Travels with Food Issues & Safety Measures

 Traveling used to be a lot easier

. I mean, there is a Subway or McDonald’s every few miles along the interstate. Well, gluten-free and a host of other food issues aren’t so easily accommodated as one travels. I packed my favorite Larabars, Luna Bars which are now gluten-free, apples and bananas, and some rice crisps.

Day  2: We visited Gardner Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and they had a dedicated allergen free cooking area. I enjoyed a delicious salad with homemade dressing and a pork chop. Kudos to the college for acknowledging the food issues of some of their students.

As far as food for the majority of our vacation, we chose to rent a condo with a kitchen. Breakfast was always eaten inside our condo. We alternated lunch and dinner out. I love my  “Find Me Gluten Free” app on my phone which allows me to locate restaurants, read reviews, and preview menus before eating out.

One of my favorite parts of vacation is finding good clean eats. We have a family rule of no eating at chain restaurants on vacation. Sometimes my kids grumble, but it’s become my unspoken job duty to locate these interesting, sometimes off the beaten path, eateries. Usually, we are not disappointed, and we have many fond memories of really good meals shared together.

One day for lunch, we found the cutest coffee cafe. I normally don’t eat bread and was looking forward to a salad but unfortunately, all their homemade dressings potentially had gluten. So, I opted for a grilled cheese on gluten free bread with tomato and bacon with homemade coleslaw. It was so good although two days of coleslaw equaled an unhappy stomach.

My daughter and I also enjoy finding good, local coffee shops. We ran along the beach and then treated ourselves to coffee…something that also irritates my stomach…grr!

And some good chocolate can calm the nerves when prom dress shopping….see this price tag???

No, we did not choose that dress.

So, I lived off gluten-free waffles, peanut butter, bananas, coffee, chocolate, sweet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and restaurant meals of meats and veggies. More peanut butter and gluten free grains than usual, but my stomach survived. Now, back to reality and stricter eating to tame my gut!