By Rhiannon Thefaut, BA International Business Management
As someone who cannot eat dairy, going to France for my year abroad was probably not my best idea. For one, I spoke minimal French and was left using google translate to explain to the waiters that I needed pizza, sans fromage. Secondly, France has not yet progressed to including allergy information on their menus, let alone providing vegan options. And lastly, everything in France includes dairy products, from the classic croissants and French breads to meat, pizza – and even ‘les escargots! However, as I narrowly managed to avoid death by dairy last year, I’ve proved that it is possible. Here I will give you some top tips to effectively manage your allergy whilst abroad.
The first thing that helped me was stocking up and bringing lots of dairy free foods from home – luckily, you can get the ferry or the Eurotunnel to France and so I had quite a bit of room to bring everything necessary. I made sure to bring the basics – sauces, hot chocolate powder, butter etc and then packed the rest of the car to the brim with as many snacks as possible; chocolate, biscuits, crumpets and sweets. This was vital, because I couldn’t buy them from French supermarkets – and with 40 hours of lectures a week, stress eating was a common occurrence!
Secondly, look everywhere for small, family owned businesses – these are your best bet for finding speciality foods that cater to specific dietary requirements. One that I found in France, called Bio, sells vegan ‘pains au chocolat’ and croissants; finding these was amazing, especially when my friends had croissant mornings as it let me join in on the fun! Also ensure to look out for international chain businesses such as Starbucks Coffee. They will have dairy and gluten free alternatives, with less risk of contamination.
Lastly, try to meet people from the country where you’re staying, as they can then explain to restaurant waiters and shop clerks about your dietary requirements. If you don’t know anyone, then make sure you’ve perfected how to explain it yourself in the language using simple phrases such as ‘sans fromage’ (French for ‘without cheese’).
Most European countries aren’t as accommodating towards veganism or allergies as England, unless you’re in a major city like Rome or Paris. But it’s definitely possible to cope with just an extra bit of effort in most places. I went to many different restaurants whilst on my year abroad and whilst I struggled in some places, in the end they want your money – so they’ll be as accommodating as possible. You got this!