5 Travel Tips for those following a Low-FODMAP diet
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October 26, 2021When it comes to weekend travel, are you one to pack it up or suck it up?
And by that I mean, would you rather:
- Do some extra planning and prepping before a weekend away and bring food with you to save your stomach.
- OR are you more inclined to let your gut take a hit and opt for whatever take-out options there are or the non-FODMAP friendly cooked meals, snacks, and desserts.
Honestly this is a tough one.
Getting to indulge with the tasty desserts, decadent restaurant food, and roadside take-out while taking a weekend getaway, always used to be something I was excited about.
And it took me a long time to transition towards packing my own food for those trips, instead of just eating what was available and inevitably letting my gut suffer.
Don’t get me wrong, I still indulge from time to time when travelling, because let's be real, sometimes you have no other option.
But I have found that taking a few extra steps before going away has saved my gut a ton, and allowed me to be present and enjoy my weekends away even more.
So if you are looking for a way to save your gut too, here are 5 tips on how to make travelling on a restricted diet a little bit easier.
1. Pack a Small Cooler
If you have been eating with sensitivities for even just a short time ,I am sure you have already sought out where to find all of your favourite gluten-free/keto/dairy-free/fodmap-friendly items.
Even if you havn’t figured out all the stores that may carry them, I am sure you have found the stores that do not have them.
Let's be honest, FODMAP-friendly products are not easy to find. So when you find that one store that sells your favourite bread, you stock up every time you go.
And this should be no different for when you travel out of town!
You might not know what the local groceries stores will have (if there are any grocery stores close by), so it’s smart to pack up some of your staples to bring with you!
Now you don't need to pack up a fancy detailed meal plan by any means. But a few items that will help you get through some meals or provide you with snacks between meals, can be super handy.
These are a couple of items I often bring with me when I am travelling out of town. And again, are items that generic grocery stores will likely not sell.
- Gluten-free and FODMAP-Friendly Bread such as Schaer Bread or O’dough Bagels.
- Dairy-free Items. Cheese, yogurt and butter (If I know I will be staying somewhere for a while).
- Gluten-Free Treats - cookies or baked treats. If I am going somewhere where I know celebrations are in order I often bring my own treats. That way I don’t feel left out of the festivities, or even worse indulge myself and feel like crap later on.
- Gluten-free Granola. Which can be a great topping on my yogurt with any fruit that I can grab from where I am staying.
2.Visit a Local Grocery Store
Some items you can grab from any kind of local grocery store, especially those foods you wanna keep fresh and grab at your destination!
Somethings I grab locally include:
- Fruits and veggies..I usually grab bananas which are a great grab and go snacks if going out and about at your destination or as a topping on your yogurt.Pre-packaged veggies can be good for grab and go snacks too ( especially with some homemade low-FODMAP tzatziki or low-FODMAP hummus ).
- Nuts and seeds for toppings on my yogurt.
3.Keep it Simple
When you travel your eating habits are going to change. Period.
So expecting to have your extravagant breakfasts with the fancy dairy-free yogurt, with 2 types of berries, and multiple nuts and seeds topping is as asking a little much.
So when you are packing up your cooler and stopping at the grocery store ask yourself how you can keep it simple. You want to keep your stomach happy but changing up your routine a bit will make it way easier to travel.
Some ways I keep it simple include:
- Grab a flavoured dairy-free yogurt. So I don’t have to pack up all the topping too.
- Opt for packaged snacks.This is the time where “making it from scratch” can take a back seat. Making it at home is always a good idea for your stomach. But pre-packaged foods have their place, and travel is the time to use them. Packaged protein bars or snack bento boxes(eg. with veggies, fruit, crackers, cheese, and/or hard-boiled eggs) from the grocery store can be great to get you through a good road trip!
- Avoid purchasing options.As much as I am an advocate for variety, when it comes to travel we gotta keep it simple. So when buying or packing snacks, fruit, bread, etc, try to keep it to one of each. As much as it is fun it spice things up, to keep the packing light, it is best to keep the options to a minimum.
4. Know Your Go-to Take-out Comforts
Now you cannot tell me you never eat out anymore.
I know that eating out when on an elimination diet or with lots of restrictions is very hard.But reality is, sometime you are busy, sometimes you are travelling, and sometimes you just have no other options. So to make it easier on yourself make a list of your go-to take-out places that you know you can find something that doesn’t send you straight to the next rest stop on the highway.
And once you know your options, see if you can find them on your route.
Especially if you are going somewhere more remote. You might need to stop in before you leave town, or grab it a little early in the last big town you pass through.
Trust me, this little extra planning can save you from eating a bag of chips from Bob’s Convenience store for lunch as the alternative.
5. Find Restaurants with A Lot of Variety
I don't know about you, but when it comes to weekend getaways, I always loved going out for dinner.
Getting all dolled-up and trying a new local restaurant was and is always so much fun.
But when on an elimination diet, it can be very difficult to find food on the menu that seems to fit into your restrictions.
And although avoiding all triggers might be impossible, choosing a restaurant that has a lot of options is your best bet for saving your stomach! Bonus is that any guests eating with you have lots of options to choose from so they can find something they like as well.
Another tip is to scope out the menus before visiting. And don't only look for lots of options, but also see if they have a legend for gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options on the menu. This can give you some more confidence that what you are eating won't have any hidden trigger. It also suggests that the restaurant is more accommodating to food allergies and sensitivity and might be more willing to make substitutions for you.
Food For Thought
Keep in mind that these strategies that I have developed over the years have worked well for me. We are all individuals and you will find that not all strategies, tricks, and tips will work for you. When it comes to nutrition, things can get confusing and it really is an endless journey of learning. My hope is just that I can make it a little bit less bumpy for you!
if you have any specific medical issues or questions please reach out to a local health professional for help. It is best not to use "Dr. Google" to find a diagnosis. And as always, what I share here at Making Lemonade is for information only, and should not be considered a substitute for medical advice.
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