Surviving Gluten Free at Hotels

Staying in a hotel can be extremely challenging for people with celiac disease.  Most hotels offer a buffet where there are too many opportunities for cross contamination.

I did several things to keep our son safe during our hotel stays.

• I purchased some Toast it bags before we left.  Make sure that you definitely buy more than a 2 pack.  At one hotel, I had sat them down on the table and the person cleaning the dining area picked them up and threw them away.  Also, you might want to check with the hotel before you go to make sure that they have a regular toaster available.  A lot of hotels use the kind that you place the bread on a little conveyor belt and it drops to the bottom when it's done.  If this is the case, the toaster bags cannot be used.  

There was also a time when the employee had to take the bags into their kitchen to use the regular toaster.  I had to reinforce them that the bread stays IN THE BAG and to not touch the inside of the bag.  Keep in mind that it might take more than 1 time in the toaster to get it toasted to your liking.

• I made sure that I could have a refrigerator and microwave in our room.  Before we arrived at the hotel, I located a nearby grocery store and purchased a small carton on eggs and a bag of shredded cheese.  Prior to the trip, I purchased a plastic microwave omelet container like the one shown below.  If you will not have a microwave in your room, I would check to see if there would be one that you could use.  Make sure you pack a little bottle of dishwashing liquid to wash it when you're finished.

• At the grocery store, I also purchased a quart of milk for cereal.  I packed a box of Rice Chex, Splenda and plastic silverware.

• Since Andrew has diabetes, I also packed some measuring cups and a food scale.