Whether you're headed out for a day in the mountains or a week-long trip, what food goes in your pack? Maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a handful of granola bars, perhaps some pasta to boil for dinner. But imagine that you couldn't eat any of those foods. Then what would you bring to eat on the trail? Not sure? If so, you're not alone: For millions of Americans, this scenario is a daily reality. The problem is gluten.

Gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. It's in bread, cereal, pasta, cake, bagels, pizza, pancakes, waffles, beer — and the list goes on. In other words, it's seemingly everywhere.

LEARN MORE...
View the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness’ symptoms checklist and gluten-free recipes at www.celiaccentral.org.

While going gluten-free (GF) may seem like the latest diet fad, for many people switching to a GF diet is a medical necessity. Conditions such as celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy collectively affect more than 30 million Americans. Symptoms can range from diarrhea, fatigue, and malnutrition, to serious secondary complications such as osteoporosis and certain cancers, and a GF diet is the only treatment.

But you don't need a medical diagnosis to go gluten-free. Many athletes, including outdoor recreationists, voluntarily adopt the GF diet for its anti-inflammatory properties, which aid in performance and hasten recovery. And you can, too.

Careful Planning
It all comes down to "sport specific nutrition planning" with a GF twist, says Melissa McLean Jory, a master nutrition therapist with celiac disease who holds a degree in exercise physiology. She's also a passionate hiker, backpacker, and skier who knows the outdoors well. "I look for consistent, high-quality nourishment for long days of hiking, several high-octane boosts for when I need instant energy, and plenty of recovery fuel," she says. "And lots of antioxidants and essential fatty acids to take care of my stressed-out cells — fatigued muscles, sore feet, that sort of thing."

"A casual day hike makes GF trail prep easy," explains McLean Jory. For example, she might take along an almond butter and jelly sandwich on bread made from the grain teff, a fresh apple, a chunk of cheese, and even a leftover piece of GF pizza. "It's planning for a week in the wilderness that gets complicated," she says.

A Balanced Approach
The key is a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Of those, the carbs are by far the trickiest, since they most often contain gluten. In this case, you'll want to substitute carb-heavy foods that are GF for ones that aren't. McLean Jory recommends brown rice, quinoa, GF pasta, GF oatmeal, and GF pancakes. Also become a careful label reader, since gluten can hide in a surprising number of places: Barley malt in many corn and rice cereals, wheat in soy sauce, and gluten as a filler in processed foods are just a few examples. Many energy and granola bars contain gluten, as do most prepackaged dehydrated backcountry meals.

For the high-octane boosts, you can down energy gels or chews, such as GU, Jelly Belly Sport Beans, or Honey Stinger, or go with more natural options, such as chocolate, raisins, dried fruit, or even maple syrup. When it comes to protein and fat, think salmon or beef jerky, sausage, cheese, bacon, nuts, and even brown rice, quinoa, or teff, which are all nutritionally-packed GF grains. Finally, fresh fruits and vegetables — such as apples, oranges, carrots, and celery — are always a good choice, especially when paired with nut butters like peanut or almond. You'll carry more in water weight, but they offer the double benefit of naturally GF nutrition and a form of hydration.

Armed with those kinds of fuels in your tank, you'll be ready to tackle anything the outdoors has to offer — whether you're gluten-free or not.