If you’ve ever traveled while adhering to a restricted diet, you know that it is not easy. Unless you are staying with friends or staying at a hotel that has a kitchenette, creating your own allergen-free meals can be quite a challenge if not impossible.
I received the following question from Walter, who isn’t traveling, but doesn’t have access to a kitchen:
Wheat is like my main food, but I’m tired a lot and wondering if I need to cut out gluten. My problem is that I am currently living in a hotel room with no kitchen — not even a fridge. (I’m poor.)
Do you have any suggestions for my current situation?
First of all, since you’re not really sure what may be causing you to be tired, I suggest doing an elimination diet for four days to see if you can tell a difference in your energy level. I talk about how to do this here. Start with wheat, and if you don’t see a difference, go onto dairy products. Then gluten (eliminating all wheat, barley, spelt, oats and all foods made with gluten).
While you’re doing this, and when you find out what be causing your symptoms, here are some suggestions for your current situation:
- Buy a cooler and get ice from your hotel (if this is possible). You will be able to keep some foods cold for as long as the ice lasts.
- Buy fresh fruit at the store – most of it will keep for several days unrefrigerated.
- Eat raw carrots, avocados, tomatoes, celery and cucumbers. Put on ice so they stay fresh longer.
- Buy wheat-free or gluten-free bread at the store. It will be in the freezer section and stays better refridgerated or frozen. But, it would be fine to leave it out for at least 3-5 days depending upon the brand.
- Buy a toaster to toast the bread – it tastes MUCH better.
- Buy almond, peanut, sesame, and/or cashew butters. They stay fresh room temp and are a great source of protein.
- Buy rice cakes and eat them with avocados and a little salt.
- Buy instant oatmeal and an electric hot water heater and made oatmeal for breakfast.
- Buy one serving containers of non-dairy milks. It is more expensive this way but they won’t need to be refrigerated until they are opened.
- Buy beef or fish jerky.
- Raw nuts, seeds, dried fruit, dates, raisins, etc. are all great snacks and stay fresh a long time.
- You can buy instant soups that only need hot water. I personally haven’t found these that tasty but you could give them a try. Or, buy regular soup cans, a can opener, something to mix the soup in like a big bowl, and add boiling water to it until it is warm.
- Buy hard-boiled eggs in the deli section at the grocery store.
- Buy turkey lunch meat at the deli and eat that day or put on ice.
- Hummus is a great spread to put on bread and you can find it premade at most grocery stores.
- As far as fast food and eating out goes, you will end up spending a lot of money but you inevitable need to do so sometimes. Here are some tips:
- Order your burger without a bun. French fries are wheat-free but not always gluten-free.
- Avoid Chinese food – it will most likely have soy sauce in almost everything and soy sauce is not wheat-free unless it is wheat-free Tamari. Thai food would be a good alternative.
- Mexican food is a good bet – just make sure the corn chips are really wheat and gluten-free.
- Boston Market is someplace I like to go when I am out because I can get chicken or turkey with vegetables. You just have to forgo the tasty cornbread, gravy and baked goods.
- The baked potatoes at Wendy’s are a healthy alternative to french fries.
- Salads with chicken at fast food places are becoming popular and are a good alternative to the burger.
I hope this helps you out! Let me know how it goes for you. And if anyone else has further suggestions, please leave a comment!
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