Summer travel season is here, and you might be wondering, “How do I travel gluten free?” That’s a good question!
Especially when you are traveling, you want to be healthy and feel as good as possible. Accidentally consuming gluten can seriously hinder your travel plans and enjoyment. Here are some gluten-free travel tips to consider.
1. Always keep food with you
Whether you are traveling by car, plane, or train, you want to have food with you for the journey. Take gluten-free granola bars, cut veggies, nuts, trail mix, and other easy to eat travel food so you can focus on travel details without starving.
You also want to have snacks with you when you head out for tourist excursions. If you have a gluten-free child, you especially want to be sure to have safe snacks (and treats!) on hand.
Pack insulated shopping bags and cold packs or zip top bags for holding ice in your suitcase. These items can allow you to take lunch with you when you are headed out for a day of fun.
2. Cook your own food
Whatever your destination, if you plan accommodations where you can cook your own food once you get there, you will not only save money on eating out, but you will likely eat healthier and most importantly safe gluten-free meals.
You can accomplish this in a number of ways
- Book a hotel room with a kitchenette (usually a suite)
- Rent a condo or house
- Rent an RV rather than staying at hotels
- Stay with friends or family
3. Pack food in your suitcase
In your suitcase, pack specialty gluten-free foods that you might have trouble finding at your destination. This could include some of your favorite bread, cookies, crackers, or cereal. However, many stores carry these items now, and a lot of destinations will have resources for gluten-free food. You can also order food and have it shipped to your destination.
It’s also a good idea to check out your shopping options online before you go. That will give you an idea of what gluten-free foods you will be able to purchase when you arrive.
4. Eat out safely
It wouldn’t be vacation if you didn’t get a break from cooking, and eating out is usually a given part of traveling. While eating out can be risky, there are ways to minimize those risks, and gluten-free dining is possible.
- Look for restaurants online before you go. You can find local places that have gluten-free menus, and you can call ahead to ask questions.
- Read reviews from other gluten-free consumers. Gluten-Free Travel Site is a great resource for this.
- Use apps. Once you arrive at your destination, there are several gluten-free dining apps that can help you find a restaurant in the area. (See links below.)
- Communicate with restaurant staff and ask to speak to the chef or management if necessary. If you’re not confident that they can prepare a gluten-free meal for you, leave and go elsewhere.
5. Travel to gluten-free friendly destinations
When making travel plans, consider places that are known to be gluten-free friendly.Disney World is a great example. Online searches (and Gluten-Free Travel Site) will help you find other good options.
Also consider places that are off the beaten path. Places that are not huge tourist attractions might be less crowded, allowing you to get personal attention from staff and chefs.
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Plan ahead in order to enjoy a safe and healthy gluten-free trip. It is worth the effort you put into research, planning, and packing in order to avoid hunger and frustration when you should be having fun.
Thanks for these tips, Linda. I find that when I’m eating more than “just gluten free,” these tips become more critical. If we’re traveling by car, I definitely carry more food (as much for saving money as for having gf food on hand) and if I’m traveling by air I definitely pack some basic foods like nuts and bars because airport offerings can often be abysmal and flights are long. Plus, as we know even the most basic airline offerings (e.g., Southwest’s peanuts) cna contain gluten. 🙁
We’ve also taken foldable/packable insulated lunch coolers, cold packs, and silverware to use once we reach our destination. (I was doing that for cost savings long before going gf though.)
However, when we travel by motorcycle, I have no room to take any food at all so I simply rely on real food along the way (snacks like apples, bananas, and nuts, and real food offerings at restaurants per usual).
Gluten-Free Jet Set is a great site. They even help you plan your gluten-free trips (for a fee, of course) and are extremely knowledgeable.
I’ve often found that I can do better eating at an independent restaurant than I can at chain restaurants that have gf menus, because the staff wants to feed you well and they know what’s in their food/menu items.
Thanks, Linda! Sharing …
Shirley
SUCH a useful list Linda- I’m totally adding it as a resource page! I’ve been fortunate over the last couple of years to be careful and critical but sometimes it has been more than a challenge- I’ve started noticing airlines now have GF meals too! I recently travelled to Japan and learnt how to say ‘ no gluten’.
Wonderful tips Linda! If it’s OK I would love to add your link to Savoring Saturdays this week. Thanks so much!
Thank you, Ali!