I can’t tell you the number of times I have been asked about my eating habits. The number sky rockets when I’m traveling or people learn how much/where I’ve traveled.
Africa? You were vegan in Africa?Like, all the countries? Oh the confusion… priceless. Not really.
Ireland?! They just eat meat and potatoes! Oh, I guess you had a lot of potatoes.
Poland? You don’t speak Polish how could you possibly not eat meat there.
The first thing I have to say to all those people… It’s really not hard. Veganism is growing at a startling rate everywhere around the world. I’ve found vegan food and restaurants in “rural” Romania, small villages in Malawi, and mid-west American towns. I’m not saying it’s easy everywhere you go, but there are certainly ways to make it easier, especially if you are traveling with other people.
Better yet, I was able to enjoy local food in most of these places, enjoy time with local people, and not offend anyone. (Yes, that’s including small villages and rural areas. Lots of dishes actually contain no animal products.)
And while these suggestions are targeted for vegans and plant-based people, it’s not solely for vegans and plant-based people. Whether you are allergic to nuts, soy, eggs, or coconut, are gluten intolerant or lactose intolerant, kosher, or simply choose not to eat certain foods, these tips can help you travel easy. Simply insert your restriction where needed! Many of these tips also mention your traveling companions, but these tips are helpful whether you are solo or not.
If you find anything here helpful (or funny. I like to think I’ve got jokes), please share it with someone. Maybe subscribe for more antics, follow me on Instagram or Facebook… Maybe even purchase one of my art works. (Okay, I don’t have those up yet but for those of you reading – be on the lookout!!) Okay, enough self promotion.
Hopefully you or someone you know finds these helpful as they plan their travel or experience the journey of a lifetime.
Be cognizant of where you stay
Some places will have microwaves and/or fridges, some places will not. Some places will have kitchenettes or kitchens, some places will not. Some places will offer vegan breakfast options, some places will not… you get the idea. Make sure to research where you are staying so you know what to expect, how to plan, and which tips to consider. You can also contact the lodging and see what options are available to you. (To be honest, I don’t follow this tip, though haha.)
For example, Finn McCool hostel is the only hostel available in Bushmills, Northern Ireland near Giant’s Causeway. They offer breakfast like many hostels, which typically consist of bread and spreads. Hostels might splurge and provide some deli meat and cheese, which isn’t great for vegans. However, the owners at Finn McCool actually make you breakfast! It’s so so sweet! Most options include some form of animal product, even oats. But simply by inquiring, they made them with water for my friend and I to be able to eat! Not everywhere would be willing to do things like that.
Research
Doing research on food is a top priority before I head out on a trip. If you plan on eating out, use resources like Happy Cow and local vegan bloggers. These sites will help you find omnivorous restaurants with vegan options or vegan restaurants if your fellow travelers are open. Local blogs are my favorite form of research because they are usually kept updated, and the person behind the review has had a lot of vegan food in that area.
I also love using Instagram to see specific food from restaurants – if I am torn between a few, looking at their accounts sure help!
Join meet up groups/vegan groups.
If I am going somewhere for a short period of time, I usually do not follow this tip. However, when I go for a longer period (one week or more), I love joining the Facebook groups for that area. Not only will you learn about specials, new items, and closures, you might read about some fun events going on! Meet up is a good resource if you want to attend some local events (if you can convince your companions to go too!).
Bring snacks
When I was traveling with a group through Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania, snacks were my best friend. For my flight from North Carolina to Zambia, my dad surprised me with a ticket that included a 14-hour layover in London, and I could not have been happier. Not only did I get to do more exploring and eating than our previous trip, I got to stock up on the BEST “protein” bars. Now, we can debate on the healthiness of them, the presence and absence of certain ingredients, etc., but for the purposes of traveling… sometimes you must make a few compromises. I don’t typically eat sugar or oil, but I did while traveling in Africa for two reasons: 1) these bars are absolutely amazing and I love them 2) traveling with non-vegans in a foreign country where you have little control is difficult enough. I did not want to make it impossible. I am also more lenient when traveling in general because I want to try unique dishes.
Make meals ahead
If you want to save some money, make sure you stay somewhere with a kitchen or have bangin’ plans for no-cook meals (and lodge near a store!). If you really want to eat with your companions, but they want to go somewhere with no or few options, take your own food. In my experience, most places will allow one person to eat “other” food. If they have a sign stating otherwise, explain the situation. Either they will let you eat, or the chef will prepare you a special meal – cool!
Get a side, then eat later
If you are uncomfortable with not eating the restaurant food, order something small – side salad, baked potato, grilled vegetables, etc. You can eat something you want that fits your needs later! P. S. I don’t even drink, but I thought my joke was funny. Yeah? No? Okay bye.
Learn certain words
Even if you eat at only plant-based restaurants, learning specific words in the language can be beneficial, especially if you stop in a store or see a street vendor with something you’d love. Words I typically learn (in addition to greetings, thank you, etc.) are milk, eggs, butter, cheese, meat, fish, dairy product, and of course, vegan. Other words, like buttermilk or egg whites, will have some form of the word you have learned (and it will be highlighted in the allergens).
Pro tip from the comments: In addition to learning certain words, you can carry note cards to show servers and restaurant staff to help with the language barrier!
Propose alternatives
Some places have fantastic substitutes for their non-vegan counterparts, such as Vegab. They serve vegan kebabs in Poland, and they were pretty dang good. Your fellow travelers may want a kebab, but why not try out a vegan version?
Compromise
Even if your fellow travelers are open to it, not everyone will want vegan food 100% of the time. Eating at one place you want to go, then one place they want to go may help keep the peace when traveling.
Propose novelty
On the other hand, some people take mock meats too seriously. You can also propose a restaurant that highlights vegetables and flavors for exactly as they are – no meat/dairy/egg mimicking necessary. This option will help avoid the “it’s good, but it doesn’t taste like chicken” comments… because it’s not supposed to.
Be honest
If you are desperate to go to a particular restaurant, tell your companions. Tell them it’s vegan! No one likes to be surprised, but if you explain how badly you want to go to this restaurant, people may be willing to go.
Go solo
If none of these options are viable, try going solo like me. It can be awkward at first, but it gets better!
Accept that a situation may not be ideal
Despite all the tips, tricks, and hacks you follow or go-through, traveling as a vegan or with restrictions, especially with other people, won’t always be perfect. Sometimes you’ll have to sit and eat something that’s not your favorite, or be uncomfortable in a situation because you don’t “fit in.” That’s completely normal, and accepting that can do wonders for your expectations and feelings. But always remember to take care of you and yourself first, no matter the situation or circumstance.
Bonus Tip for Money Saving – Eat Raw!
This tip will be highly variable based on where you are traveling, but in my experience eating fresh fruits and veggies is much cheaper than eating out or buying pre-made meals from a store. Even cheaper, I would get frozen veggies and eat them on the side. EVEN cheaper STILL is a loaf of bread/baguette with something… but don’t rely on this all the time because you aren’t getting all the nutrients you need, you’ll probably get bored, and you want to enjoy some local places where you travel!
For example, I loved eating big bowls of fruit with some veggies on the side when I was traveling in Croatia and Romania. Even in Spain, Portugal, and France, I would get a baguette with guacamole and carry it in my bag for the day. Not necessarily raw, but it was cheap and filling! In each of these locations, I chose at least one restaurant I was really interested in visiting and worked it in. (Then in Berlin I was in bliss eating everywhere under the sun – balance!)
Do you have any other tips I may have missed? Let’s talk about them below!
Planning ahead saves me a lot of headache and always packing snacks keeps me less hangry on trips so I agree with both of this points. I lived in China as a vegetarian so I get it, you do research, you learn the language and you’ll do great. I’m glad to hear there are good options in Africa as that’s my next planned trip
Exactly!
There definitely are options. In the big cities I didn’t have a problem, but it does take a little more work in small villages/rural areas. And if you go on a game drive/safari that includes, you should even be able to get vegetarian options. I was supposed to get a vegan meal, but they gave me vegetarian instead. I was glad I brought my own for back up! But you should be great.