Quick Tips For
Gluten and Dairy Free
Road Trips or Time Away From Home
Summer! Summer is a time for living life and having fun! Even if you have to avoid certain foods. If you are planning to go on a road trip, or staying at someone else's home, here are a few things for you to consider.
1. If you are staying with friends or family, make sure they have a good grasp of your dietary situation. People need to understand that there are foods that you must avoid out of necessity. You never want to stay anyplace where the host or hostess does not know about the dietary restrictions you may have. Informing them in advance gives them time to understand and provide support. Informing your host or hostess in advance also avoids offending them when you politely decline an item that will make you sick.
2. Know your route. When packing food, you need to know how long you have to keep things cold or when and where you can stop to get ice.
3.Pack MORE food than you need. I can not stress this enough and here is why. You never know what can happen. A trip may last longer than anticipated, for some odd reason you may get hungry and eat more on one day than you will on another. I also find that non gluten and dairy free eaters always like to try my snacks. My nephew polished off some of my crackers once because he could not believe that they were gluten free!
4. Never depend on getting specialty items at a store or mini mart that you have never been to. This goes hand in hand with packing enough food. I have been in a situation where I assumed I could get a snack at one store because it was carried at a store that I frequented. Boy was I wrong! Unless it is fruit or vegetables etc, do not assume you can get allergy friendly snacks at all stores.
5. Try not to only pack junk food. I know its hard, but even if you make cookies at home to bring with you, it can still be healthier than prepackaged foods. If you are going to go for prepacked foods, go for things like rice cakes which can be good for settling a tender tummy. I also try to pack fruit that won't spoil quickly like apples.
6. Pack meals in containers with different sections If you aren't going far. this is helpful to have things prepared already.
7. Don't forget to pack utensils, a cutting board, and other small kitchen equipment to prepare your gluten & dairy free meals. This allows you to avoid as much cross contamination as possible.
8. If your phone has app capabilities, download allergy friendly apps. You never know when you will encounter a gluten & or dairy free restaurant.
Here is a picture of some of the things that I packed when I went out of town.
2. Know your route. When packing food, you need to know how long you have to keep things cold or when and where you can stop to get ice.
3.Pack MORE food than you need. I can not stress this enough and here is why. You never know what can happen. A trip may last longer than anticipated, for some odd reason you may get hungry and eat more on one day than you will on another. I also find that non gluten and dairy free eaters always like to try my snacks. My nephew polished off some of my crackers once because he could not believe that they were gluten free!
4. Never depend on getting specialty items at a store or mini mart that you have never been to. This goes hand in hand with packing enough food. I have been in a situation where I assumed I could get a snack at one store because it was carried at a store that I frequented. Boy was I wrong! Unless it is fruit or vegetables etc, do not assume you can get allergy friendly snacks at all stores.
5. Try not to only pack junk food. I know its hard, but even if you make cookies at home to bring with you, it can still be healthier than prepackaged foods. If you are going to go for prepacked foods, go for things like rice cakes which can be good for settling a tender tummy. I also try to pack fruit that won't spoil quickly like apples.
6. Pack meals in containers with different sections If you aren't going far. this is helpful to have things prepared already.
7. Don't forget to pack utensils, a cutting board, and other small kitchen equipment to prepare your gluten & dairy free meals. This allows you to avoid as much cross contamination as possible.
8. If your phone has app capabilities, download allergy friendly apps. You never know when you will encounter a gluten & or dairy free restaurant.
Here is a picture of some of the things that I packed when I went out of town.
I packed:
Note: I did not eat all of this during the trip. I actually brought most of it back home with me. Over packing can be a live savor!
Hope this helps you on your journey to summertime fun in the sun! Have a fantastic gluten and or dairy free day!
- Almonds
- GF and Vegan Thai Kitchen Meals - I pack these in case I need a quick meal when everyone else is eating something different. (A plus is that they were only a buck!) (Didn't end up needing them by the way).
- Applesauce
- Dried fruit Make sure it is gluten free.
- Soy Milk or Almond Milk -This particular box is gluten free. I called and checked. The other's were not
- Quaker Rice Cakes -The large ones are gluten free, but not all of them are dairy free so always check
- Lara Bars - Even though they have natural ingredients, I eat these sparingly or when I am in a pinch because they can be high in calories and sugar. Not all of the bars are dairy free so check.
- Popcorn - I popped popcorn because it is a healthier alternative to chips and other processed snacks as long as you do not over salt and "butter" it. I also brought extra kernels.
- Baking mix in case I needed it for something at my host's house.
- Protein Powder - I drink a gluten and dairy free protein shake daily. I find that it mixes really well in a blender bottle. I got mine at Walmart.
- Even though it is not pictured above, I also packed some fruit and veggies.
Note: I did not eat all of this during the trip. I actually brought most of it back home with me. Over packing can be a live savor!
Hope this helps you on your journey to summertime fun in the sun! Have a fantastic gluten and or dairy free day!
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