If you’ve discovered that you have celiac disease, wrapping your head around the multitude of changes to make & steps to take to keep yourself safe can be daunting.

I’ve outlined some of these initial steps here, which will help you clean up your kitchen & decrease the chances of accidentally “glutening” yourself in your own home.

But if your body has started to heal & you’re feeling physically well enough to adventure outdoors, you might be rarin’ to get back at it.

In that case, you’ll need to apply your new gluten-free skills to your outdoor prep…because the last place you’ll want to get glutened is halfway through the Franconia Ridge Loop or along the knife edge of Mount Katahdin.

Assuming that your goal is to make it back without having to change your shorts or dig an emergency cathole, it pays to plan ahead to be sure that anything you eat before AND during your hike is free from the demon spawn known as gluten.

If you’re new to the game, or know someone who is, here are a few pointers to consider when packin’ for snackin’ on the trails.

Avoid sugar alcohols

Technically, this advice applies to everyone with a sensitive system. But if you know you’re prone to digestive disasters, it’s best to leave these beasts alone.

First, because the after effects can SUCK. But second, because they might cause you to think you’ve been glutened when in fact you’ve just been sugar alcohol’ed.

As I’ve written before, sugar alcohols  such as maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol & xylitol help keep sugars low. But fortunately/unfortunately, our bodies can only absorb about half the calories from these carbohydrates. What happens to the other half?

Those sugars that remain undigested promote osmosis in your gut.

And what happens during osmosis?

If you remember from high school biology class, those undigested sugars pull more water across your intestinal membrane & into your colon.

And then guess what happens….

Yeah, it goes exactly as you’d expect.

Sooooo…while having celiac disease does not prohibit you from having sugar alcohols, it probably means that you’re familiar with digestive upset. And you don’t need another source messing with your system, let alone creating a possible source of confusion given that its impacts on your system can be similar.

That said, you might want to be extra careful about reading the labels on any protein bars, gels & other snacks to be sure that maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol aren’t one of the main ingredients.

Beware the beef jerky

Beef jerky can be an excellent snack on the trails given its salt & protein content, especially during the summer. But be sure to do a double take on the ingredients list.

Many brands contain soy sauce, which is a definite no (or make that an “oh no!”) on the list of things you don’t want to consume as it often contains wheat flour.

As of this writing, some of the popular brands like Jack Links, Oberto & Matador contain gluten, or at the very least some flavors do and some do not. So you’ll have to read the ingredients carefully so you don’t grab the wrong one.

Alternatively, Lorissa’s Kitchen, Krave, Epic & Turkey Perky Jerky all claim to be entirely gluten-free at this time, as they either don’t use soy sauce or use a wheat-free tamari or soy sauce. However, it’s always helpful to read labels in case flavors or formulations change in the future.

Watch out for protein bars & gels

These snacks are handy when you head outdoors because they’re rough & tumble on the road, require zero prep, have a reasonable shelf-life & have a nice balance of carbs and protein to help you replenish during your trip without overdoing the calories.

Not that calories are a terrible thing, but sometimes you only need a quick energy source, not a huge meal, and that’s when these buggers are comin’ in clutch.

But it’s also where they can  leave you comin’ in hot.

Because if you’re not careful at reading & interpreting the labels, they can hide rolled oats (that aren’t gluten-free), malt barley syrup, malt syrup, malt flavorings, malt extract, malted milk, hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat flour, or even wheat gluten as a protein source.

You’d probably notice it, but sometimes it can be sneaky, especially the oats & malt. Or you may be used to a specific bar that you’ve been eating for ages and it hadn’t dawned on you yet to check it.

For example, one of my favorite bars was the Best Ever Food Bar Peanut Butter Crunch. It sounds harmless enough, but when you check the label, it’s made with graham crackers…which are made with wheat flour. So you can’t take the name at face value & make assumptions.

And a friendly FYI, Clif Bars, as much as many of us love them, are not gluten-free. So if you’re a fan, I regret to inform you that it’s time to let them go.

Luckily, MANY bars on the market are gluten-free. So you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one that you like if the one you currently enjoy doesn’t make the cut.

Trail Mix

You might be thinking, “what could go wrong when it comes to dried fruit & nuts?” And as long as we’re talking about ONLY dried fruit & nuts, the answer is not much.

But many companies making trail mixes these days are donning their fancy pants, so we’ve exploded far beyond the boundaries of some simple GORP.  Now we’re talking various flavorings, coatings, and inclusions such as sesame sticks, chocolate pieces & the like.

And unfortunately, those additions can put you in a world of hurt.

So be sure to check carefully, because once nuts & other seemingly harmless treats co-mingle with items that contain gluten, gluten-derived ingredients (such as malt flavor), or you accidentally buy a mix assuming that it must be gluten-free and it isn’t, you’ll be on the fast track to celiac hell.

Choose carefully during post-adventure snack stop

It’s not unusual to top off a day outdoors by stopping to indulge in some ice cream, cupcakes, or a hearty meal at a local pub.

But as you might expect, these treats can land you in the danger zone even if you think you’re being careful.

There’s the obvious, of course – beer, hamburger buns, bread bowls, pasta, breaded items like seafood or chicken, or the bread they bring out for everyone to share.

But there are also less obvious items that can get you in trouble:

• French fries – check to be sure that their fryers are only used for fries. If they are used for anything breaded or any items that contain gluten, unfortunately you’re outta luck.
• Gluten-free pasta – if they offer GF pasta, be sure that they boil it in separate water than their regular pasta.
• Soups – you may avoid the obvious like barley, but beware of cream soups that may use flour as a thickener.
• Veggie burgers – first, they might be made with oats, and if they’re not housemade expect that they might contain wheat gluten as a binder, as many commercial brands often do. Be sure to ask.
• Seitan – if you don’t know this term already, be careful – it’s a vegetarian substitute for beef made of wheat gluten. Your small intestines will recoil just hearing the name!
• Toasters & cooktops – if you stop at a diner or other spot that’s unlikely to specialize, beware that they may not have separate prep areas or toasters for gluten-free items. In that case, cross-contamination may be a huge concern, so proceed with caution.

You can always call or research ahead  of time if you know where you’ll be adventuring. If you’d like an extra hand, visit www.FindMeGlutenFree.com for feedback from others about their dining experiences in the area you’re planning to visit. That way, you can choose a spot that has positive feedback & one that’s more likely to accommodate you with greater success.

Take-home message

Outdoor adventures are an awesome part of life, and staying fueled & happy as someone who has celiac disease is achievable.

It only means doing the usual due diligence to ensure that you don’t grab the wrong type of snack or that you don’t allow your foods to come in contact with gluten. And that you don’t make a misstep during a post-adventure fuel-up.

You may find that some friends, family, or trail buddies will get frustrated, but remember that for those of us with celiac disease, it isn’t a matter of picking out the items that we CAN eat or simply eating off or around something with gluten.

For us, avoiding gluten isn’t a fad or a preference – it’s a necessity.

If we are exposed – even via cross-contamination – then this protein will trigger an autoimmune response that causes our bodies to attack itself (hence the term “autoimmune”).

This attack that will subsequently damage the lining of our intestines as well as other parts of our bodies, and will leave us at greater risk for issues such as intestinal lymphoma & small bowel cancer.

We inherited this genetic disorder – we didn’t go out & bring it home like it was a stray bear cub.

So please remember – and remind others – that you aren’t being overly dramatic while being vigilant.

You are being vigilant because your adventures, quality of life & long-term health depend on it.