Surviving as a Vegetarian Traveler
Families from Gujarat carry their theplas and pickles during their holidays. Some people carry their ready-to-eat food mixes. Some carry home made lentil powders and pickles that they have it with rice or bread. There are a crazy few who live on Maggi noodles and trail mixes. And then there are people who actually do not embark on their international holidays because they are worried about vegetarian or vegan food.
From far away, traveling as a vegetarian or vegan looks daunting, but in reality, it is not as complicated as it looks. I am a prime example! I am sure you all know that I have been traveling quite a bit for the last 12 years. And I have almost always managed to find vegetarian food, stay healthy, not lose weight or muscle mass and have actually enjoyed the different local vegetarian options from every country that I have visited. May be, it is my experimenting nature or the fact is that there is a lot of delicious vegetarian food to eat all round the world. All you need to do is go with an open mind and follow these simple and handy tips to thoroughly enjoy your sojourns as a vegetarian/vegan traveler.
T I P S T O E N J O Y V E G E T A R I A N T R A V E L
There are some basic tips that you should remember and follow if you wish to be a successful vegetarian or vegan traveler.
1) Eat like the locals
People all over the world, however much they love meat, need their veggies, greens and fruits. And that is why all cultures, races and countries have vegetarian foods and dishes in their regular diet. All you have to do is figure this out. It is easy if you are a slow traveler like me as you have more time to interact with the locals, but even if you are not, you will learn a lot about the vegetarian/vegan food items in the local cuisine by talking with locals, by getting invited to their homes, by visiting restaurants frequented by locals, by exploring local food, vegetable and fruit markets, by visiting local supermarkets and sometimes by just getting lucky.
2) Indulge in street food
In my 10 plus years of independent travel, I have found more vegetarian and vegan food options on the street than in some of the best hotels and restaurants. And not just that, these vegetarian street food items are from the local cuisine unlike the established hotels and restaurants. Another advantage of eating from the street is that you can actually see the cooking in front of you with the raw ingredients and all and you can also ask questions then and there. Even if you are having trouble with the foreign language, sign language and facial expressions usually work at street food stalls.
3) Learn vegetarian keywords in foreign languages
Whether you are using the handy phrases from your travel guide or you are using the nifty features of Google Translate, it always comes in handy to learn some vegetarian keywords in the local language. Some keyword examples would be: I am a vegetarian, I don’t eat meat, I only eat plants, vegetables and fruits and so on. In my case, I always make it a point to know the phrases that will help me eat vegetarian food. Sometimes, I use help and guidance from locals (this is usually a lot of fun) and at other times, I download the offline language packs from Google Translate so that I can somehow manage my way with food easily.
4) Cook your own meal
In these days of AirBnB stays, one almost always get access to a kitchen at their place of stay. Hence, if you are really fussy about your vegetarian/vegan diet needs, then you can buy the required groceries from the nearby supermarket or local farmer’s market and can cook your own delicious vegetarian/vegan meals. Some hostels and other places of stay also allow you to use their kitchen and cook your own food.
5) Religious Institutions or Religious Food
There are many places across the world that are associated with certain religions or cultures that require them to serve vegetarian or vegan food. For example, the Sikh gurudwaras across the world, the Buddhist temples of China and South East Asia, the Hindu temples of India, some Israeli places of worship, certain type of churches and many others. They could either serve vegetarian/vegan food on certain days of the week, certain months in a year or simply all round the year.
6) Vegetarian and/or Vegan Restaurants
With Vegetarianism and Veganism becoming popular all over the world, a lot of new restaurants are opening up. While some of them are run off the mill, the others are novel and offer interesting local and fusion food. There are some vegetarian restaurants that serve mock meats (ones that have the texture of meat, but are made from mushrooms and/or vegetables). While there are lots of food apps, websites and a wide list of vegan meal delivery services to help you find such vegetarian/vegan restaurants and to get your favorite meal at your doorstep , my choice is Happy Cow and word of mouth references.
I N D I A
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
V E G E T A R I A N R E S T A U R A N T S F R O M A R O U N D T H E W O R L D
Below is a list of some restaurants that serve delicious vegetarian/vegan food and that I have personally experienced and enjoyed.
I N D I A
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
B E S T V E G E T A R I A N B L O G S & R E C I P E S
If you love vegetarian/vegan food, would like to know more about vegetarianism and veganism from around the world, would like some inspiration on plant-based healthy diets and/or would like to dish out some of your own creations, you might be interested in these vegetarian blogs and recipes from these foodies, food bloggers and foodie travelers.
Saffron Trail by Nandita Iyer – healthy vegetarian food, Indian and from around the world
Legal Nomads by Jodi Ettenberg – telling stories through food
My Diverse Kitchen by Aparna – vegetarian cooking and breads
The First Mess by Laura Wright – healthy food blog with delicious plant-based recipes
Naturally Ella by Erin Alderson – great resource for natural cooking and vegetarian recipes
Green Kitchen Stories by David, Luise & Elsa – the healthy vegetarian recipe blog
L A T E S T P O S T S O N V E G E T A R I A N F O O D
For all my latest blog posts on vegetarian food from India and abroad and handy survival tips for vegetarian travelers, click here.
