First Time Travelling Overnight & Flying

[DesertGirl]

I'm travelling overnight for the first time since being diagnosed 2 years ago and would so appreciate some help! DH and I are flying to FL in a couple weeks to visit some of his family. I think it best that I pack my own food because the nearest grocery store is 15 miles away, they have no idea what celiac is, and they live in a teeny town of 2,500 with no safe restaurants. We will be depending upon them for both our lodging and transportation while we're there. I want to pack food in my carry-on because dealing with a checked bag is a hassle; it's expensive, could get lost, etc. What can I pack that will make it through the TSA checkpoint and how should I pack it? Here's our itinerary:

Friday-Drive 45 minutes to the airport and make sure to arrive by 8 AM, 2 hours before the flight leaves. Fly 4 hours to Orlando. Get picked up by DH's Aunt and Uncle. Drive 2 hours to their house. (I'm getting tired just thinking about all this travel...)

Saturday-Visit with Aunt and Uncle.

Sunday-Drive 2 hours back to Orlando to go to his other Uncle's house. Visit with more family all day. Overnight in Orlando at Uncle's house.

Monday-Flight home leaves at 7 AM (that's 5 AM our time, which is making me even more tired just thinking about it, LOL).

I'm thinking I can take some gluten-free instant oatmeal packets for breakfast, and snacks are easy, but I'm clueless when it comes to lunch and dinner options.

Aside from the food question, does anyone know if I will have issues bringing all my supplements with me in a weekly pill organizer? (I have waaaaay too many to take in the original bottles.) I also have hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue; I have adrenal support liquid that's 4 oz., over the 3 oz. limit. Is there any way I can take it with me? I looked at the TSA's site and it looks like I can, but I've heard that what their policies say and what actually happens are two very different things, so I'm hoping for someone who's dealt with this firsthand.

Thanks so much in advance for any help! I've only flown 4 times in my life and find the whole process confusing enough without having to deal with this special diet...

[lpellegr]

You can take things that aren't liquidy easily enough. Roll up lunchmeat and cheese for lunch, with some Nut Thins and fruit. Those flat packs of tuna should make it through, along with Babybel cheeses. Nuts, dried fruit, Snickers bars, hardboiled eggs - all can go for a few hours without refrigeration. Carrot sticks, peanut butter on celery. Yogurt and applesauce probably won't be okay with the TSA, so skip those. Things that are high in protein and fiber should keep you full longer, so concentrate on those. A box of Rice Chex can last a few days for breakfast once you get there, or cook eggs if your hosts don't mind. If you have to eat dinner out, a naked burger or salad is usually available, and in Chinese restaurants you can get steamed veggies, chicken or shrimp, and rice in white sauce (but don't use their soy sauce). Good luck!

[Emilushka]

Don't forget options like fast food burgers without the buns! Those have saved me in many a tight pinch. They're filling and terrible for you, but you can always get a double-burger, no bun, and make sure they change their gloves before they prepare it. Should be easily available past security in the airports.

Then you're only worrying about while you're staying with the family ... Remember that you can always bake chicken breasts in foil, so that they're not touching the pan they're cooked in. This will avoid any cross contamination issues, and would allow you to cook food that's safe for you. You could ask them to just have some chicken breasts on hand for you to cook for yourself. That also relieves some of the burden of bringing foods.

I would call the TSA and ask about the adrenal stuff. My guess is that if it's a non-prescription, they could have a problem with it. But if you call, you can at least find out if there are ways to make it more TSA-friendly so that you're reducing the risk of problems.

[AzizaRivers]

Just to add something, since the above poster did mention foil for pans...keep in mind that if you bring anything that needs to be cooked in pots or pans that cross-contamination may be an issue. I second the foil recommendation, but that won't work for everything (you can't exactly cook pasta in a pot with foil). I can safely use other peoples pots and pans if they've been washed thoroughly but others can't, and there's always the question of the damage we can't feel for those who aren't sensitive enough to get sick from pots and pans.

[celiac-mommy]

When we went to Hawaii over the summer, we checked the suitcase with all of the clothes (except 1 outfit each and toiletries). The carry on bags were all food. I made an 4 loaves of bread, sliced and packaged individually, putting all but 1 in the freezer when we got there. I also packed trail mix, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, pretzles, lara bars, micrwave popcorn, fruit snacks, etc... We stopped at the grocery store on the way to the hotel, bought eggs, cheese, lunch meat, fruit and veggies. We were set! No problems with all that going thru the TSA checkpoints.

You might want to look into the pill bottle thing. I was under the impression that everything had to be in its own bottle with the correct packaging and prescription info...

Have fun!!

[sb2178]

PB and jelly not in sandwiches can be taken away. A pre-made sandwich is acceptable. I like taking a baggie of finely cut kasha or Bob's Red Mill tasty hot cereal with almonds, raisins, cinnamon, etc added. Easily cooked in the microwave.

Corn tortillas or arepas are another nice travel food. Compact, not too easily broken.

Ask your hosts to have fruit on hand. It's too heavy to pack and easily bruised, and all you have to do it wash it well before you eat it. Sweet potatoes are also easy to scrub and microwave.

There is no limit on prescription meds, but I also believe they must be in the original packaging. Supplements are something that a snarky person may take away BUT you do have that lovely 1 liter baggie with your 3 oz containers. Get a smaller bottle and transfer if you have to.

[celiac-mommy]

PB and jelly not in sandwiches can be taken away. A pre-made sandwich is acceptable. I like taking a baggie of finely cut kasha or Bob's Red Mill tasty hot cereal with almonds, raisins, cinnamon, etc added. Easily cooked in the microwave.

Mine weren't but I had new, unopened containers...

[Jestgar]

There is no limit on prescription meds, but I also believe they must be in the original packaging.

Dunno about domestic travel, but I always fly to Europe with all my pills in a plastic baggie stuffed in with my toothbrush and other toiletries.

[kareng]

I noticed that you had a drive from the airport. Maybe a quick grocery stop for PB or lunch meat? Make a small list and make grocery shopping an aerobic event.

[mushroom]

Dunno about domestic travel, but I always fly to Europe with all my pills in a plastic baggie stuffed in with my toothbrush and other toiletries.

I had a real snark at SFO international who made me separate out toiletries from prescriptions and put them in two different trays and sent me back out to come through the whole screening process again Glad I had hub there guarding the other stuff, like my shoes!! I don't know what he had in his pea brain instead of gray matter but he was da boss!! I think it all started because I had a dribble of water left in my bottle and he wouldn't let me drink it - probably afraid I would explode in front of him Anyway, ever since then I have always been confused about one baggie or two separate baggies???

[cap6]

Our first long car trip out of state was a food disaster but I learned a lot! We are taking another trip in March and I have made out a list of non perishable emergency type foods that I can take along in case we can't find a large market (lot of very small towns). I know flying is space & weight limited where a car isn't but you might find a list helpful. We listed things like peanut butter, crackers, canned tuna & chicken, soup, beans, Lara bars, Muscle Milk. That sort of thing. Quick energy. Not the best, health wise, but can get you through,

[Monklady123]

I did take peanut butter on an international flight recently. I bought those individual servings, the ones intended for lunch boxes. I put them in my ziplock bag and there was no problem. I pretty much stuffed it full of pb because I never travel with many toiletry things, and most of those are in my checked bag. I took a toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste, a small tube of vaseline for dry lips, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. The rest was peanut butter.

[aeraen]

I'm new to this forum, and actually came into this thread looking for travel ideas. Of course, true to my nature that I start right off giving advice, instead.

When I fly, its usually just for a day. Since most airlines only offer snacks or limited meal selections these days, I find it necessary to bring my own food along for the flight. And, since I haven't gotten into the habit of trusting restaurants yet, I bring my own meals for the entire day as well.

I found that most TSA agents are very understanding about this, and I've been able to take my "tub o' hummus" (far more than 3oz) on board the aircraft in my carry-on bag. I just let them know that I am on a restricted diet, and they've let me through.

Of course, your mileage may vary. Because most of my travel is day trips, my only experience with food is out of my small and friendly city. I seldom have food to bring back at the end of the day from a different city. For those who want to give it a try, a doctor's letter may tip the scale in your favor.

[MaryJones2]

Anything under 100ml (3.4 oz) is OK as carry on provided it will all fit in a zip lock bag. I've been travelling a lot recently and can say they've gotten very strict about what is allowed. I've lost several items in the past two months that I've carried on for years. They are not just focusing on liquids anymore - they've expanded to lotions, gels, creams, etc. and anything in metal that is larger than the allowed size. I think they have always technically been prohibited but never really enforced. Peanut butter used to be OK but it'll likely be taken if the jar is larger than 3.4 oz. Same goes for packaged tuna fish... It's best to check that stuff and just carry dry stuff for the day - maybe get some individual condiment packets.

Here is the TSA link. Open Original Shared Link

[DesertGirl]

Hi, everyone! It's been a little while since I posted my question but I thought I'd come back to share what I did in case it helps anyone else. I ended up packing my food. For dinners I pre-cooked some boneless skinless chicken and pork, along with some roasted potato wedges and gluten-free biscuits. Then I put them in Ziploc vacuum freezer bags and froze them. For lunches I packed three sandwiches (two were for me and DH on the plane) and some frozen taquitos. I also packed some Kind bars, a baggie of tortilla chips, and a bag of Crunchmaster crackers. Luckily our hosts ate healthily, as well, so they had plenty of fruit, salad, etc. to eat. For breakfast, I packed gluten-free instant oatmeal in pouches and some muffins that I baked and froze. The meat, muffins, potatoes, biscuits, and sandwiches got packed tightly in my small soft cooler that usually holds my work lunch. Even after many hours of travel, everything was cold once we reached our final destination. Here's what the menu was:

Friday (on the plane for lunch): Sandwich, Crunchmaster crackers

Friday (for dinner at relative's house): Chicken, potato wedges, biscuit, salad

Saturday (breakfast at relative's house): gluten-free instant oatmeal, muffin

Saturday (lunch at relative's house): Taquitos, tortilla chips, fruit

Saturday (dinner at relative's house): Pork, potato wedges, biscuit, salad

Sunday (breakfast at relative's house): gluten-free instant oatmeal, muffin

Sunday (lunch at another relative's house): Sandwich, Crunchmaster crackers

Sunday (dinner in hotel room with mini-fridge and microwave): Chicken, potato wedges, biscuit, fruit

It wasn't a terribly varied menu, but it was reasonably healthy and 100% safe. I can't tell you the sigh of relief I breathed after we got through security!

As for all the supplements, I had them in my giant pill organizer like I always do and they were fine. I put some adrenal liquid in a 3 oz. travel bottle because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of declaring it. The dropper in the regular bottle is the measurement device, so I just had to guesstimate how much to take while I was gone. In the end, everything worked out beautifully and I am so glad that it did! DH and I want to do a lot of travelling when I'm done going back to school in a couple years, and this trip really soothed my fears that a life filled with travel would never again be possible. It is possible...so anyone who is afraid like I was shouldn't be because it can be done with a little planning!

(I should add that I sent an e-mail to the TSA prior to our trip, asking them if I could bring the specific foods I had in mind, but all I got was a canned form response, so they were no help.)