Preparing: The Process

So, now on to some of my tips and tricks on how I pack and plan for food. Let’s break it down nice and simple. 

• Create a list of your go-to snacks. 

  • Banana and almond butter

  • Cassava chips and salsa

  • Yogurt and homemade granola

  • Homemade energy bars

  • Homemade loaf of bread

  • Smoothies 

  • Trail Mix 

  • Hard-boiled egg and salami 

  • Almond flour crackers 

  • Beef Sticks 

  • Grain-free cookies 

  • HU Chocolate 

I always keep a list on my phone with safe and easy snacks. Sometimes the inner voice gets the best of me and I forget that I do have foods to eat, so an already created list shows me just some of my favorite things. When I pack for a trip, I open my list before I head to the store and figure out what’s easy and safe to pack. Things that won’t get squished and can travel accordingly.

• Do your research

Are you going to be staying in a house or living it up in a hotel? Will you be eating out or cooking in? Will there be snacks available or will you be in charge of your own? Will there be a health food store nearby? These are the next questions I ask myself before I go to the store. If we will be eating out, I make sure to call the restaurants beforehand to make sure there’s something I can eat. I also let those who are traveling with me know a few safe restaurant options so we can be in the planning together because that’s the fun, right?! If we are cooking in, I think about a few of my favorite dishes and see if they happen to be anyone else’s too. Salmon, burgers, chicken, tacos, and veggies, are all great, easy options.

• Go to the store

Did someone say, “Whole Foods?” I have found it to be the best place for me to get treats and snacks that are free of all the things I need it to be and also travel size! Bring your list and don’t stray from it… unless you forgot to add the bottle of wine or cassava chips and salsa for the late night game night.

• Re-package your snacks

It does tend to be cheaper buying in bulk things like trail mix, crackers, or granola, so I always grab my reusable ziplock bags and create portions sizes. Sometimes I even stuff snack bags into my tennis shoes to maximize the space. Even with bag of nuts or chips, half an unopened bag if full of air, so it will fit better in a bag smooshed down. Re-packaging will also stretch your food so it’s properly portioned out. 

• Pack treats

Vacations are always the time to order desserts at restaurants, eat ice cream while watching a show, or bake cookies at 1 in the morning. You’ll want to participate in the indulgence! For years I would just go to bed early, cry in the bathroom, or eat something I shouldn’t have because I craved the treat and time together over treats. Don’t forget to still treat yourself and have something to look forward to. Your friends will be happy for you, too!

• Prep a few Meals 

It is vital that I prepare something for the spontaneous moments or sticky situations. Having a few meals ready to go on a trip may be a little awkward but not as much as going hungry, making an unnecessary stop by the store, or compromising. Pasta, a breakfast Quiche, and a few grilled chicken breasts and veggies give me a variety and options!

• Grab a Cooler

I guess there is this invention called a plug-in cooler. Cooler by day and fridge by night. This sounds ideal and i’m not sure why I haven’t purchased one yet, but to me it seems like a portable fridge would alleviate attention on myself. It can be hard showing up to a home and immediately invading their fridge with the items you need to stay cool. It also may be embarrassing as they look through your items with loads of comments and condolences. since I don’t have a portable fridge, I use one or two lunch boxes, pack them with ice, and let the host know I will need to store a few things in their fridge.

• Enjoy the trip

There’s only so much you can do to prepare, and in the end, the memories you make around the fire, playing games, driving in the car, and staying up past midnight are going to be what you remember. Do your best to not get sick from unhelpful food but also from unhelpful anxiety thinking too much about food.

I hope these tips encourage you. I hope you find joy and energy in preparing knowing why you are doing it and what lies ahead. I hope you feel freedom and life getting away and know that celiac disease may take a little extra time but it will never limit and should never take away fully.