Food Allergies While on Vacation
Cassidy Scoggins, BS, Dietetic Intern,
Southern Illinois University—Carbondale
Division of Community Health and Prevention,
Bureau of Family Nutrition
Traveling and vacationing with children can be stressful, add a child with a food allergy and it could be even more nerve-racking. Since you don’t want to stay locked-up inside, careful planning can make a trip more fun. Here are some tips for planning a vacation with food allergies.
- Location. Try to rule out isolated beaches, resorts, etc., having a hospital and ambulance service nearby will ease your mind. If you do choose a more remote location, plan ahead and be aware of the time it will take to get to the nearest hospital.
- Be prepared. Anything can happen while away from your home and medicine cabinet. Bring your own supplies so you will not have to rely on someone else if there is an emergency.
- At least 2 epinephrine auto-injectors (that are not out-of-date!)
- Antihistamine
- Inhalers
- Wipes
- Snacks
- Letter from Doctor
- List of foods to avoid (index cards make it easy to give each cook*)
- Plan meals ahead of time. Try to rent a cabin with a kitchen instead of a hotel room. This will allow more option for you and your family to cook, avoiding the food allergy ingredient(s) all while saving time and money!
- Be smart while eating out. This goes along with planning ahead. Look for a few restaurants that you know or can look at their menus online. You can also call ahead to speak with the cook about how they can work with your family.
- Feelings are golden. After talking with the cook and you don’t think they understand your needs, go somewhere else! Better safe than sorry.
*A “Chef Card” can be downloaded and printed from www.foodallergy.org/page/chef-card1.
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