Yes, it’s a bummer to forego local delicacies, and figuring out how to eat gluten-free when you travel takes extra work. But if you’re celiac, you have no choice, and if you’re just sensitive to gluten, you’ll feel much better if you stick to your regular diet.

Here’s the good news: Figuring out how to eat gluten-free when you travel isn’t as hard as you think. I’ve managed quite well in my travels, and I’m here to share my best tips on keeping your diet clean and keeping you healthy. Bon voyage, and bon appetit!

Top 11 ways to eat gluten-free when you travel

1. Research gluten-free restaurants

This sounds like a “duh” tip, but it should be your first step. Before you travel abroad, google “gluten-free restaurant” and whatever place you’re visiting. Don’t stop there, though.

Next, add those locations to a google map. Unless your itinerary is set in stone, your plans will probably change, so having these good-to-go restaurants on a map you can access will help you find a place to eat, no matter where your travels take you that day.

2. Go for gluten-friendly cuisines

Some types of food are more gluten-friendly than others. Italian cuisine, for example, is a lot tougher to eat GF than, say, Mexican. So when you’re traveling and can’t find a specifically gluten-free restaurant, look for Mexican (or other Latin American), Japanese, Thai and the like. You’ll be able to eat gluten-free when you travel with these cuisine choices.

3. Find vegetarian restaurants

Vegetarian restaurants tend to cater to more health-conscious eaters, so gluten-free choices are often marked on these menus.

4. Memorize how to say “gluten” and “wheat” in the local language

Look up—and write down—how to ask if the food has gluten in it. “Contiene trigo?” means “Does this have wheat in it?” in Spanish—a phrase I sometimes used when traveling in South America recently.

This delicious bowl from Verde Te Quiero Verde in Rosario, Argentina was so healthy and satisfying!

5. Look up local dishes

If you’re traveling in Italy, you’ll find pasta on most every menu—not exactly gluten-free friendly. But when you’re working out how to eat gluten-free when you travel, think of other signature foods in your destination—like caprese salad in Italy.

When I was in Peru, for example, I always knew I could ask for ceviche or tacu tacu, a fried rice dish, at pretty much any Peruvian restaurant. Knowing there will always be something you can eat will take out a lot of the stress of being a gluten-free traveler.

6. Ask in advance

If the group you’re traveling with has plans to go to a specific restaurant, call ahead. That way you can ask if there are gluten-free dishes and even ask for modifications. They’re much more likely to be able to work around your dietary restrictions if you ask in advance.

Chia in Cusco, Peru was an all-vegan restaurant with a ton of delicious gluten-free food.

7. Get help from the front desk

It can be hard to figure out how to eat gluten-free when you travel if you do it on your own, so ask for help! If you don’t speak the local language, enlist the help of your hotel’s concierge (or your AirBnB host). They’ll be able to communicate your needs on your behalf.

8. Seek recommendations from travel boards

Search travel message boards for location-specific tips on how to eat gluten-free when you travel. If nothing pops up that’s relevant to your destination, ask on a travel message board: Other travelers are likely to weigh in.

Isolina Taberna in Lima, Peru had a wealth of gluten-free foods. The beans were out of this world!

9. Bring snacks from home

Raise your hand if this has happened to you, too: You’re traveling abroad and you haven’t eaten anything for a while, and all of a sudden you’re hangry—and the only food around is delicious-smelling donuts some nice old lady is selling on the street. Not a good combination when you’re traveling internationally (or anywhere, for that matter).

To avoid those hangry moments, bring a supply of GF snacks from home: ones you know you like and are shelf-stable. For example, on a recent long trip to South America, I brought an entire box of Paleo Cave Man bars as well as a bunch of Lara Bars (my fave flavors are cherry and peanut butter chocolate chip). Yes, they weighed a lot, and yes, I felt semi-ridiculous importing so many snacks, but I was absolutely glad to have them. I made sure I always had a bar (or two) in my bag or purse before I left the hotel each morning. And I can’t tell you how many times those snacks saved me! (affiliate links)

10. Eat a hearty breakfast

Most hotels offer breakfast as a complementary part of your stay. Take advantage and load up on gluten-free foods. My go-to breakfast choices: eggs, fruit and oatmeal.

Depending on where you’re traveling, you might have additional options that seem unconventional to Americans but will still give you a good base for a full day of traveling. In England and much of Europe, for example, you’ll find baked beans at breakfast; in South America, I was often offered slices of ham or turkey and cheese; in Japan, you might eat salad, fish and soup first-thing.

11. Visit a local grocery store

There may be days when you simply didn’t have good luck finding gluten-free food when you travel. On those days, make sure you have GF choices back at your hotel room that are heartier than trail mix or granola bars.

One of the first things I do when I arrive at my travel destination is go to a grocery store. While I’m there, I pick out one or two gluten-free staples (on a recent trip, I bought GF granola and almond milk). Other ideas: cold cuts, peanut butter and bananas, fruit and yogurt, or veggies and avocado. Most lodging has at least a small mini-bar fridge where you can store perishable foods.

Bottom line: It’s far from impossible to eat gluten free when you travel. You can absolutely stay healthy even while exploring the world—and eating your way around the globe.

You might not be able to eat baguettes in France or alfajores in Argentina (womp-womp), but when you eat gluten-free when you travel abroad, you’ll keep your tummy happy—so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Do you have any trips on how to eat gluten-free when you travel?

The post 11 super-helpful tips to eat gluten-free when you travel abroad appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

We ended up trying no fewer than three times to get an acceptable baby passport photo. Suffice to say, taking an acceptable passport photo was frustrating, time-consuming—and expensive. By the end of the ordeal, I was totally stressed out getting the photos to the federal government in time for Peeper to have her passport ready!

Here’s the good news: I’m here to share my 5 tips on how to take a baby passport photo right—the first time. After all, you don’t need the extra stress of wondering if your baby’s passport will be rejected ‘cause his eyes are closed!

US requirements for baby passport photos

According to the Department of State, your baby’s passport photo must:

• show your baby’s full face, with the photo taken head-on
• show only your baby—with no one else, or part of someone else, in the photo
• be taken with a white or off-white background
• be properly exposed (with no extra shadows)
• show a “neutral expression” on your baby
• conform to the size requirements, with baby’s head within the acceptable space
• be in focus
• not be obscured by any objects—e.g. pacifiers, hats, toys, hands, etc.

In addition, there have been other requirements in the past that the State Department doesn’t currently list—but I’d rather be safe than sorry and stick to these guidelines, too.

• show both ears
• show your baby’s open eyes
• not have your baby’s mouth open too much

The insanity of trying to take a good baby passport photo

Ok, you’re looking at this list and wondering how you’ll ever take a baby passport photo our government will accept. When is a baby’s facial expression neutral—except when she’s asleep? How do you get your baby to hold still for an in-focus passport photo? How do you find the time to follow all these requirements while simultaneously packing, planning your trip itinerary, investigating vaccinations and buying binkies in bulk because your kid will definitely throw every damn pacifier on the floor of the plane?

Deep breath.

You might not get it right the first time. (See our baby passport photo examples, above—only the one on the bottom right passed muster.)

Here’s how you’ll do it all for your upcoming international family vacation: You’re a bad-a mama who has this on lockdown. Read on to become a baby passport photo-taking pro.

5 steps for a perfect baby passport photo

Say cheese, Baby! Time to take your first passport photo!

1. Time it right.

Plan your photo session when your baby is going to be awake. Don’t wake your baby to take the picture—crying children def do not pass muster for passport photos.

2. Use a sheet.

Have your partner drape a white sheet over his chest and shoulder. With one hand under the sheet, cradle your baby’s head and keep her upright and facing the camera. Just make sure your fingers don’t accidentally cover the baby’s ears! (We did in one of our passport photos—and had to redo it.)

3. Lie your baby down.

Alternatively, you can lay your baby on the ground on top of a white sheet, or place a white sheet over her car seat and place her in there. If you do use a car seat, make sure the sides of it aren’t casting shadows on your baby’s face—that could get your baby passport photo rejected.

4. Take the passport photo somewhere reputable.

If you go someplace to take your baby passport photo, make them agree ahead of time to show you the photo before you pay for it. We had our original baby passport photo taken at Costco, and it turned out to have an orange hue. Well, that wouldn’t work because Peeper wasn’t jaundiced, thank goodness. We had to redo it.

5. Take the passport photo yourself.

The advantage to DIYing a baby passport photo is that you can take a million pictures and choose the best one that adheres to all the above requirements. The problem is cropping it to the exact dimensions you need. If you feel confident, go ahead and DIY, and make sure to print out on photo paper.

Bon voyage, jet-setting baby traveler!

Now that your infant has a passport, you’re ready for your international adventures! Don’t worry, the worst is behind you: After you managed to take an acceptable baby passport photo, flying internationally will be a breeze.

Right? Right.

Remember, mama: You got this. Bon voyage!

Have you had to take a passport photo for your baby? Do you have any tips—or warnings?

The post 5 steps to take a baby passport photo right (the first time!) appeared first on To & Fro Fam.