Small Town Gluten-Free

 Now that my husband and I live in Nashville, I'm getting spoiled. There are over a dozen gf-friendly restaurants we can visit, numerous stores that offer gf-products (Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, how I love you!), and even a gf-support group, in case I want to compare new foods, get advice, or kvetch a little about how annoying a gf-lifestyle can be.

Small town life is different. I spent this summer in northern Wisconsin and head back there several times each year. The grocery store carries a few gf products, but there's not a single restaurant I can safely eat in, unless you count the odd chocolate shake at McDonald's.

It can be hard and lonely to be gluten-free in a small town. You can feel like you're the only one who has to eat this carefully, and often folks in smaller towns haven't even heard of gluten. You risk looking petty and fussy about your food, rather than health-conscious. It's a balance between gently educating others and just being willing to be the odd eater in a group without making a scene.

My husband and I are heading out of town this coming weekend to a small town where we'll be for three days. It'll be great to get away for awhile from the bustle of the city, but it will be tricky, too. We are flying, so we can't bring a cooler, and I don't know whether the town grocery store carries any gf-products. We'll also be in a hotel, so there's no kitchen for me to make my own food. It's a food challenge, for sure, and we gf-ers love a challenge, don't we?

So what to pack? It has to fit in a carry-on suitcase, not spoil or need refrigeration. And it can't just be Skittles, or I'll be wired out of my mind one day into the trip...

Here's my current list:

1. Peanut or almond butter sandwiches on fresh-baked bread from Pamela's bread mix
2. Apples, oranges, and bananas (I love food that comes in its own little peel packaging!)
3. Trader Joe's raspberry/peanut/chocolate/almond trail mix
4. Trader Joe's gf noodle bowls (just add hot water!)
5. Trader Joe's gf ginger snaps
6. Sliced green peppers and carrots
7. Lara bars (oh, how I love Lara and her bars...)
8. Fruit leather

I have the fruit/nut/veggie side of things pretty well taken care of, but dairy and protein are tricky. Any suggestions?