Travelling With Children With A Milk Intolerance/Milk Allergy

A milk allergy or being milk intolerant (dairy-free) and the thought of going on a family holiday, can be stressful. I know all too well the constant worry of whether or not something will go wrong. As I have the first-hand experience of travelling with a dairy-free child, I thought I would pass on some advice and tips that I have learnt along the way.

Travelling with a food intolerance like being milk or dairy intolerant can feel daunting. But this for me is not a reason not to go travelling or on holiday. I have found that as long as you are prepared and have done some research before you arrive, then you should be okay while you are away on holiday.

If your child has multiple intolerances like my youngest son (he is gluten-free as well as milk-free) then please check out my main Gluten/Milk Free travel section as I will be adding more information and tips to this section over the coming months.

Remember I am not a doctor and do not give medical advice. Please speak to your doctor or health visitor if you have any concerns when travelling with your children and their intolerances.

Here are my top 3 tips for going on holiday with children with milk intolerance.

How To Deal With Food Intolerances When Abroad

Contents

Take Spare Formula

If you are travelling with a baby and they are still using their special formula then make sure you take 1 or 2 more tins. Making sure you have extra tins of their special formula with over what you think you will need.

Plan in advance if you get this on prescription, particularly if you are travelling for a longer period of time, you will need to contact your doctor in advance to arrange this.

If you are going travelling for a long time, then you could see if the formula you use is available in the country you are going too.

Take Spare Snacks

Even now I still make sure I take plenty of our snacks with us when travelling. I find nothing worse than hunting out shops and searching for food that they can eat.

I normally take their snacks, some wraps to make their lunch up, crisps that they eat. If we are self-catering then I also take other food with us like pasta, cereal and other items that are not liquid.

I have discovered that taking snacks with us can be handy for when travelling whether it be flying or driving etc. My boys always seem to want to eat and having a stockpile of suitable food makes it less stressful.

If you are flying and taking food into another country, you are best checking the country’s guidelines on what/how much you can take in.

Learn the local language

Learning the local words for milk has always come in handy. Write these words down, so that when you go into a shop or out to a restaurant you can check ingredients. In Italy, I found learning Sensa Latte was invaluable as I could easily say it and read it on the packaging.

I have also done a shout out on Facebook to see if anyone knows someone who speaks the local language before we arrive. This means I can then ask them to translate something suitable for us to use while away.

Tips for Travelling With A Child With A Milk Intolerance/Allergy

Google Translate App can come in very handy. Download the language pack before you arrive. This means you can use the handy picture feature which you can hold up to signs or packaging and it auto translates for you. It’s a great feature and we used it a lot when we went to Lake Garda.

Allergy cards can also come in handy if you wish to buy one before you go away on holiday. Also useful if you have multiple allergies.
If your child is dairy-free then Vegan food is great to look out for. There will be no animal products involved and some countries have a great range of food for your child to eat.

The advice above will make your family holiday with a milk intolerance easier. You still may stress while there and don’t worry it is normal. It can be difficult at the best of times putting your trust in someone, never mind doing it on holiday when there is a language barrier.

Do any of your children have a milk intolerance? Do you have any of your own tips that you would like the share?