Best vacation for food allergies
Wondering where to go on vacation if you suffer from food allergies? Look no further! My family and I have visited many of these locations and can personally vouch for their food allergy friendliness. Food allergies: a vacation challenge. It’s enough to make you sick just thinking about it! Right!?
There are plenty of great places to visit if you’re looking to check out local cuisine and leave worries behind, but in the case of a serious food allergy, some destinations can be more hospitable than others. From Cancun’s searing heat and Florida’s humidity, to the more unpredictable conditions such as Canada and rainy Californian climes, there are myriad challenges await, and not just finding safe food.
Not many of us are lucky enough to visit at least one new destination every month, but today things are different. As a blogger, I tend to travel a lot and explore the world I live in, which means I visit a lot of interesting places with my family. We have visited numerous cities and countries worldwide, including all 50 states in the US (we’re quite proud of this), dozens of European countries, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Each time is filled with new adventures, discoveries and adventures, as well as food. More often than not, when we travel around the globe we always look for gluten free restaurants or places to eat when having food allergies. If you’re one of us people who care about eating delicious local fare without having to worry about gluten allergy or intolerance, then this list is for you.
If you have food allergies, there are a few things to consider before you go on vacation. The first thing to do is make sure the place you’re going has the right infrastructure to accommodate your needs.
For example, if you have a severe allergy to nuts, it won’t matter how amazing the rest of the vacation is—if there’s no way for you to avoid being exposed to nuts, then it’s not going to be a good experience.
The best vacations for food allergies are those that take into account your specific needs and work around them. If possible, try to find a place that has been welcoming to people with food allergies in the past.
If you’re going on a vacation and want to be able to eat, it can be hard to know where to go. There are many different types of allergies, and it’s hard to know what countries have the best options for each one.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common allergies and which countries have the best food options for them.
1. Rome, Italy
When in Rome, you can eat as the Romans do – even with food allergies! I will admit, I was hesitant to believe Italy would be a good place to travel. Especially being unsure they could accommodate my celiac disease let alone my allergies to dairy, gluten, eggs, tomatoes and shellfish. I am happy to report that my fears were quickly washed away after four days spent there this fall.
While in Italy, I was struck by how much Italians value having high quality and delicious food. The use of high quality, fresh ingredients, and pride in creating dishes that delight, really set Rome apart. Even with my laundry list of food allergies, it seemed they were always able to customize dishes so I was able to have a real taste of Roman food.
I love that Roman pasta dishes are simple and can easily be made both vegan and gluten free! Some favorites of mine were: pasta aglio e olio (pasta with garlic and olive oil) and spaghetti ai funghi (spaghetti with mushrooms). When it comes to dessert, Rome also has it more than covered. Gelato shops seem to be on every corner in the eternal city. With so many dairy free, gluten free and vegan options I never wanted to pick just one!
If you’re considering a trip to Italy, make sure to check out The Perfect 10 Day Italy Itinerary and my guide to Allergy-Friendly Eating in Rome, Italy!
2. Walt Disney World – Orlando, FL
One the first places that comes to mind when someone asks about allergy-friendly vacation destinations is Walt Disney World. With the outstanding options available to accommodate food allergies, Walt Disney World can really be the happiest place on earth! I was incredibly impressed with the variety of allergy-friendly options available on our visit to Walt Disney World.
One of the best parts of visiting Walt Disney World is the way it embraces all different parts of the world within it’s parks. Not only does it embrace the look of different areas with the architectural design, but there are also food options to represent food from all over the world. We loved being able to have Italian, Chinese, and Mexican food all in the same day. Even more than just offering a variety of types of foods, every single restaurant we visited offered to customize these ethnic dishes to meet my food allergies. I have to say, I don’t know of anywhere that does it as well as Disney!
There are easily accessible lists showing food allergens for every single thing they make. So you can treat yourself and have confidence! Even with an allergy that was not listed on their allergen list (tomato) they easily accommodated me by sending out the chef at every restaurant we visited. I had never felt so comfortable and eaten as well as I did in Walt Disney World!
If you’re considering a trip to Walt Disney World, check out My Favorite Allergy-Friendly Restaurants At Walt Disney World!
3. Barcelona, Spain
Along with spectacular art and architecture, Barcelona offers a wealth of delicious options for travelers with food allergies. This modern city with a rich cultural roots offered a wide variety of food choices – such a pleasant surprise! Typical Catalan food tends to be very heavy in shellfish (one of my allergies) and other seafood. Luckily, the size of the city, and the diversity in the people that live there, meant Barcelona had much more to offer than Paella.
In addition to seafood, beef is another traditional staple in the diet of those living in Barcelona. Many amazing steakhouses featured perfectly cooked cuts of meat. Each was seasoned to perfection and served with flavorful chimichurri sauce to bring acid and brightness to the meal.
The non-meat eaters also have options galore in this city where veganism is growing. We enjoyed patatas bravas with vegan aioli, gluten free and vegan pastas, a lovely all vegan mexican restaurant, and SO much gluten free and vegan gelato. We were able to indulge endlessly and actually had a hard time deciding on our favorite meal when we left!
If you’re considering a trip to Barcelona, make sure to check out How To Spend One Wonderful Week In Barcelona, Spain and my guide to Allergy-Friendly Eating In Barcelona, Spain!
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen has it all – history, art, culture, scenery and amazing allergy-friendly food! In the past if you asked me about Danish food, I would have been less than enthusiastic about my options. After spending time in Copenhagen, it quickly became one of my favorite places for both the atmosphere and the cuisine.
Copenhagen is known to many foodies for it’s many Michelin Star restaurants. Yet, for someone like me, the fancy food is a low priority. I just want to eat great food that wont kill me! Copenhagen was one of the rare places in the world where I was able to randomly stop at a restaurant. I couldn’t believe I was able to eat without researching and planning ahead! The people as a whole were friendly and accommodating to my food allergies and I never left a restaurant hungry.
Copenhagen is really the epitome of cool and trendy, which luckily makes it even more of an allergy-friendly paradise. Delicious gluten free and vegan bakeries were such a treat. The amazing options at Reffen Food market (previously PapirØen) were a surprise! Throughout my stay there was never a moment I didn’t feel completely satisfied in Copenhagen.
If you’re considering a trip to Copenhagen, make sure to check out The Best Things To Do When Visiting Copenhagen, Denmark and my guide to Allergy-Friendly Eating in Copenhagen, Denmark!
5. Los Angeles, CA
No list of allergy-friendly vacation destinations would be complete without mentioning sunny LA! You will never run out of things to do or places to eat in beautiful Los Angeles. In fact, I try to go at least once a year to get my fix of sun and fun! In this sprawling city, I am never more than a few miles away from an allergy-friendly restaurant. I love that so many can easily cater to my every need.
Fresh and light California cuisine make the foundation for just about every great dish. Throw in the Mexican and South American food influences and I am the happiest girl on earth!
Los Angeles is truly a melting pot of both people and cuisine. With enough variety of gluten free vegan bakeries, vegan eateries, juice bars, and more. There is something to satisfy the needs of any traveler no matter the allergies or intolerances.
If you’re considering a trip to Los Angeles, make sure to check out How To Have An Amazing Weekend Getaway in Los Angeles for where to stay and what to eat while you’re there!
Conclusion
I hope one of these allergy-friendly vacation destinations inspires you to travel somewhere new. Even more than that, I hope you can feel empowered. It is possible to travel and enjoy all the destination has to offer without fear. So go with confidence! There will be amazing options available to you – no matter your food allergies or intolerances.