Do you have children (or adults as well) on a gluten-free and/or casein free diet?  Here some tips on how to travel with them and still eat well.

• Plan ahead, look for and print out addresses of stores in the destination city where you can buy GF/CF foods.  Markets such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Sweetbay (many in Florida) and Econofoods (Michigan) are some of the good choices.  Many areas in California you can find corner grocery stores that carry gluten free foods on a regular basis.

• In regular supermarkets you can sometimes find GF/CF food as well.  Tostitos and many other smaller brands make 100% corn ships, and there are a few healthier potato chips as well.

• When reserving for lodging, look for places such as timeshares and condos with full kitchen where you can cook some simple foods.  These places are usually bigger and more comfortable to stay in anyway.  In today’s economy, often you can find places cheaper and more comfortable and convenient than hotels.  (www.vacationrentals.com; www.VRBO.com, www.valuevacationrentals.com)

• Cook lunch to bring with you to the beach or the park.  It may be a little time consuming, but you will have time to relax later without having to drag everybody to eat gluten for lunch, after spending only 2 or 3 hours on the beach in the morning. 

• Pack some essential GF/CF foods in your checked-in luggage.   That way you don’t have to shop for them immediately after arrival when everyone is tired and cranky.

• Bring or buy snacks everywhere you go while on vacation—they often see chocolate cookies somewhere (or everywhere) on vacation, and will demand for them!  If you already brought or bought your own version…ooohla, you can just whip it out and satisfy their cravings. 

• When choosing restaurants to eat out, try to choose restaurant with a GF/CF menu.  Triumph Dinning (800-558-2906) publishes a gluten free restaurant guide that is very helpful. 

• If you are in an area where no GF/CF restaurants are available, try to eat at oriental restaurants where wheat is separated from other foods (ie. You won’t find wheat in fried rice or stir fries, avoid fried food though).  Although there is a small amount of gluten in some soy sauce, you can always order your entries in white sauce.  Another choice is seafood restaurants where you can order steamed or grilled entries, just ask them to not use butter and cheese when cooking.  Oh, and refuse the rolls too.

• While at the airport, if you have time, order some food that are GF/CF from the food court and take them with you onto the plane.  You usually have more choices at the food court than on the plane…and where your children are hungry they won’t wait until the plane lands to eat!

• How about grandparents who just don’t understand all this “Gluten free stuff”?  How about teaching your kids to say for themselves:” Grandma/grandpa, I can’t eat this stuff, it’s bad for me.” Or in some cases, “I can’t eat this, I get a stomachache.”  Often they respect the grandkids’ request more than ours!

• Do you realize grandparents resist GF/CF diets because they really DIDN’T know how to cook that way but didn’t want to ask either??  Living Without magazine has a page on each of their issues that explain what GF/CF is.  Bring a copy with you for the grandparents.  You just might get more cooperation, you will be surprised.

• And last but not least, just think how much less stare you will get while traveling, by keeping your kids on the good diet!

Happy summer travels.

Dr. Harry Hong's comprehensive program specializes in the integration of a variety of natural healing therapies such as energy testing, allergy desensitization, homeopathy, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, enzyme therapy, flower essences, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and much more. The Healing Light Co is committed to provide quality special care to the Highly Sensitive Person with Highly Sensitive Body. We are located at northwest suburb of Chicagoland and have an Out-of-Town program as well.

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