gluten free familyA mum's blog about gluten-free living in Australia

Happy New Year! We here at Gluten Free Family may have downed tools these last few weeks, but we haven’t completely frittered our idle moments. Our days out and about, traveling here and there, have provided some inspiriaton.

We have a few new gluten free projects in the pipeline this year (as a result we won’t be blogging quite as regularly) so watch this space.

We have also pulled together a gluten free holiday survival guide. We know how tricky things can be when you are away from your own familiar cupboards and your regular retailers — and it’s tempting to fall off the wagon — especially at this time of year.

So here are the tips we’ve collected in the weeks and years past — and please feel free to share yours!

- Choose self catering over hotel accommodation if you can to stay inside your culinary comfort zone.  Your food options will be much more flexible that way.

- Take your own vacuum packed bread in case the local shops’ gluten free bread shelves are bare. They are also great for out and about. We like the Schar range from Harris Farm and some IGA.

- With kiddies in the car and a long stint on the freeway it’s hard to dodge Maccas unless you plan in advance to pack your lunch or dinner ahead of time. Fruit, rice or corn crispbreads, a tin of tuna, GF muesli bars, or the leftovers of last night’s dinner. Even better, you’ll save a bundle!

- Likewise, opt for home made picnics instead of lunching out whenever possible. It takes a bit more planning but it can add a fun, new dimension to your trip.

- Keep some pre-packaged goodies like gluten free gingerbread in your bag for unscheduled coffee shop stops. Availability of gluten free fare, especially outside of metropolitan areas, can be hit and miss.

- Stock up on packet mixes like pizza bases (bread mixes often make great bases) and pancake mixes (we like Vitarium and Macro) to take with you for festive, fun, easy meals away.

- Pack your esky with some frozen meals (like bolognaise or some other family favourite) to get you started on your jaunt away so you’re not having to cook up a storm the minute you arrive.

- If you’re going overseas, there is some great info online these days about the gluten free scene that awaits you. For instance we got some great tips for our New York trip on the internet.

- Beware the gluten free meal options offered by the airlines. Those meals are generally designed to cater for lots of different allergies meaning you pretty much get fruit, fruit and more fruit. Our advice: bring your own snacks along to compensate.

Happy travels!

Mandy

Or get our newletter . . .