For as long as I can remember, I have had a peanut and nut allergy
It has sent me to the hospital more than once. The worst moment is taking that first bite of food you ordered, and within seconds knowing something is wrong. At first, you question it, and then it hits you. You need help. You need a hospital. You call emergency. Experiences like that stay with you. And they shape how you move through the world. Everyday situations that should feel simple like going out for dinner, attending company events, meeting new people all come with an extra layer of pressure.
You are always explaining your allergy, and double-checking. Hoping you are understood
I remember flying back to Europe and telling a flight attendant I could not have peanuts. A few moments later, she handed me a bag of peanuts. She had clearly misunderstood me. That moment sums up the core issue. Explaining a food allergy is not always straightforward, especially in a busy environment or in a language that is not your own. It can be exhausting stressful, repetitive, and uncertain. Even after you explain it, there is often a lingering doubt. Did they really understand? That uncertainty has led me to walk out of restaurants more than once. Not because I wanted to, but because I did not feel confident enough to stay.
That feeling is what started the idea behind My Meal Cards
I needed a clearer, more reliable way to communicate what I cannot eat. In the summer of 2025, I took on the Tour du Mont Blanc, a 190 km hike through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Along the way, I stayed in mountain huts, small lodges, and local hotels. It was the kind of trip where you rely heavily on others for meals, often in remote places with limited options.
Before the trip, I created four prototype cards in Italian, French, German, and English. Each one clearly explained my peanut and nut allergy. In Chamonix, at a small restaurant, I used them for the first time. I showed the waitress my allergy card on my phone and watched her as she read it. Her expression shifted immediately. She took it seriously and went straight to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she came back and told me I could order the meal I wanted.
What stood out most in that moment was how simple it felt
I had not said a single word. The card spoke for me, clearly in French. And the best part was it worked. Throughout the rest of the trip, I used these cards in every mountain hut, hotel, and restaurant. Each time, they were understood and taken seriously. It made the interaction easier.
When I returned home, it was clear that this solution needed to go further. We refined the idea and created My Meal Cards, a set of professionally translated digital cards designed to help people communicate food allergies, intolerances, and special diets while traveling. They are simple to use. You instantly download them, open them on your phone, and show them when ordering food. It removes the repetition and confusion while giving you confidence.