Whether I’m road-tripping across the States or wandering around Europe, I’ve managed to survive on a plant-based diet while traveling. It can be tricky to maneuver in new locations, but once you get a hang of it it’s possible anywhere! Here are my tips to help you travel as a vegan so you can spend less time worrying about food and more time having fun.
be mindful of where you stay
The best thing you can do for yourself is to be mindful of where you stay when you’re traveling. This means looking for places that have kitchen appliances and are in areas with vegan options at the grocery stores and restaurants.
At a minimum, it can be so helpful to at least have a refrigerator. Most hotels and nearly all Airbnb’s have one. They’re great for storing your leftovers and any perishable groceries that you buy.
If possible, look for a place with a hot plate or a microwave. This way you can cook or heat meals for yourself.
It’s still possible to travel as a vegan without these things, they just make your life a little easier! If you don’t have access to any of these things and it is out of your control, see my next point on grocery shopping.
Groceries from a local Italian shop
shop at local grocery stores
I love grocery stores. It’s my favorite place to go when I first arrive in a new place. It’s so fun to see all the different foods stores carry around the world.
When I grocery shop I typically focus on finding food for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I don’t usually buy food for dinner because I like to eat out every couple of nights and will eat the leftovers in between.
Peanut butter sandwich on the train to Florence, Italy
An example grocery list for me looks like:
- Peanut butter
- Sandwich bread (Schar is my favorite brand)
- Yogurt (dairy-free, most places have at least soy-based)
- Granola
- Fruit (I’ve found grapes and bananas to be the best while traveling, they don’t need to be cut up and last a long time)
- Crackers
- Vegetables (Get veggies like baby carrots so that they don’t need to be cut and can be dipped into hummus)
- Hummus
- Trail Mix
I can make quite a few small meals with these ingredients and they all have a decent amount of protein. I like to make peanut butter sandwiches, bowls of yogurt and granola, bananas with peanut butter, and snack plates with fruit, veggies, crackers, and hummus.
Yogurt and granola for breakfast in Paris
That’s my simplest, most bare minimum meal plan when I’m traveling with very few options. If I have access to a mini kitchen and some utensils, I’ll make simple meals with a protein and a veggie.
This can look something like combining chickpeas with a veggie, avocado, and some seasonings. Most days I love just salt and onion powder, but sometimes I’ll grab an all-purpose seasoning for more flavor. When buying canned beans, look for a pull tab top so you don’t need a can opener.
Groceries from a local French shop
If you’re traveling somewhere where the native language is not your first language, it can be helpful to learn the words for any foods you are allergic or intolerant to. This makes it so much easier to travel as a vegan. For example, I like to learn the native words for milk, eggs, and gluten so that I can look out for them on the label.
use food locator apps
My favorite app of all time is Happy Cow. Whenever I visit a new city, I love to open it up and find places to eat. It allows you to search for restaurants, cafes, and even grocery stores that have vegan and gluten-free options. You can see reviews and photos left by other people which helps to choose the best place to go.
This app has truly been a lifesaver while traveling. If for some reason you can’t buy the app just yet, you can use their website instead!
Yelp can also be really helpful in finding places around you. I’ll usually type something like “vegan restaurants” or “vegan cafes” with my location in the search bar. Then I’ll look at the reviews and menus of the places nearby before choosing one.
Ma Po Tofu from P.F. Chang’s
There are certain cuisines that no matter where you are in the world, you can find vegan options. I’ve found Mexican, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants to be the best. There’s almost always the option to get some sort of dish with beans, rice, sushi, or tofu.
travel as a vegan
Some cities are more difficult than others when it comes to eating a plant-based diet, but I hope these tips help make it a little easier for you. Happy traveling!
If you happen to make it to New York City during your travels, here are my favorite vegan spots in the city.
