One of the many amazing reasons to travel is to try all the new and appetizing dishes around the world. Having a diet with restrictions can seem difficult while venturing into foreign countries, but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many fresh and whole options for you that are vegan, even if they aren’t on the menu. Follow these seven steps to make eating vegan abroad simple and worry free.
1. Download Vegan-Friendly Apps
With veganism growing in popularity, some really helpful apps are coming out that make eating vegan abroad easier. Download an app like HappyCow that tells you what vegan restaurants and markets are near you. You can also search different towns all over the world, so you can check out your options in advance before a trip. An app like this is super helpful when it comes to buying groceries and spontaneous restaurant dates. HappyCow while show you which restaurants and markets are totally vegan, totally vegetarian or have vegan options.
2. Learn Key Phrases
If you’re heading off to a new country that doesn’t share your first language, research simple vegan words and phrases. You can download apps like the Vegan Phrasebook that have vegan phrases written in most languages, and also helpful photos to convey what you can and can’t eat. Using websites and apps like Google Translate can help you get an idea of what the phrase may be in the language you need, but know that it’s not always perfect. Google Translate is a good place to start, and may be very helpful, but certain words may not translate perfectly. Asking a local that also speaks your first language is the best way to know you’re getting the correct phrase. Instead of a word having a direct translation, some countries have their own terms for vegetarian and vegan meals. If you can have a local write it down for you in their native language, that will serve you even better. That way, you can hand the note to your server or shop attendant instead of risking the chance of not pronouncing it correctly. There is also the Vegan Passport book you can bring along with you that requests a vegan meal in almost any language, which you can also hand to your server for clarification. Find the way you’re most comfortable with to make your experience eating vegan abroad easier.
3. Learn Local Dishes That Are Already Vegan
Depending on where you’re traveling, some local dishes may already be vegan. Do some research online and ask locals about native dishes that don’t include any animal byproducts. You can write the names of these dishes down and familiarize yourself with them. When you’re walking around street markets and browsing through menus, you’ll be able to pick out these traditional meals and be confident you’re not going to find a chicken bone at the bottom of your meal.
4. Bring Snacks, Everywhere
It happens. You get off a bus for a bathroom break at 2am in Thailand, and you feel like your starving. You check out the local food carts on the side of the dirt road, and all you can find are fried whole birds, hard boiled quail eggs and a bag of pork rinds (true story). You’ve got five more hours before you get to your destination, and there’s nothing you can do to fill your stomach. It sucks. So, don’t put yourself in that situation. Bring snacks with you everywhere. Throw some fruit or a bag of nuts – any snack that travels well – in your backpack to save you from turning into the Hangry Hulk.
5. Check Out Local Markets and Shops
An easy, stress free way to be entirely sure you’re getting a true vegan meal is to shop and cook for yourself. You will also save money while eating vegan abroad by staying out of restaurants. Go to the local markets and grocery stores in the town that you’re traveling in. If you can’t read the labels because they aren’t written in your language, stick to what you know. Produce is easy to identify no matter where you are, so stock up on fruits and vegetables. Other items such as rice, beans and oats are also easily identifiable. You can go as far as reading the ingredient labels, if you put in the time to learn the words for animal byproducts in the new language.
6. Ask for Modifications
If a restaurant doesn’t have a vegan option, just ask for a modification. You can’t be shy when it comes to your dietary restrictions and choices (this took me a long time to learn). Find a meal that is close to being vegan, like a veggie burrito with cheese or a vegetable stir fry with chicken, and simply ask for no cheese or to leave the chicken out. As long as the restaurant is preparing fresh ingredients to order, this will be an easy task for them. Luckily for vegans, many restaurants are catching on and have at least one vegan option on their menu.
7. Do Research in Advance
This applies to each step mentioned above. To ensure an easy, magical food experience while you’re abroad, do your research ahead of time. Learn about local dishes that are already vegan, or can be easily veganized. You can also research dishes that may appear vegan, but have hidden ingredients that aren’t so animal friendly; such as fish sauce in Southeast Asia (they put it in a lot of veggie dishes). Get your key words and phrases written down, or your phrasebook that will help you navigate the food world while your traveling. You can also base your trip entirely around vegan food. Search for vegan friendly cities that are saturated in veggie restaurants, using apps like HappyCow. Many cities, such as Chang Mai, Tel Aviv and London are a vegan foodie’s dream land! With that being said, don’t let your diet hold you back from visiting smaller and more rural areas. Take it from someone who lived in the jungle with a hill tribe; eating vegan abroad, no matter where you are, is possible.
