7 tips for traveling with food allergies

I've dealt with varying levels of intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies for the last 15 years. that on it's own can be difficult. but for the past 5-ish years, I've been living in and traveling to various countries where I don't always speak the language - which is even more of a challenge.

back in my early expat days, I wrote about how I coped with allergies abroad. my symptoms have gotten worse since then [even since last year when I had my first allergy tests done] but thankfully I've developed better strategies on how to make traveling with allergies easier.

to be clear: none of my allergies are life threatening. I am able to tolerate low amounts of many things I am allergic to, and therefore can take more risks than some when dining out. but I wanted to provide advice for those with sensitivities and dietary restrictions that went beyond "print out your allergies in the local language" or "just don't eat anything." [seriously, I once found an article where someone suggested travel as a great time to fast to keep you from eating allergens. eye roll.]

do your research

wandering without a plan and just stopping to eat wherever looks good when you get hungry sounds like a fun and carefree way to travel. but if you have allergies, you know it doesn't really work that way. instead: plan ahead. I always try to look up restaurants and recipes for local dishes before I get on the plane. that way I know of a place or two I can go to eat when we arrive, what's on their menu, and which items are likely to be safe to order. it means planning ahead instead of being spontaneous [and on occasion, it means I will drag Husband across the city for a special trip to find Jamie-friendly pizza] but knowing where I can safely eat is worth it.

depending on the local cuisine and regulations, and of course your specific allergies, some destinations will be easier to navigate than others. New Zealand and Vietnam were fantastic for eating gluten free - one because of gluten free bread alternatives and the other because the food is mostly rice based. I literally cried with joy when I discovered that in Prague [and Vienna as well] the EU requires restaurants to provide you with allergen information on thier menus. not everywhere is so easy, but planning ahead can save you headaches [and stomach aches!]

be able to communicate

while you can certainly translate your allergens ahead of time to print out and bring with you for handy reference, I would also recommend springing for a simcard on your phone. as much research and planning you might do beforehand, you can't anticipate everything. being able to look up restaurants, menus, and ingredient translations on the go can be a lifesaver. the Google Translate app now allows you to take a photo and translate a menu or label [even Chinese characters] and you can type in your questions for the waitstaff. this has helped me out in so many situations!

another potentially life-saving reason for purchasing phone service while traveling: in case of emergencies. hopefully you will never need it, but knowing you have a way to contact emergency services in case you have a serious reaction can give you [or your loved ones back home] peace of mind.

take a cooking class

knowing how a dish is made, the ingredients that are commonly used, and best of all - being able to ask a chef questions - can be an invaluable experience. I've done this in Vietnam, in Bali, and almost in Turkey. [we didn't, since after explaining my allergies to the chef, I was told that I wouldn't be able to eat anything we made in the class.] most chefs are accommodating for allergies, and want to help you learn about and enjoy the local cuisine - safely. try to schedule a class at the beginning of your trip, and you'll be able to use your new knowledge throughout your stay.

go grocery shopping

booking lodgings with a kitchen isn't always practical [or affordable] but being able to cook your own food is the easiest way of controlling what you eat. even if you aren't equipped with so much as a microwave, you can still make use of the local grocery. picking up a loaf of bread and peanut butter, replenishing your snack supply, grabbing a salad or other prepared foods can take the guesswork out of restaurants. bonus: this usually saves you money too.

be prepared to face difficulties

not to be a downer, but dealing with allergies while traveling will probably not be easy as [gluten-free] pie. you will have to play 20 questions with the wait staff, the chef, and anyone who will listen. you will have to attempt to translate through language barriers and cross cultural divides that may not beleive in allergies, and deal with people who feel they are being inconvenienced by your health issues. you might have to send your dish back if it comes out wrong. and you still may end up with something in your food that you can't eat anyway.

it can be incredibly frustrating. I've had restaurants do everything from flat-out ignoring my request for no shrimp because I'm allergic [even when explained in Chinese by a local friend] to telling me "I don't think you should eat here" after I explain all of my restrictions.

and sometimes, your conflict will be with your fellow travelers. I have been talked into eating things I knew I shouldn't on many occasions - usually because I didn't want to eat granola bars for dinner when everyone else ordered pizza. know what your body's limits are and be honest about when and where or what you need to feed yourself.

pack snacks

I cannot stress enough just how essential snacks are to travel survival. I am always hungry, so even before my allergies got bad I would always carry snacks. now I bring even more. did it suck that half the weight in my pack for our month-long trip last summer was vegan protien bars and gluten-free oatmeal packets? yes. but knowing I had breakfast covered and a stash of emergency "there's nothing I can eat here" snacks was worth it. once I knew enough about local foods [or used that handy Google translate on ingredient lists] I could replenish my stash with items safe for snacking.

always bring your medication

as I mentioned before, thankfully, none of my allergies are life threatening. but I always travel with benadryl just in case. if you have an epipen, bring it. if you use pepto, immodium, lactaid, etc then pack more than you anticipate needing. don't assume you will be able to buy your usual medications [or an acceptable substitute] while traveling. better to be unnecessarily over-prepared than to find yourself trying to communicate your digestive issues in a foreign pharmacy. trust me, I've been there.

all this is not to say I've never let my dietary restrictions get in the way of my travels [or, to be honest, my life.] the truth is: ensuring my food is 100% safe is sometimes impossible, and I've had some pretty miserable days on the road when things went wrong.

however. traveling with allergies is difficult, but not impossible. despite the challenges I am willing, and thankfully able, to still travel. [even on days I have to get by on packed snacks, coffee and wine.]

how to survive a month of travel

planning to travel for a solid month sounds like a fantastic adventure... but sometimes being on the road for that long can wear on you. I speak from experience: this summer I spent 28 consecutive days traveling. [and then an additional 10 days just 2 weeks later.]

while I admit this is a total first world problem - it is still a problem. being away from your home and your routine isn't easy. neither is living out of a suitcase, keeping track of where you are and where you're going next, monitoring your budget, and not letting your travel companions get on your nerves. how did I make it through a month of travel with my sanity, marriage, and friendships intact? it wasn't exactly a cake walk, but I have some advice on how we managed.

allow for rest after big travel days

if you can, build time into your itinerary to relax. your body needs time to recover after 12 hour flights or lack of sleep on an overnight train ride. and there's always that pesky jetlag. drink lots of water, find a nearby cafe to sit in while you read your guidebook and research activities for the next few days. if that feels like wasting your time, try a light activity that isn't physically taxing - like going to the beach or taking a bus tour around town.

when we arrived in Prague after 16 hours of travel - emotionally exhausted from changing our travel plans after the Istanbul bombing, physically exhausted from waking up at 5am and not being able to find real food at the airport [thanks, allergies!] - we did not want to do anything. so... we didn't. we took our first few days easy and stayed close to the neighborhood, and spent time catching up with our friends. after that we were refreshed and ready to tackle the city.

mix up your social setting

it doesn't matter how much you love your husband or your BFF - spending too much time together in close proximity can be a relationship challenge. [exhibit A above: husband frustrated with my photo perfectionism in Ephesus.] I have my own methods of coping with group travel as an introvert, but on this trip we actually changed up our travel companions a few times.

for the first two weeks, my husband and I traveled with one other friend through Turkey. this allowed her and I to go off and do things he wasn't interested in [like waking up at 4am to see the sunrise,] for them to eat foods I can't [like baklava,] and for he and I to have date nights alone. in Prague, Luke and I stayed with a family of friends for a week. we got to spend time with our adult friends and their kids, but also go off and explore on our own. to end our trip, just the two of us spent a few days together in Vienna. I love hanging out with my husband. but I definitely took an evening to spend alone in a bath with wine and a book.

you can still manage this if you are traveling with the same companions for your whole trip. are you with a group of friends? break off into pairs or go off on your own for a bit. you don't all have to do every single thing together. on vacation with your significant other? spend some couple time together, but be sure you each get the space you need. traveling solo? try joining a group tour to meet some other travelers and get some social interaction. [actually, this works well no matter who you are with!]

do something that feels like home

some people thrive on unpredictability. me, I like to have at least a little bit of routine. at home I have been journaling every morning. so I brought my notebook and pens and did my best to keep this up during our travels. it didn't happen every day, but it helped keep me happy. maybe for you this means bringing your running shoes and getting your miles in, getting a pedicure or going to the movies.

new tastes and experiences are some of the best things about travel. but after a while, you crave something familiar. for my husband and I - that usually means Mexican food or some other cuisine we can't get in Taiwan. while we definitely like to sample the local fare, Taiwan doesn't really have the ingredients or get flavors quite right on many of our favorite dishes. yes, I ate many bowls of pho in Vietnam. but I'm not going to pass up my chance at brisket with potato latkes and hollandaise [Singapore] Mexico City style tacos [Hong Kong] or a bacon cheeseburger on a gluten free bun [New Zealand.]

take your time to explore

part of this is in your planning. I know a lot of people think the more you see the better your trip is - but sometimes slowing down can make for a enjoyable experience too. during our three week trip through New Zealand we saw a LOT. and I loved all of it. but since we moved around every 2 or 3 days, it didn't feel like I got to really know any one location we visited.

in both Istanbul and Prague we had a full week to explore. we checked off the tourist "must-do" items in the first few days and then could actually get to know the city. we met up with local friends, took walking tours, and just wandered around. we didn't feel rushed to get everything in before we had to repack our bags and move on. jumping around from place to place can leave you exhausted, but traveling a little slower not only keeps you sane but lets you experience more of each place.

accept that you won't love everything

a month is a long time, whether you're traveling or not. everyone has good days and bad days. and some of those bad days will happen while you are traveling. life is unpredictable. flights get cancelled, museums and monuments are under construction, you eat the wrong thing and end up sick, tents break in windstorms or your rental car gets broken into. maybe you just don't love Shanghai the way you loved Singapore. this is all ok. not everything in life [and certainly not in travel] has to be a pinterest-perfect experience.

so much of what we read about travel [or see on instagram] is all about the travel highs. but I've been underwhelmed by top-rated temples in Bali, harassed when traveling solo in Hong Kong, and was miserable my entire brief stay in Seoul. sometimes it's hard to remember that everyone has disappointments while traveling - and in life - because we don't often share them.  I repeat: things will go wrong. but if you can accept this and learn to find humor in your misadventures, you'll be able to remember your experiences in a much better light.

are you ready to pack your bags and hit the road for a month? maybe not. but if you are lucky enough to do some long-term travel in the near future, I hope these tips will help you survive. [hint: they're also useful for short-term travel too.]

linking up for Wanderful Wednesday with: Lauren on Location, Snow in Tromso, What a Wonderful World, and The Sunny Side of This.