Celiac disease can be tough. Flying can be a pain. Combine the two and it can be a whole lot of joy.

I flew twice in July and was reminded of how difficult flying with celiac disease can be. Luckily, this time, I didn’t have any peanut free flights and was able to enjoy the free peanuts (and my trail mix). I have been on flights with a peanut allergy, which limits what I can eat even more. Most of my snacks involve nuts or nut butter because they are portable and have protein but I also have to make sure to bring something without nuts.

I am glad the airlines take nut allergies so seriously. I wish they could do a bit more for those of us that require a gluten-free diet.

Besides the peanuts, there is little I can get on a plane. Most airlines don’t have a meal I can purchase. They are all wraps or sandwiches.  The snack packs have some gluten-free items in them but no pack can I eat ALL the treats. Why would I pay $8.99 when I can’t eat everything?

Then there are the airports. I had a layover in Minneapolis. I tried to find options for lunch before I left. I got nowhere on the airport’s website or google. Maybe if I had more time I could have researched more. I walked from one gate to another (no shuttle or moving sidewalk) in order to look for something I could eat. I stopped a few times to check out some restaurants. I saw a Pei Wei but they had a limited menu and none of their gluten-free dishes.

And then…

A Chik-Fil-A just before my departure gate. I was never so happy to see a Chik-Fil-A.

There were almost tears of joy.

Whenever I fly as a celiac, I take snacks with me. It seems every other time I fly, my bag gets flagged by TSA. Food apparently sets off the red flags because people use food to sneak in things. The agent didn’t specify but I would assume drugs mostly. Maybe some weapons. It’s always fun to hear, “Is this your bag ma’am?”

You can’t help but laugh about it. I talked with the agent while she checked my bad and let her know that traveling with food intolerances was always exciting.

What is your biggest hassle when traveling?