Gluten-Free Picnic Ideas?

Prezkot · 03-07-2009, 09:33 PM

I'm not doing very well at googling this, so I thought I'd get some opinions here hopefully.

I'm going hiking with a girl tomorrow and I'm planning a little surprise picnic in the park afterwards. She has gluten allergies, and though I've heard about it from her and have been reading up on it, I don't trust myself very well to decisively choose things besides just bringing a bunch of fruit without asking her. I know there's like, gluten-free breads, but beyond that I'm still kind of in the dark about the gluten guidelines.

What would be some good picnic food ideas that are both gluten-free AND nutritious for a post-hike meal?

Thanks for any input

Crazyaboutdogs · 03-07-2009, 10:47 PM

Tricky. Instead of the picnic why not do something else to surprise her. Better to err on the side of caution in this matter and as you get to know her and have meals with her you will have a clearer understanding of what she can and can't eat.

sophie274 · 03-07-2009, 11:09 PM

Corn is gluten free, so you could bring some corn tortillas with some fixings (beans, [color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color], salsa, chicken). Fruit is obviously good.

Enjoy life is a brand that is gluten free (also pretty much free of all major allergies) - you could look for that in your grocery store. Most grocery stores nowadays also have a gluten-free aisle.

Chocolate is usually gluten-free (plain white or dark - check ingredients).

Dried fruit is pretty tasty and you could make a trail mix with nuts.

Smoked meats are usually gluten-free. Cheese definitely is, and you can buy gluten-free crackers, which actually taste pretty good. Wine would be gluten free as well!

Just check the packaging - some things will be labeled as gluten free, and for others you have to check for wheat, rye, barley, basically all the grains. Gluten is not one of the required labels - the top 7 allergens MUST be labeled on foods, but gluten doesn't (isn't an allergen) - so you will have to be a bit more thorough. There are some things you should be pretty safe with - the fresh fruit and veggies, cheese, meat, dried fruits, nuits, and chocolate (just read the label - shouldn't be much in there anyway!). Look to the gluten-free aisle for crackers or corn tortillas (can also be found in ethnic foods, usually).

Prezkot · 03-08-2009, 01:19 AM

Thank you

03-07-2009, 09:33 PM	#1
Prezkot Offline Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Gender: Male Age: 24 Posts: 105	Gluten-Free Picnic Ideas? I'm not doing very well at googling this, so I thought I'd get some opinions here hopefully. I'm going hiking with a girl tomorrow and I'm planning a little surprise picnic in the park afterwards. She has gluten allergies, and though I've heard about it from her and have been reading up on it, I don't trust myself very well to decisively choose things besides just bringing a bunch of fruit without asking her. I know there's like, gluten-free breads, but beyond that I'm still kind of in the dark about the gluten guidelines. What would be some good picnic food ideas that are both gluten-free AND nutritious for a post-hike meal? Thanks for any input

03-07-2009, 10:47 PM	#2
Crazyaboutdogs Online Platinum Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Canada Gender: Female Age: 46 Posts: 15,632	Tricky. Instead of the picnic why not do something else to surprise her. Better to err on the side of caution in this matter and as you get to know her and have meals with her you will have a clearer understanding of what she can and can't eat.

03-07-2009, 11:09 PM	#3
sophie274 Online Platinum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,062	Corn is gluten free, so you could bring some corn tortillas with some fixings (beans, [color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color][color=#fa7777]* [/color], salsa, chicken). Fruit is obviously good. Enjoy life is a brand that is gluten free (also pretty much free of all major allergies) - you could look for that in your grocery store. Most grocery stores nowadays also have a gluten-free aisle. Chocolate is usually gluten-free (plain white or dark - check ingredients). Dried fruit is pretty tasty and you could make a trail mix with nuts. Smoked meats are usually gluten-free. Cheese definitely is, and you can buy gluten-free crackers, which actually taste pretty good. Wine would be gluten free as well! Just check the packaging - some things will be labeled as gluten free, and for others you have to check for wheat, rye, barley, basically all the grains. Gluten is not one of the required labels - the top 7 allergens MUST be labeled on foods, but gluten doesn't (isn't an allergen) - so you will have to be a bit more thorough. There are some things you should be pretty safe with - the fresh fruit and veggies, cheese, meat, dried fruits, nuits, and chocolate (just read the label - shouldn't be much in there anyway!). Look to the gluten-free aisle for crackers or corn tortillas (can also be found in ethnic foods, usually).

03-08-2009, 01:19 AM	#4
Prezkot Offline Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Gender: Male Age: 24 Posts: 105	Thank you