This is a guest post by Kristin Lajeunesse of Will Travel For Vegan Food.com. She has been traveling around the US since September 2011, in an effort to eat at and write about every single vegan restaurant, food truck, cafe, bakery, and coffee shop she can find.
You’re packed and ready to go, you’ve taken great advice from jetsetter-type friends which is why you’ve already connected with a few new friends-of-friends at your upcoming destination(s). You did some planning ahead, have a general idea of the stops you wish to make, and even packed a small bag of cashews and dried fruit for the start of your journey. But, wait a second, you say. “Have I missed anything? What do other vegans do when they travel?”
Wonder no more! I asked some Facebook friends to share a few of their best kept travel tips with the world. Here we go:
1. Save your leftovers in a super cool way… “I bought a collapsible food container so I don’t have to create more trash! It scrunches down to fit in my backpack and then expands to be gigantic! Made by Aladdin, it has a screw on top so it won’t leak. It’s microwave and dishwasher safe and BPA-free. It shipped in one day with two other sizes from Amazon.” – Mike Sisson
2. Make your foodie picture gawking pastime work to your advantage… “I research so much before I get there. I literally know exactly where every vegan restaurant/cafe is in relation to where I’m staying, what distance and what public transport will get me there weeks before I arrive. Looking at pictures and menus online is my favourite pre-holiday activity. Haha.” – Phoebee Frost
3. Chickpeas on the go… “Carry Goya pull-top chickpeas and plastic baggies with you in your checked bag and rinse and divide up in baggies to add to salads or pastas in un-vegan friendly hotel catering at conferences and business meetings. Stash them in your pockets or purse.” – Kat Mandelstein
4. Work with the hotel instead of against it… Jennifer Mack mentioned that her “sister calls the hotel in advance to ask if she can store soy milk in their fridge, and borrow a bowl and spoon so that she can have cereal for breakfast.”
5. Spice things up… “I purchased a couple of glass spice bottles. Perfect size for traveling for a few days, which I do for work every month. I’ve put my greens powder in there for my afternoon green juice, my chia seeds for later, add water for mixing, or coconut milk yogurt, or a smoothie. I’m sure there are 10,000 more uses for these nifty travel size glass bottles, too!” – Lizette B. Suxo
It’s easy to get caught up in the challenges of vegan travel. Remember those first few weeks of your veganism, when you were just getting started? Travel might ignite a similar feeling of overwhelm but your resolution to make healthier choices, to be more conscious of your environmental footprint, and to help save the lives of billions of beautiful animals, pulled you through. The message of course is no different but we get comfortable cooking and baking in our homes so when we take it on the road it can definitely be intimidating. The good news is that with a little time and effort the prepping and planning becomes second nature. Whether you’re going camping, flying across the country, or around the world, veganism is totally doable and can even be completely stress-free.
Have a blast this summer exploring your favorite, or perhaps soon-to-be favorite spots around the world! And let us know if you discover any other unique or fun ways to make vegan travel easy-peasy! 🙂
