Tips for Traveling with Kids with Serious Food Allergies

According to FoodAllergy.org, one in 13 children under the age of 18 face life-threatening food allergies. Yet, close to 15 million parents worry about how to handle a severe allergic reaction while away from home. I don’t let my children’s allergies keep our family from seeing the world, and neither should you. Here’s an action plan for traveling with kids with serious food allergies.

Travel Mamas and Grownup Getaways sometimes receive compensation and/or hosted travel and sample products related to blog posts. This story may include affiliate links for which we receive a small commission at no extra cost to consumers. As an Amazon Associate, we earn money from qualifying purchases.

1. Understand how food allergies will affect your travels.

Before having kids, I traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, and the Caribbean. I felt so adventurous and free, and still remember how amazing it was to honeymoon in London and Rome with my husband, with just one carry-on suitcase and a dog-eared guidebook between us. We wandered as we wished, mingled with the locals, and ate at all kinds of neighborhood restaurants.

We knew we wanted to instill a love of travel in our own children, until of course, our oldest was diagnosed with a life-threatening peanut and tree nut allergy; in addition to severe allergies to wheat, corn, soy and sesame seeds. And when our second child came along, she too was diagnosed with food allergies, including dairy, egg whites, peanuts, wheat, corn and soy.

And while the idea of exploring the world while keeping all those allergies in check seemed overwhelming initially – we eat three times a day, after all – we were determined not to let allergies keep us from traveling as a family. Almost ten years later, we haven’t stopped seeing the world. Our kids, William and Winter, are bonafide travel hounds with road trips across various states, and trips to Scotland and the Caribbean captured in their travel journals.

2. Avoid anaphylaxis while traveling, but come prepared.

Parents of food allergic children worry about anaphylaxis, whether traveling or at home. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life threatening allergic reaction that can occur seconds or minutes after exposure to an allergen. The most common food allergies include dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. The resulting flood of chemicals released by the immune system can cause shock, narrowing of the airways, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even death.

The idea of traveling beyond the safety of home can make even the most seasoned traveler balk when it comes to their children’s safety. An injection of epinephrine can stem symptoms of anaphylaxis until emergency medical professionals arrive. Families who live with life-threatening allergies typically carry auto-injectors and antihistamine medication. My family carries a portable first aid kit packed with two auto-injectors, asthma inhalers, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and general first aid.

The key for us has always been research, careful planning, steadfast advocacy and packing a carry-on bag with safe foods. We’ll be heading to the Bahamas and Mexico next (shhh, the kids don’t know yet). Over the years we’ve been able to focus on enjoying our time away as a family as opposed to freaking out about food.

3. Choose the right destination for your food allergic family.

When you first starting traveling with children with life threatening food allergies, explore countries where you speak the language. Language barriers can make it difficult to communicate allergy concerns, which is why we have limited ourselves to English- and Spanish-speaking destinations thus far.

It is absolutely critical that you advocate for your child without the risk of miscommunication. Be prepared to explain your child’s needs repeatedly in a firm yet polite way. Many people (both in the U.S. and abroad) don’t have experience with food allergies and may be dismissive of, or not understand the severity of the situation.

Consider ordering food allergy cards (available in myriad languages), or hiring a guide who speaks the native language in any given destination. Knowing how to get to the nearest hospital/doctor/urgent care is always a good idea. We make sure to let our pediatrician in our plans as well. Also, we arrange in advance the best way to communicate with her (email/text/phone call) in case of an emergency.

4. Develop a flight plan for food allergies.

Before booking your flights, look up the airline’s allergy policy and list of foods served on board. Many airlines still hand out those little packets of peanuts, but others offer alternative snacks that may be safe for your child (like pretzels, crackers, and cookies).

Try to book direct flights that leave in the morning. Planes are cleaned overnight, decreasing the likelihood of encountering allergen residue on seats, seat pockets and tray tables. Airplanes are a mode of public transportation, however, which means you might come across a seat covered in peanut dust or other allergens. Consider having one parent (or travel companion) pre-board to wipe down the area where your child will be sitting, or to cover the seat with a blanket. We’ve done both.

Always bring your labeled auto-injectors, antihistamines, asthma medications and the like with you onto the plane. Do not check them. Keep these items within arm’s reach – not in the overhead bin. We’ve found that having a copy of our anaphylaxis action plan and a letter from our pediatrician on official letterhead to be invaluable as well.

That being said, be prepared to spend extra time going through security. My husband and I divide and conquer. While I wrangle the children and luggage, he handles the carry-on bag filled with safe foods, our action plan and doctor’s note. While this has led to countless pat downs, swabs, x-rays and explanations, we’ve never had anything confiscated.

5. Research and bring food for your travels.

Bring your own food for the journey. Don’t allow your child to eat any meals prepared by an airline in case of cross-contamination. Be sure to pack extra food in case of unforeseen delays. We pack one carry-on with non-perishable food every time we travel. This bag contains gluten-free pasta/oatmeal/cereal, peanut- and tree nut-free crackers and cookies, a case of single-serving almond milks, and sulfite-free dried fruit pieces.

Allergen-friendly foods may not be available in the airport or at your given destination, so plan accordingly. Make sure to check import restrictions for your destination as well. This includes countries where you will catch a connecting flight.

Researching local food labeling laws in your given destination is also important. Not all countries list allergens, trace allergens or possible shared equipment concerns on their packaging. Therefore, you need to be sure to exercise caution when purchasing or eating local goodies.

With some careful planning and preparation, it is possible to enjoy traveling with children with life-threatening food allergies. Your family may not be able to eat everything, but you can still experience the wonderful flavors of the world through travel.

Take a look at this list of food allergy and celiac-friendly hotels before you go!

How do you manage traveling with children with life-threatening food allergies? Got any tips or questions? Let us know in the comments below!

A Note from Travel Mamas: Travel Mamas does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Although The Offbeat Travel Mama is a special needs mom and student in the medical field, she recommends consulting with your pediatrician about your children’s allergies and whether travel is safe for them. Top Photo by Pilar Clark. 

Sharing is caring!