So as you may have noticed from my posts on Instagram, I'm in Spain. Look how pretty it is!
Spain is bittersweet for me. It was where I was formally diagnosed and put at ease, but it's also the place where I have the most trouble eating.
Where we stay at a family home here, rather than a hotel, everything is basically self-catered, unless we go out for dinner as a family. Eating at home is obviously my easier option, but grocery shopping for the less-nutritionally-fortunate can get a bit tough (and expensive). Oh look, a bit more pretty!
When it comes to holidays that are a bit more long-haul - I'm lucky enough to visit Hong Kong and New York from time to time - food can be either a dreamboat in fantastic hotels or your worst nightmare with tricky food situations. Although I'm yet to go long-haul with my new-found allergy friends (NYC Thanksgiving, I'm looking at you), I've looked into various aspects of travelling and whatnot and here are a few tips that might help you if you're in the same boat:
- If you're jetting off somewhere, ask your airline what they have to offer in the way of meals and snacks in order to cater to your needs. It's best to enquire about this when you first book.
- When staying on an all-inclusive complex, make staff aware of your allergies and intolerances. Again, look into this when you're booking; you don't want to get there to find out that they can't do anything for you.
- If you're self-catering and unsure of what is available for you locally, make sure to pack your culinary staples. (I flew to Spain with just hand luggage and packed it brimming with everything from xanthan gum - homemade ice cream heeeeeeey - to a pack of dairy-free fudge!)
- If you're on a city break and the adventurous walking type, do some research before you leave; see what they've got on offer for you in different parts of the area. I'm so pumped to head downtown to Erin McKenna's Bakery in New York - it's over an hour's walk from my hotel but I'll walk anywhere for some gluten-free vegan donuts!
- When eating out on holiday, make sure that you're prepared with basic terminology for your servers. For example, if you're coeliac and holidaying in Kuala Lumpar, make sure you know how to say 'no gluten' in the local language. If you can't wrap your head around it, write it down on a piece of paper and show them. Trust me, it will help a lot.
- Similarly, if you're going somewhere with some interesting delicacies, have a look online and see if you can find out what the key ingredients are, so you know initial food do's and don'ts before you sit down to tuck in.
- If you're on a city break and the adventurous walking type, do some research before you leave; see what they've got on offer for you in different parts of the area. I'm so pumped to head downtown to Erin McKenna's Bakery in New York - it's over an hour's walk from my hotel but I'll walk anywhere for some gluten-free vegan donuts!
Coeliac and other food allergies don't have to blow your chances of amazing food on your holiday, but don't risk the chance of nasty reactions in exchange for an hour of researching on the net!
