Traveling after a celiac diagnosis

[Russ H]

25 minutes ago, Oldturdle said:

When I asked my G.I. doc about Gliadinx he had never heard of it.  He also told me there was gluten in catsup and mustard, though.  I think informed patients frequently know more about Celiac disease than the doctors that treat us!

 

I always check and have never found gluten in mustard or ketchup. You have to watch out for brown sauce (HP Sauce or Daddies Sauce) as they contain rye flour.

[Magdalen]

5 hours ago, Hypo said:

I meant food like unpealed hard boiled eggs, fruit, yoghurt, some cheeses. Those things are surely fine...

Unpeeled Eggs would be okay. Fruit and yoghurt would depend on how they’re served. A big bowl of fruit salad— no. Bananas that you peel yourself, probably fine. Yoghurt (that is labelled gluten free) that comes in its own container, sure. In a big bowl, no. 

[I.M.Celiac]

Here's a cheat sheet for Celiac Travels in America:

Sad vending machines in waiting rooms:

-nuts (Not trail mix)

-Skittles

-Some potato chips (only if you know they are gluten-free because you've had them previously.)

-Mounds or Almond Joy

These items are super junk food but will help in an emergency. 

 

Airplanes:

-Flying from home? Bring toasted gluten-free bread with some kind of homemade sandwich filling. (gluten-free ham/swiss, roasted veggie w/goat cheese etc.) Put sandwich together at your seat with sad plastic knife. It will be safer than anything gluten-free an airline offers. (Too risky and you will have food if your plane is delayed for 5 hours. Gluten eaters won't!) 

-Also pack 6-8 Kind bars, purchase 3 Chobani yogurts with a spoon from overpriced airport deli. Also bring small bags of nuts in plastic bags from home for flight or breakfast when you land. Stick them in the hotel fridge as back-up.

-Pick hotel near a grocery. Swing by for supplies like more little yogurts/snacks/cider. Make it a game to spot regional gluten-free items and try them. (Read every label though!) 

-Heads up on any hotel shampoos or soaps. Bring your own even thought the packaging is so cute. 

-Carry a good-sized snack at ALL times. Office pizza parties are depressing but especially when the boss, "We ordered Gluten-free pizza for you." Ugh. Do not eat it. The cross-contamination will get you. Your snack will save you. Also works for funerals and baby showers. 

-Drink different regional ciders at bars with co-workers. Some ciders are ok. Drink non-alcoholic Kombucha if you are driving. Kinda "beer-esque".

-Before trip, google restaurants with gluten-free menus. Aim for Middle Eastern, Greek, French, Italian bistros. Casually mention to co-workers you would like to check so-and-so restaurant out. Chains are not great but I went to a Virginia Cheesecake Factory and they had ok options. Sweetgreens in NYC has also been ok.

-Flight back? Restock Kind bars, maybe part of plain rotisserie chicken from grocery? Maybe a tiny hot sauce would get through security? Watch out for airport people thinking vegan is gluten-free. Yikes, it is not. 

@philhatesgluten is on Instagram and TikTok. He has a great account about being gluten-free (And dairy-free!) and his restaurant recs. 

For international travel, I've only done Europe and the same rules apply above. Iceland was gluten-free friendly too.

Good luck! This routine is from years of trial and error.

Each year more and more options are out there!

It will get better and you will probably feel SO much better when you heal. 

 

 

 

[LovintheGFlife]

40 minutes ago, I.M.Celiac said:

Here's a cheat sheet for Celiac Travels in America:

Sad vending machines in waiting rooms:

-nuts (Not trail mix)

-Skittles

-Some potato chips (only if you know they are gluten-free because you've had them previously.)

-Mounds or Almond Joy

These items are super junk food but will help in an emergency. 

 

Airplanes:

-Flying from home? Bring toasted gluten-free bread with some kind of homemade sandwich filling. (gluten-free ham/swiss, roasted veggie w/goat cheese etc.) Put sandwich together at your seat with sad plastic knife. It will be safer than anything gluten-free an airline offers. (Too risky and you will have food if your plane is delayed for 5 hours. Gluten eaters won't!) 

-Also pack 6-8 Kind bars, purchase 3 Chobani yogurts with a spoon from overpriced airport deli. Also bring small bags of nuts in plastic bags from home for flight or breakfast when you land. Stick them in the hotel fridge as back-up.

-Pick hotel near a grocery. Swing by for supplies like more little yogurts/snacks/cider. Make it a game to spot regional gluten-free items and try them. (Read every label though!) 

-Heads up on any hotel shampoos or soaps. Bring your own even thought the packaging is so cute. 

-Carry a good-sized snack at ALL times. Office pizza parties are depressing but especially when the boss, "We ordered Gluten-free pizza for you." Ugh. Do not eat it. The cross-contamination will get you. Your snack will save you. Also works for funerals and baby showers. 

-Drink different regional ciders at bars with co-workers. Some ciders are ok. Drink non-alcoholic Kombucha if you are driving. Kinda "beer-esque".

-Before trip, google restaurants with gluten-free menus. Aim for Middle Eastern, Greek, French, Italian bistros. Casually mention to co-workers you would like to check so-and-so restaurant out. Chains are not great but I went to a Virginia Cheesecake Factory and they had ok options. Sweetgreens in NYC has also been ok.

-Flight back? Restock Kind bars, maybe part of plain rotisserie chicken from grocery? Maybe a tiny hot sauce would get through security? Watch out for airport people thinking vegan is gluten-free. Yikes, it is not. 

@philhatesgluten is on Instagram and TikTok. He has a great account about being gluten-free (And dairy-free!) and his restaurant recs. 

For international travel, I've only done Europe and the same rules apply above. Iceland was gluten-free friendly too.

Good luck! This routine is from years of trial and error.

Each year more and more options are out there!

It will get better and you will probably feel SO much better when you heal. 

 

 

 

@I.M.Celiac these are very helpful tips for a traveler; thank you! I have tried most of these and KIND bars have always been my go-to snack. I would also like to add two other restaurant chains where I have had safe dining experiences: Yard House and Outback Steakhouse. IMO, these two take gluten-free meals and Celiac Disease very seriously.

[trents]

Be careful with nuts. They are often processed on the same machines with gluten containing items so there can be CC. It may only apply to the more sensitive celiacs, however.

[Hypo]

15 hours ago, Magdalen said:

Unpeeled Eggs would be okay. Fruit and yoghurt would depend on how they’re served. A big bowl of fruit salad— no. Bananas that you peel yourself, probably fine. Yoghurt (that is labelled gluten free) that comes in its own container, sure. In a big bowl, no. 

"Bananas that you peel yourself, probably fine"? What could be wrong with them? Also, even at home I don't eat yoghurt that is labeled gluten free. At hotels where I stayed, there were whole apples, oranges, grapes, etc. You can wash them additionally if you are worried there was bread on them...  But to each his own. I travel just fine eating such food. 

[I.M.Celiac]

2 hours ago, Hypo said:

"Bananas that you peel yourself, probably fine"? What could be wrong with them? Also, even at home I don't eat yoghurt that is labeled gluten free. At hotels where I stayed, there were whole apples, oranges, grapes, etc. You can wash them additionally if you are worried there was bread on them...  But to each his own. I travel just fine eating such food. 

Yes, fresh fruit would be great. Forgot about that! When I was first diagnosed, fresh fruit was harder to find in American hotels. (Not to mention close relatives' homes!) Even 7-11 has fresh fruit now! Total progress.