Traveling with Dietary Restrictions: Your Guide to Safe Eating

Vacation is often a time to indulge in all sorts of new and unusual foods, which can be risky for travelers with food allergies or other dietary restrictions.

If that maybe you, what can you do to make sure your excursion into new cultures, experiences and foods doesn’t result in eating something you shouldn’t or even an emergency room visit? Travelers should consult with their healthcare providers and review local laws and regulations before traveling with dietary restrictions.

These tips may help.

Research Your Destination’s Food Culture

Start by understanding common ingredients used in local cuisines. For instance, peanuts are often found in Thai cuisine, gluten (in the form of pasta and bread) is a staple of Italian cooking, and dairy often shows up in Indian cooking in the forms of creamy sauces and paneer cheese.

After you’ve done that, look up the local terms for allergens, and write down questions in the local language, ideally in a yes/no format. For instance, “Does this food contain gluten?” in German is, “Enthält dieses Lebensmittel Gluten?”

Finally, dive into whether the country has food-labeling laws that require allergen disclosure. The U.S., the EU, Canada, and Australia have labeling laws, but many others do not.

Get Allergy Translation Cards

Consider buying or making laminated allergy cards in the local language(s), clearly stating, “I have a serious allergy to [allergen name]. Even a small amount can make me very sick. Please do not include this in my food or use utensils that have touched it.”

If you don’t want to make your own cards, SelectWisely and Equal Eats may help with this task.Use the U.S. Travel Advisory Rating System

Pack Essentials

Bring a supply of safe snacks. Don’t rely on your ability to find these items at your destination.

Carry medications like antihistamines (after checking to see whether they’re allowed to be brought into that country), anti-diarrheals or enzymes for intolerances, or EpiPens (again, check rules for bringing these to your destination), depending on what you might need in your case.

You should also bring sanitizing wipes to help minimize cross-contamination.

Also Read: Our Travel Packing Lists

Dining Out With Dietary Restrictions

Choose high-end or health-conscious cafes and restaurants; they’re more likely to understand and accommodate allergies or religious dietary restrictions. Look for places labeled “celiac-safe” rather than sumply “gluten-free,” and opt for a “nut-free kitchen” over a dish that “contains no nuts.” Finally, note that “gluten-free” in some countries may only mean “low gluten” or “no added gluten,” without certification from any regulatory body.

When ordering, use allergy cards early in the process.

If your server speaks English reasonably well (or you speak the local language reasonably well) you should also ask questions like:

• “Do you prepare this in a kitchen that also uses [your allergen]?”
• “Do you use separate pans, utensils, and fryers for this dish?”
• “Is this made from scratch here, or is it a packaged item?”

If you don’t get a clear answer, push gently but firmly for confirmation.

Special Cases

Street food can be delicious, but it’s also risky for people with food allergies due to shared grills and the possibility of cross-contamination. Cross-contamination is also a major risk with buffets and salad bars – but that’s likely an issue you’ve dealt with back home, so you know what to watch for and what to avoid. Finally, sauces and spice blends can be hidden sources of gluten, nuts, soy, dairy, or shellfish.

While traveling

When flying:

• Inform the airline of your dietary needs at least 48 hours before your flight; ask for confirmation.
• Don’t assume the “allergy-safe” meal is truly safe; bring backup snacks.
• Disinfect tray tables and your hands before eating to reduce contamination risk.
• Request early boarding if you need time to clean the area or brief the crew.

When staying in hotels:

• Choose rentals or hotels with kitchenettes so you can cook your own food.
• Contact your hotel in advance to ask how they accommodate allergies and if they provide allergen-free meals.
• Research options in advance and use food delivery apps with allergy filters.

When grocery-shopping abroad:

• Use Google Translate to read food labels.
• Stick to whole foods — fruits, vegetables, plain rice – in countries with lax labeling laws.
• Shop for allergen-free foods at health food stores or larger supermarkets.
• Look for certification labels like:
  • GFCO (gluten-free)
  • OU or Halal stamps
  • Nut-free facility seals

Non-allergy restricted diets

Sometimes dietary restrictions aren’t medical but religious or ethical. Vegetarians, vegans, and people following Halal diets are good examples.

In those cases it’s important to ask about:

• Hidden animal products (broth, gelatin or lard) if you’re vegetarian or vegan
• Sourcing and preparation of Kosher or Halal foods

This can be a lot. Fortunately, the Concierge Services that come with every travel protection plan from Generali Global Assistance may help you find places to eat that fit within your dietary guidelines, whether you’re trip planning or already traveling.

This is just one more way travel protection can help on your trip, especially if you have a medical emergency, but even for normal trip needs. Best of all, getting the right plan for your trip is easy.

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