Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Free Survival Pack - 1Mnth On The Run


something37

Recommended Posts

something37 Newbie

Can anyone recommend a total meal replacement option? Preferably a powder or something that only requires water, yet still offers full nutrition for heavy activity. Or a good resource to making my own? Must be light, compact, and not spoil in dry heat.

I know that clearly this isn't the best way to go health wise, but I'm coming up on a month of work where I will be away from stores and need to find a way to eat without relying on anyone. I need to travel relatively light, and won't have prep time, cooking access, or refrigerated storage. Initially I was planning on using Soylent, but since I first checked out their product, they have announced - cross contamination. 

 

Any leads or suggestions? Or anyone else have experience with giving up on solids for an extended period of time? I'll be physically active, and moving heavy objects. Hopefully one of us has experience, or even a zombie apocalypse scenario saved somewhere ;)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



LauraTX Rising Star

Welcome to the forum! :)

If you are truly going to be away from any way of purchasing any type of food product, I know a lady who makes and dehydrates her own gluten-free food for backpacking trips.  There are a lot of websites dedicated to that craft, so those may help and if you are in this situation in the future, investing in a dehydrator and foodsaver may be a good choice.  If you will be able to cook there, bring a bunch of beans and rice along with an electric skillet or something to cook them in?  Either way, I do not recommend going off solids for a whole month unless it is medically indicated and completely unavoidable.  Your employer may also be required to provide accommodations to you under the Americans with disabilities act, in that if they are controlling where you will be stuck for a month, they will need to make sure you have access to adequate, allergen-free nourishment.  So this may be the time to ask for accommodations through your HR department.  Obviously there are many variables affecting that, but if you haven't gone to someone official and mentioned your need for allergen free accommodations I highly recommend trying that first.  If the company has a way to get real food for others out there, they really should be able to ship food for you out there.

 

If your situation is so unique that you truly don't have any of those options, I do recommend looking into making and dehydrating your own food, and also re-evaluating your employment situation since your health is worth more than anything.

kareng Grand Master

There are gluten-free dehydrated backpacking meals & jerky. There are crackers, seeds, dried fruits, protein powders and bars. Just google them.

What do non gluten-free people eat in these circumstances? Maybe you could eat some of that? You can't be the only person out there in the dessert pushing boulders around?

something37 Newbie

Thank you both for the advice :) it's really good to know there is a community out there. 

I looked up dehydrating and will be buying one for the next gig. Thank you, it wasn't even on my radar before. The backpacker's food supply - granola bars, and dried foods, is a good option for this project, but moving forward I will continue to investigate some sort of powder/nutrient mix for long term situations. If I can make something like that, that doesn't spoil it would be good to have as an emergency kit even on normal jobs, I think it is necessary to have. 

And you are right, access to food is required, but generally at work, the "gluten free options" are generally a big deli tin of coleslaw, or cross contaminated foods cooked by a well intending caterer. While they are solid foods, they are not that healthy. On this gig I won't be able to eat with the rest because it does have extenuating circumstances, so I'll find a way to cary more.

 

By no mean is this a healthy job, that's part of the deal, just trying to make the most out of the situation. Hopefully moving forward I can pack a good lightweight, water only needed emergency packet that won't do damage over weeks.  When I do I'll shoot it out, and see if anyone else has suggestions, or would like to try it. Thank you both!

Nikki2777 Community Regular

If this is a Peace Corps or that type thing (MSF?) there may be some way of Divisional HQ getting in periodic supplies. Maybe you could arrange with them? Also, perhaps you will be in a country that really doesn't cook with gluten ingredients indigenously so entirely gluten-free?

LauraTX Rising Star

If they are serving any type of food that has to be prepared, at the minimum can you arrange to get some raw veggies from the cafeteria?  Like carrots, other stuff that you can rinse off well?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Scott Adams replied to Jmartes71's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      1

      Natural remedies

    2. - Scott Adams replied to miguel54b's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      1

      Gluten and short-term memory.

    3. - Scott Adams replied to Suze046's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Reintroduction of Gluten

    4. - Scott Adams replied to Rejoicephd's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Mykidzz3's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      High Cost of Gluten-Free Foods


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,367
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Brianman
    Newest Member
    Brianman
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      While it's always important to approach internal use of essential oils with caution and ideally under the guidance of a qualified professional, your experience highlights the potential of complementary approaches when traditional medicine falls short. Many in the community are also interested in the intersection of natural wellness and gluten-free living, particularly for managing systemic inflammation and its various symptoms, so sharing your story is valuable. Your observation that it may also be helping with bloating is fascinating, as that could point to an overall reduction in inflammation. Thank you for sharing what is working for you!
    • Scott Adams
      It's interesting how a single, clear moment—like struggling during a game—can suddenly connect all the dots and reveal the hidden impact of gluten exposure. Your experience with short-term memory fog is a very real and documented symptom for many individuals with gluten sensitivity, often occurring alongside the other issues you mentioned like mood disturbances, sleep disruption, and digestive irregularity. It's a frustrating and often invisible effect that can make you feel unlike yourself, so that moment of clarity, though born from a tough dominoes match, is actually a powerful piece of self-knowledge. Identifying a specific culprit like that steak strip is a huge win, as it arms you with the information needed to avoid similar pitfalls in the future and protect your cognitive clarity. You are definitely not alone in experiencing this particular set of neurological and physical symptoms; it's a strong reminder of gluten's profound impact on the entire body, not just the digestive system. Supplementation may help you as well.  The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.  Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend that those just diagnosed with celiac disease take a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, which would greatly benefit most, if not all, newly diagnosed celiacs. Because of this it took me decades to overcome a few long-standing issues I had that were associated with gluten ataxia, for example numbness and tingling in my feet, and muscle knots--especially in my shoulders an neck. Only long term extensive supplementation has helped me to resolve these issues.      
    • Scott Adams
      Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If your symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet it would likely signal NCGS. What you're describing is a very common and frustrating experience when reintroducing gluten after a period of avoidance, and your timeline is perfectly consistent with a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. While a celiac reaction can be more immediate, a sensitivity reaction is often delayed, sometimes taking several days to manifest as your body's inflammatory response builds up; the fact that your symptoms returned a few days after reintroduction is a strong indicator that gluten is indeed the culprit, not a coincidence. Your doctor's advice to reintroduce it was necessary to confirm the diagnosis, as the initial negative celiac test and subsequent improvement on a gluten-free diet pointed strongly towards sensitivity. Many in this community have gone through this exact same process of elimination and challenging, and it's wise to reintroduce gently as you did. Given your clear reaction, the best course of action is likely to resume a strict gluten-free diet, as managing a sensitivity is the primary way to control those debilitating symptoms and allow your body to heal fully.
    • Scott Adams
      Your suspicion is almost certainly correct, and you are wise to be cautious. Draft cider is a very common and often overlooked source of cross-contact because the same tap lines are frequently used for both beer and cider; unless a bar has a dedicated line for gluten-free beverages, which is rare, the cider will run through tubing that has previously contained gluten-containing beer, contaminating your drink. The fact that you didn't react at a clean brewery suggests they may have had more meticulous practices or separate lines, but this is the exception, not the rule. Many in the community have had identical experiences, leading them to strictly avoid draft cider and opt for bottled or canned versions, which are poured directly from their sealed container and bypass the contaminated tap system entirely. Switching to bottles or cans is the safest strategy, and your plan to do so is a smart move to protect your health. PS - here are some articles on the topic:    
    • Scott Adams
      Your post really highlights the financial and emotional struggle so many families face. You are not alone in feeling frustrated by the high cost of gluten-free specialty items and the frustrating waste when your daughter can't tolerate them. A great place to start is by focusing on naturally gluten-free whole foods that are often more affordable and less processed, like rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, corn, eggs, and frozen fruits and vegetables—these are nutritional powerhouses that can form the basis of her meals. For the specialty items like bread and pasta, see if your local stores carry smaller, single-serving packages or allow returns if a product causes a reaction, as some companies understand this challenge. Regarding vitamins, that is an excellent next step; please ask her doctor to prescribe a high-quality gluten-free multivitamin, as insurance will often cover prescribed vitamins, making them much more affordable. Finally, connecting with a local celiac support group online can be a treasure trove of location-specific advice for finding the best and most affordable products in your area, saving you both time and money on the trial-and-error process. 
×
×
  • Create New...