The Gluten-Free Way: My Way. William Maltese

cannot emphasize enough—

      If you feel that something doesn’t look right, or may have gluten in it (no matter what someone else tells you), DON’T BUY OR EAT IT!

      CHAPTER ELEVEN

      Traveling

      Making the most of a vacation while living GF is easier if you follow some of these tips:

      1. Plan ahead—check your favorite national chains (such as Whole Foods Markets®) to see if they have a store near or at your destination. The best way to enjoy your vacation is to be healthy and take the GF Way the entire time. The worst way to vacation is to end up gluten contaminated even if you’re told a food is GF; allergic-reactions times get faster and are worse the longer you’re GF.

      2. Take as much GF-Way foodstuffs and personal care items as you can with you. If you’re flying and/or going international, be sure to check the requirements and regulations of airlines, customs, cruises, ships, et cetera, to keep up-to-date. If you have an official diagnosis from your doctor, you may be able to take more items with you than someone who doesn’t—again, check with the companies you are using for your travel.

      3. There is at least one GF-travel group, Bob and Ruth’s Gluten-Free Dining and Travel Club®, that regularly takes cruises and field trips. When on a cruise ship, this group provides a dedicated GF kitchen so that those who are eating don’t have to worry about cross-contamination.

      4. Some places, like certain time-share condos, have special services that allow you to pay and provide a grocery list to the staff before you arrive. The staff will purchase and place your items in your condo for you. I’ve had the option to do this, but have yet to try it, mainly because we’ve always gone to a condo close enough that we can take most of our own GF food with us and/or find it in destination stores with regular stocks of GF food.