Having a child with food allergies may place some strain on family vacation and travel. Fear of the unknown and the need to stay close to the comfort zone can make traveling with food allergies quite difficult.
Every parent worries about their child’s health. Needing to exclude them from hanging out with their peers is heartbreaking, especially when there are no alternative feeding choices where your child would enjoy being at. Limiting travel plans because of this affects the whole family. Fortunately, there are a number of helpful tips to make traveling with food allergies a breeze.
5 Tips for Traveling with Food Allergies with Kids
When you have kids with food allergies, planning the trip would require careful preparation. Following the list below can make your family trip enjoyable and, most importantly, safe.
1. Pack Snacks for Your Trip
Children get hungry. All the time, it seems. Traveling with food allergies is easier when you have healthy snacks packed for the trip. It puts you less at the mercy of whatever is available at the location. When you have these on hand, you can also make safe feeding plans without the added pressure of a hungry child.
2. Research Restaurants in the Area You’ll Be Staying
There are several helpful sites online to help you with this. These resources locate allergy-friendly restaurants in your location and provide the list of ingredients for their menus. Traveling with food allergies is so much simpler when you can find safe food choices ahead of time.
3. Locate the Local Grocery Store
One of the first things to do when traveling with food allergies is to stock up on safe foods once you arrive. This not only replenishes the snacks initially packed for the trip but also ensures that the child has food alternatives every time.
4. Steer Clear of Buffets
Contaminated food should be avoided when traveling with allergies. Unwrapped foods should not be consumed. There is a constant risk of allergen contamination when foods are left uncovered. Be wary of outdoor food stands as well.
5. Take an Extra Epi-pen with You
It may seem obvious, but Epi-pens can be forgotten in the rush during family trips. As a safety precaution, have more than one person responsible for holding the Epi-pen. This reduces the likelihood of forgetting to take it with you. Before traveling with food allergies, talk to your allergist - you may need a prescription for the local pharmacy in an emergency.
Allergy Care in North Carolina
Asthma and Allergy Specialists, PA comprises a team of board-certified allergy immunologists who have cared for over 50,000 patients in NC alone. They have undergone vigorous training to prevent, diagnose, manage, and treat food allergies.
For a consultation, feel free to book an appointment or call our office at (704) 341-9600. We’re happy to answer all your questions.
