When some people travel, they bring their favorite pillow from home or their scented eye mask to sleep on the plane…we bring rice cakes. I think of rice cakes as the perfect Tabula Rasa–the blank slate of the snack world. They are gluten free, require no refrigeration, last for weeks, and are equally versatile for savory or sweet treats. Almost anywhere you are staying will have peanut butter in the kitchen, and that with a couple of rice cakes, will keep you from starving till you can get to a restaurant for a real meal. My kids and I have long ago surpassed the “always safe rice cake with peanut butter”, and come up with all sorts of exciting new creations. Here are a few I think you will enjoy…

• sliced turkey, Vermont cheddar, green apple, spinach leaves and honey mustard
• hummus, crumbled feta, sliced tomato, and chopped basil
• ricotta cheese, sliced pear, and honey
• tuna with chopped apple, avocado mayo, and romaine lettuce
• mashed avocado, soft boiled egg, olive oil, and chia seeds
• almond butter, sliced strawberries, honey, and shredded coconut
• peanut butter, Nutella, and sliced banana (who can resist?)

Being gluten free used to leave me at a loss when platters of sandwiches would be delivered to meetings or parties. I would not be able to find something to eat, and would be crabby and starving by the time I got home. Now I discretely pull apart a wrap, extracting the cheese, avocado, lettuce and tomato and pile it onto a couple rice cakes. It is not unusual for someone to notice, and remark that they “wish they had done the same” because they cannot eat wheat…which is why I always bring a full bag! Let me know if you come up with any new creations…