Eating well, clean, and healthy while you’re traveling can be pretty difficult. If you’re vegan, that level of difficulty increases exponentially. A good vegan restaurant may not be easy to find and airports or gas-stations aren’t really known for healthy foods. On top of all that, the food at airports or gas stations tends to be ridiculously overpriced, as we all know. Now, naturally, there will be some places in the world where the airports are going to be better and you’ll be able to eat a good vegan meal and the vegan restaurants will be on every corner, but that’s rare.
Now, we’re not saying it will be impossible to keep your vegan diet, but it’s not going to be easy. There is a way, you just have to plan ahead a little bit. Planning is always good, whatever it is that you’re doing. Being prepared is the key to making things happen, whatever those things may be. Improvising is good and fun, but that’s not how we like to do things. So, without further ado, let’s check out some tips on how to maintain your vegan diet while traveling.
1. Install An App On Your Phone
We’re going to take a wild guess and assume you have a smartphone. All jokes aside, that device isn’t only used for scrolling through Instagram and sharing memes. There are some great apps on the app store that can show you all the vegan places and restaurants nearby. We’d recommend doing your research beforehand, so you don’t waste your precious vacation time researching restaurant options. Plan ahead, so you can go sightseeing or whatever else you came to do.
2. Bring Your Own Creamer On The Airplane
If you’re someone that doesn’t drink black coffee or regular espresso, but you absolutely have to have your coffee, flying empty-handed could be a problem. Even though there are many vegan milk replacements, such as almond milk, for instance, not a lot of airlines offer them. So, the next time you plan on flying, find a small vegan coffee creamer that you can bring on the plane, so you can enjoy coffee the way you want to.
3. Learn How To Say That You’re Vegan
This is not a joke. We all know that if there’s one thing a vegan knows how to do that it’s to say they’re vegan. However, they might not know how to do it in other languages other than their native one. Learn how to say you’re vegan in the native language of the country you’re traveling to. Learn a few words and phrases that will help you find what you’re looking for.
4. Follow Vegan Travel Blogs
One thing that can be extremely helpful when it comes to traveling and eating clean is to learn from other people’s experiences. The best way to do so is to find a vegan travel blogger and check their content for advice or two. Chances are, there was at least one vegan traveler visiting the place you’re about to visit, so they could probably point you in the right direction, all you have to do is ask.
5. Pack Your Snacks And Shakes
Wherever you go, you should bring your healthy snacks with you. Maybe you’re out all day, hiking some trail in the forests of South America, you can’t stop at a vegan restaurant and order a meal. No, you’ll need something else to get you through the day. Maybe you pack a meal replacement shake or bring a couple of handfuls of nuts. Whatever the case may be, have any of those on you. If you’re indecisive on which meal replacement shakes are the best, you can view more here. Ideally, you’d want one that’s easily packed and carried for the travels. As far as snacks go, nuts can last you a long time and they’re essentially superfoods. Fruits can also be great, an apple or a banana can easily survive the whole day in the backpack.
6. Visit Farmers Market
If you can, visit the farmers market on the first day and buy whatever you need for the amount of time you’re going to be spending there. First of all, visiting a market in a foreign place will bring you closer to the culture and people of that place. As a bonus, you get to eat fresh fruits and veggies. Supermarkets can be great too, sometimes even all you have to work with. But, if you have an option to go to the farmer’s market, don’t miss out on it. You can probably find some interesting things and possibly save some money along the way.
7. Choose Accommodation With The Kitchen
We get it, you’re on vacation and you don’t really want to cook. Exploring foreign cuisine can be a delightful experience, but more often than not, it’s not vegan friendly or your options are limited. Restaurants on the other hand can get pretty expensive and eating out 3 times a day may turn out to be too much. That’s why it’s important to find a place to stay that has a kitchen. That way, you can prepare your meals for the day and make sure you’re sticking to your diet. Pair that up with going to the farmers market and you might just save enough to extend your vacation for a day or two.
8. Get In Touch With The Local Vegan Community
Nowadays, it’s easy to become a member of any online group. You can research the local vegan scene and maybe meet a few people along the way. If there’s a blog or maybe a Facebook group, you could talk to these guys, get a couple of pieces of advice on where to eat, which places to avoid, where to get the cheapest groceries, and so on. not only will you eat well, maybe you meet some lifelong friends that way.
There you have it. It looked like a mighty challenge in the beginning, but as you can see, there are things you can do to make sure your diet stays the same even when you travel.