This week's blog post is coming to you from the road! I'm sitting in my hotel room in Thunder Bay, where I've traveled to give a presentation. I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to share how I manage to travel with my dietary restrictions, especially with the additional challenge of getting through airport security. I've traveled all over the world avoiding gluten and nuts, and I've never let it stop me from going on an adventure. On this trip, I made sure to get a hotel room that had a microwave and a fridge. Dinner - Black Beans and Rice Ingredients Brown Rice Black Beans Chopped Roasted Red Peppers (from a jar) Organic Steamed Broccoli Balsamic Vinegar Hot Sauce Chopped Red Onions Garlic Cloves (pressed through a garlic press) I was so hungry, I ate most of this dish during my layover before I remembered I needed to take a picture of it. When I went through security at the airport, I was told that they appreciated my translucent containers, because it allowed them to see what was inside. These containers are very old (I don't think they come in blue anymore). In fact, they even went on a three-month backpacking trip with me back in the day. They've never been in the dishwasher or the microwave (to limit anything transferring from the plastic to the food) and they NEVER leak or break (which is the only reason I use plastic). The two other containers in this photo contain my breakfast and lunch for the next day. I packed a lot of my foods in this plastic container, which also served as a bowl and something to boil water in. Under no other circumstances would I recommend putting plastic in the microwave! Snacks - I brings snacks like these - macaroons, protein powder, chocolate, ReBars, and sunflower seeds. Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mango This instant oatmeal comes from a company called GlutenFreeda. This is a good opportunity for me to discuss the issue of oats and their gluten content. I've noticed that the packaging of this particular oatmeal (pictured below) no longer mentions that it is gluten-free. There is a lot of confusion, in general, regarding how oats come to be contaminated with gluten. GlutenFreeda has her/their own explanation. I believe that the packaging has changed for legal reasons, but that the product continues to be gluten-free. Generally, you can treat 'wheat-free' oats the same as 'gluten-free' oats because oats are inherently gluten-free. Avena Foods, the makers of Only Oats (a gluten-free oat product mentioned previously in this blog) has this explanation for packaging changes. Lunch - Salad Organic Baby Kale Roasted Cauliflower Steamed Beets Avocado Hemp Hearts Daiya Shredded 'Mozzarella' Poppy Seed Salad Dressing This salad dressing is handy for those times when you really miss mayonnaise. I use it sometimes to make tuna or salmon salad, but it's also delicious on salads. Dinner - Steak Dinner I wish that it weren't so, but it's often easier to eat out at fancy restaurants. The chefs tend to use more 'whole food' ingredients and/or make everything themselves, and they are also very accommodating This is my first time in Thunder Bay and Caribou Restaurant came highly recommended (and, it was right across the street from my hotel) so I decided to check it out. My meal was delicious! Emergency Meals - Pictured above are some of the things I bring to eat as emergency meals (or, possibly, just dinner tomorrow night on my layover). I've picked up tuna in this kind of package before for travel, and I was disappointed to notice that this particular brand is made with vegetable broth. It's probably fine (labeling laws make it pretty unlikely that it contains gluten) but please use caution if you're seriously intolerant!
4 Comments
Brandy
2/27/2013 11:14:16 am
black beans and rice... yum!
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Beth
2/27/2013 11:35:30 am
Love Caribou! :)
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Sarah
2/27/2013 10:29:45 pm
Excellent, informative post. I really appreciated hearing about your discussion with airport security. I'd never have imagined it possible to travel with all that food. I've had to throw out translucent bottles of unopened water to clear security before...
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Dielle
3/1/2013 07:05:01 am
I put a real focus on bringing solid and/or packaged food. I figure if it isn't a 'liquid or a gel' it will be less likely to cause problems, and it has worked for me so far. I always bring a stainless steel water bottle (and they always fill it completely on the plane without me having to ask) because air travel is so dehydrating!
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What I EatI want to give you an idea of how to eat healthfully on a restricted diet, without a lot of work, by showing you how I eat! I eat strictly gluten-free. You'll find A LOT of veggies in this blog! I eat both fish and meat a few times a week (local and/or humane, whenever possible), and dairy when I'm visiting family and friends, or eating out. I hope you find this blog inspiring and interesting!
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