<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
My original post:
Hello everyone!
Going to be travelling on America West airlines. They have vegetarian and
Kosher meals available, no gf.
Here are the menus, which do you think would be safest in terms of being gf?
Or has anyone already questioned them considering this?
Kosher: Breakfast - Mushroom omelet & potatoes with diced red, green &
yellow peppers
Lunch/Dinner - Braised beef tips, with white rice & seasoned green beens
If something is Kosher, shouldn't it be GF as long as it contains no matzoh
meal??
Vegetarian: Breakfast - Scalloped apple, crepes with strawberry sauce
(obviuosly not an option)
Lunch/Dinner - Tofu, peppers & mushroom kabob with turmeric rice, carrots &
onion
Thanks
Renee
Oak Park, IL
THE RESPONSES:
Kosher is not the same as gluten free. There could be some filler in the
omelet. Kosher for Passover is gluten free as long as it doesn't have any
matzo meal.
***************
No. I would expect that all the rice will be parboiled enriched rice ;(
*****************
The braised beef tips could have flour used as a thickener--that would still
be kosher. The seasoned green beans could also be problematic--if, for
instance, the seasoning includes those Durkee canned french onion rings. I
generally order a fruit plate (boring, but predictable) and bring my own
crackers/rice cake/pcik your favorite carb. If Wilton is doing the kosher
meal it should be pretty easy to find out what's in it. I found some contact
information for them on the web, but it's several years old:
Wilton Foods, Inc.
One 6 1/2 Station Rd.,
Goshen, NY 10924
Telephone Numbers and Contact Information
(914) 294-2801 Main
They're now owned (through a longish intermediate chain of companies) by
Iowa Beef Producers, Inc. (who are in turn owned by Tyson Foods), but the
Wilton plant is still in Goshen. (see
<http://www.ibpinc.com/about/IBPNewHistory.stm#Foodbrands%20America>)
***************************
Kosher does not mean no wheat. It is only wheat free if it says non-gebrokts
on the package. This is the term used to indicate that something is not
simply kosher for passover, but that does not conain matzo meal either. Even
at passover, something can be labeled kosher and still have wheat in the
form of matzo meal in it. When I fly, I usually carry food with me
(especially carbs.). You may be able to ask for a fresh fruit platter from
the airlines and then you can just eat your own carbs that you bring. If a
fresh fruit platter is not available, then I usually will carry, cheese,
fruit and carbs of some kind (e.g. crackers, or pretzels, or I make a gf
trail or chex mix. (Although when flying you may not want to use nuts
because of the extreme intensity of that food allergy.)
*************
just a reminder -- choose the best meal options, but don't COUNT on any food
from the airlines. I travel relatively often, and the last two times are
good examples. On an overnight flight from europe to the US (two meals),
they forgot to put ALL special meals on the plane (oops). The best they
could do for me was to swipe two small plain salads from first class (no
safe dressing) and a dead-looking apple. On my latest trip, I was able to
change planes and make better connections at the last minute -- thus no
special meal aboard for me (same goes for a delayed or missed flight). I
ALWAYS carry enough not to be hungry -- stuff like carrot sticks, grapes, GF
crackers and cookies, raisins/nuts, GF nutrition bar, banana, etc. all
travel well. If I don't need it, fine. But more often than not I DO need my
own food along. Evelyn
***************
If something is Kosher, it isn't necessarily GF as long as it contains no
matzoh meal. That applies only to Kosher for Passover and also must exclude
Cake Meal and farfel which are not GF yet Kosher for Passover. If the food
is not Kosher for Passover, usually only available in April, then many forms
of Gluten are possibly present. You basically have a few options: 1. Tracing
down the Kosher food manufacturer and asking about ingredients (could be
tough and all their food could have gluten) 2. Talk to the America West food
consession about something simple like salad and a fruit platter. 3. Bring
your own food. There is a company www.myownmeals.com that has Refrigeration
Free Boilable and Microwaveable meals (I haven't tried them).
**************
It all sounds pretty scary.....wouldn't trust even the rice or green beans
unless someone can swear there is no fakey margarine or seasoning.
Gosh! I've flown cross-country on America West a couple of times and there
was no food. I love their changeable tickets so it's a good tradeoff.
Guess I'm so used to never finding GF food on planes or in airports that I
just have my standard stuff with me...
hardboiled eggs, individual string cheese, yogurt, apples, occ chicken
breast, GF cookies and crackers and ALWAYS M&M peanuts ;)
I take a small fabric 6 pak size cooler made by Outdoor Research that is
squashable as I eat my way through it.
Try to eat a good-sized warm nourishing meal before leaving and hope to have
one lined up at the other end.
*************
I read with interest your e-mail concerning airline food options. I am sure
you have heard from many already concerning the false notion that "if it's
kosher, it must be GF." So I won't go into that. However, given the 2
options you presented, I would go with the kosher menu, seeing that it looks
the safest.
Even the Lunch/dinner option for the vegetarian menu doesn't look safe. THe
kabobs more often than not have wheat or barley as a binder. BEWARE! The
last thing you want is to be buckled over in pain in an airline seat!
************
Hmm, what a choice to make. The kosher breakfast and vegetarian lunch sounds
the safest. I realize that you need to choose one or the other. I can tell
you that on the kosher meal trays on American Airlines, every food item
comes wrapped individually so you won't have to worry, say, that they'll
plop a roll on the beef tips because the beef tips will be wrapped in their
own heat bag.
***********
Kosher does not necessarily mean gluten free. However, there should be a
very accurate listing of ingredients on all the foods.
**********
I fly America West frequently... unfortunately neither the vegetarian or the
kosher is GF. As with most airlines nowadays- bring your own food!
********
I know this isn't as exciting - but why not just order a fruit plate, if
they have it. At least you know it'll be safe - and take a few GF goodies
with you to nibble on. Good luck. Cherry in NJ
********
Why take the risk? All of the meals listed have a good chance of containing
gluten. Pack your own meals! It's only an airflight!
MY COMMENTS:
As I stated in the post, I understand that Kosher is GF as long as it does
not contain matzoh meal.
My in-laws made the reservations, so when I called to make my choice I found
out there was no meal, even though "you are welcome to bring whatever you
like onto the plane".
I ALWAYS take food with me anyway but I like to make our needs known with
the hopes that one day we will get what we are asking for!!
Thanks to all
Renee
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