Worried About Going Out Of Town!

[Lollie]

Hi all! I wanted to see if any of you have helpful tips for when you have to travel.

Me and my family have a weekend trip coming up, and although I am looking forward to it, I am a little apprehensive. I have been gluten-free for about 2 months and haven't been glutened in about 2 weeks, and feel really good. So, I'm scared about going somewhere I won't be the one cooking. We will be staying in a hotel.... And after a really bad dining out experience, I have eaten only food I myself prepare. I know there is a whole foods in the city we'll be staying in, but I doubt I will be able to actually prepare food.

Any tips or ideas or experiences.....would be greatly appreciated.

Lollie

[Lisa]

Just in case, I would take immodium with you. It servers me pretty well for a day. Choose well off the menu and always ask how the food it prepared and talk to the manager. Explain your diet and with hopes you can enjoy yourself.

When I go out of town, before lunch, I take an immodium for a safe guard. It doesn't mean that I won't get glutened, but at least I can get home without a problem.

Hope this helps.

L

[lovegrov]

I don't know how you're traveling, but if you're driving you should be fine. If not, a little tougher, but you can still take a small cooler.

I always take stuff with me. Chicken salad, tuna salad, Tyson precooked chicken legs, nuts, sliced fruit and vegetables, deli meat, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese are just a few off the top of my head.

richard

[jenvan]

Laura-

Don't worry! You can manage it--and enjoy it as long as you prepare ahead of time. I have pasted some of things that help me when traveling below:

-Find local restaurants with gluten-free menus (like pf changs etc) and local wild oats or health food stores

-Contact a local support group for area tips etc if there is one

-Pack food! I take lots of snacks and I take things I can supplement a meal out for me--say, a thai kitchen noodle bowl (all I need it hot water for it--any restaurant or fast food joint can provide that..and it helps supplement a salad per se). In addition to the snacks I pack salad dressing and Bragg's soy sauce. (Dressing you can buy in little packets from the gluten-free pantry or allergy grocer online). Snacks like nuts, gluten-free packaged cookies, gluten-free bars, some fruit like apples, fruit leather or kettle valley fruit bars, gluten-free crackers, beef jerky, maybe a bar of gluten-free chocolate, box of my cereal and a box of rice milk. In the cooler I'll take an Amy's dinner sometimes, some slices of bread, some meat maybe.

-I call my hotel, explain I have food allergies and get them to put a fridge in my room, if there isn't one already.

-I also bought two coolers--one is large and plugs into your car and regular outlet. I use that for long trips. I also have a smaller, foldable travel cooler. I use those frozen packs to keep stuff cold. It works great! I took it on the plane with another carry on recently.

[Lollie]

Thanks! This is the first time I've been out of my new comfort zone-but I want to enjoy the trip! I will definantly just pack my own food. I wil look into the restaurants, it's a big city so I'm sure there will be something.

One question....we'll be on the coast, so if I order broiled seafood-that should be okay, right?

Thanks again!

Lollie

[lorka150]

another great thing, especially if you are lactose or casein intolerant, are the So Good 'milk boxes' (like juice boxes). Because they do not have to be refridged, it's nice to have those on hand if you want coffee / tea / cereal, et cetera.

[jkmunchkin]

Lollie don't worry; I eat out well pretty much every day. I never bring my lunch to work, I get food at our cafeteria or a local place every day. Granted I stick to basics like salads, or grilled chicken with veggies from the salad bar... but it's still not food I made. A lot of times I think maybe I'm not as cautious as I should be, but to be honest, maybe I've just been lucky that I haven't had many cross contamination mishaps. The one time I was glutened by a restaurant was on my honeymoon and I had ordered a bunless burger from the poolside restaurant and they must have put it on the bun then taken it off. I find as long as I make safe choices at whatever restaurant I'm at, and let my waiter/waitress know what I am allergic to, things are ok.

[Lollie]

Thanks! I'm feeling better about it now! I haven't traveled well in years, and now that I know why, I'm looking forward to actually enjoying the trip, rather then being sick the whole time. Isn't it funny how before when I was sick I always turned to wheat-like bagels, or crackers or pasta. My whole diet was gluten, and we never could figure out why I was sick all the time. I sometimes get sad about the things I can't eat, but mostly I feel blessed to have finally found out what was making me so sick. And it's something that diet can fix, not meds!

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box. I just wanted to say thanks!

Lollie