What Food a Gluten Free Celiac Packs for an Extended Vacation
It's summer - which, for this college celiac, means lots of studying for the GRE, working at an amazing internship three days a week and flying off to visit family in the Lone Star state.
Compared to my short, three-day stay in Disneyland, I'll be rockin' in Texas for two weeks. What gluten free foods am I packing (correction: stuffing) in my suitcase?
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| Prepare for the 3 T's: Tips and Tricks while Traveling! |
Here's a sneak peek at how I make sure this celiac won't go hungry!
1. Immediate necessities
First of all, you should consider what food you'll need right when you land. Now, your access to a grocery store will vary depending on your destination and arrival time. In my case, I know that I'll be stepping into humidity - I mean Houston - at seven P.M. their time. After a long day of travel, I know that I won't be craving a shopping spree. So, I'm packing:
A dinner that I will most likely eat on the plane, while waiting at the baggage claim or on the way to Grandma's house. It may not look pretty, but this combo is bomb! Basically just mixed greens, lots of leftover roasted veggies, salmon, two kinds of tater (regular and Japanese sweet potato) and avocado. Served with some green beans, it's a dream!
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| Excuse the ugly, blurry photo...airplane photography is not my strong suit! |
Night snack goodies like half a So Delicious yogurt container, a travel pack of sunbutter, a small container of fruit, and rice cakes.
Breakfast for the next morning, which features a pre-made and frozen smoothie bowl that I double wrapped and stuffed in my suitcase! (Can you say smoothie addict?) Plus my usual toppings.
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| My suitcase o' food! |
2. Breakfast staples
Now, in my experience, breakfast is the hardest meal of the day when I'm away from home - mainly because *insert a lone tear here* I have to leave my beloved Vitamix behind. I often end up using a verrrrry low speed blender my grandma has, but I also love having these staples in my suitcase:
Buckwheat and rice flakes for oatless oatmeal.
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| Cause how can I not crave this on vacation? |
Chia seeds (Mamma Chia for the win!) for oatless oatmeal, smoothies and chia seed pudding.
Spices like turmeric, maca and cacao.
Enjoy Life Trail Mix - crunchy chewy goodness!
Several Health Warrior Chia Bars to eat as snacks or crumble on my oatmeal, smoothies or yogurt.
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| My favorite flavor :) |
Coconut flour - for breakfast bakes and/or breakfast cookies.
3. Hard-to-find items
Now, when you're staying somewhere for a decent amount of time, obviously you can stock up with lots of gluten free food from local grocery stores. Before you leave, I definitely suggest spending a few minutes researching your destination. Any gluten free restaurants nearby? Health stores? Knowing your options will help you know how much to bring.
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| Randall's Gluten Free aisle... |
In my case, I know that there is a Randall's Grocery with decent produce and gluten free options nearby, several Whole Foods Markets (score!), and plenty of delicious restaurants. As a result, I'm only packing some of my favorite foods that can be hard (or pricey) to find. These include:
My homemade granola. I cooked a big batch a few nights before my flight to make sure I had my favorite treat stocked for the first week. By the time I get back, I'll definitely be experiencing granola withdrawal!
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| One of my favorites... |
Food for Life Rice tortillas, which I love cooking on the stove top to make crunchy chips.
Daiya cheese - mainly because I only have half a bag left and I know that I wouldn't finish a whole bag if I bought one there.
The new coconut milk coffee creamers from So Delicious - because I just received some samples the other day and want to use them in my smoothies and oatmeal!
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| My latest experiment subject! ;) |
And that's a wrap! I won't lie and say that traveling with celiac is easy, but it does get easier with experience. Now, I expect to tote a decent amount of food with me on any vacation. It's just reality. By accepting that, instead of being embarrassed or anxious over it, I have a less stressful (and equally delicious) trip.
Because, in my mind? Clothes < food in my vacation priority list. That's what washing machines are for!
What are some staples you bring with you on extended vacations? Any of the same ones on my list? Comment below!
These are great tips thank you. I've recently started being gluten free, dairy free and egg free due to food sensitivities and I was wondering how I'd travel with all of those restrictions. It can be done!
ReplyDeleteNicole | The Professional Mom Project
Glad I could help! Wish you the best of luck!
DeleteIf it's an ordinary trip vacation like a cruise, I take enough GF bars of various brands to get me through a few possible rough spots, and I always have two or three of those in my carry-on bag. If the airline offers GF meals, I make sure I've ordered them. (Mostly not available on domestic flights and/or in tourist class.) A sandwich to eat if GF food is not available and the flight (or preflight wait at the airport) is over a meal time.
ReplyDeleteFor a single destination trip (visiting our daughter in San Diego, or taking a winter break in Hawaii (we're retired, and were careful to save while we working so we could do stuff like a winter break in Hawaii)) I'll pack things that it would be inconvenient or impossible to get at the destination. That's if we planning to cook at the destination, which in those two cases we are. Homemade granola. GF soy sauce. Olive oil. Sesame oil. Small quantities of various herbs and spices. Enough GF pasta for a quick meal on the first night (in Hawaii). A sharp knife or two, a good silicone spatula, a few other utensils. A toaster bag so I can toast or thaw a slice of GF bread in an available toaster. Maybe a package of Schar shelf-stable bread.
If we're going somewhere (typically overseas) and not going to be cooking, I'll take restaurant cards in English and expected other languages, and hope I can avoid problems. (I always take those, anyway. Easy to carry, and helpful if needed.)
Those sound like logical plans as well! Glad I'm not the only one who loads up on homemade granola ;)
DeleteThese are great tips- thank you! We are traveling next week and I am def going to need to leave the Vitamix at home too:(
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain!!! Vitamix love forever, right? Hope your trip goes/went well!
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