Traveling with my Kids and Food Allergies
Our family recently took a trip to Toronto for a little family vacation. I will admit, I was nervous about food. We spent two nights in a boutique hotel my husband had stayed at before and knew what to expect. We chose against a family hotel because of the pets and ice cream bars.
Our first night we inteded to have ice cream for dinner at Lootsalicious the peanut free ice cream parlour, only to find out it was closed. I was horribly disappointed as it was the main reason for our trip. We ate dinner at the old stand by – McDonald’s. I had my list of nut free bakeries with me, but wasn’t up for a new challenge.
The next morning it was raining! So we hopped in a cab and visited the Ontario Museum of Science. We had a great time riding the “magic stairs” aka escalators. There were a couple food areas in the museum, however there were also allergen signs mentioning they food labels were available. We didn’t stop for a snack, we went back to the hotel for lunch. They boys enjoyed eating their spaghettios in the cafe. They felt like real business travelers! After lunch they went back to the room to play in their “office,” the desk and chair. I think my son’s favorite part about the trip was the shower! It is pretty magnificent.
Later that afternoon the concierge made a few phone calls for us regarding dinner. She found several restaurants able to accomodate our allergy. We chose PizzaRustica (www.pizzarustica.ca) It is an upscale pizza parlor with a French flair. They do not use pine nuts in their pesto and actually mention food allergy accommodations on their menu. The owner was very knowledgeable and understanding. They also deliver. I took the boys to eat pizza outside just as the Blue Jays game let out. Lots to watch while we waited for our pie! It was very tasty, flat pizza with sauce, sausage and mozzarella cheese. They boys ate 1/2 a piece each, however it was comforting to have a place close by where we could safely eat and take leftovers back to our room for later.
Our trip consisted of hours of walking. We had a great time in the Eaton Center, although I still don’t understand the elevator system. And then there was the ice cream. My kids loved the big fountain in the center of the mall, as did all the children in the mall and all the children had ice cream. Again we had to talk about our allergies. But they forgot about it rather quickly. Daddy met us for a walk and we went back to our room to jump on the bed and watch a movie!!
Our last day I needed a Starbucks! Since they are on every corner, I believe it was the power of suggestion drawing me to it. The boys have never been in a Starbucks and those baked goods looked very appealing! We talked about our allergy again and I promised to make muffins for breakfast when we returned home. I bought them a banana for $1.00. I believe that was the best banana they ever ate. It was gone in 10 seconds & no waste! We walked by the fire department and actually had the opportunity to experience the fire brigade head off to a call!
To put Canadian food allergies in perspective, I was approached by 2 different people asking from where I ordered my son’s rubber allergy bracelet. I now know it was www.Statkids.com my apologies for not remembering.
I learned from this trip, dining out at restaurants isn’t important. The kids are happy with experiences, seeing things for the first time – a cab, an escalator, a hotel room. Next time I will pack more fresh fruit & spaghettios. I realize Toronto is very allergy friendly, but my kids are 1 and 3. They will be happy with whatever I provide off their typical menu of 5 things. They love pizza, but only the pizza from one specific pizza parlour. It is my guilt as a parent pushing me to try new things. If nothing else, I feel less guilty about my children missing experiences.
However, mom and dad still need to eat. So it is very important to find a safe restaurant to deliver room service. Our hotel had some delicious items on the menu, much of it was lighter fare such as sandwiches and they could not guarantee the safety of the bread. Overall we had a great trip. I cannot wait to do it again!!