Being vegan can be a struggle when traveling. This blog will help make it easier for you to find vegan options while traveling. Eating less animal products has been proven to be beneficial for our environment. Studies have shown that mass production of meat and meat products, specifically red meat, has had huge negative impacts on our environment.
When traveling, some places may not have a lot of vegan options, and traveling with any dietary restrictions can be taxing. And we have all been in the position of paying $25 for a bowl of lettuce with a tomato or two. These tips will help you find vegan options wherever you may be!
Here are some tips to help you find vegan and plant based options while traveling:
8 Tips to Find Vegan Options While Traveling:
1. Download the App Happy Cow
2. Research Before Going
3. Ask People
4. Look on Instagram
5. Look up Names of Vegan Dishes
6. Do a Food Tour
7. Ask for Special Dishes to be made
for you
8. Know the Names of the Foods you Don’t Eat and How to Say Them in Other Languages
Download the App Happy Cow
This app is a great tool for all vegans especially when traveling! This app helps you filter out places by vegetarian, vegan, and plant based options. You can use this app to find restaurants and grocery stores, and it even has reviews, website links, and photos. When traveling to a new place this app makes it easier to find vegan options. The Happy Cow [linked] app does cost a one time payment of $3.99. Another tip is to use this app to find options before you go away and keep a list so when you’re traveling you know where to check out.
Research Before Going
This one is great to do especially when traveling internationally. Familiarizing yourself with how vegan friendly a place will be and what vegan foods they offer can make eating vegan abroad easier. Making a list of the possible options that place has will be helpful when deciding where to eat. Also, keep a list of vegan foods names that are commonly eaten in a place so you know whether something is vegan or not.
Ask People
Before traveling somewhere, you can ask people for recommendations of vegan places to eat. If you know someone who lives there or who has been, you can ask them for suggestions as well. You can also ask people ahead of time how vegan a place seems to be so you know beforehand.
Look on Instagram
This a super helpful and easy way to find vegan options while traveling! In the search bar type ‘vegan’ and the city that you are traveling to to see what comes up. The search can give you options for vegan restaurants or types of foods to try when traveling. You can comment or message people who posted about vegan places with even more recommendations.
Look up Names of Vegan Dishes
Before traveling, look up traditional foods to that place. Once you know what the traditional dishes are, you can look up if any are vegan. This makes it easier when you are out to eat you can see if any of these dishes are on the menu.
Do a Food Tour
This is not only helpful for finding vegan options, but it is also a great way to explore and learn about another place. A food tour also helps you immerse yourself in another culture. When looking for a food tour, find one that offers vegan options. This is great to do when traveling because it will familiarize you with the types of foods you can eat there. You can also ask your tour guide for other vegan recommendations.
Ask for Special Dishes to be made for you
This tip is not always guaranteed to work, but if it does, it is a great way to get vegan food at restaurants. Most restaurants will be accommodating to vegan diets, so simply ask the waiter politely if anything can be made vegan. Also, you can even ask for your own dish to be made. For example, if you see rice and vegetables on the menu, see if they can combine the two as a vegan dish. Always be polite when asking for special dishes to be made!
Know the Names of the Foods you Don’t Eat and How to Say Them in Other Languages
If you are traveling to somewhere where you do not speak the language, Google Translate will be your best friend. You can use this tool to translate the words of food on the menu. Also, you can translate dishes and foods prior to your trip and keep a list on your phone. When eating at restaurants, you will have this list to help you navigate the menu. This is also helpful if you are grocery shopping in another country.
The term ‘vegan’ is not known all over the world, so knowing the word for ‘vegan’ in another language can be helpful. Also, knowing the words for the specific foods is helpful. The word ‘dairy’ is another term not always recognized so translate words like cheese, milk, butter, and other dairy products.
