Are you a traveller who suffers food allergies? The aim while travelling is to avoid having an allergic reaction. No-one wants to spend their holiday being unwell. So what’s the solution?
Well, you can enjoy a great trip with a little bit of preparation. Here are 5 tips to travel better with food allergies; research destination food, create a food plan, order special meals, learn foreign food words, bring medication.
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Research destination food
If you’re like most travellers, you do research before going on a trip. If you’re an allergy sufferer, its important to include food choices in this research.
What foods are commonly eaten in the country you’re travelling to? What is the local diet? Is food you usually eat available? Do they cater for your food allergies?
Time spent researching is invaluable and results in a better, healthier, and less expensive trip. If you end up in hospital due to your food allergy, this is a sure way to blow your budget.
Create a food plan
As a gluten and lactose intolerant traveller myself, I know through trial and error what foods I can and can’t eat. Travelling is no different. It’s best to be careful what you eat, stick to your normal eating plan to avoid any allergy flare ups.
I know, the food looks so gorgeous! Don’t be fooled, eating just a little bit of the offending food may mean disaster.
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Order special meals
One way to start your trip on the right track, is to order a special meal inflight. Most airlines cater for the allergic traveller. Depending on your airline, you may have special meal options such as:
- Diabetic – low in sugar, fats and salt
- Gluten and dairy free – no gluten and lactose/dairy
- Vegan Vegetarian – no animal products including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, milk or honey, dairy products or peanuts.
Make sure you contact your airline at least four days in advance to order a special meal. If your airline can’t cater for your food allergy, bring something with you that you know is ok to eat.
Learn foreign food words
An important thing when travelling to a non-English speaking country, is to learn how to say what you are allergic to in the local language. This helps with reading food ingredients at the supermarket or giving instructions to the chef making your restaurant meal.
For example, you’re in Italy and are gluten and lactose intolerant. You may want to learn the words for gluten = glutine and lactose = lattosio or a phrase like this:
English – “I have a gluten and lactose allergy” = Italian “Ho un’allergia alimentare al glutine e lattosio”.
Use Google Translate or other language apps to help you.
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Bring medication
You may have researched, planned, learnt a few foreign words but haven’t avoided an allergy flare up. That’s ok.
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. In these situations, its a good idea to bring medication with you just in case. If your symptoms worsen, go to the nearest doctor or hospital immediately.
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Linda is an Amazon author, writer and travel blogger. Her website The Smart Travelista offers travel resources and tips via her blog, books, videos and more.
