Just last week I returned from an amazing 10-day trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. I was there seeing the city (first time to Scandinavia) and assisting at the Copenhagen RKC (kettlebell certification). It was ALSO my first real long-distance trip since having gone gluten-free last fall.
As someone who spends a lot of time in the air (I’m once again going to hit elite status on two separate airlines this year), I have a pretty good sense of what the airlines are going to serve. Tinned meat (probably with pasta, maybe potatoes), a roll, iceberg lettuce (which they want you to think is salad), crackers, piece of cheese, and some sort of brownie or cookie for dessert. If you look at that list, that leaves me with the meat (which is probably in a sauce that has flour in it), the piece of cheese, the salad. Um….. that is it!
Sure enough, the airlines did NOT let me down. I ate a fraction of what they served, but was fortunate enough to have packed my own food for the trip. Once I got there, it was a piece of cake (figuratively, of course) – eating gluten-free in Copenhagen is easier than eating gluten-free here!
My Gluten-Free Travel Tips
- Think Camping & Hiking Food. Assume going in you can’t eat anything the airlines serve. Since I was going to be traveling for 21 hours, this meant basically bringing a full day’s worth of calories with me in my backpack. My friends: dried organic fruit, nut mixes, trail mixes, cheese. On the way home I was lucky enough to get a nice salad at JFK airport, but I don’t count on buying food at the airport either. Not only is it much more expensive, the day I decide to rely on the airport vendors is the day the bridge is open or the TSA line is unusually long.
- Digestive Enzymes. When I am about to sit down to a meal that I can’t be sure is gluten-free, the first thing I do is take a couple of digestive enzymes. It helps my stomach better process any gluten that may be in the meal, meaning I’m a whole lot less likely to spend the next few hours feeling quite green! I’m currently taking Digest Gold, but have used both Wobenzyme and Vitalzyme in the past. All three are great products, and I happily recommend them all. You can buy them online at places like Amazon, eVitamins.com, or your favorite local supplement shop. You will NOT be able to find these products at Walgreen’s or similar retailers.
- Cook. Obviously this tip doesn’t work so well on the airplane (I’m pretty sure that is where the federal marshals get involved), but I now make sure that wherever I’m staying I’m able to cook for myself. That means hotels with kitchens or kitchenettes, renting vacation houses, or staying with friends. While I’ve always been food-conscious, I was never one of those “be sure you ship your food in advance so you can stay on your diet plan” sort of people. I’m just not that girl. But now, when eating wrong knocks me off my game for a half day, it’s a much bigger deal. It doesn’t even have to take a lot of time — I can get a roasted chicken from Whole Foods (or Whole Wallet as I often call it), strip it off the bones, and use it for salads for several days. Some spinach, fruit, a few gluten-free wraps, and some cheese, and I’m good!
- The Deli is Your Friend. Same idea as the cooking tip. I am also not a make-a-fuss sort of girl at a restaurant, and traveling is expensive enough. So, I try to minimize trips to sit-down places for cost reasons and just don’t have the energy to try to navigate most fast-food places (although I’m a bonafide In ‘N Out fan). So, I’d much rather find a decent grocery store, and hit up their deli for some sliced meat, cheese, and the salad bar. As long as you don’t load on the cottage cheese (which is expensive by the pound), you can keep the price reasonable – somewhere between fast-food and sit-down.
It’s a bit of prior planning, but to get off the plane and actually feel reasonably good is pretty nice. I think I actually felt better after this international trip than I ever have, and I’m willing to bet that not eating all of the junk they put in front of me was a big part of it.
What are your favorite gluten-free travel tips?
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flissphil/
About Jen Waak
When we went to Europe for a long (6 week) trip this summer, we brought 20 boxes of Annie’s GF mac and cheese. When you have a picky six-year-old, these things make sense.
Paris & London were fairly easy, rural France less so, but the huge supermarkets have GF sections. Some of the European brands (Schaar, Revola, Bionaturae) are very good.
Agree 100% about being able to cook.
That’s an awesome plan. I bet Little Dude was happy about having his favs with him. What amazed me about Europe is how much easier it is there than here in many ways.
Quinoa.
Packed with nutrients, super easy to pack in a double ziplock, cooks up like rice and keeps fresh if you backpack it for the day and can be eaten for breakfast or even mixed with greens for a power salad.
Really want to go for the kicker? Try organic AND gluten free. ..or just go raw
Oh, I remembered another good option that you can often find in U.S. airports — swing by Starbucks and pick up a Kind bar. They have a lot of dried fruit which is more sugar than I normally do, but they also have good fiber & some protein from the nuts.
I keep one or two stashed in my bag for hunger crises.