As someone who has traveled to over 19 countries so far, with my most recent trip being to England, I wanted to share some of the things I have learned along the way when it comes to traveling with food allergies and chronic illness. Check out my top 5 tips!

My Top 5 Tips for Traveling with Food Allergies and Chronic Illness

1. Pack all your meds in your carry on
   • The worst-case scenario would be putting all of your medications/supplements into a checked bag and having your luggage get lost. This way, you have your meds with you at all times and can take them whenever you need them. 
   • Putting them in small stasher bags/ziplock bags and labeling them accordingly can help to save space as opposed to the big medicine bottles that take up a lot of space. 
2. You CAN bring food through the TSA! 
   • Just make sure it’s not liquid, and if it is, it must be smaller than 3 oz. I prepare food, such as sandwiches on gluten free bread, or snacks, to bring ahead of time for either in the airport or the flight or for when I get to my destination.
   •  If you want to pack pre-made meals in a cooler, I highly, highly recommend Modify Health’s gluten free options. Code THENOGLUTENGIRL gets you a discount. I would do this whenever I had to travel during a flare in order to have a completely safe option that I could trust to make me feel good. 
3. I always recommend staying at an airbnb with a kitchen, or finding a hotel room that has a small kitchen in it if possible. 
   • This enables you to have the option to prepare food yourself throughout your stay as needed. Whether it’s for all meals or just for breakfast or a snack, it provides a sense of peace of mind and comfort to have this safe option just in case. Look up local grocery stores near you and make a trip to stock up on some items at the beginning of your stay. See it as an exciting adventure and time to explore the area around you! 
4. Research restaurants ahead of time.
   • Google, Google Maps, Instagram, and find me gluten free will be your best friends when traveling. While traveling with chronic illness and food intolerances often requires more advanced planning, doing so, and having a plan, allows you to live more in the moment when you arrive at your destination and helps to reduce stress (which can be a big trigger for me personally) during the trip. Look up menus ahead of time, and even call the restaurant if needed to see what accommodations they can make. Remember to make it FUN! Shifting your mindset towards viewing planning as something exciting that you GET to do, not something stressful that you HAVE to do, will help you to see traveling with chronic illness and food intolerances in a new light. 
5. Allow yourself time during the day to REST.
   • This will make all the difference for your body and your health.