tips ＆ tricks
Vegging Out of Town Are you trying to find that locally recommended guacamole bacon cheeseburger without the bacon, the cheese . . . or the burger? Finding food while traveling as a vegetarian or vegan can be a lot of work, but nobody wants to skip out on the local eats! Kelsi Petersen, a vegan of eight years, says that planning ahead is one of the most important things to take into consideration. Before heading off on a weeklong vacation across the country, she planned when she was going to eat out and then made a list of foods and utensils she could take with her or conveniently find once she got there. If you do the work beforehand, your vacation can begin as soon as you leave your house. Follow these five tips and tricks to enjoy a more food-friendly vacation.
1. Get familiar
The availability of some fruits and vegetables may be limited in the country you are planning to visit. Make sure you know what produce you can expect to find. In addition, find out if your destination has farmers’ markets or sidewalk vendors, and use a global vegan website to find the location of local restaurants offering vegan and vegetarian cuisine. ▶▶
www.happycow.net
▶▶
www.vegdining.com/Home.cfm
Photo by Darwin Bell
2. Know the rules
To avoid a ruckus in the customs line, know beforehand what you can bring in and take out of the country. Check out the websites listed below for details on which fruits and vegetables are okay. Also make sure you know what food you can carry on and what
food has to be checked with the rest of your baggage. ▶▶
www.aphis.usda.gov/travel
▶▶
www.tsa.gov
3. Bring food to go
Jaylene Johnson, a vegan and rawfood chef of 11 years, suggests several travel-friendly foods: “Produce like cucumbers, peppers, avocados, carrots, oranges, and apples are easy to bring with you. So are things like trail mix, dried fruit, and crackers.” Keep in mind that TSA requires that all fruits and vegetables remain uncut and unpeeled until after you go through security. Use a soft cooler and airtight plastic containers to store your food. To keep your food cold, take a plastic bag with you to the airport and fill it with ice once you get through security.
4. Pack smart
Pack your suitcase with a few handy tools to make foreign food prep easy. Johnson’s favorites include a sharp
knife (in your checked luggage, of course), a lightweight cutting board, and a quart-size blender. That way, you can make meals, smoothies, and dressings in your hotel room if necessary. Don’t forget that other countries use different electrical adaptors.
5. Know the lingo
It can be helpful to double-check with the chef while eating out, but ordering vegan in a country where you don’t know the language can be especially difficult. Study up on a few key phrases in the local language. Speaking Vegetarian: The Globetrotter’s Guide to Ordering Meatless in 197 Countries is a helpful resource. The author gives detailed pronunciation for popular words and phrases in over 100 languages. You’ll be ordering that hamburger sans fromage et boeuf in no time!
—Tara Walker
www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 73