Jump to:
- 1- Easy to Reheat Storage Containers
- 2- Electric Coolers/Freezers
- 3- A Travel Slow Cooker
- 4- A Travel Allergens Card
- 5- Allergy Placemats
- 6- Don't Feed Me Shirts
- Check Out More Ideas For Safely Navigating the Holidays
- Leave a comment on what items make your holiday travel easier?
- We would love to find new things that can take our stress level down!
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Making holiday trips easier with food allergies is a concern of many travelling this winter holiday season. How can we keep our food cold, what do we use to reheat it? What if people forget that our kids have food allergies? These are all questions we have had travelling with our kids who have multiple food allergies.
This holiday season check out a few products that may make life a bit easier when travelling by car. Whether you have one or multiple food allergies it can be tough to be on the road and at dinners far from home.
Large family gatherings and holiday travel can be exceedingly difficult to navigate when you have food allergies. Not only is the stress level a lot higher because you don't know if there will be anything you can eat. If you are like us you will pack most, if not all of your food with you. In order to do that you may need a few items to make sure your food stays safe for you to eat.
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1- Easy to Reheat Storage Containers
Areas of concern for us are always whether or not our food will stay free from cross contact with any of our food allergens. If we are bringing food with us to share with everyone at dinner, we alway pack our own portions in a container that can be reheated easily in the oven or microwave.
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Containers we like are ones like these glass dishes. They are a bit heavier but they are so worth it. We use them a lot! We highly recommend if you decide to get a few containers to buy a couple and try them, then do a big purchase.
The Products
Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA Free Food Storage Containers with Lids are one of my favourite products. I like a container with a vent for the microwave on the lid. This means the lid can be left on when reheating.
The JoyJolt JoyFul 24pc Borosilicate Glass Storage Containers with Lids are also another really popular brand you can buy easily on Amazon. They are made of oven safe glass and can be used in the freezer to store food. This is perfect if you are making the dinner ahead, freezing it, then thawing it and reheating it all in the same dish.
Large Gathering Recipe Ideas
If you are stuck for ideas on what to make for an allergy friendly Thanksgiving dinner check out our recipe collections: Easy Allergy Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes, and Allergy Friendly Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Sauces, Soups, and Salads.
Top Tip
You want to make sure you bring a piece of aluminium foil to keep your food covered in the oven. For the microwave we use a lid to keep our food safe from whatever was cooked in there before our food.
2- Electric Coolers/Freezers
For the long drives we need something that can keep our food cold until we get to our hotel and can store it in a mini fridge. We need to use products that can help make holiday trips easier with food allergies. Stopping at restaurants or getting a kitchenette unit isn't always possible.
This is also a great option for if the hotel doesn't have an in room fridge. There have been times we have checked in and our fridge doesn't work or the hotel is out of fridges to bring to the room. Our food isn't going to be handed over for a shared fridge somewhere else in the hotel so these coolers come in clutch in a situation like this.
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These brands of cooler are the go-to that so many food allergy families recommend. We haven't tried them as our car is too small to accommodate their size and luggage for 6. We also have an older car without a ton of outlets to run the coolers off of. Make sure these work with your car before buying them as they may not be suitable for everyone.
The Products
The Alpicool C9 Portable Mini Freezer,12 Volt Refrigerator, 10 Quart Fast Cooling 12V Car Fridge is a way to bring all your food with you. You can precook your Thanksgiving dinner, freeze or refrigerate it for the drive and use this freezer/fridge to keep it a safe temperature. The unit plugs into your car for the drive.
For a larger option check out the EUHOMY 12 Volt Refrigerator, 32 quart Portable Refrigerator, Car Fridge. It can also freeze as well as keep the food cool as a fridge. This is a big unit perfect for longer road trips or lager families with food allergies.
Top Tip
These fridges are not meant to be used on planes. They would be too heavy and too big as checked or carry on luggage. The batteries can be a hazard if put in checked luggage and many airlines policies do not allow heating and cooling items for safety reasons.
3- A Travel Slow Cooker
When on the road these are a lifesaver to make sure you can have hot food without eating at restaurants, if they are not safe for you. They are also great to reheat your food in a busy kitchen that is making food you cannot eat. Getting a small applicance that you can travel with can help make holiday trips easier with food allergies.
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These are both products I know well from my years of travelling as a flight attendant. They're what many of the crew use to make hot food on their layovers. Bringing it with you for soups and meals you have stored in the hotel fridge or your cooler will help to make sure you always have the food you need when you need it.
The Products
The Crock Pot brand slow cooker, a 20 ounce food warmer. This one is a thicker sturdier sided machine that doesn't collapse. It retails for around
The Drizzle Foldable Electric Cooker Travel Hot Pot is great because it is silicone. It folds up if you are trying to save space when packing.
Top Tip
You cannot use them on an airplane as they are not approved for plane travel but they can be packed in your checked luggage.
4- A Travel Allergens Card
Usually people with allergies buy these for going to far away places where they do not speak the language, however we have one in English. We use it to help restaurant staff know what we need to avoid and help us stop any complications with our food.
Equal Eats Travel Cards
Our favourite cards are the Equal Eats. They have digital and physical cards that are wallet sized and easy to use.
Equal Eats has cards in many different languages. Each translation set goes through many different layers of testing before being released. The cards are customisable for multiple food allergies beyond the top 14 most common ones.
You can follow this link to buy a card from Equal Eats. (affiliate link)
5- Allergy Placemats
If you have kids making sure no one gives them food they cannot have due to food allergens. Watching over them is a full time job at gatherings and parties with food. When the kids were younger I wish there had been something like this for our kids.
Why Use An Allergy Placemat?
Using a placemat that clearly states their allergens not only serves as a visual reminder it also helps to create a space that is mapped out that you can request is free from the kids' allergies.
Where to Buy?
The cutest place mats we have found are by Little Me Allergy. They are customisable with your allergy or you can choose from a range of most common allergens.
Find The Little Me Allergy website here.
Top Tip
It doesn't replace being on the lookout for allergens and the kids, it is designed to work with your watchful eye.
6- Don't Feed Me Shirts
When we delved into how other allergy parents keep their kids safe at Holiday family gatherings this is one item that many parents have been using. They put a t-shirt or onesie on their younger children, babies, and toddlers and tell the extended family about the kids' food allergies.
The Shirts
For the older kids check out these "Don't Feed Me I have Allergies" t-shirts by Allergy Awareness Gifts. They come in a number of different sizes, styles, and colours.
The Inktastic "Please Don't Feed Me I Have a Food Allergy" with Elephant Baby Bodysuit is perfect for the younger kids with food allergies. It comes in a variety of colours and sizes.
When you live with food allergies, not everyone understands that even a little bit of the allergen can be deadly. The don't feed me shirts are a visual reminder to help others remember which kids cannot eat anything but you will still need to keep watch over them.
Top Tip
Nothing beats the watchful eye of parents who know what the kids can and cannot eat. Even with the shirts you do still have to be mindful of the kids.
Check Out More Ideas For Safely Navigating the Holidays
When you are packing for your holiday gatherings don't forget to pack these 7 things that will help to make your Thanksgiving with food allergies less stressful. Always pack your epinephrine auto injectors, too. Pop them in their case and make sure others know where they are. No epi- no food is the rule in our home!
For more ideas on how to survive a holiday gathering check out our article Advice and Tips for a Successful Thanksgiving with Food Allergies. Everyone with food allergies or not should be able to celebrate the season and enjoy being together.
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