Is Rice Krispies Safe to Eat on a Gluten-Free Diet?

Rice Krispies has malt flavoring in their cereal, along with many other crisped rice kinds of cereal. So, no, they are not safe to eat if you're on a gluten-free diet! Very few rice cereals do not have malt or malt flavoring in them. Ironically, Malt-O-Meal crisped rice is the one cereal I found safe to eat. You can find this brand in the bag section of the cereal aisle. 

Malt-O-Meal is what I call an "economy food," which are foods that are highly processed with little or no nutritional value. However, if you're using these to make rice Krispies for your gluten-free family members or yourself, and you're not planning on eating them daily for breakfast, these are a good choice!

Carry Gluten Free Food with You on a Plane

When you’re traveling by air, depending on the airline, you may not be able to get gluten-free snacks. I recently traveled on American Airlines, and they didn’t have any gluten-free snacks available. They also didn’t ask me if I wanted a snack and handed me Biscoff cookies, along with my drink and napkin. To a regular traveler, this wouldn’t be a big deal; however, for a Celiac, this isn’t good. Why?

Traveling by air post-COVID adds another layer of complication to your travels. With airlines so short-staffed and pilots in high demand and on short order, I've been leaning more towards traveling via car as I don't have to worry about my flight getting canceled and being stranded at the airport for an indeterminate amount of time. Because even though the airline will reschedule your flight, you can get bumped off the next flight as well, leaving you at the airport for a day or more.

In addition to the airline shortage, having Celiac disease gives me painful and stiff joints, which I take Naltrexone to control the pain and stiffness. However, even with taking Naltrexone daily, sitting for prolonged periods worsens my joint and muscle pain, so I try to avoid booking flights more than five hours long. And that is definitely challenging since I now live in the Pacific Northwest. When I lived 20 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport, it was easy to get a trip via Delta as this is a hub - to almost anywhere in the continental US in under four hours.

However, there are times that I need to travel across the country, and that doesn't make for such a fun road trip, so I need to take an airplane. So if you're also looking to travel by air but not sure what to do or how to pack for your next adventure on a plane, then check out these tips to make your next airline trip more gluten-free!

I really enjoy a great road trip - from an extended weekend vacation to a planned multi-day trip or multi-week adventure, road trip vacations can be as relaxed or fun-filled as you'd like! You can make many detours with the freedom of a road trip that you cannot do with other types of travel. I love to stop and check out the little out-of-the-way places such as a small local museum or eat at family-owned places I've never heard of or been to.

The Benefits of Traveling Via Road Trip for the Gluten Free Traveler

Road trips are a great way to travel as you can carry a more extensive variety of gluten-free goodies. I also love road trips as you can discover new markets and pick up new food that you've never tried along the way to add to your gluten-free stash.

Another reason road trips are super awesome is you don't have to worry about where you will eat. Instead, find a nearby park, pull over at a view area or rest stop, and have your gluten-free takeout spot to eat! You can find some stunning overlooks to stop and eat without the cost of expensive restaurant service.

​I love camping. I love the outdoors, sleeping outside, sleeping in my hammock, having a campfire every night, not caring about smelling like campfire smoke or makeup. The beautiful trails I hike and the out-of-the-way places I find when I’m taking that road trip to my next camping spot. There are so many things to love!

​​Storing Food for COVID Camping

Ice

Use dry ice! There are several reasons not to use regular ice in your cooler.

• Regular ice is heavier when you first get the ice and even heavier when the ice melts and you have a pool of water in your cooler
• Food in cooler gets wet when your ice melts
• Have to throw out good, expensive food - ever tried to eat wet gluten-free bread?
• Dry ice lasts much longer than regular ice.

Be careful not to touch dry ice with your hands as you can get a burn. Handle with paper or a towel! Although a bit more expensive, dry ice is worth the extra cost because of the benefits listed above.

Coolers

Best cooler: Yeti coolers they are pretty pricey, starting at $79.99 for a lunchbox, however; they are the best option when you are not going to be near any dry ice for days. The description from their website reads, “Extreme insulation power and durability are bare minimum requirements for every cooler we make — and we never stop there. Our hard coolers don’t flinch in the face of snowstorms, the beating sun, or even bears, and our soft coolers are leakproof, waterproof, and quick to carry. As for our foldable lunch bag, that’s only for those of you who enjoy ice-cold drinks and a fresh meal on your lunch menu.”

I really enjoy a great road trip. This means an extended weekend or a planned multi-day trip which involves stopping and eating at places I've never heard of. That can be as easy as brushing a furry knot out of my long-haired cat when I'm not sure what's available in the next town, especially when I'm in the middle of nowhere. I've found a few ways to lessen the hardship of gluten-free on the road.

#1 Carry food with you at all times. Yes, and bring a superhero along with you as well (is Captain America available?). This can be easy if you find out what you like and keep it on hand. My suggestion: gluten-free protein bars and cookies. I really like protein drinks (single-serve powder is most accessible, although it can be costly). I take the protein from my bulk container and double bag the protein. This keeps costs down but gives me a few meals to hold me over until I find a safe restaurant to eat at.

Always bring yummy snack foods with you for the ride. Gas Stations do not have many gluten-free offerings, except for Oregon and California. These are the only two states which I have found more than 2 or 3 safe snacks to eat.

My favorite gluten-free snacks are KaPop Snacks, Deliciousness Foods, and Jai Mix. I've interviewed each of these owners on my podcast, and I would feel safe eating these snacks, even on vacation! They are reliable and do not use any gluten in their products or their process.

Remember to not carry chocolate with you on your road trip, chocolate melts, and makes a mess. Be cautious of coconut oil, as this will quickly melt in your car!

Check back for your next gluten-free on the road trip next blog!​

​For great advice on how to travel gluten-free, grab my Guide to Traveling Gluten-Free on Amazon today!