Spring and summer travel with kids of any age can be difficult, but when one of them has food allergies, it adds an extra layer of complication. I’ve put together tips on how make traveling with food allergy kids easier and more enjoyable as you venture out this season.
Stay with Full Kitchen Access
Choosing accommodations when traveling can always be tricky, but even more so when dealing with food restrictions. Depending on your child’s food allergies and your level of comfort, our family has found staying at a hotel or renting a place with full kitchen access is a must. It allows for preparation of your own safe food in a safe environment. Plus, as an added bonus we save money by eating out less.
Bring Food – Lots of It
The easiest way to ensure your child has safe food to eat is to bring your own food along. Depending on your child’s food allergies and your destination, safe food options may be hard to locate. This is the easiest to do if you are driving to your destination, but can also be done via airplane.
If you don’t want to bring food with you or will be gone for an extended period of time, think about if local grocery stores will carry safe options for your child. If certain things are particularly hard to find just bring those items and fill out your menu with easy-to-find foods.
Also, don’t forget about any fun experiences you may be having while on your trip. Checking out a new donut shop? Bring a safe option from home if the shop or activity won’t be able to accommodate your child. This way everyone gets to have a fun treat!
Research Safe Restaurants in the Area
If you are comfortable eating out with your food allergy kid, preparing to do so while traveling is a must. You can use online platforms like AllergyEats or Spokin to read thousands of reviews from others regarding safe, food-allergy-friendly restaurants. I would also highly recommend calling the restaurants to verify their allergy protocols.
Locate Emergency Services
When visiting a new vacation spot, it’s always a good idea to locate the nearest emergency services. Your family’s distance from these services is a personal preference, but I always like to be no more than about 20 minutes from the nearest emergency room. Accidents can happen and it’s always better to be prepared.
Extra Emergency Medicine
When traveling, it’s always a good idea to bring additional emergency medicine (Epi pens, Benadryl, etc.) as an extra precaution. You never know when something might happen and you might not have access to these medications. It’s also a good idea to make sure they are in your carry-on and not checked luggage if you are traveling by air.
I hope you find these tips helpful as you and your family venture out for travel this spring and summer. Do you have any additional tips you would add about traveling with food allergy kids? Let us know!
Will your travel include little ones? Check out 5 Tips for Traveling with Toddlers.
