We just got back from another food-allergy adventure- our first big road trip. We drove from Austin to Dallas, stayed overnight with Grandmama and Grandpa, then set out on the road for a 12-ish hour drive to Nashville to visit some family friends. We stayed at our friends' house in Nashville (four families, three nights, two days, one house!), so we were able to take advantage of the kitchen and grocery store for most of our meals. However, meals during the drive posed a problem, (beyond what you would expect from hours in the car with two small children!) and we would have to figure out how to handle lunches and dinners on the road for Bryan.
In general, fast-food options are out for him. Burgers are cooked on the same grill as cheeseburgers, fries are cooked in the same oil as chicken nuggets, which usually have milk or egg in the coating. Some places are now offering apple slices or mandarin oranges, which would be a nice treat, but we needed to have something more substantial. Armed with a cooler, we brought along some chicken nuggets (prepared that morning at Grandmama's house; he would have to eat them cold), and a ham and soy cheese sandwich. And luckily, he was pretty happy with his options.
While in Nashville, our hosts Eric and Sarah Catherine were amazing. I talked with SC prior to our visit, as she wanted to make sure that we were comfortable with our surroundings allergy-wise. The rest of the guests were great as well. We did end up relying mostly on convenience foods while we were there- hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and Pop Tarts- but it wouldn't have made sense to spend a lot on other ingredients that we would just end up leaving after our visit. Maybe Bryan wasn't the healthiest eater while we were there, but I can live with that.
Bryan did have one allergic reaction while we were there, and I have to take the blame for that one. The last morning we were there, we made eggs for breakfast. Everyone checked with me first to make sure I was okay with it, and I thought Bryan would be fine. He hasn't had a reaction other times that people have cooked and eaten eggs around him. However, I didn't really consider the fact that two of the people eating eggs were under the age of 3- and therefore a bit more hands-on with their eggs than most. And while we made sure that hands and faces were washed, it maybe wasn't quite enough. Shortly afterwards, Bryan's left eye started swelling pretty badly, and he started complaining that his throat and tummy felt hot. No hives on his neck or stomach, though, so I gave him some Benadryl, and luckily, that was the extent of it. But as usual, not much fun.
For the drive back, we decided to take it easy and stop for the evening along the way, rather than try to make it all the way to Dallas. So for Bryan's meals-on-the-go, we had more cold chicken nuggets for lunch, but I was able to use the microwave at the hotel to warm up some leftover pasta that we had made for him earlier in the weekend. Breakfast in the morning was Pop-Tarts, and that was the end of our food-on-the-road challenge. One more milestone done- and while we survived, I think it may be a while before we try that one again. =)
While in Nashville, our hosts Eric and Sarah Catherine were amazing. I talked with SC prior to our visit, as she wanted to make sure that we were comfortable with our surroundings allergy-wise. The rest of the guests were great as well. We did end up relying mostly on convenience foods while we were there- hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and Pop Tarts- but it wouldn't have made sense to spend a lot on other ingredients that we would just end up leaving after our visit. Maybe Bryan wasn't the healthiest eater while we were there, but I can live with that.
Bryan did have one allergic reaction while we were there, and I have to take the blame for that one. The last morning we were there, we made eggs for breakfast. Everyone checked with me first to make sure I was okay with it, and I thought Bryan would be fine. He hasn't had a reaction other times that people have cooked and eaten eggs around him. However, I didn't really consider the fact that two of the people eating eggs were under the age of 3- and therefore a bit more hands-on with their eggs than most. And while we made sure that hands and faces were washed, it maybe wasn't quite enough. Shortly afterwards, Bryan's left eye started swelling pretty badly, and he started complaining that his throat and tummy felt hot. No hives on his neck or stomach, though, so I gave him some Benadryl, and luckily, that was the extent of it. But as usual, not much fun.
For the drive back, we decided to take it easy and stop for the evening along the way, rather than try to make it all the way to Dallas. So for Bryan's meals-on-the-go, we had more cold chicken nuggets for lunch, but I was able to use the microwave at the hotel to warm up some leftover pasta that we had made for him earlier in the weekend. Breakfast in the morning was Pop-Tarts, and that was the end of our food-on-the-road challenge. One more milestone done- and while we survived, I think it may be a while before we try that one again. =)
