Ten Travel Essentials You Need Before Traveling With Your Food-Allergy Child
Hey there, I’m Corinna!
I remember the first time we planned an international trip with food allergies. A few weeks before, I got a pit in my stomach and asked my hubby if we should really be doing this. I felt like we were taking unnecessary risks that could seriously harm our daughter.
But wait, was that the truth?
After traveling to Spain, the UK, Ireland, Italy, France, Bahamas, Mexico, and all over the US and Canada, with multiple, severe food allergies, I now know it isn’t.
But in all honesty, there were stressful moments when we learned something the hard way or when an unexpected challenge came up with travel (as they often do).
Yes, it took us many, many trips and lots of time and experience to learn the best strategies that would allow us to have the safest trip possible with the least amount of work and stress.
But it doesn’t have to be that way for you. Because I share our best strategies and tips from our extensive experience traveling the world with multiple, severe food allergies in an easy-to-digest workshop.
No matter where you’re going, the Food Allergy Travel Workshop will help you feel more prepared and less worried so you can make those precious memories with your family without guilt!
Now, let’s get to those food allergy travel essentials…
I know taking vacations is not always the easiest for food allergy families. Sometimes the worry about the worst can make it hard to want to get away and may even make it seem like it’s not worth the extra work.
Our family loves to travel and we’ve done it for many years despite severe food allergies. There are several types of trips you can take and I feel like it’s important to start with one that works for your family, especially if you’re new to the food allergy world.
As a family with food allergies, there are just different things you’ll need to remember to pack that the average family doesn’t need or use.
Here’s a rundown of the things you’ll need to pack that are specific to food allergies.
1. FARE Allergy Plan or Food Allergy Action Plan
This is so important to have along with you so that you feel confident about what to do if your child started to have signs of an allergic reaction. Use your epinephrine first and use it fast, and having your plan with you will help you feel confident to make these decisions. I give my daughter one to carry in her carry-on with her and I also carry 2 copies with me in different places so if one gets lost we have another. I like to place it inside a plastic sleeve so it doesn’t get ruined in the bags.
PRO TIP - Take a picture of your emergency plan and keep it on your phone as a backup (along with your other important docs like your passport).
2. Epinephrine Injector AND Carrier
You’ll need to carry the epinephrine and you’ll likely want something easy to grab. This can change depending on the age of your little one. My daughter likes the waistband carrier that she got on the EpiPen website. I also carry 1-2 EpiPens in my purse. I make sure to bring a smaller purse on vacation that will hold the EpiPen and the wipes we need (see below).
Don’t forget to bring a carrier that keeps your epinephrine at the right temperature. We like the FRIO one. Keep in mind when buying the FRIO you’ll need to measure to make sure you get the right size. The FRIO that carries one EpiPen looks a little bigger than it is. I got fooled into thinking I was buying a carrier that would hold 2 EpiPens when in reality it only holds 1. It looks bigger than it is because when the gel has been activated with water it swells and takes up more room.
3. Wipes
These are a staple for travel with food allergies. You’ll use them EVERYWHERE. From wiping down planes, to wiping hands, to wiping surroundings, don’t leave home without them. I usually get the large, towel like ones for the plane so I can wipe larger areas with fewer wipes and then I bring several small packages, one for each of us to carry in our own bags for using to wipe before eating. Special bonus; since we started wiping down planes and carrying wipes, we’ve been getting few colds and flus too!
4. Food Containers
No matter what type of vacation, you’ll likely be cooking and bringing food along on day trips or to the beach or whatever. Having a selection of food containers and/or Ziplock bags in various sizes helps a lot. You can also reuse them by washing them over and over.
5. Toaster Bags
These handy little bags can be used inside any toaster and keep the toast from touching the sides just in case there was bread with an allergen in there before. They save you from bringing a whole extra toaster!
6. BBQ Mat
We never know exactly what was cooked on the bbq in the past which is why we bring a bbq mat with us if we think we’ll be using the bbq.
PRO TIP - plan your vacation meals before you go with a helpful Food Allergy Planning Package (pictured below). You’ll be super prepared without bringing too much or too little. There’s even a done-for-you vacation meal plan and it’s included in the Food Allergy Travel Workshop. Make your trip safer and stress-free.
7. Portable Cooler and Ice Packs
You may or may not need this depending on the vacation you're taking. If you’ll be going to the beach or doing day trips, this can come in really handy to keep food safe and fresh. If you’re going to Disney and plan to buy most of your food at the parks, you may not need a cooler. It does work great though for pool days so you don’t have to head back to the room for food.
8. Breakfast Foods
With pn, tn allergies, and gluten intolerance, we find that breakfast foods can be one of the most difficult things to find that are safe. Because of this we usually bring some pre-baked, safe muffins or loaves. That way if the hotel offers breakfast, we can bring a safe option for my daughter while we eat what the hotel has.
9. Back Up Meal and Snacks for the Travel Days
I can’t stress this one enough. There have been so many times when we’ve been delayed or we’ve been re-routed because of airline delays. Having some non-perishable backup food is a literal lifesaver. This way if there are travel delays we have something safe to fall back on instead of worrying about finding safe food at an airport or even buying something onboard an airplane. Don’t forget to bring enough non-perishable items for the trip home too!
If you’re wondering WHAT food to bring and HOW much of it to bring, you’ll want to check out my Food Allergy Travel Workshop where you’ll get planners to help you figure out what will work for your specific trip.
10. Asthma and Eczema Meds
It’s important to keep asthma under control and we can’t do this without our asthma meds. Guess what? We forgot our asthma meds when we went on vacation one year. Luckily, we had friends coming down a day later that were able to bring them; but this isn’t always the case! It’s a huge hassle to get prescription meds in another country because you have to see one of their doctors and get a prescription and then get that prescription filled. It’s just a better idea to bring them in the first place because who wants to spend their vacation visiting the doctor?
Our kids will enjoy the vacation much more if their eczema isn’t bugging them and they’re not itchy the entire time. This is why I always bring our medicated eczema cream as well as the non-medicated ones too.
You May Also Like These Posts:
5 Things To Do Before Hiring a Food Allergy Travel Agent
Disney World with Food Allergies - Allergy Menus
EpiPen On A Plane: Vital Tips for Flying With Epinephrine
Introducing Allergens When You’re Nervous
Conclusion
A little planning and packing the right things will make your vacation go smoothly and it will be much more enjoyable. If you bring these 10 things, you’ll stay safe and enjoy your vacation!
What items will you be sure to pack? Let me know in the comments!
You May Also Like These Posts:
5 Things To Do Before Hiring a Food Allergy Travel Agent
Disney World with Food Allergies - Allergy Menus
