Food Allergy Concierge

Traveling with food allergies....what is the first thing that pops into your head? I can tell you what I think - STRESS. Immediately. It doesn't matter if it's the world's best vacation ever offered; if my son is going, I am stressed even before I know the plan. This may sound selfish of me but it's just true to life and I am willing to bet that most, if not all, food allergy parents feel the same way. As much as we dream of a family vacation, our dream is never quite the way we envision it. In a food allergy parent's vacation dream, we are plagued with worry, unsafe food, cross contamination, allergic reactions, not finding enough safe foods while away.... I could continue but I'm sure you get a pretty clear picture. Since I am sharing so honestly, I will say that even with all of these "what if's", I do aspire to one day be able to travel with my son and watch him be as carefree as anyone else. Imagine watching your child be able to eat everything safely, being able to go out to a restaurant in any location and to just feel, well, like everyone else. Food allergies so often make us feel that none of this could actually ever happen.

Here's the Thing That I Am Going to Tell You It may make you say "What?!" out loud and reread what I wrote. It IS possible to travel with food allergies and have it be everything that you imagine it would be. Are you shaking your head? Are you grabbing your spouse and saying "This woman obviously doesn't know what she is talking about. I bet she doesn't even travel!"I am the mother of a seventeen year old who is allergic to eggs, peanuts, watermelon and shellfish. I am the mother who precooks all of our meals to bring with us so that I can (try) to relax while we are on vacation. Many of you understand this- now you are shaking your head yes because you are that parent as well. It's not stress free and it's not relaxing, but for most of us, this is the closest we get to traveling safely. Here is the amazing news that I need to share with you because as I read about it, I was truly excited and hopeful about vacationing as a family safely.

It's Such a Simple, Brilliant But Much-Needed Idea  I am talking about a company called Food Allergy Concierge. It is exactly what you think it is, but probably even better than you think it is. When you think of concierge, your thoughts most likely go to those helpful people in hotels. "Can you recommend a good place for" or "Can you provide a few extra toothbrushes, we forgot ours" but this service is not that. Food Allergy Concierge is like your personal assistant during the entire vacation. Their job actually begins before you even arrive. As their website explains "Our guarantee is to do everything a parent does to prevent an allergic reaction". Let me give you a few examples of why I love this company:

• They have a trained team, which includes nurses
• Their team meets with every restaurant that you are dining at
• Your concierge monitors the entire meal (sterilizing food prep area, reading ingredients, ensuring all of your meals are made without cross contamination and served safely)
• They contact the manufacturer of every product you and your family will eat
• They also offer someone that can accompany your family on vacation (medical and paramedical experts, certified in Advanced cardiac life support) and translators

The Big Question Have they ever had a mishap? I had to ask because I wanted to know and I'm sure all of you want to know. Food Allergy Concierge has been in business for four years and never had a guest experience an incident. The company representative stated "We work at a very high level of research and safety and we have very strict regulations in our company to avoid anything from happening". They also share an experience on their blog that explains how they went above and beyond to avoid cross contamination for a guest. "The attitude and lack of knowledge of the staff led me to be extremely cautious about this meal. I supervised the chef closely and I served all the food at once, so nothing was left unattended in the kitchen.

The family didn't know any of this was going on. They had come to this restaurant with the goal of enjoying a delicious stress-free meal, and that is what they got".  I highly recommend that you read the article entirely to get a better grasp of how well the situation was handled.

This Gives Me Hope Does it give you hope as well? I will say that although this article is sponsored, I truly am excited about the Food Allergy Concierge from a personal perspective. For seventeen years, our family has done the best that we could with our vacationing but we have felt limited. As a mother, one of my fears is that we will be half way across the world and there won't be enough safe foods for my son to eat. I cannot be alone in this- this is a very real dilemma. A person needs to eat. Not to mention if there is an emergency, I worry about health care and availability of what our family

may need at the time of the emergency situation.

While I was looking through the Food Allergy Concierge website, I was excited to see they are available on cruises and in multiple locations which include the United States, Europe, Safaris in Africa, Israel, the Caribbean and the Far East. If you are looking for more information or examples of client experiences, follow the Food Allergy Concierge on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Or, if you are already ready to speak with them, they offer a free twenty minute consultation via telephone or online scheduling.

Who Says Food Allergies Have to Limit Family Travel?  I have shared my thoughts about this before but let me reshare "If you say that celebration and life is not all about food, you are wrong. It IS about finding the right foods that are healthy and safest. Food is not something that tears us apart, it brings us together. After all, this is how I have connected with all of you". Why not allow yourself to enjoy life with food allergies? It's not just you that wants this, it's families everywhere. Luckily, the Food Allergy Concierge team is willing to make it happen for you.

Would you consider taking a family vacation 

and utilize Food Allergy Concierge?

Disclaimer: I was compensated for my time and this article is sponsored by Food Allergy Concierge. Please keep in mind that I only share products and information that I feel will be helpful to the community. My opinions may differ from others. I highly recommend that everyone research further to ensure what is safe for their specific allergy needs.