I Never Thought Travel Would Suck

[Mother of Jibril]

Let me preface this by saying I used to LOVE travelling...

Next month I'm going to a conference in California. Since I live in southern Indiana, this means I have to catch a shuttle bus to Indianapolis, fly to Denver, fly to San Jose, and then drive to where the conference is being held (in a town along Monterey Bay... nice ). So... I'm planning ahead. Meals at the conference hotel are going to be buffet-style (shudder), so I booked myself a room at a local bed and breakfast. I mapped out an organic co-op that's two blocks away and I'm planning to take my own knife, cutting board, and some plastic containers.

Well... three weeks ago I had an anaphylactic reaction. I got a note from my allergist so I can take my epi pens on the plane... and I asked if I could also get a note that would allow me to take food from home through airport security. My experience has been that they won't let you take anything through, especially liquids. Two years ago that was no problem. Now it's a BIG problem!! I can't eat anything with gluten, corn, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, celery, parsnips, or aspergillus (chocolate, black tea, fruit juice, etc...)... I can't imagine what would be available on the "other side" that would be safe for me to eat. So... I called the airline, and they directed me to TSA's website. It turns out that they will let you take some food, but it can't include:

Cranberry sauce

Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)

Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings)

Gravy

Jams

Jellies

Maple syrup

Oils and vinegars

Salad dressing

Salsa

Sauces

Soups

Wine, liquor and beer

So basically, I'm down to fruits, vegetables, and hard boiled eggs. I am SO FRUSTRATED I've never cried at a restaurant or the grocery store... but this make me want to cry.

Does anyone have any creative ideas for things I can take along?? Keep in mind that I'm really sensitive to gluten and corn, so that eliminates about 99% of processed foods. I'd love to take pumpkin seeds, but I haven't found a source where they're not CC'd with nuts.

[climbmtwhitney]

Hi.

I'm from Northern CA and Monterey is gorgeous! I hear you about being nervous to travel. We have an upcoming trip with my 3 kids. First time the family has traveled (or eaten out together) since going GFCFSF. It would be SOOOOOOO much easier if it was "just" gluten, huh?

Anyway, couple of ideas for you. Have you tried Enjoy Life snack bars. They're gluten-free as well as free of the top 8 allergens. I checked my box of Very Berry and I think they're safe for you. The Very Berry are really good and I like the apple ones too. They also have bagels although we haven't tried them. Maybe a bagel sandwich.

After you leave the airport there's Maggiano's in Santa Clara or the Old Spaghetti factory in San Jose. Maybe a good meal before you drive down to Monterey or on the way back to the airport??? I ate at Maggiano's in Vegas with my husband in December. They chef came out and talked to me and created a custom meal. Very good. I haven't tried the Old Spaghetti factory yet, but I keep hearing good things about their gluten-free menu.

Also, there's a Whole Foods in Monterey.....

800 Del Monte Center

Monterey, CA 93940

831.333.1600

831.333.1660 fax

Store Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week.

Maybe you can pick up some lunch meat, salad dressing, etc. Ours here also has a full salad bar/deli where they list every ingredient. So, perhaps you can pick up a meal.

Good luck! Have a safe trip!

Jillian

[bigbird16]

Hi. I took my first trip last week since going gluten-free. But I've always tended to bring my own snacks for the gate and on the plane. You can bring things like salads dressings, jellies, salsa, etc. as long as it is in a 3 oz or smaller container and all of your 3 oz and smaller containers fit into your quart sized bag. I recently brought back a 2.5 oz container of huckleberry jelly for someone, and the screening person commented that I picked the perfect size. So, if you have travel-sized salad dressings, vinegars, etc. and they'll fit in the same bag with your toothpaste and makeup, you shouldn't have a problem.

I like to travel with Starkist tuna pouches, Trader Joe's beef jerkey (some have gluten, some do not), Trader Joe's rice noodle soup bowls (just add hot water and toss in some tuna, with or without the spice pack), freeze dried fruit (lightweight!), and homemade gluten-free bread and sweets.

For this last trip I didn't have time to eat the breakfast I'd made--bacon, eggs, and two gluten-free waffles with maple syrup--so I wrapped it all up in a foil pouch, dropped it in my carry-on bag, had them screen it at security, and enjoyed it at the gate. I picked up coffee post-security. If you have a favorite sandwich, rice dish, or snack, make it up at home, wrap it so it won't get on your stuff, and send it through the x-ray. As long as it isn't goopey, you shouldn't have a problem.

Safe and happy travels!

[missy'smom]

I don't fly often but last time(2 yrs, ago) I made pancakes and put a few in a gladlock container(you could put a bit of jam or maple syrup on each) and added ham to the container and froze. In the am I added fruit. My flight was early am. After the first short flight I was at the next airport and it was about breakfast time. My breakfast had defrosted and was ready to eat! No blue ice needed.

I also brought a mini size jam that I got at Cost Plus/World Market. Put it in the clear ziplock. Found some smoked tins of tuna in oil in the gourmet section of the grocery and brought some gluten-free crackers. Some tuna can be smelly so you may not want to open it on the plane. I saved it for in the airport. You could use veggies like bell pepper pieces for the tuna instead of crackers.

Bean salads hold up well.

[Mother of Jibril]

Thanks for the suggestion about putting food in my quart-size ziploc instead of toiletries! That will definitely help. Hummus has become one of my favorite foods. A good source of protein and delicious on carrots, slices of red pepper, Terra chips, etc... Some homemade vinaigrette would be nice in a shampoo-sized bottle... I could make a nice spinach salad with a salmon filet on top.

I think I'll be good once I get to California... such beautiful produce and seafood! My main concern was getting stuck at the airport without enough food to eat... I don't want to fast if I don't have to.

[digmom1014]

Remember, in a pinch, there are always banana's at Starbucks! I have had some pretty decent fruit at airports and that with hot green tea is always soothing.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I always bring minute rice! You can always ask for a cup of hot water on the plane--like asking for tea without the tea bag. Add your dry rice, cover for 5 minutes, and you have nice hot rice. Make sure you pack white rice and not brown--the minute brown rice actually needs to cook, not just drown in hot water.

Oh, Trader Joe's sells boxes of individual packets of concentrated broth (chicken, beef, and veggie), that also reconstitute in a cup of hot water, and they taste better than canned broth!

I also always pack an immersion coil and a mug for the hotel room, as well as foil packs or cans of salmon in my checked suitcase. You can also bring foil packs of salmon on the plane, but read the ingredients--if it says, "water" in the ingredients, it might get confiscated (seriously, I had this happen to me). Bananas and banana chips (or any dried fruit) are good airplane food, too.

Do you react to almonds? I read once that they are technically not tree nuts, they are seeds (like apricot seeds). If you don't react to them, they are a good high-protein, easy-to-carry snack, and you can also take almond butter and rice cakes.

What about dehydrated foods at camping stores? I haven't checked them out, but seems to me that there ought to be something there, even if it's just veggies and fruits.

[Lisa16]

For me, when I am not able to cook my own food, things can get pretty hairy. Think of it as an adventure!

In your case, I would make up some hummus crackers or wraps ahead of time and bring them in a tupperware. If you can eat meats, ditto. This is actually fine (I have done this)-- if they are made up, they will go through. I would make a whole lot of them ahead of time. Also, any kind of cookies or lara-type bars that you can eat are also okay, as are potato chip type things. Pack extra tupperwares too and plastic utensils (unless you think you can buy them there). Take hard boiled eggs too. All this can go in the carry on.

Once you are there, get some canned fish or chicken and make up some tuna salad or chicken salad in your room. Suppplement with fresh fruit and veggies from the supermarket.

Also, don't be shy about calling the chef's office at the conference hotel. They can be surprsingly knowledgeable and helpful and they will probably be able to accomodate you for some meals at least. You might have to explain a lot, but this can work well.

As for pumpkin seeds, make your own! They are pretty easy to do. Of course, you may have to wait ahile to get those.... :-)

Good luck!

[HotPeaSoup]

I travel a lot and usually make some kind of bean salad (chickpeas and kidney beans) and bring a bag of baked potato chips. TSA doesn't seem to have a problem with it and the beans keep me satisfied for a long time. . . plus it doesn't stink as much as canned fish!

[Mother of Jibril]

All of these ideas have been so helpful! I'm leaving for California next week. I bought some new travel-size containers to stick in my quart-size ziploc

By the way, Fiddle-Faddle... your suggestion about the immersion coil got me thinking about small appliances I figured out a solution to the hotel situation (drumroll, please)... a tiny George Foreman grill! I can definitely eat grilled meat, fruits and vegetables for five days.

[CCM]

I just love all the ideas on this thread. I need to revisit and take notes. I have done weekend road trips and one two week stay on the east coast in the past year.

I just wanted to mention a bar that I stock up for travel or all-day out emergencies:

ORGANIC FOOD BAR, comes in different flavors. I get the PROTEIN bar, 22g.

No preservatives, additives, coatings, soy, peanuts, dairy or gluten.

80% raw, 9g dietary fiber, alkaline forming, non-GMO, no trans-fats, no refined sugars.

Certified organic ingredients: Organic almond butter, organic brown rice protein, organic dates, organic premium blue agave nectar, organic Bio-Sprouts -flax, organic Biodynamic (Demeter) raisins, organic sesame seeds.

I just copied ALL that off the label. It is not the best tasting bar out there, but it's not bad and I know it's going to take care of warding off potential reactions while traveling. Plus, if you are late for the airport and/or all your carryon consists of food/stuff of your kids, you don't have much room left for you. The bar works!

[MaryJones2]

By the way, Fiddle-Faddle... your suggestion about the immersion coil got me thinking about small appliances I figured out a solution to the hotel situation (drumroll, please)... a tiny George Foreman grill! I can definitely eat grilled meat, fruits and vegetables for five days.

A small rice cooker or electric wok makes awesome hotel meals. With a little creativity, you can cook pasta, rice, vegetables, beans, etc.

[jnclelland]

It's not as bad as you think; e.g., you can't take salad dressing in a bottle, but you can take a salad that already has dressing on it. (I do this every time I travel, and just did it again three days ago.) I've also packed little containers of hummus with carrots and never been questioned about that; I think hummus is sufficiently non-liquid that you can get away with it. I've even made it through with a can of pork 'n' beans, although that one did get looked at a little more carefully. You just have to be creative, and if it's a grey area, just try it and don't ask - it's easier to get forgiveness than permission!

Jeanne

[mysecretcurse]

Oh man, I feel so bad for you.

I am gluten free but not free of all those other things. I was going to suggest sushi and ice cream (my airport food) but then I saw you are way more limited than I am... I really only have learned how to be gluten free...

So I'm so sorry I don't know how to help I just wanted to offer *hugs* and positive energy and to tell you that where theres a will theres a way!

[NicoleAJ]

I do all the same sorts of things as all of you on flights themselves, but I have another idea if you are going to a place where you will be unable to cook and need to make sure that you're not relying on questionable restaurants or energy bars for days. I've done this a few times now, and it's worked out really well.

I'll make several meals that are high in nutrition and flavor--gluten free chicken and veggie stir fry with a small side container of rice, Moroccan chicken kabobs with grilled veggies, gluten-free pasta bolognese. I freeze all of these things overnight, and then I pack them in a small cooler, seal up the cooler (sometimes with some blue ice, but never with actual ice since it would melt and get runny), and put it in my checked luggage (you are allowed to do this on domestic flights for sure, but I doubt it would work on international flights because of customs). I got on 10 hours worth of flights from a small town in CA to Boston, and when my luggage arrived in Boston, the food had only just started to defrost. I had access to a fridge for medically necessary foods at my b&b for my entire three day trip, and I never had to bring small appliances, cook ware, etc. I had plenty of really yummy food to last me through my trip, and I didn't have to be high maintenance at my best friend's wedding in trying to find ways to cook or risk cross contamination at restaurants.

[Happy Holly]

When I travel, I carry PureFit bars with me. Airport restaurants sometimes have gluten free food, but most often they do not.

On long flights, I arrange to have a gluten free meal; however, last summer I flew from Amsterdam to Nairobi, and they did not have my gluten free meal on the plane. I was STARVING by the time I arrived in Nairobi. On another flight from London to Washington, D.C. the same thing happened. They served two meals (dinner and breakfast). I could not have either meal.

Even though you arrange to have a gluten free meal, always be prepared for a mistake. Carry whatever you can.

[Takala]

I am so saving this thread in case I ever have to fly again. After the last time, I figure if the airline industry is just that hostile to people who can't eat airline food, they don't need me to spend any money to make myself miserable.

My last airport misadventure was some sort of cross between "Survivor" and "Lost," and mind you, I do carry a lot of dry food with me. When I travel, I try to eat a high protein and fat superbreakfast so I don't get hungry for hours.

Go to conference in hotel with no restaurants within walking distance. At the last hotel conference brunch before the flight, miss all the food because they ran out an hour into what was supposed to be a 2 hour affair. Hotel worker takes pity on me when I explain why I can't eat a muffin, and finds me some cheese and a plate to go with some fruit.

Get to huge airport via 45 minute, pre scheduled taxi ride in major midwestern city several hours early at peak vacation season, on weekend, nice and early, plenty of time to clear security. Hah. Root thru carryon bag and eat anything remaining that looks like it might not pass thru security. Go to electronic punch in to get boarding pass. FLIGHT CANCELLED. Next available flight 2 days later. You have got to be kidding me. 2 days?!

Stand in long line only to be told no flights available. Go back to security people who originally watched me, bemused, scarfing down bananas out of backpack and beg for assistance. They send me to a different line to wait in. Call spouse in panic, he gets on home phone and computer trying to get me out of the midwest and back on the west coast on the same day. He has a problem, he's supposed to travel out of the country the next day and I am supposed to be home because SOMEBODY has to take care of all our animals.

He calls me back while I'm in line and gives me the info for the flight he found taking me to .... San Francisco. Okay, so it's 3 hours the wrong way by car but it's in the same state.

Give info to ticket clerk after standing in line for hour(s). Ticket clerk cannot find this seat on this plane. Repeat info from spouse who is on phone with airline at home via my cell phone to clerk at airport. Offer to hand cell phone to ticket clerk to repeat the number. Note: Do not do this, this is some sort of airport security breach and now I'm in some sort of suspicious security alert watch or something, they tell me they are not allowed to touch my phone and start getting annoyed. They find the reservation. Ah. Okay, now all I have to do is go thru more security lines (think hours of lines, and they were really eyeballing my stash of trail mix types of food) and then wait until the evening for the plane.

12 hours after my missed lunch I'm finally on the plane. They have us get off this plane twice after the initial boarding, and go back to wait in the airport lounge, to fix things on it.

As you know, there isn't much food you can eat in an airport. Chew on more jerky. Drink more water. Eat more nuts. Repeat every few hours, calculating how many more hours of nuts is left in zippie pouch. Eat dry lettuce salad purchased at food vendor, wonder if it is going to be okay or be contaminated somehow. Ignore people eating pizza. Remind myself that regular pizza doesn't smell very good.

After getting on the plane, they come back and yell at me because they didn't like how I started to put my carry on in the overhead bin, because I asked the person with a baby, already seated, if I could push her suitcase over a bit to make room. They were observing me the entire time and not offering to help, then come and accuse me of touching a suitcase not mine. The other passengers look at this nasty stewardess in dumbfounded amazement. We just want to go home as it's so late and the plane is filled with people who have been thrown off of other flights. When the gentleman next to me gets up and lifts my suitcase up into the overhead bin, she storms off and gets security and makes him show his id. I thought, okay, they're going to toss both of us off the plane now, but to my surprise they don't.

Nearly 24 hours after getting up that morning, I finally arrive home after my spouse drives the 3 hours to San Francisco and picks me up and drives me back 3 more hours on the last leg. After a nap, he will then get up in 3 hours and drive an hour to the airport in Sacramento and start his trip.

I read a really good essay once, where the writer, after describing how they confiscated her hungry baby's pudding cup before a flight, mused that this was being done not so much to make the airlines safe as to make people traveling more compliant. Honestly, if the other people on the plane hadn't just been giving me these silent, exhausted looks of "yes, we see this is wrong, but don't say anything because we are at their mercy" I wouldn't have asked myself to come up with yet another ounce of endurance to just deal with it.

I haven't been in a real big hurry to repeat this vacation scenario yet.

[lpellegr]

Poor baby! I feel for you. I used to think flying was cool, now I dread it every time. You need to indulge in the best gluten-free meal you can find because you deserve some nice treatment, even if you have to do it for yourself.

[JeanieB]

Hi. I took my first trip last week since going gluten-free. But I've always tended to bring my own snacks for the gate and on the plane. You can bring things like salads dressings, jellies, salsa, etc. as long as it is in a 3 oz or smaller container and all of your 3 oz and smaller containers fit into your quart sized bag. I recently brought back a 2.5 oz container of huckleberry jelly for someone, and the screening person commented that I picked the perfect size. So, if you have travel-sized salad dressings, vinegars, etc. and they'll fit in the same bag with your toothpaste and makeup, you shouldn't have a problem.

I like to travel with Starkist tuna pouches, Trader Joe's beef jerkey (some have gluten, some do not), Trader Joe's rice noodle soup bowls (just add hot water and toss in some tuna, with or without the spice pack), freeze dried fruit (lightweight!), and homemade gluten-free bread and sweets.

For this last trip I didn't have time to eat the breakfast I'd made--bacon, eggs, and two gluten-free waffles with maple syrup--so I wrapped it all up in a foil pouch, dropped it in my carry-on bag, had them screen it at security, and enjoyed it at the gate. I picked up coffee post-security. If you have a favorite sandwich, rice dish, or snack, make it up at home, wrap it so it won't get on your stuff, and send it through the x-ray. As long as it isn't goopey, you shouldn't have a problem.

Safe and happy travels!

[JeanieB]

Let me preface this by saying I used to LOVE travelling...

Next month I'm going to a conference in California. Since I live in southern Indiana, this means I have to catch a shuttle bus to Indianapolis, fly to Denver, fly to San Jose, and then drive to where the conference is being held (in a town along Monterey Bay... nice ). So... I'm planning ahead. Meals at the conference hotel are going to be buffet-style (shudder), so I booked myself a room at a local bed and breakfast. I mapped out an organic co-op that's two blocks away and I'm planning to take my own knife, cutting board, and some plastic containers.

Well... three weeks ago I had an anaphylactic reaction. I got a note from my allergist so I can take my epi pens on the plane... and I asked if I could also get a note that would allow me to take food from home through airport security. My experience has been that they won't let you take anything through, especially liquids. Two years ago that was no problem. Now it's a BIG problem!! I can't eat anything with gluten, corn, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, celery, parsnips, or aspergillus (chocolate, black tea, fruit juice, etc...)... I can't imagine what would be available on the "other side" that would be safe for me to eat. So... I called the airline, and they directed me to TSA's website. It turns out that they will let you take some food, but it can't include:

Cranberry sauce

Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)

Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings)

Gravy

Jams

Jellies

Maple syrup

Oils and vinegars

Salad dressing

Salsa

Sauces

Soups

Wine, liquor and beer

So basically, I'm down to fruits, vegetables, and hard boiled eggs. I am SO FRUSTRATED I've never cried at a restaurant or the grocery store... but this make me want to cry.

Does anyone have any creative ideas for things I can take along?? Keep in mind that I'm really sensitive to gluten and corn, so that eliminates about 99% of processed foods. I'd love to take pumpkin seeds, but I haven't found a source where they're not CC'd with nuts.