Gluten Free Family Outings

Yesterday my family and I had the pleasure of going to see a kid friendly musical. Bug, my 3 year old daughter and Bear, my 4 year old son were very excited as we prepared to go. I, on the other hand, was going through my typical pre outing anxiety. As anyone who lives gluten free knows, odds are high that at any given public function there will most likely not be safe foods to eat. And, if the gf gods happen to look upon you with favor that day and you DO find something….there is always the cross contamination issue. So… What in the world is a Gf family to do???

BE PREPARED!!!!

We carry a small backpack with us if we know we will be somewhere that may not have safe food options. We have a load of things in it.

Our list:
● bottled water
● snack sized containers of homemade fruit leathers and dried fruits
●fruit snacks
●yogurt drops
●sweet potato chips
●rice cakes…usually flavored
●peanut butter
●raisins
● note concerning need for specialized diet from our naturopath

From time to time I will add other things.  There are times when we will bring complete meals with us if the outing we are attending includes a lunch or dinner. But that is the typical quick grab bag for our normal trips. I replenish items as needed and do an overall inventory check once a month. Of course I slacked recently and was running around like a crazy person before yesterday’s outing. Hey welcome to life, right?

This little pack has saved our behinds more than once. Anyone with littles knows the trouble you can be in if they wind up being the least bit hungry…especially if you have nothing to offer them. So I highly suggest you consider making up a go to pack for your family as well. I will be more than happy to walk you through the steps of what to include on an individual basis if you need help with suggestions based on your family’s preferences.

I will tell you though, the absolute MOST IMPORTANT thing you must include in your bag is a note from your doctor or naturopath that explains the medical need for a specialized diet. There have been a few times that I was told we could not bring our own food into certain venues before I began carrying the note with us. Places like movie theaters and sports arenas like to give you the third degree unless you have that little piece of paper. On the positive side, since I began carrying the note with us, I have only had to use it twice. Each time, once the note was presented, the establishments left us to our own accord with our food. I would love for things to not be this way but the sad fact is that things are. But think of that note as your own personal insurance that your family stays safe.

Good luck!!

**Lizzie**