Anyone else trying to take someone on a restricted diet to the Olympics?

[ProtectingMyNormalNickname]

DH is gluten, dairy and soya free and would spend half the events in a toilet if he eats foods containing these things. We've been lucky enough to get tickets for three events next week and I'm just wondering if any of you have found decent info. about what he can take in with him and what he may or may not be able to buy. On another thread, someone has suggested that picnics are not allowed. He had intended to stuff a clear bag of his sandwiches in a pocket to show security but maybe that will count as a picnic?

If you go to this Olympic website page and click on the list of restricted and prohibited items, they only say that liquids over 100ml and "excessive food" are not allowed. I wouldn't have thought a picnic lunch and a few snacks for someone with dietary problems could be seen as excessive. If you are worried maybe you should plan to buy food on site for everyone else in your group, and distribute DH's food between the rest of you? Might be even easier if you could get a doctor's letter confirming his problems.

FWIW, I read somewhere else on the Olympic website that they cater for gluten free diets, but I don't think they mention dairy & soya free, so it's probably not worth risking it.

Thanks exexpat. I think I'm going to have to take over the research from him - he's being a bit laid back about it, as usual! Some of our trips are going to take all day and he can't really go without food for three days in a week .

Thanks babybarrister.

This is worrying me (DH and DD are coeliac and we're going twice!) so I emailed them because the sample menu worried me. The answer was disappointing:

"Thanks for your question regarding the availability of foods for those with certain health conditions.

"We are currently working with the catering companies supplying food services to every Olympic and Paralympic venue to refine menus that offer a range of foods suited to a variety of tastes and needs. Part of this planning is the inclusion of products suited to those with food intolerance's [sic]. The food menus will be made available to the public prior to the event beginning, the method is still being worked through.

"All items proposed for service during the Games undergo a stringent process of quality analysis and we have installed requirements for our catering partners to utilise reputable products, for example Red Tractor certified.

"Please stay tuned to the website and London 2012 news for more information relating to the above."

TBH, I'm going to take enough food to get her through the day. DH isn't so much of a problem as he copes better with a restricted choice. And they're only saying you can't bring 'unreasonable' amounts of food, ie that you might sneakily sell.

You can take a picnic - just not a huge number of things that they think you'll be selling.

We have a full day of events at Excel on Sunday, so will be packing a bag of homemade sushi rolls (avocado, cucumber, sweet chilli chicken, tinned tuna varieties), gf pitta pocket sarnies, gf cheese oatcakes, and some gf cake balls and snack bits.

Gluten Free Guerillas, on this topic:
glutenfreeguerrillas.tumblr.com/post/28131607333/glutenfreeolympics

No problems taking plenty of food into Excel yesterday, and I had a lovely curry that was clearly marked gf

We went to the rowing yesterday, found the food hopeless for someone with allergies - massive queues (40mins+) and when we got to the front all sandwiches were premade, standard, and all contained mayo (so useless for an egg allergy sufferer). The staff also had no idea of the ingredients of anything. Not the end of the world, ds survived on a pack of pringles as it was only a morning session, but I would definitely take food with you.

Lots of different food stalls at the Olympic Park today, but long queues, and it was all a bit chaotic - the staff were obviously all new and not very well trained so I really wouldn't trust them to know anything about ingredients. But it was no problem at all about taking a whole backpack of food in - just no liquids.

We had a fab time. I asked about the foods in all three venues and DH took his own food by the time we went to the third one!! We found a rasher of bacon, a banana and a tiny portion of chips (for which I was charged the same price as the fish and chips option - no flexibility apprently). At the canoeing, the manager of the healthy eating stall told me DH could have had the Mexican burger (but nothing to put it in to carry it as couldn't have the pita). I have filled in my questionnaire from London 2012 accordingly!! I'm amazed that they can build a lift into a temporary structure for physically disabled people, but can not a) provide food that suits GF and DF visitors or b) warn such people that they will need to bring their own!! I'm glad we didn't have the DC with us as they would not have been quite so willing to go hungry!!