Heading to Hawaii!

Traveling with Celiac Disease is tricky, definitely doable and also requires a certain amount of arm strength. Our bags are extra heavy because we’re not just packing clothes and toiletries but food and snacks.

We are heading to the Big Island of Hawaii tomorrow morning and are very excited to take a break from hats and giant jackets. While getting everything (food, clothes and bathing suits) ready for our flight and time in the sun I was reminded of a previous trip to Hawaii a few years ago.

After getting on the plane, after putting all our stuff in the right place, I began to list all the food and snack options that I had brought. Just as I finished, the woman in front of me said, “excuse me, did you just say that you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” Slightly confused I said, “yes, why?” I’ll never forget her reply, “would you mind keeping that sandwich wrapped up? My son is allergic to peanuts and can have a reaction to airborne peanut particles. This is the last leg of our trip and we just want to get there without more complications.” Stunned, this was the first time I’d heard about allergic reactions to airborne food particles, I assured her that I would not open the peanut butter and jelly filled ziplock until after we’ve gotten off the plane. Kindly she said, “if you run out of food or snacks we have plenty to share. We have cheese, crackers, pretzels, goldfish.” I gave little giggle at the irony of the situation and said “no thank you, I brought enough, and we actually can’t have your snacks, my daughter has Celiac Disease and can’t eat Gluten.”

The exchange gave me pause. I had been rushing at home, trying to pack our bags with food for the flight and managing the increasing anxiety that comes with leaving the safety of our house. Now, here was this other mother, doing the same thing, managing her and her son’s anxiety, trying to keep him safe as well as experiencing travel. I felt blessed that we didn’t and don’t have the added anxiety of an anaphylactic reaction, but at the same time, it’s hard to travel with Celiac Disease. The addition of needing to be Gluten Free definitely has an impact on our travel.

Luckily, it has gotten easier to travel Gluten Free. There are so many helpful apps, resources and more and more people know and understand what it takes to provide safe food for people with Celiac. I’ve also set our family up with a pretty good travel system.

There are three things that makes our travel lives easier: 1) we tend to stay in places with kitchens, 2) I have a “To-Go Kitchen” that can be easily packed into our suitcases, and 3) I bring some of our favorite Gluten Free foods with us. As someone who loves to visit local markets and cooking, I prefer to stay in places with kitchens so that I can cook. I love going out to eat, but it’s great to not have to eat out for every single meal. Bringing some favorite foods from home takes the pressure off when it’s hard to find Gluten Free options at a local grocery store.

I don’t need to bring my “To-Go Kitchen” this time as I have access to Gluten Free cooking equipment. But, I still need to bring a few things to help increase the chance that our daughter can have an amazing trip without getting sick. Also, groceries are more expensive in Hawaii, especially Gluten Free items, so I bring what I know we will want to eat, that can also be safely packed in our bags.

Here’s what’s on my list:

Our Nima and Nima capsules

Pamela’s pancake mix

Udi’s Flax/Fiber Sandwich bread

Andean Dream pasta

My homemade GF mac-n-cheese, frozen

Banana Bread from our local GF bakery, NuFlours

GF hamburger buns

GF graham crackers

Hot Sauce, I always travel with hot sauce

GF and reef safe sunscreen

GF chlorine removing shampoo/conditioner

GF aftersun lotion

Safe travels everyone. Aloha!