Travel with Azure Series, Part 3 A Guide to Traveling with Allergies

Travel with Azure Series, Part 3: Your Guide for Traveling with Allergies

One of my first memories is of being 6 years old on a trip with my family to my uncle’s wedding, trying to navigate and understand my egg allergy as a young child. After having so many accidental allergic reactions, I was scared to eat a banana, for fear I might get sick. My parents were worried, and getting out of our normal routine to go on a big family trip across several states seemed like an impossible mission for everyone involved. My parents told me they were relieved when we made it home, and I could go back to eating a regular diet without so much fear involved.

Fast-forward 16 years, and I can now say I’m more than confident traveling with my egg and sesame allergies and dairy intolerance (yes–I discovered new allergies along the way!) than ever before! I know firsthand the difficulties and frustrations of traveling with allergies, and I am here to help you navigate travel with your food restrictions. Even if you don’t have an allergy, keep reading—this is helpful for you too! In this blog, I will discuss allergy support, including how to support your loved ones with allergies, planning for emergencies, dining out safely, and finding allergy-friendly snacks.

Allergy Support for Yourself and Loved Ones

I specifically remember one trip I went on with my friends. We stopped at a restaurant to get tacos, my favorite food, but after looking at the menu and seeing that they made lots of breakfast food that contained eggs, I didn’t feel comfortable eating due to the cross-contamination in the kitchen. My friends sat down to eat, while my mouth watered. I walked outside and broke down in tears. Don’t underestimate a hangry woman!

On that trip, I decided to always bring snacks with me wherever I go, or try to eat before going out, just in case I encounter a similar situation in the future where I don’t feel comfortable eating at a restaurant. Later, I explained to my friends how difficult it was to watch them eat, and they were extremely understanding.

If you have a severe allergy—I’m sure you can relate to this story! It’s important to communicate the severity of your allergy to your loved ones. As friends and family members of someone with an allergy, it’s important to be understanding and make sure your loved one feels comfortable eating what’s set in front of them. Food is important!

I’ve found allergy support groups to be extremely helpful and validating. There are two groups in particular on Facebook that I’ve found useful in my personal journey: Allergy Support Group and Living with an Egg Allergy. I highly recommend joining an allergy support group. You can often find allergy-friendly recipes, safe restaurants, unlimited advice, and share your frustrations or success stories! It’s also a valuable resource to share with friends and family to help them understand what the allergy journey is like.

For many years, I felt insecure about my allergy. I thought that I was a burden to others for having to ask about ingredients and decline someone’s homemade cookies because I didn’t trust that they didn’t contain eggs. People would make fun of me for asking multiple times about the ingredients, or get offended because I didn't eat the dish they made for the potluck. However, after years of getting sick despite being promised that the food didn't contain eggs, I learned it was better to trust my intuition about a dish rather than rely on someone who lacked any understanding of allergies or cross-contamination.

My advice for someone with a severe allergy is to trust your intuition and be confident enough to explain the severity of your allergy and the consequences that will occur if you have a reaction. While it can grow old explaining why you can’t eat the birthday cake at the party to half the people in the room, you’re not alone, and others need to be educated on allergy safety!

Plan in Case of Emergency

One of the most important things is to keep emergency food on you at all times! This can be a snack that you enjoy, a sweet treat, or a small lunchbox with a ready-made meal. I am someone who gets extremely hangry. When this happens, it’s not a pretty sight for anyone. But if I have a snack on me, I’m a much more enjoyable person to be around and feel a lot better, too!

While preparing for an emergency isn’t the most fun part of the trip, it is crucial. Remember to bring several EpiPens and Benedryl with you at all times, and bring extra when traveling! I always keep one EpiPen and at least two Benadryl pills in my purse, no matter where I go.

Depending on where you’re traveling, researching hospital locations in the region can save time in case of an emergency. From time to time, I go on international trips to remote locations. I always try to look up the closest hospitals to where I’ll be staying and download the offline version of Google Maps. This is helpful in case I don’t have service and have an allergic reaction and need to get to the hospital.

Research Your Destination and Plan Ahead

Remember to research your destination when traveling with allergies! If you’re traveling internationally, research the local cuisine and determine whether your allergen is commonly used or not at all in the local dishes. Research where the allergy-friendly restaurants are, or if it seems like there won’t be many options for you to eat out. Ensure that you book accommodation with access to a kitchen to cook your meals, and that there are supermarkets nearby with the products you prefer. While most international supermarkets carry similar products to those in the U.S., if you want a specific product or brand, you’ll want to bring it from home.

You can also make an allergy Chef Card if you are traveling internationally. This card indicates that you're allergic to a specific food or foods and advises the chef to ensure that the food you’re eating does not contain your allergen. You can download and print these cards in different languages at Foodallergy.org.

Eating Out Safely
Eating out at new restaurants can be stressful when traveling. My best advice is to plan ahead. You can use apps like Google Maps to search “Gluten-free restaurants near me.” Apps and websites like Happy Cow, Find Me Gluten Free, AllergyEats, Spokin, and AllergyForce can help you navigate your allergy at home and while traveling. You can see reviews from people with your allergen and find restaurants that are allergy-friendly near you. In my case, I find it’s easiest to eat at vegan restaurants for my egg allergy and dairy intolerance; however, I have to be ultra cautious to mention I have a sesame allergy because vegan restaurants often use sesame. It’s important to ask questions and explain the severity of your allergy to the server.

If you will be staying at a hotel or resort, you can email or call beforehand to determine whether your accommodation will cater to your allergy, or if it is better to bring your food along on the trip. For more information about how to travel, bring your food, or what to pack, you can read our blog 5 Tips for How to Meal Plan, Prep, and Pack with Azure this Summer.

Looking for allergy-friendly snacks and travel meals? Here are some of my favorites from Azure

Your allergy is important, and while it’s a nuisance, it’s part of who you are and what has shaped you as a person. Keep persevering and remember to treat yourself to allergy-friendly snacks and goodies when you can! In addition to our regular products, you can find travel-sized allergy-friendly snacks and treats at Azure. Some of these products may require refrigeration or must be cooked before serving. Here are some of my favorites!

• English Muffins, Brown Rice, Frozen, GF (FG401)
• Thousand Hills Beef Jerky, Original, Grass-Fed (SN2106)
• Lundberg Rice Cakes, Brown, Lightly Salted, Organic, Gluten Free (SN040)
• Vegan and Gluten Free Lundberg Mini Rice Cakes, Sea Salt, Organic (SN2194)
• Jovial Foods Vegan (and GF) Mac, with Brown Rice Pasta, Organic (PA606)
• Nutcase Vegan Nutty Jerky, Original, Organic (GY1531)
• Nutcase Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties, Frozen, Organic (FG1177)
• Frankie's Organic Puffs, Plant-Based, Vegan Cheddar, Organic (SN2535) (also gf)
• Julian Bakery ProGranola, Vanilla Cluster, Vegan (CE569)
• Azure Market Organics Potato Chips, Salted, Organic (SN2303)
• Paleo and Vegan Monkey Brittle Monkey Brittle (SC1516)
• Pamela's Whenever Bars, Oat Raisin Walnut Spice, Gluten Free (SN607)
• Forager Project Cashewmilk Yogurt Vanilla Bean, Dairy Free, Organic (DA447)
• Forager Project Probiotic Drinkable Cashewmilk Yogurt Strawberry, Dairy Free, Organic (DA462)
• Amy's Bean & Rice Burrito, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Frozen (FG573)
• Pre-made Vegan and GF Chickpea Tikka Masala (GY1564)
• Pre-made Vegan and GF Coconut Squash Dal (GY1537)
• Pre-made Vegan and GF Channa Masala (GY1561)
• Pre-made Vegan Split Pea Turmeric Curry (GY1540)