Gluten Free Travel Tips

Vacation season is upon us, and regardless of whether you plan to travel by plane, train, boat or automobile, or if you stay in a hotel or rental, some helpful gluten free travel tips will help you stay well and happy in your travels. It can be tempting to assume that it is not necessary to plan ahead or pack safe food because of the expectation that you are bound to find safe gluten-free options somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, this is a mistake.

If anything, opt for hoping for the best while still being prepared for the worst, and remember, there are more foods that you can eat than you cannot.

How to Manage Travel Transportation When You Are Gluten Free

Each of the popular travel modes has the capacity to get you where you need to go, but the journey can differ a great deal when it comes to being gluten free.

1. For those like to have more control over their food options and hopefully save a little money along the way, driving to their travel destination may be preferred. Taking a car ride allows riders to pack all the luggage that will fit, including gluten free snacks and even a cooler. When taking a cooler, it enables gluten free people to bring their own prepacked snacks, lunches, and drinks so they are not dependent on finding something safe at a gas station or restaurant along the way.
2. When you take a plane to your destination and you do not properly prepare, you are basically putting your gut health in the hands of the airport and airlines that may or may not have a solid understanding of what it is to be gluten free. Do not take this unnecessary risk. Avoid packing something light that lacks protein as it will not hold you for long. Instead, pack a substantial snack that will keep you fuller for longer. After all, flights are notorious for getting delayed, which means you could be stuck at the airport overnight, or you might be stuck on the tarmac for hours.
3. If taking a train for your travels, you are at the mercy of train station food options and the culinary staff on board. The staff may be well trained and experts on offering and preparing gluten free food, or they may have no idea what gluten even is. You do not want to be stuck on an overnight train ride when you discover your train crew falls into the latter scenario. Plan ahead and bring enough food to sustain you for the duration of your trip and beyond, just in case there ends up being some sort of a delay.
4. Cruises are extremely popular almost year-round and, for many, one of the main attractions is generous meal portions and/or all you can eat buffets. Again, without bringing safe gluten-free food with you, it means relying on the crew for your gluten-free safety. Don’t be caught on a boat hundreds of miles out to sea when you realize that the crew does not have a complete understanding of how to safely prepare a truly gluten-free meal. Bring enough safe snacks and food options to get you through the scheduled trip as well as any potential delays that could come up.

In the last three of these scenarios, perhaps the biggest hazard is the travel crews of planes, trains, and boats thinking they know how to handle a gluten free request, when in reality their understanding could be far from complete.

The takeaway here is not to stay at home and give up traveling. What we are saying is that it will take a fair amount of research and advance planning to ensure that you will be able to eat something safe for the duration of your travel, which could come with unexpected delays. Simply be prepared so you do not find yourself without safe food to eat.

What To Do Once You Arrive at Your Travel Destination

With safe gluten-free food for travel covered, it is time to turn your attention to staying safe once you reach your destination. In other words, know the best gluten free travel tips and how to abide by them.

If you are staying at a hotel or rental home, consider choosing a facility that offers cooking and refrigeration capabilities. This allows you to prepare your food from start to finish so you know exactly what you are eating. That said, you may need to run pots and pans, dishes and utensils through a dishwashing cycle before cooking with them to ensure that any remnants of gluten are completely removed. Another important tip is to sanitize the countertops before preparing any food.

If you choose to eat at a hotel or a local restaurant for meals, it is essential to work kindly with the wait staff and chef to verify that whatever you order is indeed free of gluten. This can be delicate, and it is important to treat the waitstaff and chefs with respect and kindness. Some things you may want to consider when working with a restaurant include:

• Try calling ahead to the restaurant during nonpeak hours to ask about their gluten-free meal options and how they are prepared. (If time allows, you may be able to call or email a week or two in advance of your arrival.)
• Verify whether the meal is gluten-friendly or gluten-free. Because most restaurants are not exclusively gluten free, there is always a risk of cross contamination. However, restaurants who offer a gluten-friendly menu may tell customers that those menu items are simply for those trying to limit their intake of gluten rather than avoiding it for medical purposes such as celiac disease. It’s important to know the difference and what it means for you.
• Even if a menu item is listed as gluten-free, double check with the waitstaff to ensure it is indeed true. Sometimes for a dish to be gluten free, it requires that one or more ingredients be left off the regular recipe or it may require the dish to be made in a separate pan.
• If the waitstaff seems unsure about your questions, let them know you understand but that you must be careful, or you will get quite ill. Thank them for their effort and then politely ask if you might be able to speak directly to the chef.
• As a precaution, verify your meal is indeed gluten free once it arrives at your table.
• Be sure to thank the team who works together to keep you safe. Your appreciation may just set the bar for the next interaction they have with an individual who is gluten intolerant.

If you find a restaurant that is well versed in serving up gluten-free dishes, you may go back to that establishment multiple times during your stay for delicious food and peace of mind.

The most important of all our gluten free travel tips is to put yourself first in all of your travels. This means ensuring that at any given moment, you have safe gluten-free options on hand. After all, no one wants to spend three to four days in their lodging feeling thoroughly sick and unable to enjoy the vacation they have planned for months due to eating gluten. You are worth it, so take a bit of time to plan ahead, and then enjoy the ride.