The key to gluten free travel is becoming completely self reliant. On one end of the spectrum, self reliance can be defined as carrying all your food with you everywhere you go. On the other end of the spectrum, self reliance can be defined as having access to grocery stores and knowing how to work with restaurant staff to feed you safely.
If you are traveling with someone other than your spouse or family that understands your food requirements, it’s important to communicate expectations of what traveling with you entails. My husband and I were recently attending a conference with some friends for a week. Even though they all knew I had Celiac Disease, it was a rude awakening to them at restaurants. In some restaurants I would eat my own food and in other restaurants where I had already had discussions with the manager there was still the “drama” of walking them through the gluten free instructions. It’s important to set expectations with whom ever you’re traveling with to reduce the stress or anxiety during the actual eating events.
Mastering gluten free travel to me is accepting that I’m now inspector gadget with all my gluten free food containers and I get to eat “camping style” with the city folk. Creativity, imagination and attitude are very important. Every day is a new opportunity for a gluten free adventure. Whether it is “routine” days of work, vacation, meeting friends for dinner, holiday feasts, or my crazy active adventures… there’s a great big world waiting for you with creative gluten free solutions at every turn.
Tip #1 – All Containers Are Not Created Equal
Thermos - Thermos www.thermos.com makes a microwavable Food Jar that keeps food hot for 4 hours and keeps food cold for 6 hours. As a ski instructor, I'm always looking for new ideas to eat for lunch. Since the ski resort doesn't sell gluten free options, I pack my lunch everyday in my backpack. Even though this thermos is bulky, it's perfect for my gluten free beef stew, soups or chowders. I microwave my food right inside the container in the morning, and then I have a warm lunch on a cold winter day.
Insulated Bags - Insulated soft-side bags or the thermo-snap bags from grocery stores work really well for traveling. Because of airline regulations, you are not able to have a frozen gel pack in your carry on. However, a bag of frozen vegetables (corn, peas, etc.) or frozen gluten free lunch meat work really well keeping your food cold and these bags will pass inspection at the airport. You also have extra food to eat once the bag has defrosted, so choose your favorite bag of frozen food.
Plastic Containers - Using zip lock bags vs. plastic containers should be determined by the consistency and texture of your food. For example, nuts can easily travel in a zip lock bag. However, rice crackers usually need something sturdy such as a plastic container. There are many brands of containers with a variety of sizes. I’ll usually have large plastic containers in my suitcase and the smaller containers in my bag or backpack. My favorite airtight brand is Lock & Lock http://www.locknlock.com.au/history.htm . You can find many sizes at Target, Walmart, and super markets. The only thing you need to watch when you’re washing the container is safely getting the o-ring out of the lid without scoring the rubber.
Tip #2 – Research Airline Regulations & Services
It’s important to understand all the airport regulations and gluten free food that is offered by the airline. I’ve heard many stories about the airlines mixing up the gluten free meals and vegetarian meals which may not be gluten free. Make sure that you introduce yourself to the flight attendance and the importance of your gluten free meal. Never trust that the regular meal served to everyone will be gluten free. The pretzel crumbs on the pull down tray are usually the scariest aspect of flying to me.
Below is a list of airlines and their gluten free status as of March 2008.
AirTran Airways (800) AIR-TRAN - Gluten pretzels are the only snack served on all their flights. There are no full meals served.
American Airlines (800) 433-7300 – Gluten free meals are offered with advanced notice. Different snack options vary from flight to flight.
Continental Airlines (800) 932-2732 – Gluten free is considered a “special” meal request. There are only selected flights that offer “special” meal requests. Therefore, there are certain flights that only gluten meals are offered.
Delta Airlines (800) 221-1212 – Delta recommends that you talk to a representative over the phone to order your gluten free meal. Different snack options vary from flight to flight.
JetBlue Airlines (800) 538-2583 – There are a variety of snacks and but only the cashews are gluten free. There are no full meals served.
Northwest Airlines (701) 420-6282 – There are currently snacks/meals listed on their websites – none are gluten free. Please call for more information.
Southwest Airlines (800) I-FLY-SWA – Various snacks are offered but peanuts are your only gluten free option. However, if there is someone on your flight that has a peanut allergy, then there will be no peanuts served and you would need to bring your own snack.
US Airways (800) 428-4322 – There is no guarantee of gluten free snacks. However, you may order a gluten free meal in advance for international flights.
United Airlines (800) UNITED-1 - Gluten pretzels are the only snack on domestic flights in coach. However, business or first class often have nuts as an option that is not available for coach passengers. Gluten free meals can be ordered for international flights in advance.
Tip #3 – Develop An Airport Strategy
You should first understand the shelf stable and non-perishable food/snack options that are appropriate for carrying on the plane. Also keep in mind that your plane may be delayed or you may miss a connection flight. I always have back-up food just in case I need to eat safely. Below are some ideas for possible airport travel food:
GF Pretzels
GF Crackers
GF Cheese (depending on temperature and conditions)
GF Yogurt (depending on temperature and conditions)
Vegetables (carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
Fruit (apple, banana, orange, etc.)
Peanut Butter/Jelly (travel size)
GF Rice Noodle Dishes
GF Lunch Meat
GF Beef Jerky
GF Olives
GF Snack Bars
Nuts
GF Cereal in a plastic bowl (you can usually buy milk at the airport)
Leftover food from home (potato salad, egg salad, quinoa, rice dish etc.)
I would suggest that you carry a letter from your doctor that states you are on a medical diet and it is common for you to carry food with you onto the plane. I’ve had my individual size peanut butter containers taken away more than once going through the security line.
If I do not have access to a grocery store in my destination city, I always buy enough fruit in the airport once I land to last a couple days. Having fruit on hand certainly helps out with some breakfasts and snacks during the day.
Tip #4 – Research Destination City
Contact Celiac Support Group – Your gluten free travel plans should start weeks before you leave home. It’s really easy to contact the local Celiac support group in your destination city. People are usually very willing to help you will the local knowledge of grocery stores and restaurants. They can also advise you on gluten free bakeries in the area.
Research City - There are two site that I've come across that have been extremely helpful. The first is www.celiactravel.com which documents gluten free travel stories from around the world. The second site is www.glutenfreeregistry.com which documents gluten free restaurants, barkeries, markets, and vacations.
Contact Grocery Store - Contact the grocery stores in your destination city. The store managers will usually provide a list of gluten free products in their store. For example, I always find out if they carry a brand of gluten free cereal that I like so I don’t have to pack the cereal in my suitcase. You may have access to different gluten free brands and manufacturers in that area of the country. Please keep in mind that the products that have recently removed their “gluten free” text on their label and replaced it with “made with no gluten ingredients” may not be testing their ingredient suppliers or end product for gluten. Cross-contamination may be an issue and they may not be addressing the new FDA definition of “gluten free”. As more people are being diagnosed, there will be more awareness and gluten free infrastructure within common grocery stores.
Contact Restaurant Manager/Chef – Try to get a personal recommendation of who to speak to at the local restaurants. A “transfer of trust” from a local Celiac is extremely valuable. You’ll find that if the local Celiacs trust a restaurant and manager, then all you need is a brief conversation with the manager. Always call on non-busy hours a couple days before your arrival to verify their comfort level with preparing gluten free options. I’ve found that New York and Denver are extremely “gluten free” friendly cities. There’s an Italian Restaurant in Denver called Abrusci’s www.abruscis.com. Steve Progar, the owner, has a friend that is Celiac and he has developed a gluten free menu that rivals the regular menu in quantity and quality.
Tip #5 – Develop Hotel Strategy
There are various options and levels of hotels that will have a suite or kitchen set-up inside the hotel room to facilitate easier eating. Most of the Marriott and Hilton chain of hotels offer a refrigerator and microwave in your room. I’ve also been in situations where the front desk will reserve a refrigerator for your room at no extra charge if you are on a medical diet.
Research the grocery stores near the hotels that you are considering. It’s easy to be within walking distance from a store that has fresh food or possibly gluten free food as an option.
There are brands of dishwashing detergent that manufacture individual cloths that are sold in plastic containers. When you wet the single serving cloth, you have plenty of suds to clean your utensils, electric tea kettle, plate or bowl. All you have to do is just throw the cloth away when you're done. This solution is perfect for hotel rooms.
Tip #6 – Understand Your Infrastructure Needed
If you are traveling by car and you plan to eat some of your meals in your hotel room, then there is a subset of supplies that are needed for your journey. It’s important to also understand the hotel rules as to cooking on their property.
Microwavable Plate, Cup, Bowl
Silverware, Plastic Silverware
Electric Tea Kettle or Fondue Pot
George Forman or Equivalent Electric Grill
Napkins, Wet-Ones
Ziploc, Saran Wrap, Aluminum Foil
Coolers in the car are also easy ways to facilitate always having safe food with you.
7-Elevens, gas stations and/or grocery stores often have microwaves that the employees let you use to heat your food.
Some grocery stores that have an eating area may have a microwave oven available. For example, just outside Disney World on Buena Vista Drive in the shopping center is a nice grocery store with a reasonable gluten free selection and a microwave in the food court area.
Tip #7 – Be Prepared
Cook at Home - It’s important to take advantage of your kitchen at home by cooking or baking before you leave your house. I usually make corn on the cob, quinoa and gluten free cookies before I leave. Quinoa is good cold, warm or hot. I'll also freeze my cookies so they last longer during travel. It's nice to have a variety of food with you at all times. Think through what else you can make for dinner and have as leftovers on the road. Cook extra quantities and freeze them in portion sizes to take on your trip.
Travel Cards - There are various travel cards in many languages that you can carry with you to different restaurants in different countries. Please be careful and accept the fact that you are still the one that may or may not get sick regardless of the intentions of the restaurant staff. I’ve had close friends that are owners and managers of restaurants that “cater” to allergies and really don’t understand the cross-contamination issues. I’ve also trained various restaurant staff on how to deal with gluten free issues. This experience has led me to only trust about half a dozen restaurants across the country so far. As I’ve stated before, it all comes down to individual execution of training and then properly following procedures for your food safely. Travel card examples: www.celiactravel.com/restaurant-cards.html
Tip #8 – Know How To Work With Restaurants
I’m a strong believer in setting yourself up for success. It’s important for you to review the detail that is required for a restaurant to truly understand what it takes to offer a gluten free meal. The Gluten Intolerance Group has developed a gluten free restaurant awareness program http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/ .
The “Gluten Free Passport” has also accomplished a lot when it comes to eating out in a restaurant www.glutenfreepassport.com . When attempting to eat in restaurants you need to verify that your initial assumptions of proper staff training of gluten free dietary needs, appropriate ingredient identification and establishment of procedures to ensure no cross contamination are in fact a reality. After those assumptions are verified, then you assume that the staff actually understands the dietary needs and actually follows the documented procedures. So you have to ask yourself… self… if gluten free entrees are not the core competency of this restaurant (just because they have a gluten free menu doesn’t mean they have a GF core competency), then how much can you trust their execution of feeding you safely. It’s your decision.
Things to watch for:
Salad that has had the croutons removed.
Steaks grilled on grills that have had buns, bread or gluten marinades.
Water or soda coming from behind the bar may have beer splashed on it, or beer “hands” touching your glass.
French fries cooked in the same fryer as breaded mushrooms.
Bread trays getting crumbs into your water glass.
Chain Restaurants w/GF Menus - As you know, there are some chain restaurants that have created corporate gluten free menus. I have had very mixed results when dealing with these restaurants. The bottom line is you’re only as good as your weakest link.
Most P.F. Chang’s www.pfchangs.com are pretty good. I have eaten at their restaurants in Denver, Boulder, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Philadelphia and Orlando. The Executive Chef at the Denver P. F. Chang’s, Devin Wade, was a guest presenter a Denver Gluten free cooking demonstration. Every trip to his restaurant has been gluten free and good. However, the food runner at the Miami restaurant put their thumb in my husband’s gluten dish and then served mine with his gluten sauce on my plate. At a different visit to the same restaurant, a food runner served me the wrong dish and told me it was my gluten free meal. There were six of us at the table eating family style and about two minutes after everyone started eating, my “gluten free” meal arrived at the table. I had already had a bite of the “gluten” dish and you know how the rest of my night went from there.
I recently ate at a Bonefish www.bonefishgrill.com in Roswell, Georgia (just north of Atlanta). This chain is working with GIG on policies and procedures to ensure Gluten free meals. The food was delicious and the front manager, Brian, was a former chef and very helpful. I have not eaten at another Bonefish yet, but I will.
It’s also very scary watching pasta water flying around my steamed vegetables at another chain restaurant. The bottom line is, it doesn’t matter how well intentioned the restaurant staff is, it comes down to the education and procedures in place to eliminate any cross contamination. To me, it also doesn’t matter if “corporate” has put together a gluten free menu. If the staff is not trained properly, you’re taking a risk. Ask to speak to the manager and/or chef. I’ve found that many people say they know what gluten is and then they follow up with questions to me that clearly demonstrate their ignorance. I’ve found that going to a restaurant at non-peak hours and spending time with the chef truly increases your chance of success.
Tip #9 – Fast Food: Possible Solutions
A recent experience at Wendy’s Fast Food Restaurant has made me more cautious of our fast food gluten free options. I usually ask for a baked potato that has not been opened and kept in the foil. Instead of going through drive thru, I went inside the restaurant this time. I asked for my usual and I realized that the employee put burgers in a heating tray, prepared the buns and then picked up my baked potato still in the foil and put it in the “to go” container. There were actually bun crumbs on my foil. Once I explained about my food allergy, they changed their gloves and got me a new potato. Even the simplest solutions can be cross-contaminated. However, Wendy’s does supply a gluten free list of their items http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/gluten_free_list.pdf .
Subway also provides a list of gluten free options at http://subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/Nutrition/pdf/AllergenChart.pdf .
Burger King will document wheat products but not gluten. http://www.bk.com/#menu=3,2,-1 .
Tip #10 – Balance Is Key
Variety is the spice of life. Remember that you will get very bored eating the same cereal and meal solutions every day. Think through how many days you are traveling and what your grocery store and restaurants options are throughout your travel. I was once in a city where one restaurant could only make one gluten free meal that I ate every other night for dinner. I appreciated their safe gluten free meal, but it became very boring after a couple days.
Don’t forget your vitamins and supplements on your trip. As you know, most processed gluten free foods don’t have the added nutrients you need. So, ensure that you are taking enough vitamins to supplement your diet. Extra fruits and vegetables are easy to add into your diet.
It’s also important to get some exercise while you’re on the road. Climb the hotel stairs, go for a walk or work out in the hotel fitness room.
Happy Travels!
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