The best thing to do when you or a travel companion are gluten-free is to plan ahead. While you have a free internet connection at home, research gluten-free restaurants, write down their addresses, and keep them in your purse. That way, you can look forward to dining out, instead of sticking to basic foods, like grilled chicken and grilled vegetables. My favorite restaurants serve gluten-free pizzas, gluten-free dinner rolls, and rice pasta dishes, so you don’t feel deprived of the other diners entrée choices. I also recommend printing out free dining cards ($5 donation recommended) at Celiac Travel’s website. You hand these cards to the chef when you visit a restaurant, and the chef will know how to prepare your food. The cards are available in many foreign languages for international travel.
For airplane snacks and exotic travel locations, I pack gluten-free bars, like Lara bars or Nicole’s nutty goodness bars. Both bars are made from fruit and nuts, and are actually tasty! Lara bars makes an apple pie flavor that tastes yummy! Nicole’s nutty goodness bars are available in expresso, which tastes just like a chocolate chip granola bar and keeps quite well. They are both available at Whole Foods, and having a few bars on hand helps when you’re hungry on the airplane, or are in a place with limited snack options. Sometimes, while eating meals with clients or business associates, I try to downplay my food allergies by asking for grilled chicken or fish cooked over aluminum foil. This is a good way for gluten-free business travelers to avoid the cross-contamination issues that happen when gluten items have also been cooked on the grill.
Gluten-free travelers will be thrilled to know some Italian restaurants have gluten-free menus, since a small percentage of their population developed gluten allergies. These days, as long as you plan ahead, gluten-free travel can be a fun and enjoyable!
~ Guest blogger, Ivy Haverkampf
Gluten-free travel websites:
CeliacChicks
German Coeliac Society
Italian Celiac Society
CeliacTravel
Ivy is the founder of theIdeaGenerators.com and FutureGlobetrotter.com. She loves helping fellow working women reach their career potential and can be found on Twitter at @FutGlobetrotter.
