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It’s true, I am obsessed with food. My first thoughts when going anywhere new are always that of mild panic – will there be something gluten free I can eat?? I HATE being hungry (particularly when others are eating gluten-filled food around me, sob) and so I always try and be prepared for any trip.
I jet off to Uganda on Wednesday. Luckily it is my third time in the country and I have never had a problem with food there before, but it’s good to expect the unexpected.
Uganda is particularly tricky. They don’t really understand gluten free, though luckily most of the food I’ve had out there has been naturally gluten free – rice, maize, matoke (green bananas, tastes like potato!) and cassava are the main staples and not an ounce of gluten in sight! Oh, and of course the beans, beans and more beans!
So this trip I am trying to be prepared, and taking some gluten free snacks and foods with me so if I do get caught out, I won’t go hungry! So in my gluten free rucksack I am stuffing…..
Quest bars
High protein, high fibre, low sugar – could there be a more perfect protein bar!? These Quest bars are amazing!
As I will be eating mostly a vegetarian diet, and I’m used to eating five meat-based meals a day, I thought these would be a good way to keep up my protein intake!
I bought a variety of 10 flavours off eBay – they’re not the cheapest, it cost me around £18 for 10, but I suppose £1.80 for what is essentially a make-do meal isn’t too bad at all!
They also have lots of fibre, essential for a healthy gut – something you might want to pay particular attention to in developing countries!
Nakd bars
I have blogged about Nakd before (see post here) and as they were on offer for only 50p I just had to grab some! Result!
Sometimes its nice to have a sweet treat and I thought despite the sugar content, these would be a slightly healthier alternative to sweets!
I haven’t tried the Bakewell Tart or Pecan Pie ones before, but they sound amazing!¬ I hope they taste as good as they sound.
I also picked up the Banana crunch because I’ve had that before and it was yummy 🙂
Geo bars
Now these, I have not seen before, but I was drawn in by the Fairtrade logo and thought I’d give them a try.
I opted for the gluten free cocoa and beetroot bars – 3 in a pack for £2.40. A little on the pricey side but I was intrigued.
They seem similar to Nakd, apart from the fact they also have veg in, so I look forward to trying them and seeing what they are like!
Probiotics
One thing I cannot be without when visiting Africa is my trusty probiotics!
These are so essential when you’re eating in a developing country – touch wood I have never got ill when taking these – though that’s no guarantee!
Hygiene standards are never the same, and it’s important to have these handy in case you’ve eaten something dodgy as they will help you to recover.
They can also be great to help your gut repair if you accidentally get glutened, which leads me on to….
Peppermint tea
Another essential!
As I’ve blogged about before, peppermint tea is my saviour when it comes to being accidentally glutened.
It’s great to settle an angry stomach, and I like to always have some to hand whenever I go somewhere unfamiliar.
I’ll be sneaking a few of these into my rucksack, but hopefully I won’t need them!
It also makes a lovely evening drink to sip on the veranda of my lodge while watching the sun set…
Gluten free pasta
It’s always handy to have something like this to hand!
I have a packet of gluten free Heinz penne in the cupboard, so I thought I would pack it in my main luggage just in case.
Sometimes the food options can be a bit limited, and this will just mean that if all else fails, I can have a nice big bowl of salted pasta, yum!
It’s going to be very odd eating so many carbs – I’m used to only eating carbs after training so this will be a bit of a shock to the system!
Dates
I am so obsessed with dates at the moment. Which is why I just had to take some with me!
They are sooooo good, like toffee sweets, but fruit! Ah I definitely had to fill my bag with as many of these as possible!
So now I’m all packed and ready to go…bring it on!!
Have a great trip! I can’t wait to read all about it. Safe gluten-free travels.
It’s good that you’ve been prepared. have a good trip 🙂