I am severely allergic to gluten and also have a mild dairy allergy, and even though I am a frequent traveler, it is not always obvious to me which dishes have either (or both) when I am in a new place and eating unfamiliar foods.
Dr. Alyson Pidich, the medical director of the Ash Center in New York -- and a food allergy specialist -- is allergic to shellfish and, like me, knows firsthand that even so-called "safe" foods can have trace allergens that can make you ill.
So what is a world traveler with food allergies to do? Here are some of Pidich's tips, all of which she keeps in mind when she travels.
Carry a Food Allergy Card in Multiple Languages
Have a card handy that lists your food allergies in the language or languages spoken at your destination. You can create your own cards with simple notecards or sturdy paper, or order them from Allergy Translation, which charges $8 to create one card through its app or website. (You can print as many copies of each card as you want once you place an order.)
Make sure that your cards clearly list which foods you can't eat, rather than just stating what you are allergic to. For example, my allergy cards don't just say that I am allergic to gluten and dairy, they say that wheat and wheat-based products such as soy and anything containing milk, including yogurt, are off-limits.
Order With an Abundance of Caution
This may sound obvious, but in an ideal scenario, you always travel with food allergy cards and the people serving you understand what you are not allowed to eat.
But say you forget your cards, or think "oh, this looks fine" because your trigger foods aren't on the ingredient list. Pidich said that you still should not assume that what you are eating is safe. Certain foods and drinks, in particular, including sauces, salad dressings, soups and cocktails hide common allergens such as wheat, nuts, dairy and shellfish.
Restaurant cooks often use flour to thicken sauces, for example, while soups can have shellfish broth, and salad dressings are blended with soy sauce or nut oils. Ask any vegetarian or vegan what it is like to be surprised when their salad dressing has cheese in it or the vegetable soup has been prepared with chicken broth, and you will understand what it is like. In short, even if you think you are being cautious, be extra cautious.
Travel With a Food Stash
There is nothing worse than going hungry on your trip because you can't find enough safe food to eat. Pidich highly recommended packing plenty of snacks and a few meal replacement options on your trip, if you can.
Consider nonperishable snacks that are carry-on safe, like powdered protein shakes (go for pea protein powder if you can because it is easy to digest and the least allergenic, compared with other, usually whey-based, powdered proteins), low-sodium jerky, low-sodium powdered soups that can be rehydrated with hot water, roasted chickpeas, nuts (as long as you are not allergic to nuts), and dried fruits or crunchy vegetables.
Travel on 12/30/2018