You start out by dreaming of it. Then you decide to book your ticket. And until you leave, all you can think about is how wonderful it will be to escape and finally unwind. But, sometimes vacationing can come with certain challenges – especially if you have dietary restrictions.
So, how can you make your escape a successful vegan vacation? What are the best vegan foods and vegan options when shopping in new-to-you grocery stores or eating at overseas restaurants?
With a little bit of planning, vegetarians and vegans alike can easily find meals to enjoy abroad. Try these super helpful tips to sticking to your plant-based diet when traveling.
Try These Vegan Travel Tips On Your Next Vacation: Stick To Your Plant-Based Diet On Your Travels
One of the toughest things about traveling while on a vegan diet is that you don’t have the comforts of your own kitchen. And depending on your accommodations, you may not have any kitchen at all. But if you do some research and maybe some prep work, you can ensure you’ll have healthy meals, snacks, and dishes at your disposal.
Eating a vegan diet means eliminating all animal products and byproducts from your diet. There are many cultures and communities that offer vegan foods, you might just have to ask for them if they’re not on restaurant menus.
Adventuring away from home can be magical – and informative. In fact, you might actually discover vegan foods or ways of cooking vegan options you’d never otherwise think of.
Furthermore, as you travel, you may discover that tourism is now taking into account the various dietary needs of travelers. For instance, gluten-free pasta can be found all over Italy. These days, restaurants and businesses are aware they must adhere to variety if they intend to stay in business. So, traveling shouldn’t be as limiting food-wise as you may think.
Bring Your Own Food When You Travel: Bring Vegan Snacks And Plan For A Meal In A Time Crunch
There are so many great vegan snacks out there (and so many vegan snacks that are portable and natural). Think about the easiest veggies and natural foods to take with you:
- Baby carrots
- Celery sticks
- Tupperware of hummus
- Cucumber slices
- Assorted nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Apples
- Pears
And not every snack needs to be a fruit or vegetable. Go ahead and grab a 72% Dark Chocolate bar and stick that in your backpack – unless you’re traveling the desert – then it might get messy. A sweet square of dark chocolate can satisfy your craving and give you a little boost of energy to walk the extra mile to that museum or on that hike.
Also, there are some wonderful online tools you can employ to find vegan-friendly hotels and restaurants. Simply search for vegan-friendly hotels, vegan restaurants, and vegan travel. There’s no reason in this day and age you should struggle to find the right food accommodations while traveling.
Many international restaurants also advertise the fact that they’re vegan or vegan-friendly.
Plan For A Vegan-Friendly Vacation: Find Destinations And Places That Have Plenty Of Vegan And Vegetarian Restaurants
While following a plant-based diet certainly does not limit the places you can travel to, there are a handful of cultures that take pride in vegan ingredients. Consider traveling to the following regions that often feature whole, natural foods in their cuisines and don’t only rely on beef or animal proteins:
Israel- India
- The Mediterranean1
- Mexico2
- Taiwan3
- Ethiopia
- Singapore
- Jamaica4
The vegetarian and vegan options in these countries are flavorful and varied. Food is definitely something to consider when booking travel.
Also, a good hotel concierge will be able to give you a sense of where to eat. You can call and ask for guidance before you even embark on your trip so that you’ll be prepared when you finally get situated. You’ll be able to drop your bags and run to the nearest – and tastiest – vegan market or restaurant.
Book A Vegan-Friendly Tour
Now, if you’re not interested in planning each meal in advance, or worrying every time you stop that you won’t be able to find something satiating to eat, look into finding vegan-friendly travel agencies.
There are so many types of food tours you can book as well. Like-minded travelers exist all over the world, so talk to your travel agent about helping you find the right hotels, activities, and food.
Even if you’re headed somewhere with tons of vegetarian restaurants, you want to remember to take along vegetarian snacks and vegan snacks. You never know when flights might be delayed, restaurants might be closed, or plans could go awry. Plus, if you bring vegan snacks on your vegan tour, you can make friends by sharing. Again, go for trail mixes, dried fruit, or easy to take-with-you fruits like apples and oranges.
Tips For Traveling: Vegan Adventures Await
The world is out there — just waiting for you to explore it. And you shouldn’t hold back just because you’re worried that finding the right food on your travels will be a challenge. People will want to help make you feel at home and accommodate you.
So, plan ahead. Ask questions when you book hotels and tours. Or go with a vegan travel agency. If you open yourself up to travel, you could discover a world of new foods and friends.
Plus, eating is one of the best reasons to head to new-to-you lands. So if you’re vegetarian or vegan… just be open. Communicate to the best of your ability that you are living a cruelty-free, vegan lifestyle and you’re sure to have a great time.
Learn More:
Delicious And Easy Vegan Valentine’s Chocolate Recipes You Must Try This Year
Vegan Myths And Misconceptions (And The Truth About Eating A Vegan Diet)
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe For Vegans And Vegetarians
Sources
1 https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1392&context=honors_theses
2 https://doc.rero.ch/record/293972/files/nutritionreviews55-s061.pdf
3 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0169475888902049
4 https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/the-best-countries-in-the-world-for-vegetarians