Most of us consult a foreign language pocket dictionary when traveling to another country, but what if you have a complicated message to convey to people you encounter?

For example, you have a nut allergy that involves some kinds of nuts but not all. Or you have diabetes or are lactose-intolerant and need to alert people to an emergency or to follow a special diet. Or you have asthma and you need a smoke-free hotel room?

SelectWisely has created food and travel translation wallet-sized laminated cards in any language that you need. Show these to waiters, hotel clerks or any other service workers along the way to communicate your needs. One side communicates the message in words and the other side in pictures in the familiar red circle and slash. Most cards cost less than $10.

While the company provides a number of standard cards, it can customize your message to anything you need to say.

You also can get multi-language cards, in which you can communicate, for example, "I am allergic to eggs" in Italian, Polish and Portuguese on the same card.

Most cards cost between $5.50 and $9.50. Order online at www.selectwisely.com, by phone at 1-888-396-9260 or by mail at Select Wisely, Box 289, 2 Main St., Sparta, NJ 07871.