Packing for a family holiday changed to a sport when we had our Son several years ago.
Ever since his diagnosis at 6 months old for multiple food allergies, eczema, and asthma (he’s now 3 years and 3 months), things got complex.
Allergens and reactions
The common ingredients in most foods our Son is allergic to – eggs, cow’s milk/dairy, and nuts, including sesame and pistachio nuts (native and loved in Siciliy!).
As well as a face and body rash, triggering foods result in restricted airways and breathing difficulties, uncontrollable coughing fits, and eczema breakouts.
Destinations
All this said, the extra effort and care needed to ensure our Son stays healthy and happy at home and away do not deter us from travelling around the UK and abroad.
With our Son, my husband and I have visited UK towns and cities, including Harrogate, Bristol, Bath, Padstow, Sandbanks, and the Isle of Wight, and destinations further afield like Albania, Barbados, and Sicily.
In the next year or so, we plan to enjoy a sunny all-in Mediterranean beach holiday, a Eurostar trip to France, a road trip to Scotland, and more UK camping weekends.
Preventative and responsive packing
Whether at home or abroad, we pack a number of essentials for our Son to ensure his food allergies, eczema, and asthma are cared for and catered for.
Our worst nightmare is not having the right kind of allergen-free food to keep him full and happy and his medication to hand in case of an allergic reaction and/or asthma attack.
As such, the items we pack offer a preventative and responsive measure.
Preventative items
- Cow’s milk alternative – our preferred choice and Son’s favourite is Oatly whole milk. We will typically always have two or three 1L cartons with us.
- Snacks, biscuits, rice crackers – so important when you’re on the move with a toddler! Our defaults are cream crackers, veggie straws, Kiddylicious Tomato & Basil Quinoa Squares, Oat biscuits, Soreen lunchbox malt loaf (apple, strawberry, and banana flavours), Organix corn snacks, and kids popcorn.
- Fruit & food pouches – including jelly fruit pouches and a family favourite, which our Son loves to have as a soup to dip bread in ‘Ella’s Kitchen vegetable & lentil bake with cumin.’
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner staples, including Weetabix/Oatibix, pasta, and rice (other allergen-free food we will buy and cook there).
- Sweet treats like Oatly strawberry yoghurt, cake from Just Love (one of my favourite brands!), and Tesco Free From Bourbon Creams are excellent dessert alternatives.
- Chupa Chups lollies and The Fruit Factory fruit gums are brilliant for flights.
- Eczema bath & shampoo cream (prescribed) and/or Childs Farm hair & body wash.
- Toddler nasal spray are so handy – we particularly like Stérimar Kids Congestion Relief or Stérimar Breathe Easy.
Responsive items
- EpiPen x 2 – prescription is renewed every 5/6 months according to our Son’s weight. We keep 2 at home, 2 at our Son’s preschool, and 2 on us whenever we leave the house, no matter where we go.
- Ventolin Salbutamol asthma pump and space inhaler.
- Piriton children’s allergy syrup (150ml).
- Calpol infant sugar-free oral suspension (100ml).
- Prescription eczema cream (steroid-based) and Diprobase Advanced Eczema Cream – an emollient and protective cream that relieves and soothes red, inflamed, damaged, dry, or chapped skin (can be bought over the counter at local pharmacies).
