Eating on a Road Trip (For the Gluten Intolerant)

It is difficult to eat healthy (if you even try to) when you are traveling. I definitely eat the most gluten/sugar when I am away on a trip. I don't think that's a big issue - you only live once and you can't eat super healthy all of the time. So if you want to stop and eat at Burger King - go for it! But if you're looking for some other options, read on my friend.

I Love Road Trips!

This post is targeted for the gluten intolerant... we're on a different page than everyone else (for better or for worse!). Cheating means symptoms for days/weeks and potential long term damage to our bodies. Eating gluten can mean a missed day on vacation because you are too sick to enjoy yourself.

I was diagnosed gluten and dairy intolerant in September 2010 and immediately went on a gluten and dairy free diet. Of course, just 1 month later I was headed to Tennessee with my boyfriend to visit his family. I couldn't starve for 14 hours in a car, and with McDonald's no longer an option, I had a lot of planning on my hands!

I totally over planned for this road trip, but learned some great lessons to pass on to my fellow gluten intolerant friends.

SUPPLIES FOR THE ROAD TRIP CAR:
1. Cooler & Ice Packs
2. Tupperware

3. Forks/spoons/knives/plates (depending on the snacks you bring)
4.  Solid grocery bags to organize all your snick snacks (Ex: Whole Foods or Trader Joe's)

FOOD TO BRING:
> A road trip is fun! I toss out the rules on processed foods and load up... I'd rather binge on GF foods than decide to stop at a fast food place.

IN YOUR GROCERY BAGS:
1. Snick snacks (gluten free of course) - pretzels, chips, popcorn, cookies, candy
2. I also baked cupcakes before we left and brought icing to eat cupcakes on the road (hey - just because we're gluten free doesn't mean we don't love sugar!)

IN THE COOLER:
1. Water - much cheaper to buy bottles of water before you leave
2. Soda - we bring Boylan's soda which is made of cane sugar, we like the taste better and avoid high fructose corn syrup
3. Milk (almond/soy/hemp/rice) - I drink pro biotic shakes every day, so I drank some on the road, and had milk for the vacation too. D also loves chocolate milk, which is nice to switch out from just water and soda.
4. Fruit - raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, etc... make for a very refreshing treat on the road!
 

Ready For Our First Gluten Free Road Trip

We definitely over packed on the food for this first trip. But having food leftover meant extra gluten free food to eat during the week (and on the way home). Whether you'll be staying with family or at a hotel, it's always nice to have the gluten free foods you are comfortable with. We leave this Friday to go to back to Tennessee for the 4th of July (cannot wait!!) - so the road trip planning has begun again. I'll let you know how our second gluten free road trip goes this time! Have a safe holiday!

- Stephanie