18th Cent French Travel Kit
Back in the day, a gentleman or lady of means typically travelled with something like this.
Perfectly appointed with a travel size knife, fork and spoon and a pair of scissors – for what, I’m not exactly sure.
Fast forward to modern day travel.
Yes, travel in this day and age is a bit more challenging as we navigate airports and busy schedules.
Add a gluten-free diet and lifestyle to the mix, and your travel woes will likely be compounded by the constant worry of “what to eat?”
As we move into the summer travel season, I thought I’d take a moment to review some of my go-to tricks that I rely on whenever I travel.
Making sure, of course, that there’s always something on hand to eat!
(Most of the time, anyway).
For anyone with additional allergies – for example, dairy and eggs, along with gluten – travel becomes even more of a challenge.
You’d be hard pressed to find a suitable restaurant breakfast that avoids these allergens – with the exception, perhaps of fruit.
(I don’t know about you, but a meal of fruit and nothing else, doesn’t quite do it for me.)
For this reason, I always include individual packets of gluten-free cereal or a bag of gluten-free granola in my travel kit, and then rely on the restaurant for fruit.
This makes for a well-rounded meal.
Better still, after I reach my destination, I like to stop in at a local health food store whenever possible – to stock up on fruits and healthy snacks.
That’s why having a mini refrigerator in your hotel room is ideal!
As for the plane trip itself?
I’ve been using this nifty bento-style lunchbox for about a year, and I love it!
The best part is that you can be as creative as you like with your portable meal, choosing a different food for each container.
In the photo above, I packed Sushi and my favorite stuffed Collard Greens (this way I get in my daily greens, along with some protein and healthy carbs).
In the smaller boxes, I packed a mix of Pumpkin Seeds and Raisins, but you could of course choose whatever combination of nuts or healthy snacks your heart desires.
Be sure to also include a treat, such as gluten-free cookies – you don’t want to feel deprived.
Of course, there are always additional snacks in my carry-on.
The lunchbox is strictly my go-to source for my in-flight meal, all in one handy and easy to stow container.
The biggest snag I usually run into when travelling, is my return journey, when my limited food choices are not readily available.
I’m still trying to come up with a portable meal that could keep for several days, with or without refrigeration – something I could rely on for the trip home.
Even so, I have to confess that sometimes I go hungry, with nothing but nuts, seeds and dried fruit to tide me over.
Now it’s your turn.
Do you have some favorite travel tips you’d like to share?
What kind of meal do you pack for the flight?
What about snacks?
I’d love to hear from you!
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Karen,
great post! this is an issue that all of us with food allergies face. When I go to a conference for a few days, I bring a shake cup, one that has a little metal spiral ball in it to help mix it up. I bring packets of protein powder, like Vega-One, which comes in many flavors. If I have almond milk I use that, but cold water is just fine. That will tide me over for hours. Alternatively, I will bring instant hot cereal and mix it with hot water from the coffee machine. I always have almonds and dried fruit with me for snacks and sometimes put those in the cereal.