Road trips with food allergies can feel overwhelming.
When we were little, we would all pile in the car and head out for a seven-hour family road trip. There weren’t any screens, but the road trip travel snacks were plentiful.
Now, we travel with a food allergy which makes travel snacks just a little more limited. With food allergies, gone are the days of playing the trip by ear. One must overthink everything and create a safe environment to limit risk.
So without further ado, here are our road trip travel snack ideas and tips to help take the guesswork out of what to eat.
RELATED: Everything you need to know about road trips with kids.
Pack your own snacks
This idea can be a lot of work, I know.
I feel your exhaustion the night before a road trip. I have three boys. We just returned from a six-hour road trip. However, this little trick can keep your kids happy and should prevent an allergic reaction in the middle of nowhere.
Stop at grocery stores when hungry.
It took me a couple of road trips to think of this, but this may be my favorite and most helpful tip.
Why eat from the grocery store?
For one, everyone gets to stretch as they walk up and down the aisles. We may or may not have been known even to throw the ball around the toy aisle as we shopped.
Another reason is that the ingredient and packaging labels are right in front of you. By now, you probably know your best go-to brands.
I know of a couple of fast-food restaurant options that are labeled “nut-free.” However, when I dig a little deeper to see where the food came from (such as tortillas, cut fruit, etc.) I found that many restaurants should really be labeled “We don’t serve nuts” instead of “nut-free.” It can be not easy to understand where each food item is sourced from truly.
Wear a notification bracelet
- Help notify others in the case of an emergency, such as a car accident.
- Raise awareness when stopping for breaks. Yes, there are still people that ask if my child would like a piece of candy or cookie. Many of which are dangerous for him.
We purchased this particular bracelet at Allermates. (They have my favorite food allergy awareness accessories.)
Keep Wipes Close
Most germs I can handle, but cross-contamination of a peanut? No, thank you. Keep in mind that anything someone touches could contain food allergy residue. Wash hands or wipe them off before reentering your car.
Discuss Food Allergy Concerns with Other Passengers
This obvious tip can be quite uncomfortable to discuss. It is challenging to ask others to monitor their food choices. Share your concerns and severity with your passengers, and most likely, they will be okay with limiting their food selection for the ride.
