Gluten Free Travel – Page 2 – Gluten Free Finds

Oberto Spicy Sweet Beef Jerky [GF] 4 Packs

Oberto All Natural Spicy Sweet Beef Jerky, 3.25 Ounce Bag (Pack Of 4) from Oberto

All natural, low in carbohydrates, no MSG, 97% fat free, no MSG. Made in the USA . 4 x 3.25 ounce bags.

I take two or three packs of Oberto beef jerky with me every time I travel. I’ve found them to be a great source of gluten free protein when on the go.

Update; Since this post was published, the price has changed. Check the product page for up to the minute price and availability.

Oberto All Natural Spicy Sweet Beef Jerky, 3.25 Ounce Bag (Pack Of 4)

Always check ingredients to confirm gluten free status. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer with questions.

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Minimus for Gluten Free Travel Size Items

I’m getting ready for an upcoming trip. We have a cruise planned for the end of this month. The cruise line we’re going on recommends bringing gluten free salad dressing.

Looking around for some sources for that, I ran into minimus.biz, the “Mini Products Superstore”. They have a lot of interesting sample size and travel related merchandise. Prices seem pretty good and shipping is free on $20 orders.

Minimus isn’t a strictly gluten free supplier, but they do carry brand names. You’ll want to verify suitability of any product before your order.

Visit Minimus.biz | Gluten Free Food Selection

Always check ingredients to confirm gluten free status. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer with questions.

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KIND Gluten Free Granola – Breakfast, on-the-go and traveling

I’m a big fan of KIND’s line of gluten free granola. When I’m in a hurry, I eat a bowl for breakfast. They are also good for on the go and traveling. They are in sturdy bags so they pack well for travel. Depending on the trip I’ll throw a pouch or two in my bag. If I’m able to find a gluten free breakfast where I’m at, dandy. If not, I know I have a tasty option. The bags also have an integrated zip to to reseal.

They are available in several flavors including… Banana Nut, Cinnamon Oat with Flax Seeds, Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds, Oats and Oats and Honey with Toasted Coconut, Peanut Butter Whole Grain, Raspberry with Chia Seeds and Vanilla Blueberry

KIND Healthy Grains Granola Clusters by KIND

Always check ingredients to confirm gluten free status. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer with questions.

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Thoughts About: Triumph Dining Gluten Free Dining Out Cards – English and Spanish

51j3EVs0IDL._SX271_BO1,204,203,200_ Gluten Free Dining Out Cards (English and Spanish Edition) by Triumph Dining

These cards help to explain to restaurant staff (in both English and Spanish) that you need to dine gluten free.

I posted about these earlier in April and said I planned on picking some up since I have a trip planned to Central America, specifically Guatemala.

Well, I did order them and have had a chance to take a look at them. I’ve been apprehensive about going to a country where I do not speak the language (I do speak a little spanish… a little) with Celiac Disease [See: About Me]. It’s not the traveling itself that has me on edge, I love to travel. As always… It’s Celiac that’s the issue. This is my first major trip since being diagnosed.

These cards have put me to ease, by a good bit. They are much more detailed when I compare them to free cards or apps I’ve found. I don’t want to publish a picture because these are a work of Triumph Dining and I don’t want to give away their hard work. The cards contain the following sections.. First: A statement telling the waitperson that I have celiac disease and that I must eat a special diet. It asks for their help to do that. Then… “I Cannot Eat”, “Please Check” and “I can eat”. Each of these areas contain additional information and examples. There is a “Thank you” statement and finally a section on cross contamination. One side of the card is in English and one is in Spanish.

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Triumph Dining Gluten Free Dining Out Cards + I’m Going to Guatemala.. Got any Tips?

51j3EVs0IDL._SX271_BO1,204,203,200_ Gluten Free Dining Out Cards (English and Spanish Edition) by Triumph Dining

These cards help to explain to restaurant staff (in both English and Spanish) that you need to dine gluten free.

I’m picking these up in preparation for an upcoming trip to Guatemala. Any tips for eating safely and successfully in Latin America? Let me know – I’d love to share.

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San-J Organic Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce – Travel Packs

SAN-J gluten free soy sauce in convenient travel packs. You get (20) .25 ounce packs.

Generally speaking, these will be more expensive than the regular bottled version, but they are convenient for eating out and travel. What other travel size sauces (salad dressing, bbq, A1, mayo, etc) do you use? Any other travel tips? Let us know

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Trip Report: Gluten Free in Siesta Key!

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My family and I recently took a Spring Break Trip to Sarasota Florida and the Siesta Key Beach area. I was very pleased with the gluten free options in the area. Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights…

Island Gluten Free Bakery – This dedicated gluten free bakery is filled with a couple things… 1. Extremely nice people and 2. Awesome gluten free baked goods. Chatting with the folks here, I learned more about gluten free options in the area and I learned that they are great people. We made this a daily stop before the beach for coffee and breakfast. Everything I had here was good, but in particular, I would recommend the cinnamon rolls. Everyone in my family including my gluten eating kids agreed that these were great and couldn’t tell that they were GF. Island Gluten Free also has a pamphlet with gluten free options in the area that serve their products under the Stellar Gluten Free Label. This place is a must-stop.
Beckham’s on the Trail – The restaurant has a great gluten free menu and takes the issue of gluten seriously. It’s my understanding that they have a separate gluten free prep areas and they do have dedicated fryers. I had the deep free fish and it was amazing. Really great place and Celiac friendly.
Fresh Kitchen – This place is a dedicated gluten free restaurant. You pick a bowl size and pick your bases, proteins and veggies. My food was nutritious and straight up delicious. For what you get, I also think it’s a great value.
Carrabba’s on Stickney Point Road – Part of the Carrabba’s chain. They offer a gluten free menu chain-wide. I talked with the manager here about cross contamination and they seemed to understand the issue well. They were friendly and the food was great. I had the grilled salmon. Our server was a delight. She indicated that some of the cook’s here have been at this location for a long time and that it was one of the best Carrabba’s restaurants around.
S’macks Burgers and Shakes – They offer a gluten free bun (Stellar from Island Bakery) and were very friendly. If you are a celiac you need to talk with them a bit about your situation. I had a good experience and the food was tasty. It was nice to have a burger on a good gluten free bun. Some frozen custard options are also gluten free, but you need to be careful on toppings and mix-ins. I spoke with the manager and had a dish of vanilla from a machine they don’t use very often.
Baja Boys Grill – This is a dedicated gluten free food truck serving fresh Mexican. This is owned and operated by a celiac. Really great food and nice people. It was a little difficult to track the truck down. I have a suspicion they are only open on Wednesdays at the Phillipi Farmer’s Market. My only complaint is it would be nice to see them open more often. Great food!
Earth Origins Market – This is a chain of health food grocery stores that has a couple locations in Sarasota. Great selection of gluten free food and reasonable prices

This was my first big trip after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Sarasota and Siesta Key are great places to visit if you’re looking for a beach getaway. I was very happy with the gluten free options. I highlighted the ones I tried, but even more are available. It was a great trip!

Got a trip report? Let us know, we’d be happy to share!

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Review: Triumph Dining Gluten Free Dining Out Cards – English and Spanish

Gluten Free Dining Out Cards (English and Spanish Edition)

Gluten Free Dining Out Cards (English and Spanish Edition)by Triumph Dining

These cards help to explain to restaurant staff (in both English and Spanish) that you need to dine gluten free.

I picked these up for a trip to Guatemala that I just returned from.

Prior to ordering these I had been apprehensive about going to a country where I do not speak the language (I do speak a little spanish… a little) with Celiac Disease [See: About Me]. It’s not the traveling itself that has me on edge, I love to travel. It’s Celiac that’s the issue. This is was my first major international trip since being diagnosed.

These cards put me at ease, by a good bit. They are much more detailed when I compare them to free cards or apps I’ve found. I don’t want to publish a picture because these are a work of Triumph Dining and I don’t want to give away their hard work. The cards contain the following sections.. First: A statement telling the waitperson that I have celiac disease and that I must eat a special diet. It asks for their help to do that. Then… “I Cannot Eat”, “Please Check” and “I can eat”. Each of these areas contain additional information and examples. There is a “Thank you” statement and finally a section on cross contamination. One side of the card is in English and one is in Spanish.

These cards made it much easier to navigate eating while traveling in Guatemala. I tried to minimize my risk be taking some food along. For most breakfasts I ate fruit and a bowl of KIND Gluten Free Granola. Most of the time I did this at the hotel’s restaurant. I just asked for some cold milk and a spoon and bowl and on every occasion was kindly provided those things. The rest of my party ate regular breakfast. For lunches I would typically eat a protein or food bar. A couple of my current favorites are Luna’s Chocolate Salted Caramel and Nugo Dark, Chocolate Chip

I also brought along some shelf stable and microwavable Hormel Chili with Beans as a fallback. Things went well enough at restaurants that I never had to resort to eating the chili.

Other foods I brought along – Oberto Original Beef Jerky, Lance Gluten Free Crackers (both the cheddar cheese and peanut butter), Jif To Go and a couple CalNatural Svelt Protein Shakes. I used Rubbermaid Canisters – the smaller sizes in this set – to pack the liquid items to protect against crushing or leaking. I used the smallest size to put protein bars in to put in my backpack. I don’t like the textured of crushed and smooshed protein bars. Packing them in a container keeps them undamaged.

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance is not prevalent in Guatemala. Very few people have the condition or have heard of it. I went to one restaurant that had a GF menu on my trip Epicure in Antigua. I still used the Triumph Dining card for that meal. I ended up with some sauteed vegetables and a grilled chicken breast. It was very good. Epicure also has a delicious selection of gluten free desserts. I tried a couple and they were delicious. They also brought some chocolates with our bill that were identified as gluten free. If you’re looking for gluten free in Antigua… check out Epicure.

I ate at a variety of restaurants with the assistance of Triumph’s dining’s Dining Card.

One suggestion that I would make is… There is a section at the bottom of the card that basically covers cross contamination. In my opinion, that’s your biggest unseen risk and it’s probably also the area that’s most likely to be missed or misunderstood. I would suggest using a highlighter to highlight that section so that servers, cooks and chefs pay special attention.

Without Gluten Free Dining Out Cards, I don’t know if I could have explained my situation in another language to a people that are by and large completely unaware of my medical condition. I’ll have this on hand with me for every trip I take to a Spanish speaking country. Based on my experience, I can recommend these to you as a tool to help you eat gluten free while traveling to Spanish speaking countries.

Gluten Free Dining Out Cards (English and Spanish Edition)

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review:triumphcard

Gluten Free in Chicago! – A Celiac’s Visitor Guide

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We live in the Midwest and are relatively close to Chicago. As such, it’s one of our favorite cities to visit. We typically visit 3 or 4 times per year.

My trip reports [Trip Reports Tag] are typically organized in a chronological fashion. This one will be a bit different since, over time, it will comprise multiple trips and should grow to more of a GF visitors guide for Chicago. I will continue to add and update this post as I visit (and re-visit) restaurants. Restaurants are listed from A to Z.

Note: For restaurants with lots of photos or additional information or multiple visits you’ll see expandable sections. Expand those for additional information.

I have Celiac Disease [About Me]. I am very sensitive to even small amounts of gluten. I try to be very careful about restaurant selection, always speak to restaurant staff about my situation and also try to make wise dining choices. Unless otherwise noted, I did not experience any known reactions to the restaurants listed here. I suggest looking at reviews, along with asking questions about ingredients and preparation to make appropriate decisions for your personal health requirements.

Continue reading “Gluten Free in Chicago! – A Celiac’s Visitor Guide”