Tips for traveling vegetarians

Traveling vegetarians don't need to survive on French fries and salads. Try these tips for a truly exciting eating experience!

Vegetarians don’t have to survive on sides while traveling. But finding food on the road or abroad doesn’t have to be a headache. 

As vegetarians and their traveling companions know, finding food on the road can be a headache. Oftentimes, vegetarians have to sacrifice what could be a cultural experience for what they know works – like a salad or a side of fries.

Finding food presents unique challenges for vegetarians wherever they go, but there are a few tips I’ve discovered that can help animal lovers wherever they travel.

Research veggie-friendly places in advance. Yes, this takes some of the spontaneity out of travel, but it can also allow vegetarians a cultural experience they might otherwise miss. I am currently a trip to Memphis with my friend Anne, so in preparation, I visited the Urban Spoon website to seek out some of the top-rated places in the city. I found a place called Central BBQ – highly rated by locals – and checked out the menu, which included a vegetarian portabella sandwich, made Memphis-style, with sweet, tangy barbeque sauce. I also found a popular bakery with sweet vegan treats. By checking out a few places in advance, vegetarians can carve out memorable food experiences in new places.

Farmer's markets are a great option for vegetarians, because you can pick and choose exactly what you want for lunch. (Photo by Masahiro Sumori)

Hit a local grocery store or farmer’s market. Even if you aren’t vegetarian, this is a fun option. Seek out farmer’s markets, bakeries or grocery stores and pick up a tasty (and cheap!) picnic meal. In Paris, my dad and I made a meal of cheese, bread and fruit we picked up at a local market and munched at a local park. (To do as the Parisians do, bring your meal to the Champ de Mars and gaze on the Eiffel Tower as youmanges.) If you’re staying at a hostel or a hotel with kitchen facilities, pick up ingredients for a meal and cook with newfound friends.

Research local specialties, and seek out vegetarian ones. Italy’s Cinque Terre is famous for its seafood, but it also claims pesto as a specialty. So when I visited these stunning Mediterranean villages, I sought out menus with pesto over pasta, and found a new favorite dish: pesto trofie. In Paris, I devoured vegetarian crepes and omelettes, and in Amsterdam, an increasingly global city, I sought out not-so-traditional flavors at a tiny Thai restaurant.

Learn to say “I’m a vegetarian” in the local language. It’s “je suis une végétarienne” in French and “mang hoong shakaharee” in Hindi. By learning to say this phrase in the language of the area you’re traveling, you can save yourself from a very frustrating game of charades. If you don’t think you’re going to remember, or if you’re traveling to a lot of regions or countries, you can have phrases printed up on cards to show a local. You may also want to learn clarifying words, such as “no seafood” and “cheese and milk are okay,” as many cultures don’t have the same understanding of vegetarianism as you.

Healthy snacks, like Clif Bars, are a great option for vegetarians in a jam.

Pack mini-meals – just in case. In all my travels, I’ve never had to go without a meal because I couldn’t find anything to eat. But if I’m traveling somewhere that might not have many options for vegetarians, I bring along high-calorie snacks, like Clif Bars or trail mix.

Traveling as a vegetarian can be a challenge at times, but it does not need to get in the way of a good trip. By being flexible and doing some research in advance, vegetarians can have satisfying cultural and gastronomical experiences wherever they go.