Festival Survival Guide

Boomtown 2013

Being Coeliac doesn’t mean that we have to miss out on all the fun. I survived two festivals in my first year of being gluten free and had the best time ever without going hungry.

Here’s how.

Step one:

BE PREPARED! Spontaneity might sometimes be the spice of life but it has to go out the window when it comes to planning for any trips away being gluten free.

Have a good think about exactly what you’ll need for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Take a gas stove and pan if your serious about getting some good meals in. Or failing that take some free from snacks and rolls to keep you going. Also fruit, carrot sticks and hummus, packed lunch type things are good, take a cooler box if your worried about food going funny in a hot tent. (Although being in the UK this shouldn’t be an issue, ha)

The night before Boomtown I was busy baking a small loaf of gf bread to take which I carried in an air tight Tupperware to make sure it’d last for the weekend. I also took a jar of peanut butter to smother on it.

Step two:

TAKE LOADS OF SNACK BARS! They fill the gap whenever the tummy starts growling.

My favourite are (and well there, er kind of the only options so I’m sure their your favourite too):

Nutty goodness

Nothing bad in these whatsoever, and they are tastey, yay!

ALSO packets of dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc. Popcorn, Kettle chips, gf tortilla chips.

Step three:

TAKE SOME SPARE CASH either to treat yourself to a meal there or as emergencies in case your own supplies don’t fill you up. Most fests do gluten-free chips or jacket potatoes at the very least. Just have a scout around and ask different stalls what they can do for you.

Step four:

DON’T GET DRUNK AND EAT PIZZA BECAUSE IT SMELLS NICE, I can safely say I’ve never actually done this but I can imagine it could be tempting, especially at a festival.

Step five:

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HAVE FUN! That’s what your there for! (And keep hydrated 😉

Sunrise 2013

Boomtown 2013

Gluten-free Festival Survival Guide!

Boomtown 2013

Being coeliac doesn’t have to mean missing out on all the fun. In my first year of diagnosis, I survived two festivals with no problems at all!

Here’s how:

STEP ONE – BE PREPARED! Even over prepared.

Spontaneity may sometimes be the spice of life but that has to go out the window if we want to make sure we don’t go hungry.

Think about what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Planning is key.

If you’re serious about eating well, take a gas stove and pots and pans. Or failing that, have lots of free from rolls to hand and some tins of gf spaghetti, sweetcorn, tins of anything you don’t mind eating cold.

I spent the night before my journey to Boomtown baking gf bread to take in an airtight Tupperware, along with a tub of peanut butter, this got me through every morning. Home baked cakes or flapjacks are good too.

Fruit juice is great for the mornings too. And if you take a plastic bowl, spoon, a bag of gluten free muesli and a carton of long-lasting milk or soya milk, you know you have at least your breakfast covered every day.

Lunch times, prepare some packed lunch style salads (bring a cooler box if worried about heat although being in England, it’ll probably rain anyway!), a big tub of hummus and some carrot sticks is always a good snack.

Pack bags of nuts, dried fruit, or fresh – apples and bananas, kettle chips, snacks are as important as sparkly clothes for your rucksack.

STEP TWO – TAKE LOADS OF SNACK BARS

I use this rule for travelling too. They fill a little empty space in a growling tummy and are easily transported around the place (however squished they get or melted by the sun)

These are my favorites:

Nothing bad in these whatsoever, and they are tastey, yay!

Nutty goodness

STEP THREE – TAKE SOME SPARE CASH

This can be for emergencies if your own supplies don’t keep you going or can be for treating yourself to a hassle-free dinner. Have a scout around and see which food stalls can cater for you.

Most fests have gluten-free chips or jacket potatoes with salad at the very least. Just make sure you talk to who ever is serving about cross-contamination.

STEP FOUR – DON’T GET DRUNK AND EAT PIZZA COZ IT SMELLS NICE

There’s gonna be loads of tempting food that smells sooo good, but just put your blinkers on and keep moving!

STEP FIVE – HAVE FUN

That’s what you’re there for!

(And of course, keep hydrated 😉

Sunrise 2013, © Jasmine Irving

Boomtown 2013