How to navigate a new country while on a special diet
Exploring a country’s cuisine is one of the most exciting — and delicious — parts of studying abroad. However, students with dietary restrictions or food allergies may be apprehensive about living in a new place when they are not familiar with what options are available to them.
We’re here to tell you, it’s possible! There’s no need to worry, but you should do a little bit of research beforehand to make your time abroad smooth.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for studying abroad on a special diet.
Prepare before you go
If you have any dietary restrictions or preferences, it is important to let the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) know early in the pre-departure process so your needs can be accommodated. When filling out your health and housing documents in USAC Gateway, make sure to state your dietary restrictions.
Keep any dietary restrictions or allergies in mind as you select your housing option as well. In general, living in an apartment will give you more freedom to cook your own meals and control the ingredients. However, if you are interested in a homestay option, do not let your dietary restrictions deter you from living with a host family. Host families can offer unparalleled insights into the local culture and language, and USAC will work with local families to find the best homestay for you. Be sure to maintain open communication with your host family to avoid misunderstandings about your dietary restrictions.
Learn some of the language
Before you head abroad, practice some phrases and words for your dietary restriction in the language of your host country. Learning how to say “Tem opçõessem gluten?” (Are there gluten free options?) in Portuguese or “Ich bin gegen Milch allergisch” (I am allergic to milk) in German will help you make your needs clear to locals.
Carry a card with you everywhere you go that explains your allergies in the local language. Search online for “allergy translation cards” to get started.
In countries with more complicated writing systems and languages, learning to recognize the word or symbol for your dietary restriction will be helpful as well. For example, in Thailand, using the word “jay” (Buddhist veganism) while ordering food will communicate that you want your meal made without animal ingredients. However, because most signs are written in Thai, recognizing the Thai symbol for the word jay is useful. If you need help, ask the local staff if they could write down the word, phrase, or symbol on a note card for you so you can carry it with you.
It is also important to recognize that understanding of dietary restrictions can vary based on local culture. In some cultures, for example, saying that you do not eat meat may give the assumption that you do eat chicken and fish, so make sure to be clear about the local culture’s understanding of your specific diet.
Living abroad with allergies
You made sure the USAC staff is aware of your dietary restrictions? Check.
You learned some words in the local language to help you communicate your allergy or preference? Check.
Once abroad, you’ll learn to manage your dietary needs day by day, whether that’s enjoying a meal with your host family, heading to the campus cafeteria, or going out to a restaurant with friends.
Here are a few recommendations for daily life abroad with dietary restrictions:
- Carry snacks with you, especially when traveling to areas you are not familiar with. While there might be lots of food options in your program city, it could be more difficult to find meal options in smaller towns and villages.
- For vegetarians and vegans, check out happycow.com. Happy Cow lists thousands of vegetarian and vegan restaurants worldwide, including many USAC program locations — even in lesser-known destinations like Rabat, Morocco, Nishinomiya, Japan, and Montevideo, Uruguay.
- Chat with students on your program. Other students might have similar dietary needs, so you can search out restaurants and practice your language skills together.
Day in the life of a study abroad student with allergies
“Before I went to Korea to study abroad, I prepared allergy cards with translations of the foods I was allergic to and made sure to carry them in my purse anytime I went out. That made it easy to communicate what food I could or couldn’t eat when I went to restaurants or markets. Having allergies when you study abroad can be hard to manage, but with a little preparation and research before you go, it’s totally possible!” Katie, Gwangju, Korea alumna.
