I am traveling to read their advice about their home city’s gluten free restaurants. If I am having trouble finding Instagram accounts to follow, then I search for hashtags. For example before traveling to New Orleans I might try #glutenfreeNewOrleans or #NewOrleansGlutenFree.
As you can see planning, preparation, and research are key. Once you find places to shop and eat in the cities to which you travel, keep a journal or photos of those places so that when you visit again you remember what you learned the first time. I hope this has been helpful to you. Happy traveling!
