What To Do About Breakfast On Vacations

[Aprildncr]

My family and I are going on vacation to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. I was wondering what most people do about breakfasts when they are on vacation. I know I can have eggs and fresh fruit but that gets old after awhile and I don't know if I can tolerate eggs for a week without getting sick.

[gf4life]

I agree about not being able to eat eggs everyday. It gets old. We usually take along a few boxes of gluten-free cold cereal. We eat that in our rooms, or we sometimes take it down to the breakfast room if they offer a "continental" breakfast. We eat the fruit, drink the milk, juice if they are individual packages with labels, coffee, etc.

We also make it a habit to stay at places with at least a mini kitchen. Then we bring our own small toaster, and George Foreman grill. That way we can have gluten-free waffles, toast, grilled sausages, whatever we feel like eating.

We are also going to be traveling soon. 2 days in Los Angeles, 2 days in Santa Cruz, 3 days in Yosemite. I am really looking forward to the vacation.

On a side note: Yosemite National Park is very knowledgable about the gluten-free diet and can provide gluten-free meals with at least a few days advanced notice. This will be our first trip since being diagnosed, but another Celiac posted about their wonderful gluten-free camping experience last month and so far I have encountered a very positive staff that assures me they will be able to provide enough gluten-free meals for my family. We just need to let them know which restaurants we want to eat at each day and the food will be there. gluten-free pasta, fish, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, french fries, baked potatos, veggies, fruits, ice cream, pretty much whatever we want to eat. They even reportedly have Amy's frozen gluten-free meals in their general store! I am assuming it is because of all the international tourists they get there at the park, but it benefits us all. Next year we might stay a whole week and really get in some hiking!

[psawyer]

At McDonalds the eggs, sausage and hash browns are gluten free. Ask for a Big Brekafast without the biscuit/muffin and you should be fine. You may even get an extra something in exchange for the bread item. I know that this is high in fat, but when I am away for a day or two I find it to be a useful option.

[Jnkmnky]

We liked the Glutino cereal bars..chocolate, blueberry...apple was kind of sour.

You could bring along a box of your favorite cereal and purchase milk. Kinnikinnick donuts stay good for several days unfrozen.

[gf4life]

We liked the Glutino cereal bars..chocolate, blueberry...apple was kind of sour.

Oh, we love the Glutino Cereal bars. Interesting that you thought the apple flavor was kind of sour. My friend thought the apple ones were too sweet. I think they are great. I only eat the fruit ones though, the chocolate tasted nasty to me.

For those of you who haven't tried these, they are like a thick fruit newton cookie only about 2-3 times as long. They aren't very filling as a breakfast (unless you eat more than one) and cost about $6 for a box of 5 bars. We eat them as a between meal snack on the go.

God bless,

Mariann

[PicturePerfect]

I would NOT eat eggs unless you know what pan they are cooked in. I once went to Mimi's Cafe and had eggs and bacon (it could have been the bacon though), and there must have been gluten in there somewhere.

[jenvan]

will you be making your own breakfast, eating in a hotel or going out? whenever i travel, i always bring my own cereal, and will bring it down to the hotel dining room with me. now that i am 'dairy-free' i will bring some rice milk too. its nice for traveling b/c you don't have to refrig it till you open the box. you can also eat all kinds of fruit. there are gluten-free breakfast bars--some i like are enjoylife bars, bumble bars, clif nectar bars. you could do the eggs, or an omlete with some veggies, but ck on the pan, as mariann suggested. you could also bring gluten-free bread and make toast, toast with peanut butter, or gluten-free bagels and cream cheese with fruit or veggies. you could eat hardboiled eggs, lots of times i see those in hotels or on buffets. if you are staying in a condo or lake house, you could even bring frozen gluten-free waffles or pancake mix. you could also take a mix of gluten-free cereals and make your own granola or trail mix, i do that a lot. how about a fruit smoothie with fruit/juice or yogurt, if you could verify the brand. i only used yoplait. thats what i can think of for the moment... good luck!

[skbird]

A good way to be sure of your eggs is to get them poached. For a while now I have been wondering about the mix some places use for omlettes and scrambles. A friend of mine said some places he'd worked just had the mix, they don't actually crack 3 eggs and blend them up - saves time. I have not been able to find any info online about this, and if it would still be gluten free, being just eggs or not. Anyway, as a result, I always ask for regular eggs and now I ask for poached. Unless they cook them in pasta water (not likely in the morning) they should be fine.

Bacon is a crap shoot - if you look at the store you'll see that many brands have wheat in them. Hard to know if the stuff in a restaurant would be safe. I did take a chance and eat a slice the other day when I was with my mom - she and the waiter were thinking my two poached eggs and fruit bowl were insufficient for breakfast, but I didn't get sick, so I was lucky.

I definitely think bringing something along is the best way. Even the various protein bars, etc, would be a good start.

Stephanie

[jenvan]

good call on eggs Stephanie. i forgot to mention if i do get an omelette--i insist on "real" eggs. can't believe you don't get the real ones sometimes !

[mom]

My family and I are going on vacation to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe.  I was wondering what most people do about breakfasts when they are on vacation.  I know I can have eggs and fresh fruit but that gets old after awhile and I don't know if I can tolerate eggs for a week without getting sick.

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[Merika]

Hmmm...you know I hadn't thought about the pre-mixed eggs. Do you think they're really pure eggs? I doubt it somehow.

McDonald's, for one, uses these for their scrambled eggs, and uses real eggs for the mcmuffins. So it must be really common.

Merika

[celiac3270]

San Francisco--in US--perfect. Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Pebbles by Post...not, perhaps, ideal as a cereal, but certainly readily available and gluten-free.

[kabowman]

Thanks for the hint on Yosemite, we are planning a trip there next summer.

Also for the eggs out...never thought to ask for real eggs before; luckily we don't eat breakfast out except occasionally at a health food place in town.

[SandraNinTO]

I get a room with a microwave and make polenta then put a dollop of butter on top and pour on a little maple syrup. Yum! Sandra in Toronto.

[Bonnie]

  I get a room with a microwave and make polenta then put a dollop of butter on top and pour on a little maple syrup.  Yum!  Sandra in Toronto.

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Sandra, I have just bought polenta and have NO clue how to make it. Please tell me - especially the microwave way!!

[lpellegr]

I know it's kind of late to be weighing in on this topic, but I found that thinking outside the box for breakfast works, especially if you don't have time or transportation to go to a restaurant. I looked for individual packages of things that don't need refrigeration and bought a big fanny pack to carry enough food for a day. For breakfast I have had individual serving containers of baked beans (unheated isn't bad), tuna, fruit or applesauce, peanut butter in tubes, soy or regular milk, juice boxes, etc. They are mostly crush-proof but some do require a spoon, so a bunch of plastic spoons go into the fanny pack as well as some napkins. Watch out for the omelets - I hear IHOP adds pancake mix to their egg mix and who knows who else might do that. I would stick to eggs that you can see are eggs, like fried or boiled in the shell.

[Guest nini]

if the room has a microwave you can carry packets of Quaker Instant Grits, just requires water and a bowl... You can also carry fresh fruit, bananas, apples, oranges... (or if you are lucky to find fresh fruit where you are staying)... I like Enjoy Life Foods Cereal Bars for breakfast, and in a pinch I'll stop at McDonald's and get a side order of scrambled eggs and a side order of sausage.

[dlp252]

Watch out for the omelets - I hear IHOP adds pancake mix to their egg mix and who knows who else might do that.  I would stick to eggs that you can see are eggs, like fried or boiled in the shell.

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Yep, learned this on a low carb website. I've heard the same thing about the pancake batter, and that some places add it to make the omelets "fluffy". I almost always ask if they add anything to the egg mixture. Waitstaff kind of look at me funny, but they'll usually find out. Mostly I just order fried or poached though.

[debbiewil]

Most of the Carnation Instant Breakfasts are gluten free (NOT the chocolate malt). I'll often throw a couple in my bag and add one to a cup of coffee (with a little half and half if possible). The rich chocolate one makes a nice "cafe mocha" drink; that and some fruit will usually get me through the morning. You could have a gluten-free breakfast bar or donut if you'd rather. The vanilla's ok in coffee too but I like the chocolate - never tried the strawberry in coffee and don't intend to. I'll use this when I have NO idea what facilities are available, or know that there are none available - there's ALWAYS someplace you can get a cup of coffee.

Debbie