Navigating School Trips with Allergies

Though the preparation for overnight school trips is a big deal for every student, it is especially crucial for those with food allergies. Going on any school trip is difficult enough if you have dietary restrictions, let alone a multi-day overnight that adds breakfast and dinners into the mix. For kids with food allergies, the planning for these types of school trips starts as early as months before, with meetings with teachers, administration, and staff at your destination. Letting those individuals in on your trip planning is important because they can help provide details on their ability to handle your allergies.

• Knowing the details of the trip, including what, when, and where you are eating, is very helpful.
• To find more details about your destination, you can look through allergy blogs, articles, or websites online to find more information about the available food options where you will be.
• If you get free rein over where you eat, try to research restaurants in that area. Look up each restaurant’s menu and choose a meal that looks like it can be adapted to fit your allergy needs. If there are no options, then bring your own food in a small bag or backpack.
• Make sure you have filled out all the required forms and that everyone involved with the trip is notified of your allergies.
  • You need to know which chaperone is in charge of medications and let them know that you will need to be responsible for your own epinephrine and other medicines.
  • If you can choose which chaperone supervises you, try to choose one who has medical experience or experience with food allergies.
• You need to discuss the meals that the rest of the students are having and make sure they know what you can join in on and what you’ll need to substitute for.
• You need to assure yourselves that other students (especially those you are rooming and eating with) and chaperones know how to respond in the case of a reaction, by training them to recognize a reaction and administer your epinephrine. They also need to understand the unique accommodations you will need, like the details of cross-contact and having access to a microwave and/or a refrigerator. And on top of that, you need to set up all these accommodations far, far in advance.
• The biggest part of the early planning is all about communication to ensure your safety during the trip.

Starting a couple of weeks before the trip, the true packing should begin. Aside from the usual clothes and toiletries, people with food allergies often have to pack a lot of extra things.

• You can start by creating/getting an allergy card and/or doctor’s note. You should have a list of your allergens and commonly used food products that contain them. (i.e. if you have a milk allergy, make sure to also list butter.) You can use this note if you do end up ordering at a restaurant.
• Your next step can be determining your emergency contacts and the location of the nearest hospital from your destination.
• You should collect all of your necessary non-expired medications (epinephrine, inhalers, anti-histamines, your daily medications, skin medications, vitamins, etc.) and pack extras.
• Other supplies you may need include hand sanitizing wipes, tissues, etc. They can be used to clean areas you spend a lot of time in (such as hotel rooms).
• If you know what meals your classmates will be eating in advance, you can try to make allergy-friendly versions of their meals so you feel included. For instance, if they will have pizza make an allergy-friendly version for yourself.
• About one week before the trip, you can start acquiring your snack supply.
  • Make sure to only bring food you know you will want to eat, don’t bring any snacks you don’t like.
  • Make sure these snacks are not perishable.
  • Get a mixture of healthy snacks as well as tasty junk food, they should be easy and quick to eat.
  • Fruit snacks like gummies or dried fruit, single-serving packages of chips or popcorn, allergy-friendly energy bars, granola, and a little bit of candy are all good options.
• To ensure the freshness of your meals, make them one to three days before your trip, freeze them and store them in a cooler.
• You should bring a lot of extra snacks and meals as you will never know when you’ll get hungry and you don’t want to run out of food.
• As for packing the food use microwaveable Tupperware and/or resealable bags.
  • Pack them by meal-breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • You can use a portable cooler to keep your foods fresh.
• Make sure your food is easily accessible in your bags, in case you want to eat en route.
• You should work with the staff at your destination to provide you with a mini-fridge (or cooling method) in your room and a microwave or ask to get access to their kitchen to store your food in their refrigerator and use their microwave to warm up your meals.
• You should always pack a smaller bag that you can carry with you when your group does other activities and explores the local area.

Creating a list of all the items you are packing is helpful to stay organized and ensure you have all of your necessary elements. It is also key to making sure you don’t forget anything or leave anything when you come home. Overall, even if traveling with allergies is a challenge, the knowledge and lessons you gain from your experiences make it worth it.

When you arrive, the fun begins! During the actual trip is when all of your preparation will pay off and your plans come into action. However, it is still important to remain cautious and careful, so your good times don’t get ruined.

• If you brought a smaller bag that you can take on little group excursions, you can carry your medicines, water, extra snacks, or a meal in it. It is always good to have a personal bag wherever you go.
• Developing a relationship with kitchen staff at your hotel, hostel, or living arrangement is key. Some people only eat their own food to stay safe. However, if you have arranged to eat non-homemade food or if you decide to try something else, be very aware. You should never eat unlabeled food and always check the ingredients. Only eat food you have had before and thoroughly look through the ingredients. 
  • You can use the previously mentioned allergy card or doctor’s note when you are ordering.
  • Try to speak directly to the chef since they are the source of your food and get your note to them.
  • Make sure they understand that there should be no cross-contact. You need a clean grill/pan, fryer, utensils, etc.
  • If you need to get an adult (who is educated about food allergies) involved, do so.
  • Stick to your own food if you feel unsafe.
• Clean your seat(s) during transportation (car, bus, boat, plane, train, etc.), your table and seat where you eat, fixtures in your room, and other areas that you spend a lot of time in that may be contaminated.
• Make sure to wash your hands, especially before eating!
• Make sure to remind your friends/classmates that are near you, to not eat your allergens, and always wash their hands.
• Having a buddy with you who knows your allergens and can recognize your reaction symptoms is super important too.
  • Make sure they also know how to administer epinephrine, or at least know where you keep your epi.
• If you have an allergy medical alert bracelet, wear it at all times.
• You also need to stay organized.
  • Don’t leave open containers of food lying around, instead, try to wash them or store them somewhere safe.

Most importantly, enjoy your trip! Make the most out of your time that is not spent eating! Explore the destination! Have fun! Take pictures! Be in the moment and don’t stress or worry too much! Your trip will go really fast, so enjoy it while it lasts.

All types of school trips are hard for kids with food allergies, but international travel is particularly difficult. When you go on an overnight trip outside of your country of residence, there are often new languages, customs, and foods that make dealing with food allergies much, much harder. Though of course, you will need to talk to your teachers, pack food, and do your research as you would for any other school trip, there are extra measures you will need to take simply because of the fact that you are traveling to another country. When my school took us all on a trip to Israel in 8th grade, I started preparing and planning for the 2-week overnight at the very beginning of the year- almost 6 months before!

• I needed to learn the words for all of my allergies in the local language and create cards with my allergens listed in the proper language- just in case I ever felt comfortable enough eating at a restaurant.
• I needed to learn about the local foods and if there were any places I needed to avoid because of my allergens.
• My parents and I had multiple meetings with the chaperones going on the trip, as we needed to designate a teacher to walk through my meals with me daily.
• Over the months we stocked up on allergy-friendly granola bars, freeze-dried and dehydrated meals that could be heated up with just a bit of hot water.
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When students with food allergies prepare to travel with our schools internationally, always prepare for the worst possible scenario (checking the distance to the local hospital, packing extra meals, etc.) along with the best possible scenario (finding restaurants that might be safe or activities we might be able to do). There is so much unknown, and this is what makes the planning for these types of trips so extensive. Despite the challenges of international travel, the experiences you’ll have, and the memories you’ll make will oftentimes make it well worth the effort.

Traveling to an entirely new country can be very intimidating. However, your pre-trip preparations should make your experience go very smoothly. That being said, there are still measures you can take during the trip to ensure your continued safety.

• Carrying a small bag with you is a great way to keep medications and snacks close by. This personal bag is probably one of the most helpful things you can bring with you on a trip.
• If the meals you brought need to be kept cool remember to place them in a refrigerator or store them in a cooler if possible.
• It is good to learn to read, at least your allergens, in the language of the country you are visiting.
• Developing a relationship with kitchen staff at your hotel, hostel, or living arrangement is key.
• If your parents or family are on the trip and they are making you food, make sure to coordinate the group schedule with your food schedule.
• Some people only eat their own food to stay safe. However, if you have arranged to eat non-homemade food or if you decide to try something else, be very aware.
  • You should never eat unlabeled food and always check the ingredients.
  • I would only eat other food if I have had it before and thoroughly looked through the ingredients.
• Now is the time to use the sanitary items you brought with you.
  • Clean your seat(s) during transportation (car, bus, boat, plane, train, etc.), your table and seat where you eat, fixtures in your room, and other areas that you spend a lot of time in that may be contaminated.
  • Make sure to wash your hands, especially before eating!
• You also need to stay organized.
  • Don’t leave open containers of food lying around, instead, try to wash them or store them somewhere safe.

If you do eat food outside of your allergy-friendly supply, from either a restaurant or the kitchen where you are staying, you can take the following steps to be extra safe.

• You can use the previously mentioned translated allergy card or translated doctor’s note when you are ordering.
• Try to speak directly to the chef since they are the source of your food and get your note to them.
• Use the words you learned in the country’s language for your allergens if your chef does not speak English well. You should practice using those words very often.
• If you can find someone in your group who speaks the language of the country and English well, use them to your advantage. Befriend them and they can act as a translator for you.
• Make sure the chef understands that there should be no cross-contact. You need a clean grill/pan, fryer, utensils, etc.
• If you need to get an adult (who is educated about food allergies) involved, do so.
• Stick to your own food if you feel unsafe.
• Make sure to remind your friends/classmates that are near you, to not eat your allergens, and always wash their hands.
• Having a buddy with you who knows your allergens and can recognize your reaction symptoms is super important too.
  • Make sure they also know how to administer epinephrine, or at least know where you keep your epi.

Most importantly, enjoy your trip! Make the most out of your time that is not spent eating! Explore the destination! Have fun! Take pictures! Be in the moment and don’t stress or worry too much! Your trip will go really fast, so enjoy it while it lasts. Make great memories!