Nervous About Traveling With Celiac Kids (food Supply)

[chiroptera]

My three children and I have been gluten free for 10 weeks. Everything is going great. If we go somewhere for the entire day we just pack our lunch and dinner and off we go. We have not eaten out at any restraurants yet because we are being so careful not to get cc we just don't want to chance it right now. I cook almost everything from scratch at home.

We have some traveling coming up in a few weeks. We will be gone for 4 days. We will be staying in a hotel with a microwave and refrigerator but two of the days we will be out for all meals.

We just don't know how to handle this new adventure. We plan on packing a lot of fruit, vegs, rice cakes, Enjoy life products, gluten-free cerea - the things we always eat for snacks anyhow. It's meal we're worried about. I won't be able to make our gluten-free food.

Any suggestions would be so appreciated! I thought I'd post here instead of travel since we're dealing with little kids.

[missy'smom]

For breakfast, gluten-free cereal, apple sauce cups, maybe you could take hard boiled eggs and/or deli sliced ham for the protein and containers, if need be, to take it with.

Many grocery chains sell plain white or brown rice in plastic bowls-shelf stable-just need to finish steaming it in the microwave. They are sold in the asian section. Maybe you could use a microwave in the hotel, convenience store etc. I put a napkin or paper plate under and/on top to protect stuff from microwave CC.

Minimus.biz sells travel size salad dressings etc. that might be helpful. CostPlus/World Market does too.

Maybe make up a batch of bread or pancakes to use for sandwiches for lunch-cheese, deli type meats, P.B. and J.

I make an easy rice and cheese dish for kiddo at home but it might be doable on the road. Just take the steamed asian rice-sometimes leftover-put some cheese and cooked ham or chicken on top and fresh cooked or frozen chopped broccoli or green peas and microwave until cheese is melted and rice is warmed up. You could take those rice bowls and take the other ingredients in a separate container and when it's time to eat, steam the rice, take off the lid, dump the rest on and micro until cheese melts. Stir it up. You could keep the perishable ingredients in a small cooler until it's time.

[CeliacMom2008]

For the meals you can microwave - we take frozen lasagna pieces, pizza (frozen or cold), and fried rice (cold) and then just microwave it.

For other meals you could do PB&J on pancakes. Just take the pancakes and make the sandwiches the day(s) you need them. The pancakes usually are good for 2-3 days. My son LOVES tuna salad with potato chips. He uses the tuna salad like a dip for the chips. You could take the canned tuna and mayo and make them when you need them.

You might also contact the local Celiac support group and see if they have any recommendations for good places to eat. We don't eat out really (except at Disney - where they are fabulous about gluten-free and at a local place where the owner/chef can't have gluten, so we trust her ability to do it right), so I completely understand your worries. But there are some places that I'd feel OK. You might be able to find those places if you contact a local group.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!