Tips on Traveling on Day Trips with Gluten-Free Kids

I cried the day I found out that my children were gluten-intolerant like their father.  I grieved for the childhood I perceived they’d be missing out on – chasing the ice cream man for a cone, pizza at sleepovers with girlfriends, beer with the guys as my son grew into a man. I saw all the things they couldn’t have and I was sad for them. And, selfishly, I was a little sad for me. My entire life was about to change and it was a lot to take in.

But since I had already eliminated grains for my own personal health and Mike was already GF because of his Celiac, we got the hang of it pretty quickly with the kids. Today, I no longer grieve for the life they won’t have but instead am so proud of the healthy life they WILL have. However, some of the hardest things we’ve encountered as a family has been the “on-the-go” options of taking day trips with the kids. Gone are the days we could just grab some diapers and a change of clothes and head out of town for the day on adventures, figuring we’d stop off somewhere and eat or just grab something quick while out. Now our world is a little more planned out but not impossible.

So when  Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang asked me if I’d like to be part of an amazing group of gluten-free bloggers to share tips and tricks for  30 Days to Easy Gluten-free Living, I was definitely on board. I know there’s a lot of parents out there who have newly diagnosed children or even just parents who are looking for healthier ways to feed their kids on the go. So I’m going to give you my Tips on Traveling on Day Trips with GF Kids.

1) Buy a large lunchbox or a mini cooler. Especially this time of year, they’re all on sale and can be really affordable at Target, Walmart, etc. We use one with a solid/plastic inner liner. For one thing, it keeps the stuff cooler longer. For another, it can’t get crushed under a toddler tushie, like this one:

2) If you know you’re going on a day trip on the weekend, run to the store Friday. This way you know you’ll have plenty of options and not be running out right before you need to leave. You can also use the day before to make some homemade snacks to pack like homemade lara bars, grain-free cheeze-its, pepita parmesan crackers, or power balls.

3) Know your kids or ask them what they’d like to eat that day. Packing a whole cooler full of food they won’t eat isn’t going to help the Hungry Toddler About to Have A Canary Because He Is Starving But Doesn’t Want Hummus FOR THE LOVE.

4) Get them involved in the morning picking out what they’d want to eat. Let them help you peel the apples or put the cream cheese on the celery.

Page 1 of 4 | Next page