Tell us about you!
Where did you study abroad?
Stockholm, Sweden
How did you choose your study abroad location?
I’ve always wanted to study abroad in Europe, but I didn’t want to miss a whole semester of college. This summer program in Sweden just happened to work great with my schedule and fulfilled a requirement for my data science minor!
Did you plan anything ahead of time?
I bought two sets of allergy translation cards. These made eating out so much easier, for both myself and the restaurant staff! I also communicated about my allergies with my study abroad professor and made sure to research the food scene in Sweden beforehand. I looked up common restaurants and what ingredients are common in Swedish dishes.
Did you have any concerns about traveling with food allergies?
I was worried about set group outings with my study abroad group. However, my study abroad teacher communicated with the venues we used to make sure there were allergy friendly options! Most people in Sweden are both great about food allergy safety and often speak English, so most days I felt safer eating out in Sweden than in the United States.
What airline did you fly? How did you handle accommodations and airplane food?
I flew on Delta. I did not eat the plane food, and I brought my own snacks on the plane.
Where did you live and how were meals handled?
I stayed in a dorm through the DIS study abroad program and bought my own food at ICA, a local grocery store.
Were there grocery stores that you felt you could safely shop at?
ICA is a common grocery store chain in Stockholm, and there were a lot of safe options for me there.
What are your favorite places to eat in Stockholm?
Urban Deli: Definitely one of the best meals I had in Stockholm! This was a preset dinner with a veggie tray appetizer, steak and fries entrée, and chocolate pie dessert. The waiters were very accommodating of my allergies and made sure that everything was nut-free.
Meatballs for the People: Another TikTok staple in Stockholm, but this is totally worth the hype! They serve traditional Swedish meatballs made from your choice of all kinds of different meats. I opted for the classic half-beef and half-pork, but there are even options like reindeer! The staff was very educated about the allergens in the food, and it was a great experience.
Hawaii Poké: Such a great place to grab poke! The cashier showed me an allergen menu they had, and everything appeared to be nut-free.
Is there any food your study abroad location is known for that you were able to have safely?
Swedish meatballs were a must! I tried them at Meatballs for the People and Kvarnen Uteservering. Kvarnen Uteservering also served pickled herring, which is definitely an acquired taste, but a Swedish staple nonetheless.
What were your favorite sweet treats you found while abroad?
I had the BEST Swedish candy at Caramella!
Besides the food, were there any fun experiences or favorite things you did?
Gamla Stan is the historic old town of Stockholm, and it’s lined with lots of restaurants and tourist shops. Both the Vasa Museum and ABBA Museum are iconic. One of my favorite things was taking a day trip to Vaxholm in the archipelago!
