Traveling on the GAPS diet is not impossible. Challenging? Yes. It takes planning but it can be done! In last week’s post I talked about 3 of our trips, all a bit different, traveling while on the GAPS diet and some of the things I did to make it possible.
This week I will talk about foods I packed and what I did to ensure Raleigh stayed on the full GAPS diet even in our travels.
Good Travel Snacks:
Fresh Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, berries, etc
Dried Fruit – any without added sugar or vegetable oils
Fresh/Raw Veggies – carrots, celery, broccoli, baby tomatoes, peppers, etc.
Pork Rinds – Epic makes a very clean, one-ingredient option. These were a life saver when it came to needing a snack. They pair nicely with fruit, too.
Carnivore Crisps – These things are magical! I found this company years ago and they are a wonderful meal replacement for day trips or longer journeys. We have often used them to replace breakfast or lunch on long trips.
Seaweed – These are great travel snacks. Be sure to make sure they are made with either avocado oil or olive oil.
Black olives
Avocado
Nuts and Seeds – preferably soaked and/or sprouted
Travel Foods Requiring A Cooler:
Hard Boiled Eggs
Procuitto
Full GAPS legal cheeses
Shredded chicken, or other meat, from meat stock
Easy Travel Meals for the Destination:
I. Instant Pot (sautee function) Taco Salad. I would brown the meat and season it. We brought lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. It was a very simple and a quick full GAPS dinner.
2. Pre-made soup or stew. This works great if you have a good cooler and way to warm it up. I made a white chicken chili and packed it in the cooler. I warmed it in the instant pot when we arrived. You can get my white chicken chili recipe in GAPS Comfort.
3. Breakfast options: eggs, bacon (sugar free), sausage (sugar free), nut butters, kefir and yogurt with raw honey. These can be easy to pack in a cooler for an overnight trip.
Coming off GAPS or Very Advanced GAPS:
This is when things get fun! Obviously GAPS is about freshly cooked/made food and not processed food. However, there are more and more companies out there making some really great, minimally processed options. I found Skout years ago when Raleigh was still on full GAPS but very advanced. It was one of the first “processed” foods I allowed him to have because the ingredients are so simple and real, not to mention they are all “technically” GAPS legal. Skout bars have been a fantastic snack option for him. We still consume them today.
Skout bars – They have nut free options as well as options with nuts. The nuts are not soaked/sprouted (which is recommended for GAPsters). This is a good “very advanced” GAPS option or coming off GAPS option.
Lentil noodles – Becky Plotner talks about lentil noodles as a nice add in for the advanced/coming off GAPS group in her book. There are quite a few options out there in stores that make a lentil noodle. It is great for adding in for special trips and when the gut can handle the processed nature of the lentil noodle – this is an advanced full GAPS stage.
Yogurt and Kefir Hack While Traveling
GAPS requires dairy to be a full 24 hour ferment. This ensures the lactose is gone. While traveling or at a destination where you cannot make these foods, you can purchase a full-fat, plain version – make sure the label says milk and lists the cultures and no other additives – and this is a good option while traveling.
When you return with the yogurt from the store you leave it out on the counter, un-opened, for 24 hours. After 24 hours you place it in the fridge. This will allow it to continue to ferment and any remaining lactose will be gone.
I know of one brand of yogurt that is a true 24 hour ferment: White Mountain Organic Bulgarian Yogurt. This is a great option if you have access to this brand. Most store-bought yogurts are not 24 hour ferments and would need to be left out for an additional 24 hours to be GAPS-legal.
If you’ve ever traveled while on GAPS – Intro, Full or otherwise – I’d love to know what you did and how you did it! Please comment and share below.
