Eating Vegan while Traveling
Eating Vegan While Traveling
Are you vegan and planning an upcoming trip? Are you looking for tips and tricks to honor your veganism throughout your travels? This is the resource for you!
For many people, maintaining a vegan lifestyle while traveling can feel daunting. That is why Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) created this resource to help new vegans, longtime vegans, and the vegan-curious stay aligned with their values during their travels. Being prepared can make eating vegan a fun and exciting part of your trip. We hope this guide can serve as a helpful tool, and we wish you safe and compassionate travels!
Cultural disclaimer:
F.E.P. acknowledges that while traveling can oftentimes be portrayed as harmless fun for vacation, or necessary for work or caretaking responsibilities, it also comes at a cost. We ask that our supporters travel mindfully and take time to learn how to respect the culture they will be visiting. Throughout your entire travel journey, from deciding where to stay and eat to deciding what local activities to partake in, you will be presented with opportunities to make more informed choices that support and respect the local communities of the destinations you’ll be visiting. Making a conscious effort to support local businesses, respect certain sites or land that is sacred to Indigenous peoples, and minimize your environmental impact are some examples of how to be a more respectful and conscious traveler.
Our Tips
Before You Go
📘 Write it Down
If there is a common language where you are going that you do not speak, learn ahead of time how to ask for vegan options. It is best to be specific and have a few options to learn and write down when getting translations. The following could be helpful:
- “I am vegan.”
- “Do you have any vegan options?”
- “I do not consume any animal products.”
- “I do not consume dairy, eggs, meat, or honey.”
- “Do you have any fruits or vegetables?”
Download The Vegan Passport app ($1.99 USD), a digital multilingual phrasebook including 78 languages and photos to help you navigate dining situations on your travels. There are many generic translation apps available for free as well!
🔍 Know before you go!
Dedicate plenty of time to researching the country/countries and region(s) you plan on traveling to in advance. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to find delicious vegan options and enjoy your trip! Research fresh produce options in the area, including grocery stores, farmers’ markets, produce stands, as well as vegan-friendly restaurants. It is also helpful to look at online forums, YouTube, social media, and travel blogs to see other people’s experiences eating vegan in that location.
There are hundreds of vegan-friendly hotels and accommodation options around the world! If you are looking to save money while traveling, look into hostels, homestays, and bed and breakfasts where you would have kitchen access to make your own meals.
🗣 Inform your travel buddies!
Dedicate plenty of time to researching the country/countries and region(s) you plan on traveling to in advance. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to find delicious vegan options and enjoy your trip! It is also helpful to look at online forums, YouTube, social media, and travel blogs to see other people’s experiences eating vegan in that location.
✈️ Be prepared for takeoff!
If you are flying, some airlines have an option for you to request a vegan meal ahead of time. In general, it is worth looking into your airline’s food offerings so that you can gauge the options available. If you’re able to book a vegan meal, call the airline the day before your flight to confirm the reservation!
If your airline does not have suitable vegan options, or you just want to have snacks, it is best to pack your own food or purchase food in your airport terminal. Many airports have a food directory and interactive map on their websites that can be used to scout out restaurants or kiosks that may have vegan offerings.
Most solid food items can be brought through TSA! Dried fruit, bars, wraps, fruit, crackers, trail mix, or pasta salad are good options. (Note that peanut and other nut butters are often considered a liquid and thus not allowed through security.) Instant oatmeal and instant noodles are convenient options as they just require hot water, which you can ask your flight attendant for! Pack your airplane meal in a tightly sealed container, jar, or silicone snack bag.
🧳 Stock up!
Bring as many non-perishable food items as possible such as nuts, seeds, dried fruit, your favorite snacks such as bars, dates, nut butter, shelf stable plant mylk, cereal, apple sauce, granola, etc. Keep in mind you may need to look into your airline’s regulations on bringing food and the quantity if you are flying.
When traveling abroad, be especially mindful of what is and is not allowed to be brought in. Many countries prohibit bringing fruit in, for example.
🏠 Bring a slice of home!
Pack up some of your comfort seasonings or sauces, with you to make things extra flavorful. This comes in handy especially if you are limited on vegan options and need to eat a bit more simplistic. Try combinations such as hot sauce or nutritional yeast on avocado, cinnamon on apples, or chili on mango! A little extra spice can enhance simple produce items! You can also bring small packets of agave.
🥨 Food ideas to bring traveling:
- Trail mix
- Dates
- Nut and seed butter
- Shelf stable plant-based milk
- Cereal
- Protein bars
- Dried fruit
- Seaweed
- Oatmeal
- Canned soup
- Nuts
- Chips
- Pretzels
- Seasonings like nutritional yeast
- Instant noodles and oatmeal
While You're Traveling
🍡 Expand your palate!
When traveling to new places, there will often be new cultural cuisines you have never been exposed to. After ensuring it is vegan, enjoy the fun in expanding your palate. You never know what unfamiliar flavors might end up being your new favorite! Take photos (when appropriate) and ask questions so that you can preserve memories from your favorite meals, or even try finding or replicating certain dishes when you’re back home.
Many local foods you encounter throughout your travels may be vegan without explicitly saying so. Although many cultures and religions have enjoyed plant-based diets or avoided eating animals for centuries, they may not refer to their cuisines and dishes using the same language of veganism you’re familiar with. It is important to acknowledge that many cultures that traditionally and historically ate plant-based diets were altered through projects of colonialism and imperialism that sought to colonize their foodways to fit a certain Western standard of health and also to build wealth. This pattern is not just in the past, as Global South countries are continually encouraged and incentivized to increase consumption of animal products. While traveling, be mindful of the legacies of colonialism and ongoing colonization of traditional foodways.
With this in mind, it is a good idea to research and identify a few traditionally vegan dishes in advance that you’re interested in trying so that you can easily spot them on menus or at markets. Always stay curious and respectful.
🚫 Embracing cultural differences with confidence!
In certain cultures, giving food to guests is customary, and guests denying that food may be seen as disrespectful. This could bring up a lot of discomfort and pressure around food when traveling. However, it is a great opportunity to honor yourself and your boundaries. Outside of traveling even, people may be curious, dismissive, defensive, and a range of other attitudes towards the choice to eat vegan. Do your best to honor yourself and your ethics by staying firm in your beliefs, and politely saying no. If you are staying with a host family or at a bed and breakfast, inform your host in advance that you eat vegan, and that you are happy to bring your own food and snacks if they do not have options for you. This is a great opportunity to put those translations to use!
🍽️ Beyond the Plate!
Ensure you are putting your ethics into practice beyond just mealtime. Be mindful not to partake in tourist activities that exploit human and non-human animals for entertainment. While it can be difficult to discern when animals are being treated well, steer clear of any event, activity, or venue that exploits or abuses animals in any way. Examples of some of the activities that F.E.P. would not consider vegan are zoos, aquariums, horseback (or other animal) riding, attending animal fights, swimming with dolphins or sharks, and rodeos. While traveling, you may be interested in visiting animal sanctuaries, rescue centers, or reserves. These should be researched before-hand and carefully evaluated on a case by case basis taking into account animal treatment, worker treatment, and intention.
* Travel Rights and Acknowledgment of Privilege:
Due to the current administration’s increased restrictions, screenings and threat of a new travel ban, travel during this time can be incredibly challenging for immigrants, foreign nationals, and BIPOC. Knowing your rights can help you feel more prepared and safe when traveling either domestically or internationally. The following resources have been created by other organizations to help answer common questions and inform communities of their rights.
We recognize that although travel shouldn’t be a privilege, it is. Freedom of movement is a fundamental human right that says that individuals should be able to travel, reside, and work freely within and across borders without restrictions. However due to racism, capitalism, xenophobia, colonization, and anti-immigrant policies, the right to travel continues to be inaccessible to so many. If you are able to travel at this time whether it is for work, to visit family, or expand your understanding of the world around you, please recognize what a privilege it is to do so freely and safely.
** Please note: Although Food Empowerment Project is linking to other organizations, we do not necessarily endorse the entire content of their website or mission.