Parlez-vous vegan?
How to stay vegan when on holiday
So you’ve finally reached the countdown to your holiday. You’re all packed, excited and ready to go but that nagging feeling we all know too well comes creeping back and you’re left wondering “how am I going to stick to my diet while I'm away?”. It can be extremely daunting going on holiday with a strict diet to stick to with temptations here, there and everywhere but fear not! With the right planning and research, you’ll be able to enjoy lots of international vegan cuisine, resist the temptation to go back to old habits and who knows, maybe you’ll even come back looking better than when you went away (if that’s even possible obvs). So, without further ado, here are our top five tips on how to stick to a healthy vegan diet when you’re on holiday.
Research your restaurants
We already know how important it is to plan our meals when we’re trying to follow a special diet and being on holiday is no exception, in fact, it’s ten times more important. The key here is to do your research and find a few restaurants that you know have a few good options for you - see it as an opportunity to discover the best restaurants around! Don’t forget to consider your plans for the week to make sure you’re not stuck somewhere hungry and unprepared. In the words of snickers, you’re not you when you’re hungry, meaning this’ll be the time you’re most likely to cheat!
Try and stay in vegan friendly accommodation
If you’re staying in an accommodation that isn’t vegan friendly, you’re entering into very dangerous territory! Be sure to pick a hotel with a range of vegan options - this is a double win because it leaves you with absolutely no excuses for straying from the diet and it means you can have vegan room service. Genius, right? If you find yourself in accommodation that isn’t vegan friendly or their menu just isn’t doing it for you, simply ask reception to point you in the direction of local vegan eateries. After all, local recommendations are the best anyway.
Prepare snacks beforehand
When you’re on holiday and you begin to feel peckish, unfortunately it’s not as simple as popping into your local shop and grabbing your go-to vegan snack. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a local supermarket, it’s also highly unlikely that you’ll recognise any of the vegan brands or even be able to understand the local language to check any ingredients and depending on the nature of your holiday, you might not even have access to a supermarket so it’s best to come prepared! Think nuts, seeds, fruit, veg and veggie crisps - they’re healthy and they travel well. If you’re not too fussed about the waistline, a number of the nation’s favourite snacks are in fact vegan! See a list of vegan snacks here. Think Pringles, Doritos, Oreos and many more… we see you licking your lips.
Learn the lingo
It’s hard enough to navigate your way around a country where you don’t speak the language but trust us, it’s even harder to navigate your way around the vegan world if you don’t know how to ask for what you’re asking for. Take some time before you head off on holiday to learn the vocab for all the ingredients you might want to avoid - even learning something as simple as “I’m a vegan” in the local language could point you in the right direction and avoid any unwanted ingredients landing on your page. We recommend downloading the Duolingo language learning app which is perfect for learning some basic vocab without having to commit to a subscription.
@kania.studies
If in doubt, Asian cuisine wins every time
If you find that you’re left feeling unsatisfied after meals or you’re struggling to find a compromise with your non-vegan travel companion, Asian cuisine wins every time. With so many plant-based and meaty options, it’s almost impossible to not find something delicious and filling that everyone agrees on. Just a few examples include vegan curries, vegetable spring rolls, rice noodles, bhajis and samosas. Yum. Need we say more?
