Traveling with a food allergic child

I'm not going to lie; traveling with a child who has multiple food allergies is not always easy. It takes a high level of planning and organization.

Vacationing at Walt Disney World, as we will be next week, is slightly easier because the restaurants are all well trained on how to handle guests with food allergies, food options based on what type of allergy a person has, and the importance of not cross contaminating when preparing a meal for someone allergic. We always have to speak with a chef or restaurant manager, and receiving our food tends to take a little longer because of the extra precautions they are taking. Of course, safety is our biggest concern, so we would never begrudge them that extra prep time, but sometimes it's frustrating when Ava is hungry or tired and all we want is a quick meal.

So that we do not have to eat every single meal at a restaurant and have flexibility to grab something quick for the rest of us, we travel with a lot of food for Ava. And sometimes we even travel with cooking apparatus, like Ava's toaster from home. One time Greg plugged the toaster into a gas station outlet so that we could make her a pb&j on the road. We were desperate and almost out of food that was safe for her!

It's always fairly easy to find fruit, which keeps Ava happy for a while until her next meal, but since we eat a high protein diet, I always want to make sure I have a few sources of protein on hand.Our regular packing list for travel includes these items:  Justin's nut butter (Ava likes them all, but her favorites are chocolate hazelnut butter and almond butter), rice cakes, Kind bars (Cranberry almond and fruit and nut are Ava's favorites),and Lara bars (cashew cookie is what she likes best).I also usually pack Trader Joe's lentil curls, and/or these delicious rice chips. That way if we find a place that has a protein that is safe for Ava, like chili or hummus, she has something to dip with. Both also offer a little bit of protein, which is nice for a snack like that.

Lately, Ava, Greg, and I have been enjoying oatmeal a few times a week, and I was happy to find individual steel cut oat packages at Trader Joe's. We can make hot water in the coffee pot, add some nuts and seeds, and have a nice breakfast. This will be great on days when Ava wakes up early, or we have a late breakfast reservation.


Generally, we only book hotel rooms with a refrigerator (and at WDW, we can get one added to any room free of charge due to Ava's allergies) so that we can safely store food. This is helpful when we are able to get to a grocery store to pick up fresh fruit, vegetables, and some type of Applegate Farms lunch meat.

Yesterday Ava and I made granola. It was a fairly simple recipe: oats, raw cashews, almonds, and sunflower seeds, a bit of non-dairy "butter", and honey. After we baked it, I added a handful of raisins. It's delicious! I also threw together a simple trail mix with the same nuts and fruit as above, plus dried cranberries, coconut, and pineapple. It will be great to have both on the road and in the parks.


We are almost ready to go, and knowing that I have lots of safe food options available for Ava eases my mind, and allows me to enjoy all aspects of our vacation. Catch you on the flip side!