Preparing for holiday traveling? Food does not have to be a stress!

This time of year, many people travel to visit family and friends for the holiday. Are you planning a trip this season? Are you worried about food on the road or once you arrive at your families home? Personally, this has been a huge stress for me in years past. Going to an unfamiliar town and just "hoping" there is gluten-free food available can cause anyone to panic just a bit.

For some, this can prevent you from even considering a trip outside of your "comfort zone" and home town. Who can blame you? The effects of being "glutened" are enough to keep anyone on their toes. Sure, for some, these effects may not be serious. However, for many of us, being exposed to gluten is just not an option. Rest assured that you can travel, you can enjoy your time and you can eat many of your favorite foods on the road and while visiting your precious loved ones.

How? You may be asking, at this point. As with many aspects of this way of life, planning ahead will save you much stress and distress! Start by determining how many meals you will be away from home for. If it is a short day trip, you will plan differently than if it's an extended weekend or longer affair.

For the day trip, packing some of your favorite gluten-free items is an easy way to insure that you have options at your disposal when meal time comes. If you are not eating at your family or friend's home, find out what restaurant you will be dining at. Some national chains are getting better at providing for those of us that cannot have gluten. No, they have not perfected this yet, but they are working on it.

Also, talk to your family and friends. Explain to them what your concerns are, what you need to be careful of and hopefully they will be able to help ease your mind a bit. If you know what they will be serving, this helps in your planning as well. Do you need bread, crackers, gravy, an appetizer, dessert or anything else? Many of these items are easily packed into your luggage and taken with you.

If you are making an extended weekend of your visit, check the Internet for locations of gluten-free grocers in the area. This may save you some luggage space. Again, talk to you friends and family to see what is available in the area. If you are staying in a motel while you visit, having gluten-free breakfast options and snacks will help to have on hand.

Bring some gluten-free scones along with you to have with your coffee in the motel room. Muffins are also a wonderful option for snacking or a quick breakfast. Even if you are going out to eat breakfast with your family and friends, having something to eat before hand always helps if you find that the restaurant does not have any gluten-free options.

Another good idea, if you are planning to stay with family and friends is to bring along some mixes for cookies, breads and such to make once you arrive. It is not necessary to go out and buy a mix if that is not how you normally cook at home. Try mixing the dry ingredients at home, bring the recipe and perhaps the wet ingredients to mix up and bake when the time comes. If you have room, and are especially worried about cross contamination, bring the baking pan you normally would use or anything else you think might set your mind at ease a bit more.

Take your favorite crackers, pretzels or snack foods along too. Having something to munch on in the car is always a good plan. Road trips always call for snack foods. Dried fruits, nuts, trail mix or gluten-free granola will keep you from having to stop at those fast food places that seem to reek havoc on most of our gluten-free systems.

There are many options out there for safe travel food. Talking to your friends and family before you leave also helps. Check out our Locations page and search for shops and restaurants in the area you will be traveling to. If, once there, you discover a wonderful place that is not on Gling yet, please add it! We are always on the look out for great new locations to try in every part of the country. You might just save someone else a bit of stress too.

Do have a safe holiday season. Do some planning before you leave and you will have a more relaxed visit with your families and friends! Enjoy this holiday season with your loved ones and make some wonderful new memories. Do you have any good tips for stress free holiday traveling and eating? Share them with us!

Also, visit our Holiday Menuzine for more wonderful tips and recipes to make your holidays less stressful and more memorable!