Day trips, weekend trips, and far-off adventures with children with food allergies can be daunting, but here ’s how to manage.

Our two boys are allergic to many of the common top eight allergens. Our oldest currently is allergic to wheat, peanuts, sesame,  eggs, and shellfish. Our youngest is allergic to milk, peanuts, sesame, and eggs. Luckily they’ve both seen some improvement as they’ve gotten older and are re-tested every 6 months. We have come up with the following tips to make traveling and eating out possible:

Allergy Card

When we go out to a restaurant we bring a card with the kids’ food allergies written on it. This is easier than rattling them off to the server and they’re able to bring it back to the kitchen. Also be sure to check out Allergy Eats for ratings of restaurants.

Kitchens

The easiest way to keep the anxiety levels down when traveling with kids with food allergies is to book accommodations with a kitchen. Easier said than done, but we always go out of our way to find a place to stay that has a kitchen or at least a kitchenette. A mini-fridge and a microwave can go a long way.

Pack a Cooler

When all else fails, or even just to have a backup, bring a cooler. This way you have food at your disposal if you can’t find a restaurant that can accommodate food allergies.