I'm new here but I've leaving on vacation in 3 days with another family. Once we get to our destination, I should be fine. We are staying in a house and there is a really good health food store nearby. However, we are traveling for two days from St. Louis to Bozeman, MT and I just know it's going to be fast food hell and slim pickings.

I'm going to bring my own food but it's not like I can cook anything in the car. I guess I'll be eating lots of gluten free bars, crackers and fruit. I'm getting a bit nervous about the whole thing. Maybe I should just look at it as "fast and cleansing" time?

I guess fasting and cleansing time is better than despretely searching for a toilet at every reststop or gas station!!haha I think I've done that to myself before and I won't be ever doing it again!!

I know there are many items you can pack in your car. But I feel for you. Myself, I hate eating an apple when everyone else gets Taco Bell. I think even Burger King could get me jealous when I'm starving!

So keep yourself full of "safe" things and keep your willpower up till you arrive safely with as few bathroom stops as possible!

Take a little cooler with foods that you can heat up when they stop to gas up!!!!
I always take baggies of diffrent food so I don't have to settle for what gluten-free at teh gas station!
Good Luck!

Are you taking an ice chest? Or even a little 6-pack cooler? You can put a cup of ice in a zip lock bag to keep a small cooler cold. If it's a road trip, there shouldn't be a problem with stopping at a grocery store and hitting a deli counter for some Boars Head Meat. The Honey Roasted turkey is good. I frequently take lunchmeat and crackers (Nut Thins) for lunch at work. And you can pick up fresh fruit or fruit cups while you're there. Make sure to ask the deli person to clean the blade before slicing your meat. All Boars Head Meat is gluten-free but they usually sell cheaper stuff that may not be. http://www.boarshead.com/faq.html

If you hit McDonalds, they have a gluten free grilled chicken breast that is very good and you can have their salad. Just make sure you talk to a manager and emphasize that your food can't touch bread and how sick you get from gluten. In my experience, the managers get it, the person behind the register may not.
http://www.mcdonalds.com/mcd_apps/nutritio.../glutenfree.pdf

Taco Bell seems to flunk gluten-free but other fast food places have gluten-free menus. I don't know what's in your area of the country but spend some time checking it out before you leave and take printed gluten-free menus with you so you won't get somewhere and be tempted. Most places, the manager will know what you're talking about. When you get back, dropping an email to the corporate website praising or lamenting your experience can go a long way on PR.

If you want to only eat food you bring, Jif peanut butter to go cups would be ideal for travel. That way, you also limit the chance of cross contamination to your supply. I've had to write off big jars of peanut butter at work because someone didn't understand that dipping their gluten contaminated knife in my jar would be a problem.
http://www.jif.com/products/details.asp?prodID=572

Dinty Moore is gluten-free and can be heated up in a convenience store using their microwave.

Also, when I had to sit with family members in the hospital, I took Turkey Spam singles, crackers and apples. It's not as good as Boars Head, but it requires no refrigeration.

Having said that, I agree you should pack along the gluten-free bars as insurance and the standard Celiac travel equipment -- immodium (just in case).

Ener-G makes bread packed two slices per package. It's shelf stable and keeps for a long time. Expensive, yes, but perfect for road trips.

http://www.ener-g.com/

You can take some of that and a small jar or single serve packs of peanut butter and make a sandwich.

This store sells single serve items. Granted, many of them are not gluten free, but you can get some things like jam and jelly that might be of use:

http://www.minimus.biz/

We've made several cross country moves in recent years and the good thing is there are more and more foods available at the various convenience centers and such. Many of them sell single serve or small packages of cheese, fresh fruit, salads, and I even saw packages of baby carrots at one. And most have small packages of nuts.

My daughter likes Shelton's Turkey sticks. They're a good source of protein. A small can of Vienna Sausages is another option.

I bet you're right about that. If we all try and purchase better quality foods, they will have to sell healthier foods. Vienna sausages are gluten-free? I haven't checked. I liked them as a child- yes, a good fall back if needed. I moved cross country a few times but I haven't moved anywhere in a few years! haha I kind of miss it in a sick, yet fun, great way!!

When we travel, I pack most of my food, but if we see a Chick-fil-a, I'll have a grilled chicken salad and waffle fries. Double check that it's a dedicated fryer.

I also will eat Wendy's chili and Frosty.

You can bring a box of cereal with you - just buy some milk and ask for a bowl. I've done that at fast food restaurants, too. I don't "ask" if I can do it ... I just say I have food allergies, may I have a bowl for my cereal. They don't say anything.

Hardees has a "low carb burger" that is gluten-free. It's wrapped in a lettuce leaf, so you get to hold it to eat it.

What about single serving cans of tuna & those packets of mayo or mustard, pepper, etc.? Just mix in a bowl, or eat on a sandwich or bun. A jar of pb is, imho, never a mistake - you'll never starve. And can't we eat the Wendy's baked potato? How about bringing gluten-free tamari sauce and crushed almonds to put on it?

Also, most gas stations quickie marts have a microwave- so all those gluten-free noodle dishes (Taste of Thai, for ex) you could nuke, or a can of gluten-free soup.

Other rt favorites - nuts, popcorn, apples, & cherries (esp. this time of year). Some gas stations have fruit at the check out too.

have fun!

Hardee's has this low carb wrapped in a lettuce leaf? Cool, I thought they were going the HUGE jumbo burger route, mainly!! Did you try it? We are getting the PF Chang soon so I am waiting to try the infamous lettuce wraps there. I've had Chili's lettuce wraps. How do these compare?? I bet they are all good.
Oh, Chik-fil-a- is this a sandwhich or salad? Because last time I got Chick-fil-a, it was 1pm, no breakfast, and the kids needed food (busy day), so they got all the good stuff, and I got nothing.

One note on Chick-fil-A, last time I checked every meat item on their menu has MSG (it's in the fries too). If MSG isn't an issue, no problem. But it has been an issue for me. My info may be outdated, it's been a couple of years since I checked last.

I know you couldn't get this in 3 days but it might be good to keep this on hand for future emergencies.

Minute Hamburger Bun Mix Starter Kit by Fast & Fresh
http://www.amazon .com/Minute-Hamburger-Bun...m=AFAIFIFJKNYD4

I've tried it and it's a good bun from mix to microwave in less than 5 minutes. I toast mine after the microwave just so it isn't snow white but it's a good bun and very easy to make. A bit pricey but worth it in the right situation.The same people make pizza crust and other stuff but I've only tried the bun. It holds together better than the buns I make with GFP mix. In fact, tonight at Fuddruckers, I told my Mom and Hubby that I'm not going to bake buns anymore because they don't hold together as well as these do.

The package reminds me of the old Suzy Bake oven mixes. 4 bags of mix per kit, each makes a 2 piece bun, and the bun mold that you microwave it in.

Thanks all for the good advice. I decided to go the cooler route and went to Trader Joe's today and stocked up on good stuff so I should be set for the road. I also bought some rice pasta, marinara sauce, roasted red pepper soup, bread mix to take with me so that I have stuff to cook up right away once we get there in case they want to order up pizzas or something.

Yes, I've had it twice ... it's nice to order a regular burger at a fast food restaurant. I seldom eat fast food, but this was a road trip.


I've only ever had the PF Chang's lettuce wraps. They are very good.

Grilled chicken salad. No croutons. No sunflower seeds (yes, they have wheat). You can ask for the tortilla strips instead.

Here is the link for restaurnats in Bozeman, MT

http://www.bozemancvb.com/places_to_eat.php


They have a Wendys and McDonaldsm, so you will have some choices. It looks like there is also quite a few steakhouses (they have an OUTBACK!!!) and cafes. The website has all of the contact numbers, so get crackin!

bb

Thanks for the link. My friend is from Bozeman and she told me recently that her stepdad could no longer have gluten (she didn't know whether or not he had Celiac disease) so I'm hoping for a good resource when I'm there. Also we will have our own kitchen so I can cook and grill etc. I know my friend is dying to go to the Naked Noodle which obviously won't have much that I will be able to eat.

I'm more worried the endless drive through S.Dakota and Wyoming because there isn't much of anything. I'm going to check and see if they have an Outback in Sioux Falls though. Also, I'm going to check and see if I can find a Chipolte's because their website said everything except the superhot salsa and flour tortillas are gluten-free and they will gladly change gloves for me, so I've been eating there and loving it!

You may be able to get them to fix your rice pasta and top it with something gluten-free. just make sure to tell them to use fresh water. Apparently, it's common to have one huge pot of boiling water in which all pasta is cooked. Obviously, that won't work for gluten-free. It may take a little longer for your order since they have to bring the water up to a boil. You might also consider taking along a bag of prepared Tinkyada pasta tossed with olive oil in your cooler and all they'd have to do is heat it in the microwave and top it. Tinkyada is durable enough to do this, if you're using another rice pasta, it might be a problem.