As I write this post, I’m at an airport waiting to board the plane home from my first real vacation without my son. I have a lot to say about this trip but I’m still working on that post.
For now, I’m excited to be going home, to see my son and I’m thinking about what this trip would have been like with him.
It would have been a food allergy nightmare.
We stayed in a lovely hotel but our room was small and did not have a kitchenette, which, I discovered this summer, is essential to traveling with food allergies.
Last month, we took our son to the beach for the first time (he absolutely loved it!). We stayed in a hotel that was entirely comprised of suites, meaning we had two rooms: a bedroom and a living room with kitchenette. It was perfect because it allowed us to make our own meals and not have to worry about finding the one restaurant that was allergy-friendly.
Whenever we travel, whether to the beach or to my in-laws, I always pack food. However, I’ve learned that I need to meal plan for when we’re away just as I do at home instead of throwing a few of my son’s foods into our cooler and hitting the road. When I don’t plan ahead, I find myself in hot pursuit of a grocery store with allergy-friendly products. Not an easy task.
Case in point: on our beach vacation, I forgot to pack Sunbutter for Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches. Where was I going to find Sunbutter at the beach? My saving grace was this soybutter that I found at the local grocery:
I was pleasantly surprised because it tasted exactly like peanut butter, not like most soybutters that are only edible with a good serving (or two) of jelly. I just wish it was organic. As far as I can tell, it’s not and I prefer organic soy products.
What’s your saving grace when traveling with food allergies? Do you have any tips to share?
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