Weekend trips with friends are supposed to be fun little escapes, but unfortunately for those with celiac disease, these trips can be full of anxiety about how you are going to navigate eating gluten free with a group. I'm not going to pretend that there is some magic formula for surviving a weekend away with friends, but after having done many (some very stressful) weekends myself, I have learned some ways to make them survivable. Here are my best tips for navigating gluten free eating on trips where you may not have much control over the kitchen.
1. If at all possible, be the one to do the grocery shopping --Whether you are staying at a hotel, or somewhere that has a kitchen, if you can be the one to grocery shop for whatever food your group gets, do it. If you are the one shopping, then you can pick up things for yourself that you know will be safe for you to eat — Things that DO NOT require kitchen tools. Remember, things like the toaster, pots, pans, etc will most like be used for gluten, so pick up things that can be cooked in a microwave or oven. I suggest things like Amy's gluten free burritos, frozen pizza (be sure and cook the pizza on a lot of tin foil) and frozen gluten free entrees like lasagna. While these may not be the healthiest choices, at least you can cook them without a bunch of added stress.
2. Have the right kitchen tools — paper towel and tin foil will be your best friend. Again, if you are sharing a kitchen, you are going to want a lot of paper towel and tin foil on hand. Both of these kitchen staples will ensure that your food can stay un cross contaminated. Do not use the common kitchen dish towel — odds are it will be sure to wipe up all sorts of gluten.
3. Keep your things separate — I went on a bachelorette weekend recently with 15 other ladies and the kitchen was a gluten nightmare. When I got to the house, I found a kitchen cupboard and stashed all my gluten free things in there. It was very helpful to have my own little place in the kitchen with extra crackers, snacks, tin foil, etc.
4. Wash your hands ... a lot -- This is an important one — With all the gluten circulating around, you never know what surfaces are clean. Be sure and wash your hands a lot when you are sharing a common kitchen with gluten.
5. Label your food, and then hide it — While away recently, I did this with a container of cream cheese. I put a big 'gluten free only' label on it, and then I hid it in the depths of the fridge. I don't think anyone even saw it except for me that weekend. If you have refrigerated items like cream cheese or hummus, then label them clearly. Most people are not used to accommodating a celiac, and just don't know that they can't share your food. Labeling and hiding are your two best bets to reminding people that your food needs to stay separate.
6. Stash some emergency food in your room / suitcase -- Throw a Larabar or KIND bar in your room for good measure. Just in case you find yourself starving, and you have run out of options.
7. For any shared condiments, try to get squeeze bottles — Offer to be the one to buy the condiments, and then purchase everything in squeeze bottle form. This has made my life SO much easier on multiple occasions. Squeeze bottle ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc can be a lifesaver because they ensure no cross contamination.
8. Remember that people usually have good intentions, but understanding celiac disease is hard — It can get very frustrating traveling with a group when people don't understand how hard / stressful it is to be gluten free. Remember though that most people don't have to understand this disease, and usually have good intentions. Try to up your level of tolerance for those who don't know what you go through.
Good luck!
— The Healthy Celiac
1. If at all possible, be the one to do the grocery shopping --Whether you are staying at a hotel, or somewhere that has a kitchen, if you can be the one to grocery shop for whatever food your group gets, do it. If you are the one shopping, then you can pick up things for yourself that you know will be safe for you to eat — Things that DO NOT require kitchen tools. Remember, things like the toaster, pots, pans, etc will most like be used for gluten, so pick up things that can be cooked in a microwave or oven. I suggest things like Amy's gluten free burritos, frozen pizza (be sure and cook the pizza on a lot of tin foil) and frozen gluten free entrees like lasagna. While these may not be the healthiest choices, at least you can cook them without a bunch of added stress.
2. Have the right kitchen tools — paper towel and tin foil will be your best friend. Again, if you are sharing a kitchen, you are going to want a lot of paper towel and tin foil on hand. Both of these kitchen staples will ensure that your food can stay un cross contaminated. Do not use the common kitchen dish towel — odds are it will be sure to wipe up all sorts of gluten.
3. Keep your things separate — I went on a bachelorette weekend recently with 15 other ladies and the kitchen was a gluten nightmare. When I got to the house, I found a kitchen cupboard and stashed all my gluten free things in there. It was very helpful to have my own little place in the kitchen with extra crackers, snacks, tin foil, etc.
4. Wash your hands ... a lot -- This is an important one — With all the gluten circulating around, you never know what surfaces are clean. Be sure and wash your hands a lot when you are sharing a common kitchen with gluten.
5. Label your food, and then hide it — While away recently, I did this with a container of cream cheese. I put a big 'gluten free only' label on it, and then I hid it in the depths of the fridge. I don't think anyone even saw it except for me that weekend. If you have refrigerated items like cream cheese or hummus, then label them clearly. Most people are not used to accommodating a celiac, and just don't know that they can't share your food. Labeling and hiding are your two best bets to reminding people that your food needs to stay separate.
6. Stash some emergency food in your room / suitcase -- Throw a Larabar or KIND bar in your room for good measure. Just in case you find yourself starving, and you have run out of options.
7. For any shared condiments, try to get squeeze bottles — Offer to be the one to buy the condiments, and then purchase everything in squeeze bottle form. This has made my life SO much easier on multiple occasions. Squeeze bottle ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc can be a lifesaver because they ensure no cross contamination.
8. Remember that people usually have good intentions, but understanding celiac disease is hard — It can get very frustrating traveling with a group when people don't understand how hard / stressful it is to be gluten free. Remember though that most people don't have to understand this disease, and usually have good intentions. Try to up your level of tolerance for those who don't know what you go through.
Good luck!
— The Healthy Celiac
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