Food Allergy Picnics

Ahhh summer vacation. Whether you go on short day trips or extended vacations, when you manage food allergies, it helps to become an expert picnicker! I tend to do things the cheapest, food allergy safe way I can manage.

Picnic Tools
A good cooler is a must. You need to have something to keep food cold to avoid food spoilage and bacterial growth. The FDA website has some excellent information about food safety when picnicking. We got one on wheels to make transport a little easier.

Another important tool for picnics is wipes to wash those hands off when you don't have access to soap and water. Of course, nothing is better than good 'ol soap and water.

The right food storage containers make a difference too. By this time, you probably have invested in some good multipurpose food storage containers. If not, this is the perfect occasion to do so. In addition to food containers, you need to bring something to eat off of and serving utensils, and that will depend on what you are eating, where you are eating, and how green you are. We use a combination of our own plastic dishes that we keep for trips and disposable plates, bowls and utensils.

Don't forget to bring along paper towel and trash bags too. It seems you can never bring too many paper towels ad trash bags!

 

Food for Car Trips

We manage peanut and tree nut allergies so snacks for us might include: Pirate's Booty, dried fruits (check label carefully for "may contain"), crackers/cut-up veggies with cheese or hummus, fresh fruit. For meals, we bring along all the ingredients we need for sandwiches--food allergy safe bread, cheese, and meat--as well as pasta or rice salad. We make use of a large cooler which we keep ice cold throughout the trip. We scope out food allergy friendly restaurant options in advance and make use of local supermarkets to round things out for meals.

 

Have Fun

We do enjoy our meals and snacks no matter where we are, but it's the activity and the company that is the focus of our outings, not the food. We don't let food allergies rule our world, they are just another factor we keep in mind as we plan our adventures.