Need gluten-free Travelling Advice...

[Sweetfudge]

Okay, so I'm going to San Diego next week. We probably will be eating out, and I've got lists galore of all the safe places to eat. Now, what I want to know is if and how I could take some bread or something w/ me to eat as an appetizer or something...like when they serve the bread basket, or is that too much work?

What about restaurant cards? I've looked into the triumph cards, but just don't have the money for them right now. Could anyone give me a summary of what I need to put on a card? Or any good sites w/ free cards?

Thanks all!

[Ursa Major]

Here is a link to free dining cards in many languages, that you can print out. Open Original Shared Link

[pamelaD]

I usually carry crackers with me (instead of bread) to restaurants, esp when travelling. If going away for more than a few days, I take a whole package of crackers (Mary's Gone is my fav) and a few small ziplock bags in which to hide a handful in my purse when dining out.

I have the triumph dining cards, but like to take my own version that I wrote up, too:

******************************

I have Celiac Disease and must be on a strict gluten-free

diet to maintain my health. This means I cannot have any wheat,

rye, barley, oats, spelt or any ingredients derived from them.

I therefore must not ingest any bread, crackers, pasta, croutons,

or anything else made from flour.

These grains are sometimes hidden in ingredients such as

modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural

flavorings, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. All ingredient labels on

packages and cans must be carefully examined for these suspect ingredients.

Cross-contamination is a big problem in restaurants.

For Example: my food cannot be cooked on a grill or in a pan where other

breaded items or pasta have been cooked; french fries (for example) cannot

be cooked in the same oil in which breaded onion rings have been cooked;

veggies cannot be blanched in boiling water that may have been used for pasta.

Even a dusting of flour or a few crumbs from croutons may make make me ill.

Kitchen staff should don fresh gloves and be sure that all pans and sufraces

used to prepare my food are clean.

Suaces: fresh stock from bones is OK (no roux!).

Most soy sauces contain wheat. Malt vinegar is not allowed (barley),

but balsamic, white distilled, and cider are OK. Sauces must be

made with cornstarch or arrowroot instead of flour, and must not contain

other gluten containing ingredients.

The good news is, I CAN eat all meat, poultry, fish, fruit, dairy, soy,

corn, vegetables, rice, and potatoes!

Thank you so much for accommodating me!

****************************************

Good Luck and have fun,

Pam

[Ricado]

Okay, so I'm going to San Diego next week. We probably will be eating out, and I've got lists galore of all the safe places to eat. Now, what I want to know is if and how I could take some bread or something w/ me to eat as an appetizer or something...like when they serve the bread basket, or is that too much work?

What about restaurant cards? I've looked into the triumph cards, but just don't have the money for them right now. Could anyone give me a summary of what I need to put on a card? Or any good sites w/ free cards?

Thanks all!

Hey thanks for responding to my post regarding jaw problems. Hope your trip to San Diego was great. We love living here in San Diego. There are many many healthy restaurants in the North County coastal communities. Of course we also have Taco Bell and now Chick Fila but you can't be going to places like that. Fast food is probably not an option for people like us, but I know emergencies and cravings occur. I too am a victim to that.

[sillyyak]

www.celiactravel.com for some gluten free travel cards!

[amber]

www.celiactravel.com for some gluten free travel cards!

Hi Sillyyak,

Did you know there is a gluten free cafe here in Melbourne (Australia) called Silly Yaks? Clever name.