My family is all over the place. My husband and I currently live in Washington DC,
but I grew up in San Francisco, my parents live in Florida, my in-laws in Boston
and I have cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews living in Indiana, St. Louis,
Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and a few in Israel. Given the vast geographic
area where my family lives, it's a wonder how we ever figure out where to hold our
holiday celebrations! The one thing that's constant every year is that no matter
which side of the family is cooking dinner, my husband and I have to travel somewhere
in the world to get to our holiday celebration!
The holiday season can be both exciting and beautiful, but traveling during this
busy time of year can be quite stressful for people on restricted diets. But with
a little bit of extra planning and a few tricks for packing your bags, traveling
for the holidays can be a joyous and anxiety-free experience.
Before we get to packing your bags, lets take a step back. Weeks before your holiday
travel begins, you've got to start with educating your family about any special
dietary concerns so that when you get to the dinner table you can enjoy the food
right along with everyone else.
Start with asking whomever is hosting the meals what they plan on making. If there
are items that can easily be substituted (such as gluten-free pasta for regular
pasta, gluten-free soy sauce in place of regular soy sauce, or corn or potato starch
as a thickener in gravy in place of flour) then suggest the host make these small
changes. You might even offer to bring a few of the special ingredients with you
so the host doesn't have to go to any extra trouble.
Additionally, you might offer to bring some delightful gluten-free items to supplement
the other dishes. Consider bringing gluten-free breads, homemade gluten-free muffins
and a gluten-free dessert to show your family how delicious gluten-free food can
be!
So now, on to traveling to your family gathering!
If you're traveling by car, consider packing a cooler filled with
gluten-free staples such as bread for sandwiches, toaster waffles and yogurt for
breakfast, bagels for brunch and maybe even some frozen Bell & Evans Chicken fingers
or frozen microwaveable meals! These come in handy especially if you're traveling
to an area with limited grocery shopping options.
Traveling by air can be an interesting experience given all of
the security measures in place in the United States. The first step here is to check
with the airline you're flying to find out exactly what you can carry on the flight
with you. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) restricts liquids to
3 ounces or less, so be sure to keep that number in mind as you look for foods to
travel with.
Thankfully there are a few companies who have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon
and also pay attention to TSA guidelines! GoPicnic
makes gluten-free meal kits, all with mini items that are smaller than 3 ounces.
These kits are designed for people on the go and do NOT require any type of refrigeration,
heating or preparation. Every nutritionally balanced, shelf stable meal combines
a satisfying mix of protein, fiber, and fruit, and each bite, from crackers to hummus
to applesauce to delectable dark chocolate, is full of wholesome ingredients. Gluten-Free to Go also provides travel-friendly
meals in cute re-sealable pouches.
On longer flights, you may be able to order a special meal from the airline directly.
When available, special meals need to be pre-ordered at least 48 hours ahead of
the flight, so be sure to call right when you make your reservation and then again
a few days before the flight to confirm the special meal request. The following
airlines provide gluten-free meals: American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Airlines,
Jet Blue, United Airlines and U.S. Airways.
Most U.S. airports have fast food chain restaurants, so find out which ones are
located at the airports you are visiting.
Print and pack this list so you don't forget what your options are. Or, consider
downloading an App for your smartphone that will identify these options as well.
There are three apps with fast food information: Gluten-Free Passport (paid), Is
That Gluten-Free (paid) and Gluten-Free Fast Food (free).
No matter what your method of travel, always be sure to pack some shelf-stable snacks
to have on hand. Consider packing nutrition bars, nuts, trail mix, or dried fruit.
Now, traveling over the holidays usually involves more than one meal, so it's important
to be prepared for the lunches and dinners out at restaurants. Try to research the
area you're traveling to in advance to find gluten-free friendly restaurants. Suggest
these places to your family so everyone can enjoy a great meal. Also, be sure to
bring along your own gluten-free condiments just in case you want them to supplement
a meal. For example, throw a bag of Crunchmaster
Crackers in your bag to eat as a starch supplement and don't forget the
San-J soy sauce packets in case your family goes
out for Asian food.
Hopefully following these simple tips will help make your holiday travel a delicious
and joyful experience!
Questions?
If you have any questions, please email Vanessa at Vanessa.Weisbrod@gmail.com.
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