Travel Tips
Do a bit of research before you go
I know you don’t always want to have to do research ahead of time for food, however, this can alleviate significant stress. With living in the United States, I can confidently say there are places with better and worse with gluten free options. Especially places where there are less gluten free options, it’s important to know some places where you can eat, so you can plan your days accordingly.
One app I find useful is the Find Me GF app. This app can help identify gluten free restaurant and I use it often. Please know with this app, anyone can enter in a restaurant and not everyone on the app necessarily has celiac disease. In the profiles, you can identify whether you are celiac or intolerant. I highly recommend looking at the reviews but also ask your own questions when you get to the restaurant or call in advance to make sure you feel comfortable eating there.
One great way to do research and keep the information for later is through Google Maps. When we research a trip, we typically make a Google Map. You can use different icons for different things. For instance, you can have one color icon for attractions and a different for food. Then you can toggle different ones on and off, so you only see the icons if you want. This is helpful to see where places are in reference to other attractions you are going to.
Pack some of your own food
At the very least, I always pack granola bars. I always feel like breakfast is one of the hardest meals to find gluten free. Not impossible, but breakfast restaurants seem fewer and farther between. Therefore, at the very least, I like to make sure I have granola bars in case there are no other options. Also, I’m sure we’ve all been in a case where we go to a restaurant and they are closed, or we don’t feel comfortable eating there. A granola bar can help tide you over until you can find another option. I don’t know about you, but when I’m starving and my plans are thwarted, I can quickly start to spiral and having a snack always helps me keep going.
If I am going on a trip in a car and staying in a place with a kitchen, I always take other food as well. When we go to the beach, we typically eat in many nights, so I will take a lot of my food with me. Not all grocery stores have the same brands, and I don’t like having to go hunting for the brands I prefer. Also, even if I do not play to eat in, I always still bring a box of gluten free pasta and sauce, just as a quick meal if needed. You do not need a refrigerator for this, and it does not take up much space. This actually was a lifesaver recently. We were in a town where restaurants closed pretty early. We ended up at one that reportedly had gluten free options and stayed open a bit later. However, when we arrived, they were closing down. Thankfully I had gluten free pasta and sauce, so we ended up going back to our house and still had a good and safe meal.
When I am traveling via plane, I also always take food with me. Last year, I traveled to Italy, which was a very long travel day, including a few hour layover. I ended up bringing a PB&J sandwich, bag of chips, and fruit. AND thank goodness I did that, because the airport where we had a layover had zero gluten free options. Had I not, I would have ended up eating just snacks from the convenience store.
I ordered a PackIt lunchbox to travel with. This brand creates lunchboxes and coolers with ice packs built into the sides. This is very handy when traveling, because you do not have to bring extra ice packs to freeze and keep up with. Once we were in Italy, most places we stayed had a freezer, so we would just keep the lunchbox in there and use it when needed. Once we were there, we did not need it often, but at one point, we got cheese, and we took that to our next place. Also, we packed sandwiches one day when we were out in a rural area and the lunchbox came in handy. I have seen other people recommend ordering the PackIt cooler, which can be your personal item on a plane. For me, I usually need to take a backpack with other items, so the lunchbox works well for me. Below is the link to the PackIt website.
Order An in-flight mean when available
If you take a long flight, check their policy on requesting a gluten free meal. When we traveled to Italy, we had an overnight flight. We flew with Delta and when I researched it, you can recommend a gluten free meal within 90 days of your flight. Therefore, within 90 days of the flight, I went to the website and requested a gluten free meal. However, I would not solely rely on these meals. I have seen where sometimes they do not make it on the plane, or you may not feel safe eating the meal.
I have to give a shoutout to United Airlines. I recently took a short flight where they provide a drink and a snack. I fly United frequently and I know their quinoa crisps are gluten free. I was sitting towards the back of the plane and when the flight attendant got to my row, she only provided two other options. I asked if she had any of the quinoa crisps and she said they were out. She asked if I wanted one of the other two options. When I asked if either were gluten free, she said no, but that they had other gluten free options on their cart, and she could provide me with something else without charge. I ended up having gluten free gummies, which were great.