Travel Guide For A Vegetarian

How do you travel as a vegetarian?  More and more cities and even countries are “ veggie-friendly” . Although sometimes it can be a bit more complicated and you may need to do more searching for a restaurant.

However, that should not be an excuse for not going out to see the world.  You may find waiters who look at you strangely when you say ” no meat, please ” or that the only vegetarian dish is a lettuce, tomato and carrot salad.

There is always the option to go to the market in the city or place you visit and  buy food to prepare the food yourself.

If you go to cities that are friendlier to those who do not eat meat, such as London, Berlin or San Francisco, you will feel that mealtime is not an inconvenience. There are even restaurants and markets where you can eat everything without problems.

Tips for traveling as a vegetarian

The experiences of those who do not eat meat can be different depending on many factors such as the chosen destination.

It is not recommended that you travel to certain countries such as Argentina, Spain or the United States where  meat is present in 90% of the menus.

For this reason, we offer you some tips so that being a vegetarian is not an obstacle that prevents you from traveling as many times as you want.

Investigate the gastronomy of the place

You may be surprised to learn that there are traditional dishes that do not include meat of any kind. In addition to Italian pizzas and pastas, in Middle Eastern countries you can order hummus or falafel and in Southeast Asia many recipes are made with vegetables, such as Thai stir fry noodles.

Stay somewhere with a kitchen

If you travel to places where it can be more difficult to find vegetarian restaurants, a good option is to look for self-catering accommodation. In this way, you can prepare the food yourself.

Consult the locals

When you arrive at your destination, you can ask at the accommodation where there is a market nearby or if they know a vegetarian restaurant.

Even when you go to lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants or food places, you can check if they have any meat-free options.

Learn to say certain words

Although the term “vegetarian” is known worldwide and in most languages ​​it is said in a similar way, it is convenient that you know how to say phrases that will help you in more than one case.

For example:

• “I don’t eat meat / chicken / fish / pork”
• “Do you have a vegetarian menu?”
• “”I am vegetarian”

Download a dictionary on your mobile or take it down before leaving home.

Make a list of the “veggie friendly” places

Available restaurants are listed on many websites. If you travel to a big city, you should make a list of those available. Even in addition to serving food for vegetarians, in some of them you can buy prepared dishes.

There are also mobile applications that offer you updated information depending on where you are.

Bring something to snack between meals

Bringing some cereal bars, an apple or a package of cookies can be an excellent option for when you start to feel hungry and cannot find a place with vegetarian food.

Nuts are also a good choice to take outside the home if you are a vegetarian. You can also buy them at any grocery store. Likewise, dried fruits, although they are sweeter, can also serve you.

You can also go for vegetable chips that can be homemade or purchased. Chips made with shawm, beet, banana, carrot, coconut, etc. Although you can find them in grocery stores, they better be homemade. They are made in the oven or in a dehydrator and with olive oil.