Packing can feel like a tedious task! It is full of decision, upon decision. “What if I need this because this might happen?” questions. I used to be a horrendous over-packer when I was younger. I always wanted to make sure I had enough of everything. The more I traveled though, the better my packing became (especially knowing that the responsibility was on me to carry everything myself and as I learned, it is not enjoyable to cart around too much stuff- travelers beware, you’ve been warned).
Now I have packing down to a science, especially when it comes to packing for my food allergies. I knew I was traveling to a country that I had never been to before. One that speaks a different native language. This meant I would be packing a bit differently than if I was traveling in the U.S.
When I was younger and would travel abroad, we had to be creative with what packaged food I would take with me. In high school on a trip overseas, I ended up packing dehydrated food from a camping store in case I couldn’t find safe food for multiple days in a row. Now there are many more options!
After years of experience, I know I can pretty much always find fresh food or read/translate ingredients and
cook if necessary. I grew up on organic everything and I’m a very healthy eater, BUT I do have a sweet tooth! When traveling internationally, I’ve had a challenging time finding anything sweet that is safe. Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is one of my favorite, favorite safe chocolate companies! I packed a Ziploc full of some of their chocolate bars (crispy is my favorite), skippers (they look like m&m’s), jelly beans (juicy, fruit flavors that are nice and soft), nut-free trail mix, and then a bunch of their Tanabars (delicious granola bars) I could eat for breakfast (a more challenging meal for me when abroad).
I kept a snack or two in my purse at all times during my trip. I never worried about hunger pains because I was always prepared with snacks. I also packed a few other types of snacks, including 88 Acres bars, which I love to eat, especially for hiking or on-the-go. They are healthy, allergy-safe, and scrumptious!
My allergy safe snacks worked out perfectly for my trip. I had plenty with me for the week and I was delighted not to worry about finding safe food!
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