People with restrictive diets have to plan their trips with even more caution than the average person, especially if violating them could lead to serious health consequences. Everything from your choice of destination to what you pack in your carry-on bag will have to be carefully planned to make sure that you’ll always have food available. You may also want to consider alternative forms of accommodation to make things easier for you. Let’s take a look at a few tips for traveling with dietary restrictions.
Bring Travel Size Options
If you have an allergy or are suffering from a condition that forces you to use additives, then you’ll need to bring a few travel-size options with you so that you have something to eat at all times.If you suffer from dysphagia, for instance, and need to add thickeners to your food and drinks, then you should check out Simply Gel at https://www.facebook.com/SimplyThickGel. Their thickeners come in a wide variety of formats including single-serve packs. If you suffer from an allergy and you’re not sure if you’re going to be able to find safe options where you’ll be, then we suggest that you double up on the number of snacks you bring as they could be life savers if you find yourself in a pickle.
Book AccommodationsWhere You Can Cook Food
You should also consider booking accommodations where you’ll be able to cook, like a villa, private property, or a serviced apartment. This way, you’ll be able to know exactly what’s in your food and avoid nasty surprises.You cannot trust what a restaurant tells you at face value. They might say that the food they serve is vegan but cook vegan dishes with the same instruments as they do meat. This could be an issue for people who have religious restrictions too. Consider looking for alternative accommodation and know that cooking your meals will allow you to save a lot of money on eating out as well.
Pick a Destination with Strict Food Regulations
You can’t expect all countries to have strict guidelines when it comes to food, and very few countries have the same standard as we do here. So, you will have to look at the food safety and regulation records for any country you are thinking of going to before leaving.
Pick a Country that is Accommodating to Your Diet
You should also know that not all cuisines and cultures are accommodating to alternative diets. If you are thinking of going to Southeast or East Asia, for instance, then you might have a hard time finding meat dishes that don’t contain pork. And, if you go to a country where veganism is not popular or even ridiculed, then you might not be able to find many choices anywhere including grocery stores. Be very careful with your choice of destination and be ready to reconsider your options even if you really wanted to go somewhere.
These are all tips that will help take some of the stress away from traveling with a restrictive diet. Make sure that you have plenty of backup options wherever you are, know as much about the place before you go, and ask travelers with the same restrictions as yours for advice.