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Gluten Free? Add These Products to Your Packing List

If you or a family member live with a severe allergy or celiac disease, then you know how the potential for cross contamination can rule your day. In my case, its celiac disease, which plagues my household and more importantly the lives of my husband and young son. Until you have made a simple sandwich for someone with celiac, and momentarily gotten confused thereby resulting in the need for 3 knives and two plates, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. But, if you do, then these products I buy for keeping food safe when sharing a kitchen with company or travel companions are just what you need.

Safe Grilling

I joke that gluten is like kryptonite as it impossibly sticks around (pun intended) to contaminate my husband and son’s meals. So what are we to do when we travel or even just want to go to a friend’s barbecue? Enter KT’s Clean BBQ Liners and Mr. Bar-B-Q Barbecue Sheets, which are designed to cover unclean grills or protect small foods, but are actually great for giving us a clean service and allowing for us all to eat the same meal.

Squeeze Please

While a marker is never far away from our foods so that we can label everything as we open it, there is no doubt that squeeze packets and bottles are truly the easiest way to go. Recently, my packing list included Smucker’s Natural Strawberry Fruit Spread, Crazy Richard’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter and Pure PB Powder single serve packets. Additionally, we aim for other squeezable condiments and more whenever possible.

Snacks for one

Pass on the family size bags of chips or pretzels and opt instead for as many single serving options as possible. Believe me, enough times of trying to watch the chip bowl has led me to only use single serve bags for my family when we get together with others. Consider this too for guacamole, hummus and the like if these dips will be enjoyed over time with potentially harmful dippers.

Pick a color

Whether at home or away, I highly recommend purchasing a unique set of plastic containers that all who share your kitchen will recognize as the gf containers. The presence of these containers will speak for you when you aren’t there to inform others that the grain salad they are about to eat is in fact not for them or at least should be handled with care and not double dipped in.

When it comes to keeping my celiac family safe, I know that any given moment I am doing the very best I can, but that nothing is a guarantee. I hope you find these tips helpful, but also recognize that while these suggestions are designed to reduce the potential for cross contamination they are not a guarantee that it will not occur.