Have Celiac, Will Travel

In February of 2010, we took our first real trip as a family since our teen daughter had been diagnosed as a Celiac. She was apprehensive, but I assured her that we'd make sure she didn't starve. We packed various gluten free snack bars (as a back up plan) and boarded the plane bound for Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Being that it was a short trip over the mountains from Alberta to BC, there was no need to worry about an in flight gluten free friendly meal.

Arriving in Victoria that February, began a culinary adventure for my daughter that was full of pleasant unexpected surprises. The weather on top of it all was superb, with an early spring that had trees and bulbs in bloom. The whole trip was magical and has my teen daughter and preteen son begging to go back.
http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Victoria.htm

The first couple of days we stayed locally in Victoria, soaking in museums and shops. Here my daughter discovered The Old Spaghetti Factory and The Joint.
http://www.victoriaentertainment.ca/business/Old%20Spaghetti%20Factory/326
http://www.eatatthejoint.com/html/
The Old Spaghetti Factory offers a gluten free menu that includes pasta dishes that my daughter was happy to devour. The Joint is a pizzeria that offers a gluten free crust that didn't scream gf in it's taste or texture- it was just good as my daughter put it. We soon became regulars at both restaurants though our stay was short.

Our next leg in our adventure on Vancouver Island was a drive to Botanical Beach. Well worth going! The mini hike from parking lot to the beach is a trek though a temperate coastal rain forest- simply breath taking. Once the beach is reached it is a treasure trove of nature- a new micro ecosystem in each of the tidal pools just awaits discovery... My children were constantly calling out- "Hey, come here- you have to see this!"
http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Botanical-Beach-Botany-Bay-Loop-Trail-near-Victoria-BC-647
Of course all this discovery works up an appetite. The nearest town, Port Renfrew, is small and quaint, but had my daughter worried about it's ability to feed her a gluten free meal. Because it was off season for tourism, there was only one restaurant open- this heightened her anxiety. The Coastal Kitchen Cafe was it. As soon as I mentioned that our daughter was a Celiac, they offered a dizzying array of choices that they could make for her. They knew all about being a Celiac- were very knowledgeable, and accommodating. When her meal came, my daughter was not disappointed. In fact, all the food was very good! http://www.discoverportrenfrew.com/activities-dining.htm

Next stop, was a ferry trip to Salt Spring Island. I visited this magical place as a child and it did not fail to wow me once again. My family too was counting the days when we could all go back again, by the end of our day trip to Salt Spring. http://saltspringtourism.com/ Though my daughter was by now feeling more confident that she could find gluten free food in remote places, she still had the nagging worry and a gf snack bar ready. We arrived at Fulford Harbor, investigated a bit, and made our way to The Fulford Inn for a bite of lunch. Again, upon the mention of the word Celiac, the staff were more than eager to accommodate my daughter's gf needs. They have a staff member who has Celiac Disease, so they were well versed in gf cooking. After giving her various options to consider, they came back shortly from the kitchen- and offered to make her fries... They had just cleaned the deep fryer that morning, and it had not yet been used. Of course my daughter jumped at the offer of fries, to go along with her pan fried chicken breast. She was pleased, and her meal was delicious.

The important thing to remember, is that though being a Celiac can be stressful when travelling, be prepared for pleasant surprises too. Sometimes even when a restaurant is out of the way, and/or not on any recommended Celiac lists, that they can be surprisingly accommodating and knowledgeable. Do your best to let the destination guide you and not the food. You will discover new places as well as new restaurants that would have remained unnoticed travelling as a Celiac versus being an explorer who is also a Celiac, wherever that may take you.

Note: Here is another resource we used while staying in Victoria. It is how we discovered The Joint. The Celiac Scene is a fabulous resource!http://www.theceliacscene.com/map5-British-Columbia-Victoria-and-Area-Inner-Harbour.html

Cross Contamination Cont...Eating Away from Home

When my daughter was diagnosed as a Celiac, it was a while before she gathered the courage to eat at a restaurant or even a friend's house. She is a particularly sensitive Celiac, so the thought of leaving her meal in someone else's care was scary...at first.
The easiest transition for my daughter was having a meal at a friend's house. Her friends became advocates for her, informing parents of her dietary needs. As an adult however, the only advocate we are likely to have is ourselves. Though you may feel at first that your are imposing on your hosts with your gf needs, don't fret. You can't help that you can't ingest gluten- so why feel guilty?
Any gracious host will be more than understanding and accommodating. Just don't spring it on them when you arrive at the door. Because if you leave your host in the dark, the only one who is going to suffer is you- being stuck with carrot sticks or ingesting gluten. Instead make a courtesy phone call, thanking them for the invitation and explain your gf needs. If they balk at this, then they aren't likely worth your time.
If your host is unsure about what to avoid in the kitchen, offer emailing a list, or direct them to a web listing of what to watch out for. Living Without magazine also has a list of foods to avoid in every issue near the back. In addition, ask the host if they are unsure whether an ingredient used is gf or not that they allow you to read the label. That way you can enjoy your meal in confidence, lacking the nagging worry of how you will feel in the coming hours.
Another tip- serve yourself first, or ask your host to allow you early entry to the kitchen or table. There may be things like bread being served, and crumbs (or serving spoons) can travel to undesired destinations such as your plate. With practice, you and your host will continue to have an open dialogue about avoiding gluten- but be their polite gentle informative guide.
Next stop on the GF Culinary Tasting Tour...Restaurants! Understandably, eating at a restaurant (whether 5 star, fast food or mall food court) can be distressing for a Celiac. There are so many more elements involved- I'm starving, where can I eat right now? Does the chef and staff truly understand what Gluten Free means? Is it a busy restaurant/time where mistakes are more likely to be made?
To get yourself started and back to enjoying eating out, refer initially to your regional celiac association. They will usually have restaurant listings that are gf friendly, and in most cases the staff are well trained in gf awareness. Plan ahead by choosing a restaurant on the list. Then call to see when they tend to be less busy, making a reservation if necessary. When you are seated, ask if a gluten free menu is available- if not, then tell your server that you are a Celiac and ask what they recommend that can be made gluten free. Remember, just because a restaurant is on a gf friendly list doesn't mean it waves your responsibility of informing staff of your needs. Very few restaurants exist that are completely gf.
When you order be very clear that your meal needs to gf, but be polite and make a point of saying thank you. I have found that politeness helps to further keep gluten at bay because your server is more inclined to be more vigilant. Simply being polite, I have had servers catch kitchen errors before the meal even reached the table. However, don't be so polite as to not question your meal when it comes. If it looks suspicious, ask. Send the meal back if needed, requesting a freshly made one.
Here are a few additional things you can do or look out for when out and about and eating gf:
1) Is it deep fried?...I have encountered a few restaurants that recommend items that are deep fried, but do not have a separate fryer for battered foods. This is not gf eating- you cannot cook gluten at a high temp to neutralize it, nor is the gluten going to stay in the oil and not your food. McDonald's is one place that does have a separate fryer for french fries vs. other battered/coated foods.
2) When there is doubt about an ingredient in a meal you would like, avoid and choose something safer, or when possible ask to read the label. I have had many places graciously pull out big jugs to let me read ingredients.
3) Avoid buffets. They are usually not gf, and if there happens to be gf items the likelihood them remaining gf is nil.
4) Avoid hard ice cream and stick to soft serve or frozen yogurt. Hard ice cream is exposed to cones that are not gf. Soft serve ice cream on the other hand comes from a dispenser keeping it gf. (Still ask about ingredients when in doubt though.) Then...ask the server to remove the nozzle on the dispenser and clean it for you- because the nozzle has come into contact with cones and other non gf ingredients. I have visited Dairy Queen on numerous occasions with my daughter, state that she is a Celiac and that ingesting minute amounts of cookie, cones, etc will have her doubled over in pain in an hour. 99% of the servers have be fantastic about cleaning the nozzle. Only one told me to "get over it".
5) Beware of sauces. Ask about ingredients. I have had many servers happily ask the chef on our behalf. When in doubt though, omit or or order a different meal.
6) Ask if your meal can be brought out separately. Some servers like to stack plates on their arm- however this increases your risk of non gf items making their way to your plate.
7) I often stress that my daughter is highly sensitive to gluten, and that croutons cannot be picked off if placed in error- that a single crumb will cause hours of torture. At times I state that she is allergic, though this is a lie- but it seems to get the point across since many are ignorant of what gluten or a Celiac is. And I am descriptive. I tell people anything with bread, cookie, cracker, etc is toxic to my daughter.
8) Ask if it is possible for a special meal that is not on the menu. Sometimes it may be a bowl of fruit, or a lettuce salad with chicken. But understand that it won't always be possible. On a number of occasions, my daughter has been made to feel like a queen- being told they would make her her own special meal.  Once, the chef came out to greet her, telling her he would make anything for her that she wanted, on or off menu- even bread. None of these places were listed on gf recommended restaurant lists, and in fact were in out of the way places. Only one was a four star establishment.
9) Have a back up plan. This means carrying a gf granola bar or other gf snack that can be easily carried with you. This is not ideal, but it prevents you from passing out from hunger in case you cannot locate a place that can be accommodating.
Now what are you waiting for?... Get out there and eat!