Vegan holidays: utopia or challenge?

 

Not all those who wander are lost. Besides, some of them are vegans.

And what about those who travel while being on a "special" diet? Let's say a combination of vegan and gluten free dietary requirements. Is it possible to find nutritious food different from fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts? Before hitting the road, it's always good to have a look on tips and advice about the local food of your travel destination just to be prepared and bring homework done rather than dealing with the last-minute inconveniences. There are numerous blogs providing valuable tips, suggesting places to visit, all of them trying to offer an alternative solution to a meatless dietary challenge meanwhile travelling.

When on holidays, we usually try to breathe the authentic fresh air from the new destination attempting to embrace the most enjoyable experiences and bring them home as souvenirs. Unfortunately, what apparently might resemble as a battery recharging retreat can turn into a problem, and sometimes into a big one. What can a vegan being eat during the holidays? When we are far away from our safe environment where we know how we manipulate our food many questions arise. Can I trust the place? Is it really a vegan food? Is it really a gluten free dish? Or could there be a gross contamination? Will I get food poisoning? And why vegan places tend to be more trendy and tourist? Is there any vegan local cuisine that has no animal trace in the food? If so, how can I find it and avoid pricey tourist menu?

Well, some of these questions might be familiar to you, and I am sure many times you have found the right answer. But what if we decide to discover an exotic destination with no clue how to speak the local language, can we find the solution even if no local person is with us? If you don't know any local person, then it's always good to get to know one, try to make a friend who can guide and help you. Also, there are apps and webs suggesting plenty of plant-based options, which could meet most (sometimes it's necessary to make a compromise) of our dietary requirements. But as a first aid help, always take some basic food with you and utensils to be able to cook or cut the food in raw.

As for the communication, you can use apps, language guides, but to me, a language guide didn't work as I would naively imagine since not all people who you can ask things in the middle of nowhere actually can understand it. This may also apply to google translate app because the less common the language the worse the translation. And internet not always works everywhere as we would like. But, what generally works very well is the golden rule of the body language and the willingness to understand each other. This will lead you to find a solution and finally feed your hungry stomach and mind. 

Being vegan on the roads can be an exciting getaway from your daily routine. You can taste new flavours, learn new recipes, bring home new spices, understand how people live elsewhere. However, if you go too far, and approach places that are not familiarised yet with only plant-based options and instead roast for lunch what is considered your best friend, then you should make a little research before starting your adventure. 

In addition, food on airplanes can be another big question mark, but planned in advance you can order a special meal. Just make sure you special-meal order has been placed properly, otherwise you will find yourself eating with many compromises or practicing intermittent fasting if your first-aid food has run out.

And in case that you have accidentally eaten something that has contained some food with animal origin, don't be so hard on yourself. Remember, when travelling you burn quite a good amount of energy and food is something that will keep you alive. First things first. 

Many times I ask myself when eating out if vegan as a label is enough. We use so many plastic bags, containers, packaging, ... I understand that taking your own container is sometimes simply impossible, not practical, inconvenient and far from elegant. And what about how we grow the food and cherish the original seeds? I have realised that there is still quite a large journey to walk and meanwhile reconsider our ways of living. Many things need to be improved, reduced, re-used, re-cycled, and re-imagined. We need to discover not only new places but also new ways of living in more harmony with ourselves and the planet. Hopefully, on my next destination I will be able to bring these thoughts to practice.