I’ve come to realize that each time we go on vacation, we are actually broadening our gluten-free life.
Over the summer we spent a week at the beach. My favorite week of the whole summer! Besides just relaxing at the beach, we stroll the boardwalk, hit some fun shops and the Farmer’s Market.
Every year, we seem to find something new to try.
My children love to grab some curly fries, fudge and ice cream. Boardwalk food is not the healthiest overall! But this is vacation, not an everyday event! (Ask the right questions at each stand or restaurant, many are not safe bets!)
Our favorite find in Ocean City is a fun little restaurant called The Bashful Banana. They offer many gluten-free treats and my safest find, the Banana Whip. This is basically a frozen banana whipped into an ice cream – absolutely refreshing on a hot beach day – and a safe bet for those of us with food allergies!
This year we found one of our favorite cookies! As you stroll down the boardwalk, macaroons are boasted in so many store windows. Each year I salivate passing by asking each store if they are gluten-free. This year we hit the jackpot finding one that was gluten-free and fit our other allergies!
We definitely enjoyed our dessert that evening!
Also in OC, we found a delicious gluten-free stand at the Farmer’s Market. They make a wonderful banana chocolate chip cake, along with other baked goods. This was delicious (yet a bit high in sugar). A fun find for vacation, which we balanced out with all the fresh fruits and vegetables we picked up at the market as well.
On our trip back up to New England to visit family and friends we also found new gluten-free goods to add to our list. We found a few items in Costco and other grocery stores in their areas, as well as in some restaurants.
Two of our favorite finds: Guacamole and Trail mix
Guacamole – we ended up putting on just about everything!
Trail mix, which was a great snack to have on our long trip.
Whether you head out for a big, all out vacation, or just a day trip, open your eyes and you will discover new products around you. Of course, always keep your eyes opened at your everyday grocery store. I’ve notice more interesting products on the store shelves lately.
It is always fun to add more ideas into your routine!
(Yes, even if it is just a little treat!)
New things to try and new options to broaden your gluten-free life are all around you!