How to Eat Vegan When Traveling (Anywhere in the World!)
I am so happy that you found this list! Whether you’re an avid traveler or you’re preparing for your first trip ever, I think this will really come in handy for you. I believe that travel ignites the soul and is great for personal growth. These experiences help us evolve, giving us new perspectives and a deeper understanding of others. Make it a priority to travel at least once a year and go see the canyons, lakes, oceans, mountains, beaches, fjords, glaciers and all that this world and the people in it have to offer. No matter how old (or young) you are, no matter what your situation is, you can find a way. Whether that is saving money, working a side job, or selling things on the marketplace, you can find a way. Traveling is vital, and it will open your heart and create life experiences that will be with you forever!
Staying healthy while traveling can seem stressful when you start to think about where and what you’re going to eat, but with a little preparation, you can free yourself from these worries;) We have traveled quite a bit in the last few years and have had our fair share of challenges while traveling abroad. Wherever it is that you decide to go, I hope that you find this helpful!
RESEARCH YOUR DESTINATION …Seems obvious, but before you go, search for grocery stores near where you’re staying, that way when you arrive, you can snag a few things to keep at your place. If you’re in a hurry, research local restaurants close to you as well. If you remember only one tip from this, download the Happy Cow app. Seriously. This is going to become your best friend. It keeps the guesswork out of where to go and gives you all of the vegan options available in your area. Even when we were in a tiny town in northern Thailand, we were able to find all the veggie spots super easy!
CALL THE AIRLINE …If you’re taking a long flight, call the airline 72 hours ahead of time and ask them to make your meal(s) vegan, even if the airline confirmed your dietary requests after booking online! You also want to remember to ask the check-in officer when you arrive at the airport just to be sure. After you get through security, give yourself a few minutes to grab some fresh fruit or a sandwich to take on the plane in case there’s any mishaps with your flight meal. We were really disappointed on one overseas flight after thinking we were all set, the flight crew had no idea what we were talking about and handed us a “vegetarian” meal with butter and cheese all over it:( Thank goodness it was an overnight flight and we’d already ate dinner and had plenty of snacks.
These meals above were on Emirates! They have so many dietary options!
3. BRING YOUR OWN SNACKS…I like to pack our checked suitcase with GoMarcro bars, veggie chips, dehydrated fruits, and Vega protein powder so that in the event there is nothing at the airport, we have something to eat as soon as we pick up our luggage. You might also pack a few of these into your carry-on as well;) Bonus tip: bring stevia packets with you if you want to have a healthy sweetener option for your coffee, tea, etc.
4. BRING A WATER CANTEEN… We bring a giant one for my husband and I and a small Klean Kanteen for Knox. This helps eliminate using plastic bottles along the way AND your drinks stay cooler longer too! Traveling can be tough on your body, which is why It’s so important to stay hydrated on a flight while you’re on vacation. Just ask the flight attendants to refill your water bottle rather than using a plastic cup. They’re usually happy to fill it up for you with no problem.
5. LEARN THE PHRASES…This goes back to research, but if you know how to say “vegan", “no-meat”, “no-milk” and “no-eggs” this will be beyond helpful. You’re most likely going to learn how to say “please”, “thank you” and “hello”, so why not not add more words to your repertoire?! Extra points to you if you can read the ingredients on the back of packages! That will come in handy for you as well.
6. REMEMBER YOUR TOILETRIES: There’s nothing like having your own toiletries when you’re traveling. There’s also nothing like the feeling you get when you’ve realized you’ve forgotten all your vegan and cruelty free goodies that you always use at home! Whole Foods and Amazon have great travel necessities to choose from or you can pick up some small bottles from wal-mart and transfer your goodies into those. If you’re going to carry-on your toiletries, keep in mind each container has to be under 3.4 ounces and you can only have 1 quart-sized plastic bag to keep them in.
It’s not the end of the world if you have to purchase these things when you get there, but depending on where you go, it could be challenging finding products that are vegan friendly.
7. TRY TO STAY IN A PLACE WITH A KITCHEN so that when you go grocery shopping, you can use the local ingredients to make some of the staples you’re used to making at home.
Here’s our typical grocery list upon arrival:
plant milk (typically soya milk)
nut butter
potatoes
rice
avocado
beans
oats
frozen berries
apples
bananas
frozen peas
salad fixins
bread (sourdough is typically vegan)
olive oil and salt and pepper, if its not already in your airbnb
pasta and sauce
snacks
8. REMEMBER YOUR SUPPLEMENTS because like I said before, traveling is tough on your body and you need to stay healthy and energized! If you’re using a some liquid form supplements at home, try picking them up in capsule form, so you don’t have to worry about leaks. We carry-on some medicines for Knox as well. It’s easy to find Tylenol, allergy meds, dramamine, and ibuprofen in tablet form at the grocery store.
9. COUCHSURFING… I’ve never used Couchsurfing, but I’ve read that you can search for vegan/vegetarian friends to stay with. You’ll have the opportunity to ask your host where the best places to eat are or you can cook dinner at home with them!
And there you have it! Your list of necessities for Plant-Based Travel. I hope you find this helpful. Subscribe to my newsletter for more things travel and plant based and comment below if you love this!
xo,