Day-to-day life with food restrictions can be tricky. Eating out, a challenge at best. But flying? As in eating in airports and airplanes with no kitchen for days? So hard. If you’re going to be flying with food intolerances or allergies, this post is for you. I’ve pulled together my top five tips for navigating the world of airports and airplane food with your stomach (and sanity) intact!

These are strategies that came in super handy for me when I traveled overseas this summer on a very restricted dairy/soy/egg-free diet. To South Africa. With a five-month-old baby. We spent 50 hours in the air on seven flights. You could say I’m an expert! Definitely also crazy. But I’ve been through it all and emerged with plenty of advice to share with other brave adventurers.

Our trip

Heading into our trip to South Africa I knew food would be a challenge for me. As you may have read in my “IBS Story” post, I’m on a dairy/soy/egg-free diet because my now seven-month-old son, Charlie, is intolerant to these proteins in breastmilk. Our international flights were l-o-n-g, eight hours from Dallas to Dubai, and then another 15 hours from Dubai to Johannesburg. That’s a lot of meals in the sky!

The whole “traveling with a baby” thing proved to be more difficult than I could have imagined. It might have kicked my butt. With TWO diaper backpacks for Charlie, I hardly had space to tote four or five meals for myself. I needed easy, compact, and no-fuss food that I could eat quickly (and with one hand!). I also knew that however non-ideal, I’d be primarily stocking up on meals at the airports along the way due to my limited carry-on space.

Advance research was my best friend, and it really did save me from becoming hangry and miserable. Admittedly, I did eat a LOT of trail mix, but I also snuck in a few balanced meals that fueled me through our flight marathon. Here’s how!

My Top 5 Tips for Flying with Food Intolerances

1. Research your airline’s special meal offerings.

Most domestic flights offer packaged for-purchase snacks instead of on-board meals, so it’s up to you to bring or buy your own food.

On the other hand, if you’re flying internationally you will always (in my experience) be served a meal. But it doesn’t have to be a regular meal. Did you know most airlines have a long list of “special meals” for those with food restrictions? You can notify the airline in advance, usually when booking, and they will deliver your requested meal to you during meal service at no charge.

I wasn’t able to take advantage of this because there wasn’t a soy-free option on my Emirates flight, but most other dietary restrictions are covered! You would be surprised by the variety of options available.

What a few of the major airline carriers have to offer:

Delta: gluten-free, vegetarian, bland, diabetic, low fat/low cholesterol/low calorie, low sodium, and religious (Hindu, Muslim, Kosher). Menu here.

United: vegetarian, vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian (includes honey, dairy, and eggs), gluten-intolerant, and religious (Kosher, Muslim). Menu here.

American: vegetarian, bland (described as “for passengers with digestive sensitivies”), diabetic, gluten-intolerant, religious (Kosher, Hindu, Muslim), lacto-ovo-vegetarian, low fat, low sodium, non-lactose, and vegan. Menu here.

Hawaiian: vegetarian and regular. Menu here.

Jetblue: In economy there are only packaged meals for purchase – however kudos to them for having overnight oats as a purchase breakfast option on some flights! They also list nutritional information and allergen warnings on their website for all their for-purchase meals. This is rare, and so awesome for those of us who need to know! Menu here.

Southwest, Frontier, Alaska, Allegiant : no meals offered, only in-flight snacks

Virgin Atlantic: low-fat, low-sodium, diabetic, fruit platter, gluten-intolerant, religous (Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Kosher), lacto-ovo-vegetarian, low lactose (their disclaimed: “for passengers requiring a lactose restricted diet, not recommended for passengers requiring a dairy-free meal as lactose-free dairy products may be used”), vegan, and pureed. Menu here.

Emirates: bland, low salt, diabetic, non-lactose, fruit platter, gluten-free, low cholesterol/low fat, vegan, religious (Hindu, Muslim, Kosher) and raw vegetable. Fun fact: they also have “champagne”, “cakes”, and “seafood meals” listed in their “other special meals” category! Menu here.

Note: this is not an exhaustive list of all airlines, so continue the search online if you’re flying with another carrier! This information is based on the linked airline websites as of August 2018.

2. Research the airport terminal map in advance to scope out restaurants and menus.

Most airport restaurants don’t have ingredients printed on their menus, and if you’re in a rush you won’t have time to ask! I’ve found that employees aren’t always able to answer my questions, especially in airports where there’s a language or cultural barrier.

The dietitian gods might strike me down for saying this, but:  large American chain restaurants may be your best bet. Their websites almost always have comprehensive nutrition information that includes allergens and ingredients, whereas smaller or local restaurants may not. Just the Nutrition Facts aren’t enough to make an informed choice about ingredients.

When we were traveling, I was so grateful I had familiarized myself with the food offerings in the Dallas, Dubai, and Johannesburg airports. We had limited time (and I was toting a baby- no biggie) so knowing where I wanted to go and what I wanted to order helped a TON. Fun fact for nursing mamas: most terminal maps also show where the nursing rooms are in case you want to scope that out too.

My Travel Go-To’s:

Jamba Juice: all ingredients listed on their online menu
Chipotle: all ingredients listed on their online menu
Subway: publishes an “Allergen and Ingredient Information” document, separate from their menu, available here
Chik-fil-A: all ingredients and allergens listed on their online menu

Starbucks unfortunately does not list ingredients on their online menu (that I have found). However, their oatmeal is usually a safe bet, and they do stock several intolerance-friendly packaged foods. I like Hippease “White Cheddar Organic Chickpea Puffs” and Emmy’s chocolate “Organic Coconut Cookies” – both are gluten-free and vegan.

“Cafe/market” type kiosks with packaged-style foods are another good option because the ingredients are usually listed on the packaging. Some healthy, quick meal or snack options that you can usually find are: boiled eggs, fruit, fruit/cheese packs, hummus, jerky, popcorn, and yogurt parfaits.

3. Bring your own food.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but it can be a challenge when you’re on a long haul! Toting a cooler for meals would be ideal. But, if you’re like me and chose to use that space for diapers instead (a solid choice), you need food that doesn’t require refrigeration, won’t get smooshed, and is filling and nutritious.

My tried-and-tested favorite snacks are:

• Meat jerky
• Trail mix (light on the chocolate and dried fruit, heavy on the nuts and seeds)
• Homemade muffins, granola bars, or healthy breakfast cookies (think oats, banana, nut butters, etc)
• Individually-packaged almond butter (Justin’s brand is great) + pre-sliced apple
• Whole grain crackers or crispbread + avocado (pack a whole avocado in your bag and eat with a spoon)
• Instant oatmeal cups
• Peanut butter-filled pretzels
• Granola

4. …and then pack extra.

Don’t assume other countries are as allergy/intolerance-friendly as the United States. This is something I took for granted until I traveled outside the country on a restricted diet. In the US we have strict food labeling laws, and ingredient lists are always clear and easy-to-understand. Not always so when you’re traveling!

Just another reason to pack enough snacks in your suitcase to last you for another 12-24 hours after landing, just in case it takes a while for you to get your bearings.

I packed extra breakfast cookies, homemade granola, and peanut butter pretzels in my checked baggage. So, in the hectic days after we arrived I still had snacks available even when there weren’t always intolerance-friendly foods around. These extra snacks lasted me the whole trip, and I was so grateful to have them!

Note: do not pack fruits or vegetables in your checked bags because customs usually does not allow fresh foods to cross borders.

5. Don’t stress.

I know, easier said than done! But when it comes down to it, travel is temporary. You will get there eventually. Stress makes things much worse, especially if you have IBS. If you’re in a bind my best advice is to find a friendly flight attendant, explain your situation, and ask for help.

I had a hard time staying hydrated on several of the longer flights, and since I was nursing it was especially important for me. A sweet flight attendant brought me a water bottle and some fresh fruit (even though she wasn’t supposed to) – and it was a lifesaver. Don’t be afraid to ask!

I hope these tips help make traveling with food intolerances a little more tasty and a little less scary. Please share your favorite airport foods are in the comments below, I love new ideas!