Gluten Intolerance When Traveling
Since it has been a couple of years since I had to cut gluten from my diet, I wanted to share my tips for anyone who has gluten intolerance.
Travel Tips for a Glute-Free Diet
Always bring lots of gluten-free snacks with you. You never know what you can find at the airport (or gas stations if you travel with a car). The first time I traveled after I was diagnosed with celiac, I didn’t think finding gluten-free food would be hard, and I was wrong. Lesson learned: always bring gluten-free food with you, no matter how assured you are.
The salespeople don’t know much about the products they sell. Unless it is advertised as gluten-free or is in an individual package that says gluten-free, don’t eat it. Those who don’t have celiac disease don’t know the severity, so they think it is just a trend to eat gluten-free. Some people have major allergic reactions when consuming gluten, while others have minor. Still, our bodies do not tolerate gluten, and we must avoid it at any cost.
Always ask if the food they prepare is fried with other gluten-containing food. I was at a restaurant and the menu had symbols that the food was GF. When I asked the waitress if the fries were fried in a separate fryer, she said they were not. Some restaurants prepare everything in the same fryer. This means they falsely advertise GF food. Always ask questions because you never know.
There will be times when you will not have options; you have to trust your gut feeling. When in doubt, eat fruit and veggies.
Some meat and veggies are prepared with sauces and spices that may contain gluten. I didn’t know that until I did my research. When we were in Mexico, the staff was always so kind and let me know whether the spices or sauces contained or didn’t contain gluten.
I always make gluten-free sandwiches at home before I go on the plane and never stress out about eating something that is contaminated.
This is what I’ve learned so far. I will update you with more tips on my gluten-free life. Every day I’m learning how to protect myself. I always read the labels, and when in doubt, I pass. Above, I shared some of my favorite gluten-free snacks. This is an affiliate link, and if you purchase through it, I will make a small earning (at no cost to you). This is how I support my blog.