Traveling

When I first found out I was allergic to Whey I thought this won't be so bad. I was cooking everything myself, not going out and avoiding fast food, restaurants and ready to eat meals.

Then my husband and I took our 2 kids (3 and 2 years old at the time) across the country. We drove from Maryland to Colorado up to Yellowstone over to Minnesota up to Chicago and back home to Maryland. It took us a month. It was a wonderful trip and I loved every minute we were not in a restaurant ordering food.

I ate a lot of fruit that trip and stayed afloat with gluten free dairy free pretzels and fruit. It was hard. I can remember the first breakfast out on the road crying in the bathroom because everything was cooked in a butter/oil spray. It was all over the grill so cooking up an egg would make me very sick with all of the whey in the butter. It sucked.

Anyone that tells you it's easy to eat out with allergies is wrong. It's hard.

You learn to adapt.

Quickly.

Last week we were at Disney for a full week. We stayed at a Disney resort that supplies a mini fridge. The night before we hit the parks for the week we stock up on food for the family. We packed all our own lunches and tote them with us through the park. As the day goes on the backpack got lighter.

I had caramel corn rice cakes (the large sized ones are gluten and dairy free! the snack ones are not so beware) with peanut butter, apples, bananas, almonds, gluten free dairy free pretzels, and fruit leather. Over all I was pretty stocked up. I was only a little sad the three days the boys got chocolaty ice cream but it was a hot day and they did have pineapple popsicle for me but the thought of pineapple on a ice pop. (ew)

The best advice I got from a fellow gluten free dairy free friend was to never ever look at the appetizers. You can't eat them don't fantasize about them. They will make you sick. Do not even look or think about them. Look away.

Stick to the salads at most food joints and hope that the grill that they put the chicken on is not placed next to the fried buttered up chicken on the grill. Stay strong. Life is getting better.

Restaurants are popping up all over the country for gluten free dairy free eating and one of my all time favorites is PF Changs. If your local to Montgomery County in Maryland the Great Sage is vegan and they have gluten free options. It's a great place and the food for dinner and brunch are awesome. The brunch is so yummy. The carrot cake from Great Sage is worth the wait and delicious. It's always my request for my birthday.

Wildfire restaurant in Tysons Corner has a gluten free menu and there food is exceptional, AND they serve RedBridge beer.

I post about new restaurant offerings on my facebook page. You can find all the updates here.

Good luck the next time you go out. Stay strong know that your there to enjoy yourself, sit back and enjoy your friends or family with you.