Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Long Flight With Celiac Kiddo - Tips?


kb27

Recommended Posts

kb27 Apprentice

I am flying overseas in 2 weeks with my 5-yr-old and 9-yr-old (who has celiac). The flights combined are 16 hours, so I need to bring a lot of food. Any tips or advice? Is it possible to take an ice pack on a flight? Or does that violate TSA regulations? I was planning to bring peanut butter (I found little "to go" packets that are small enough), gluten-free pretzels, gluten-free granola bars, salami, cheese sticks, crackers, dried fruit, carrots, Chex cereal, and whatever else I can cram into my carry-on....

We have a few layovers, but I'm not sure we will have much time to seek out restaurants that have gluten-free options available. I have 90 minutes in O'Hare and ~120 in Newark. Any recommendations in either place?

Thanks!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



tarnalberry Community Regular

I'd bring things as close to regular food as you can. What about sandwiches on Udi's bread? Or muffins? Hard boiled eggs? Nuts and dried fruit are good options, as are the salami and cheese you mention. I'd think about what sorts of things you'd pack in a kid's lunchbox, leaving out the liquidy stuff.

kb27 Apprentice

Hard-boiled eggs is a great idea. Muffins, too.

Considering we are moving for 5 months, I was thinking of actually packing up their lunch boxes and bringing them with me, fully stocked.

mushroom Proficient

I have carried ice packs to keep medications (injectibles) refrigerated. They run their explosives strips over them. Just tell them you have them so they don't think you're trying to sneak them on. And make sure they're very official looking packs. I've never been through O'Hare, but if it's anything like LAX 90 minutes probably won't give you a lot of spare time :) and even when you get to Newark, the odds of gluten free in an airport are slim. As one waitress said to me, people who eat here don't care what they eat :lol:

Good luck on your adventure!

Pauliewog Contributor

I just returned from an overseas flight. I took basically what you wrote. Just be careful that your final destination allows in the food you have leftover. I had some sliced deli meat and had to toss it on the plane because meat isn't allowed into Japan. I didn't cool my meat or cheese. It was fine. I had a midnight flight and realized I had way more food than I needed. I slept most of the way and only ate my cheese/meat/crackers and bananas as a breakfast before landing. I pre-ordered a gluten-free meal from the airline but didn't eat it either flight. I knew my carry on food was safer no matter what!

shadowicewolf Proficient

Freeze some of the things beforehand, it'll help keep it cool.

tarnalberry Community Regular

Freeze some of the things beforehand, it'll help keep it cool.

This - I regularly keep extra muffins in the freezer - they make great short-term ice packs. :)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



1desperateladysaved Proficient

The airlines told me you can take ice packs when they are frozen. They will toss it if they have melted into liquid. I brought canned meats on my trip. You may need to select ones with a top that does not need a can opener.

I learned to let them see my cans right away. If you tell them "special diet" they pretty much have to make allowance for you. When they found the cans they had to go through every corner of my carryon. Once they tested my salt and told me that it was salt. (Yeah, I knew that.)

I had trouble getting to my carryon for every meal. There just isn't much room to stand in the aisle and out of the way. At the last meal the attendant told me that they would have to confiscate my carry-on bag. I put it in the overhead bin as usual. I sat down thinking not to worry and did not see them move it. When I grabbed for the bag at the end of the flight, indeed it was gone! I had reached my destination and all of my life sustaining supplements were in the bag! We ran off after someone with a simalar bag. We had difficulty getting back to the plane when it was not our bag. Eventually we convinced security to allow us to go past. They would not let us back on the plane. However, a person held up the bag asking if it was ours. (Whew!) When I opened the bag it contained a whole bag of crayons which belonged to the airline. Hmmm? I am just saying I don't know how to solve this situation, but be aware it can happen. Try to make grabbing things as easy as possible. Plan meals carefully and don't bring more than you need.

All in all I was very glad to have my own safe food!

Diana

Kate79 Apprentice

I fly through O'Hare pretty frequently, and I'm not aware of any gluten free options at the airport that are really safe, besides pre-packeged snacks like Kind Bars. Depending on what part of the airport you're in, there may be places like Chili's that make some gluten-free accomodations, but nothing that I'd really trust. And some of the terminals are sadly lacking in anything much beyond a Starbucks or McDonald's.

I've brought ice packs on flights before; they don't show up as a liquid as long as they're frozen. Don't know if you might have trouble with later legs of your flight due to them thawing out. In addition to the stuff you've listed, I've brought noodle bowls and oatmeal packets that just need to have hot water added. Flight attendants have been happy to accomodate, and it can be nice to have hot food on the flight. I've had good luck with requesting gluten-free meals from the airlines, but it really depends on which one you're flying. United and Lufthansa have been good, but I can't speak to any of the others. I always bring extra food, anyway, in case they mess up the meal or I have a flight delay/cancellation. Go Picnic meals are an easy option, too; you can buy them online and I've seen them at airport stores before.

tarnalberry Community Regular

Oh yes, make sure you pack foof in a bag that can go under the seat in front of you. Overhead bins can be a pain to get into.

tgrahek Newbie

We travel a lot with our kids and Go Picnics are our best resource. We use them on planes and in our day packs. I used to get them online and pay shipping but now Target sells them and that is awesome! We are also dairy free and additive free so there are only three varieties for us but that is plenty.

In airports, we often get oatmeal at Starbuck's.

kb27 Apprentice

Thanks for all the ideas. We decided to try some GoPicnics - it will be fun in any case. I think I won't attempt an ice pack. Last time we changed planes in Newark we had to leave the terminal and go through security again (with a 30 minute connection - it sucked), and I'm pretty sure the ice pack would have melted by then.

Now if I can just survive a 16 hour journey with 2 kids. At least my husband is meeting us there, and he's under orders to have a kitchen fully stocked with gluten-free delights.

Thanks!

Kate79 Apprentice

"In airports, we often get oatmeal at Starbuck's."

Starbucks oatmeal isn't gluten free (it's not made of certified gluten-free oats, so it's like eating Quaker or any regular brand, which is usually contaminated with wheat). Better to bring certified gluten free oats, and just ask for some hot water for them when you get your coffee.

Kate79 Apprentice

Thanks for all the ideas. We decided to try some GoPicnics - it will be fun in any case. I think I won't attempt an ice pack. Last time we changed planes in Newark we had to leave the terminal and go through security again (with a 30 minute connection - it sucked), and I'm pretty sure the ice pack would have melted by then.

Now if I can just survive a 16 hour journey with 2 kids. At least my husband is meeting us there, and he's under orders to have a kitchen fully stocked with gluten-free delights.

Thanks!

Just a caution with the Go Picnic's: some of the things they include in the boxes are made on shared equipment, so depending on your kid's level of sensitivity, you may need to scrap some of the items. When I used them last year, the Popped potato chips were made on shared equipment, as well as a couple of other items. Everything is clearly labelled, though.

  • 2 months later...
seezee Explorer

For ice packs I often bring an empty freezer bag or two and fill it with ice from a soda fountain. 

melrobsings Contributor

I always travel with fruit, eggs and nuts and seeds. Fruit is great because they are pretty destroy safe and have their own container-their skin! And they are complex carbs so it lasts longer in your system.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,876
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Princess Gregory
    Newest Member
    Princess Gregory
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.1k
    • Total Posts
      71.3k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Thanks for sharing, Karen. Certainly a needed reminder what we already knew (and I've posted many times on this forum) but sometimes forget, namely, autoimmune disorders tend to cluster. Where one is found, you can look for others to show up eventually. The thing that is unusual in your son's case is the onset of several of them at such a young age. My sister in law, who is in her early 60's has Crohn's and struggles with constipation so I don't think that is unusual with Crohn's. If nothing else, it's the outcome of not eating much because of the pain. Now that you know what is going on with your son and the Crohn's, we hope he is beginning to improve.
    • Nathan.
      Hi there. My son is turning 16 this month. He had an endoscopy and biopsy to confirm celiac. He went gluten-free and his pain never got any better. I think it got worse. Months went by. The pain started around 7th grade. He missed a lot of school in 8th grade, and a whole lot in 9th grade. He couldn't go to school in 10th grade. All along the gastroenterologist prescribed Hyoscyamine, didn't help at all. Cyproheptadine, no less pain. Peppermint oil, ginger, Miralax, Senna. Doc said he was constipated, but I couldn't get him to have Miralax daily. Eventually he went on Linzess and no senna or Miralax. Sorry this is long, there will be a point.  We gave his school not just a doctors not, but everything, and U of M makes a lot of notes. They still turned us in for Truancy.  I didn't get him enrolled in online school fast enough.  The school would not recommend an online school and i didn't know which one to choose.  Doc thought it was nerve pain and mental. He recommended the u of m my pain program.  Nathan did so good, 3 days a week supposed to be for 4 weeks.  Never missed, always on time.   After two weeks, they discharged him. Said it was not  benefitting him.  Pain went on. I had been asking if there were any other test they could do. Ultrasound, colonoscopy. Doc said we can do it, but I don't think we'll find anything.  Finally he had a colonoscopy and another endoscopy.  Guess what, they did find something. They found a ton of tiny ulcers everywhere, from the esophagus to his rectum. They think Crohn's. I understand they didn't check for that because he was more constipated, not much diarrhea. He is getting an MRI with contrast on Sunday. Also they want him to do a cal-protectin (give a poop sample). Then an appointment on the 16th to talk about treatment. Then the probation officer on the 17th. In the meantime he is taking Budesonide extended release.  $276.00 for 30 pills, and that's with insurance. Also he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, Graves disease a few months ago. If it is for sure Crohn's,  it will be three autoimmune diseases. If someone is gluten-free for a month or more, and the pain is no better, don't stop looking. I was beside myself. Did they think he was exaggerating, lying? I was considering taking him to a holistic doctor, who would probably recommend Peppermint oil and ginger.  He's such a good kid. Kind of an introvert. He was on the 9th grade soccer team. He would try to go to practice and kept having to stop, the pain was that bad. Every time he ate, it didn't matter what, gluten-free chicken tenders, mac and cheese, pizza, ice cream, all gluten-free, he would eat a normal amount but stop and say, I can't eat anymore, my stomach hurts.  If anyone reads all this, thank you. I had a gut feeling, no pun intended, that he had an additional problem. They found celiac and stopped looking. If you don't feel better, keep on your doctor to check further, keep looking.   Take care, Karen  
    • Scott Adams
      Most likely cross-contamination I believe.
    • cristiana
      I think it takes different people different amounts of time, but in my own case I had pain,  bloating and loose stools for some time, exacerbated by a lactose intolerance, which eventually went.  I would say the really bad diarrhea got better quite quickly, but the bloating pain carried on for a few months, until I was told to give up lactose for a few weeks.  That helped enormously and once I realised milk and yoghurt was the cause, after a short break I went back to lactose very gradually and felt a lot better.  Now I can tolerate it well. From Coeliac UK "The enzyme lactase is found in the brush border of the small intestine. This is why people with coeliac disease can be deficient in lactase at diagnosis. Once established on a gluten free diet, the gut is able to heal and lactose digestion returns to normal. Lactose intolerance is therefore usually temporary." So if this helps your daughter, this doesn't mean you have to give up lactose forever, especially as dairy is such a good source of calcium for growing kids.   Bear in mind you should be able to reintroduce it. As for fatigue, this can be due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies,such as iron, vitamin D and B12.  Were these levels tested?  If not, I would suggest you get them done.  If your daughter is deficient in these, it is vital you address the deficiencies, and get the tests redone in a few months, particularly the iron, because too much can be dangerous.
    • knitty kitty
      Hello,   The medication in these inhalers can cause a thiamine deficiency if used by someone already low in thiamine.  We don't absorb sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals due to the inflammation and damage done to our villi in Celiac Disease.  Even a long term strict gluten free diet may not provide sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals.  There are eight B vitamins that all work together.  Thiamine deficiency often shows up first because our bodies use so much of it and it can't be stored very long. Thiamine deficiency symptoms can appear in as little as three days.  Without thiamine, the other B vitamins may not be able to function properly.   Thiamine is needed to clear lactic acid accumulation caused by the inhalers: Shoshin beriberi provoked by the inhalation of salbutamol https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12951730/    Significant Lactic Acidosis from Albuterol https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5965110/ Albuterol-Induced Type B Lactic Acidosis: Not an Uncommon Finding https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7263006/ Lessons of the month 1: Salbutamol induced lactic acidosis: clinically recognised but often forgotten https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6964186/ An Overview of Type B Lactic Acidosis Due to Thiamine (B1) Deficiency https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10731935/   Thiamine has antifungal and antibacterial properties.  Thiamine helps keep Candida in check.  Thiamine helps keep SIBO in check.  Thiamine helps with black mold, Aspergillis infection.  Riboflavin helps fight Candida infection in the mouth. Riboflavin Targets the Cellular Metabolic and Ribosomal Pathways of Candida albicans In Vitro and Exhibits Efficacy against Oropharyngeal Candidiasis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36625571/   Thiamine deficiency can make ones voice hoarse and can cause localized edema.  Niacin deficiency can make ones voice hoarse.  (Niacin deficiency and Thiamine deficiency can each cause irritability, agitation, and lability.) Hoarseness in pellagra https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21507655/ Hidden Hunger: A Pellagra Case Report https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8152714/   Anesthesia can cause B12 deficiency.  B12 deficiency can show up as mouth sores and geographic tongue, diarrhea, and dementia. Vitamin deficiency, a neglected risk factor for post-anesthesia complications: a systematic review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11823251/ Neurologic degeneration associated with nitrous oxide anesthesia in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8250714/ Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord following nitrous oxide anesthesia: A systematic review of cases https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30144777/ The Effect of Vitamin B12 Infusion on Prevention of Nitrous Oxide-induced Homocysteine Increase: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4052402/     Eating a diet that is heavy in carbohydrates can precipitate a thiamine deficiency.  As the amount of carbohydrates consumed increases, additional thiamine is needed, otherwise the carbs will be stored as fat.   Thiamine deficiency disorders: a clinical perspective https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8451766/   Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8533683/   The deficiency symptoms of some of the B vitamins cause gastrointestinal symptoms that resemble the same symptoms as when being glutened.   Thiamine deficiency can present as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain (Gastrointestinal Beriberi).  Niacin deficiency can present as diarrhea (Pellagra = diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, then death ).  B12 deficiency can present as diarrhea or dementia.  Not everything is caused by hidden gluten.  Gluten free processed foods are not required to be enriched with vitamins lost in processing like gluten containing foods are. Blood tests are not accurate measurements of vitamin levels, but do talk to your doctor and nutritionist about supplementing with the eight B vitamins, Vitamin C, the four fat soluble vitamins and minerals like magnesium.  Your physician can give you a shot of B12 before anesthesia administration.   By the way, Celiac Disease genes have been traced back to having originated in Neanderthals.  I'm not a singing teacher on the net.  I earned a degree in Microbiology after studying nutrition because I wanted to know what vitamins are doing inside the body.  I've experienced nutritional deficiencies myself. Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
×
×
  • Create New...