How to Travel With Food Allergies
How to Travel With Food Allergies: Traveling tips, so your allergy doesn’t hold you back!
Book a hotel with a Kitchen
It's a lot of fun to try new restaurants and experience new cuisines, but having access to a kitchen reduces the stress of having to find safe food out all the time. It also helps save money, especially on smaller meals and snacks.
I recently went on a weekend trip to Big Bear and booked an Airbnb with a kitchen. I simply packed a cooler of food filled with my favorite meals and was able to cook for myself instead of having to navigate restaurants in a small town with allergies.
I used the cookware the Airbnb provided but prewashed it to prevent contamination. I would not recommend using cast iron, as people usually wash it with salt and water or just wipe it with a paper towel — an allergy nightmare.
I also brought disposable dinnerwear, so I didn't have to prewash every bowl, cup, spoon, etc., I wanted to use. However, if Airbnb has a dishwasher, you can use it to sanitize the dinnerware.
Pack your go-to snacks
When I travel to large allergy-friendly spots, sometimes, I’ll just bring snacks instead of ingredients for meals. However, eating out can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. Therefore, it's great to have safe snacks with you that you know are free from your food allergies in case you’re somewhere where a safe option is not available. Nevertheless, even if I bring ingredients, I always bring snacks.
Pack Allergy Medicine
Pack any allergy medicine you might need. There’s no such thing as being overly prepared when it comes to your allergy. I have 3 emergency allergic reaction scenario kits that I carry with me at all times, especially when traveling—EpiPen, Auvi-Q, Benadryl, Tagamet, etc. If you’re interested in learning what’s in my scenario kids, you can watch this video:
Create an Allergy Reaction Emergency Plan
Create a "soft plan" of hospitals and urgent care offices that take your insurance in the area in case of an emergency. When I book my accommodations, I try to pick a place that is closest to the hospital that I would want to go to if I had a severe reaction because the ambulance will drive to the closest one. I also try to look for accommodations that are within a 15-minute drive of a hospital because once you use the first EpiPen or Auvi-Q injector, time is of the essence.
Research Allergy-Friendly Restaurants
Find safe places to eat. TikTok, Instagram, Yelp, and personal blogs are great places for suggestions. I especially love using Spokin because they are very up-to-date with recommendations. Click Here to find Spokin's recommendations. You can also call restaurants to ask about allergy-safe options and cross-contamination protocols. I often find it easier to reach restaurants via their direct messages on Instagram or email contact form on their website.
Bring Support
Let's face it... traveling with allergies is difficult, but supportive travel buddies make all the difference! Make sure to fill them in on where you keep your medicine, how to administer it, and your emergency plan.
Let’s Check Off The Steps
See these traveling tips in action! Watch the video below to see how someone with 17 food allergies packs for a weekend trip. You can also see more allergy tips on the EpiAdventure cases Instagram account: Click Here.
