2013 – Gluten Free Living

There are a lot of people who are on special diets for dairy or gluten intolerance, diabetes or hypoglycemia or other health issues. Many times they do great while at home but struggle eating out or when they are away from home for extended periods.

This post is provided to give options for clean eating, and ideas for low calorie, healthy, and gluten free snacks. Being organized and prepared is the easiest way to deal with dietary restrictions and stay on track — whether you have to do it for survival, disease, or for weight loss.

When you know you’re going to be gone from home for several hours for meetings, shopping, work, school, soccer practice, or family activities for extended periods you can pack up healthy snacks like these to help you maintain healthy eating patterns.

Travel Snack Tips:

1) Consider investing in a good insulated lunch tote large enough to provide snacks for several meals

2) Purchase several freezer packs to keep food cold throughout the day

3) Purchase  some small containers to put snacks in

4) Purchase some plastic forks, spoons, knives, napkins, wet wipes and sandwich bags if you don’t already have them

5) When purchasing fresh veggies or fruits it’s helpful to chop up or slice the veggies and fruit beforehand. Pat dry and keep in airtight containers. Then you only have to transfer to small containers without a lot of additional prep work needed. Having pre-cut veggies or fruit is really helpful when you need to prepare snacks without a lot of notice.

6) Keep freezer packs in the freezer until ready to use. Don’t forget and leave them in the lunch tote when you get home. Place them back in the freezer for the next day. This is important to keep food from spoiling or growing bacteria.

Here’s a look at all the different kinds of healthy, low calorie, gluten free travel snacks you can pack up for being away from home.

Gluten Free Travel Accessories

I find these small ziplock bowls ideal for packing small amounts of veggie or fruit snacks

We have several of these small igloo insulated coolers. They are great for packing up gluten free snacks. The padding protects the food from getting smashed, the insulation and frozen ice packs keeps your food cold so it doesn’t spoil.

Here’s what the inside of the cooler looks like.

This section is great for holding napkins, plastic silverware, and wet wipes.

It’s helpful to keep plastic spoons, forks and knives on hand so you have them available to pack with your lunch or snacks.

I also use plastic snack and sandwich bags to put some foods in.

These are my freezer packs. These have seen a lot of duty over the years. I would take my lunch tote with me for long days away from home and place these over top of all the water and snacks. Then, as soon as I got home each day I would put them back in the freezer so they would be ready and frozen for the next day. I like to keep water refrigerated too so it helps keep everything cool.

Putting napkins and wet wipes in your snack tote is really helpful. This is especially helpful when you’re eating fruit that tends to be a little juicy.

I always carried water along with me, too. If you keep water refrigerated or frozen until putting it in the cooler it will help keep everything cooler for several hours.

Gluten Free Travel Snacks

Bananas are one of the easiest snacks to transport. They are easy to eat and filling.

Yogurt is a great snack to take if you need to eat protein with your carbs. Bring along a spoon and you’re set to go. 

Grape tomatoes are also a really easy snack to eat at the office, while you’re driving, or waiting to pick up kids from school.

Storing your snacks in air tight containers like this help the fruit or vegetables from getting mashed.

Here I’ve placed the container in my lunch tote.

Carrot chips, baby carrots or even match stick carrots are great options for healthy snacks. 

Now I’ve stacked the carrots on top of the grape tomatoes.

Here are some sugar snap peas. These are great crunchy snacks to eat.

Here I’ve placed the sugar snap peas on top of the carrots in my lunch tote.

Blackberries are a great fruit for travel snacks but make sure you have some napkins handy!

Here I’m placing the blackberries in my lunch tote.

Cauliflower florets are great veggie travel snacks. If you cut up the cauliflower when you bring it home from the store and place it in an airtight container than all you have to do is transfer some of it to the smaller containers when you need it.

You can also purchase broccoli, cauliflower, and other veggies already pre-cut at a lot of grocery stores. They’re more expensive than cutting it yourself but it does provide a measure of convenience.

Here I’ve added the cauliflower to the travel tote.

Now I’ve added blueberries. They are also a very easy snack to eat. After washing make sure you pat dry the fruit and vegetables. This will help prevent food from decomposing too quickly.

Miniature bell peppers are a delicious treat to pack for travel snacks. Here I’ve packed them in snack bags instead of the smaller zip lock containers.

I added the peppers to the lunch tote.

Cantaloupe is another great fruit to take along for travel snacks. Be sure to pack your plastic forks and napkins if you pack this.

Apples, pears, oranges and grapefruit are also great travel snacks. If you can’t bite into apples and pears then you can cut them in fourths, remove the seeds and cores, and then soak for a few seconds in lemon juice before packing up in zip lock bags or containers.

Grapes are also a great travel snack to eat on the run.

Here I’ve added the grapes to the travel tote.

Celery is another excellent choice for travel snacks. You can salt and pepper it if you like, or add organic peanut butter or cream cheese if you like. These are plain.

I stored the celery in zip lock bags.

Here I’ve added the celery to the tote.

Now I’ve added the yogurt.

For those who need more protein I like to add a couple of slices of nitrate-free deli beef, turkey, chicken or ham. Salt and pepper it and then roll it up.

Here I’ve salted and peppered the beef.

Here I’ve rolled up the beef.

Now I’ve put the rolls of beef in plastic zip lock bags.

Here I’ve added the meat to the snack tote. Diabetics and hypoglycemics can consider all these protein options as it is better for them to eat a little protein with their carbs to regulate blood sugar.

String cheese or chunks of cheese are other options for healthy protein-filled snacks.

Here’s a couple of mozzarella sticks.

Now I’ve tossed the cheese sticks into the travel tote.

Now I’ve added the banana.

Here I’ve added an apple to the travel tote.

Now I’ve added a pear to the tote.

Grapefruit and oranges are other really great snacks for the travel tote. I like to cut oranges in fourths and grapefruits in eighths because they are easier to eat that way. Be sure to bring plenty of napkins.

Cut up the grapefruit.

Add the grapefruit to a zip lock bag.

Add the grapefruit to the travel tote.

I’ve repacked the tote slightly and put the grapefruit under the apple and pear.

Here I’ve two salted and peppered hard-boiled eggs. If you are in need of extra protein eggs are a great way to get them–plus, eating more protein helps fill you up so you feel full longer.

Now I’ve added the eggs to the lunch tote.

Here’s my tote fully packed. Obviously I would NEVER bring this much food for a single day. I just loaded it so you could get an idea of how much you can pack in one of these totes and provide options and ideas to eat gluten free.

Here’s another look after I’ve removed some of the stuff.

I like to put cold water on top so it doesn’t crush any of the food. Then I top everything with the freezer ice packs.

All of these snacks are healthy, low calorie, gluten free and provide clean eating for those on special diets.

Here’s how I packed the snacks.

Other great options for snacks are broccoli florets, sliced cucumber, yellow squash or zucchini, olives, watermelon, honeydew, mango, pineapple, any kind of nuts or seeds, even hummus and vegetables.

Most of the time you won’t be away from the house where you have to miss more than a couple of meals at a time. Bringing even four or five of these snacks at a time plus bottled water should get you through the day until you get home.

You may also like these posts:

Healthy Snacks and Nutrition 101

Gluten Intolerance

Sugar Will Ruin Your Health

Eating Clean – Breaking Through the Weight Loss Plateau

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