Travel Tips
Hunter in the cockpit
Salame & Provolone snack boxes for a quick GF travel snack!
Our family loves to travel! Flying is an essential part of our lives since grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all live far away. Not to mention, the beach is far away too! The kids have been flying with us on planes since they were babies and it’s given them both a love for planes (and us a kindness towards parents traveling with little ones). This summer alone Hunter flew 12 legs, including long haul flights, and got an opportunity to sit in a cockpit with some friendly Delta pilots.
We’ve been in small airports, international airports, and everything in between. After the celiac diagnosis, we had to get creative about traveling and eating gluten free.
Be Prepared! Starting off on the right foot will keep you going throughout your travel. If we’re leaving from home, we always pack a container of nuggets in an insulated container. A protein-packed meal is a great way to kick-off a trip. We also try to pack bars and bananas — two foods that are healthier options and easy to transport.
Have Your ‘Go-To’s: Although we always try to pack healthy foods, often we let the kids buy an overpriced airport snack. We’ve all got our favorites but Hunter’s go-tos are Lay’s plain potato chips, SkinnyPop popcorn, or Cool Ranch Doritos. Even in the tiniest airports we’ve been able to hunt down a vending machine with a bag of gluten free chips. Like Hunter says, “I’m great at eating foods I don’t love as long as they’re safe for me to eat.” When on a return trip, we aren’t always able to have food packed with us. A great protein-filled find in most major airports is the Salami and cheese snacks (just make sure you get the ones without crackers)!
Ask Your Airline for GF options: If you’re on a flight that includes a meal, chances are that you’ll be able to select a GF meal when booking your ticket online. If that’s not the case with your airline, call to confirm so that you can be prepared. Not all airlines offer in-flight food but when we fly long-distance, Delta always has gluten-free food and snack options. In fact, Delta introduced us to Nuts.com, a gluten free nut brand, and it’s all we buy now.
Research ahead of time for GF restaurants. Airports all over are being remodeled and so many of them are adding more food options, especially at the more international airports. Once in a while we have a longer layover and we’re able to find a restaurant that has a gluten free meal option, like One Flew South in Atlanta. It’s not a budget-friendly option but they are well-trained in gluten-free and even asked if he had a celiac diagnosis.
Almonds from nuts.com on a Delta flight
Hunter at One Flew South in the Atlanta Airport
Our love for travel hasn’t changed since the diagnosis but our planning and preparation has. It only takes a few extra moments to be sure that your family is eating safe while traveling and it’s something that is now part of our routine in living gluten-free.