EAT-WELL TIPS FOR Traveling VEGETARIANS
By McCarthy, S
Whether you’re traveling for fun or biz, overseas or off road, to a spa or to Spain, here’s how to eat easily and well
My mother never leaves home without a jar of peanut butter. She assumes that most places, from Angola to Allentown, are inhospitable to vegetarians. But as long as she has a jar of peanut butter, she figures she won’t starve.
She’s sort of got a point. Traveling as a vegetarian can be difficult. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been stranded in an airport or small town, facing yet another dinner of iceberg lettuce and Thousand Island dressing. In foreign countries, the language barrier can be a problem. Once, in the Czech Republic, I ordered noodles without meat, only to have the waiter bring me a plate of noodles with bacon. Bacon wasn’t considered meat there; it was viewed as something else entirely.
As vegetarians, we want to experience everything about a place, including its cuisine. We should be able to walk the streets of Saigon, Paris and Oklahoma City and sample the local fare without having to consume a single spoonful of chicken stock. And we can. It just takes a certain amount of independence, forward thinking and verve.
NO MAHER WHERE YOU GO
* Plan ahead. A little research goes a long way. Put together a list of five vegetarian restaurants and health food stores in the town or city you’ll be visiting (for inspiration, see “Readers’ Picks” on p. 54 for veg-friendly eateries). The International Vegetarian Union (ivu.org) is an indispensable resource with links to almost every vegetarian society around the globe. VegDining.com, Vegetarian Guides (vegetarianguides.co.uk) and Happy Cow (happycow.net) offer a wide range of resources, including guides and reviews of vegetarian restaurants around the world. Another great international resource is The Vegetarian Traveler by Susan Civic.
* Let people know. Informing hosts, relatives and business associates ahead of time that you’re a vegetarian can help avoid uncomfortable situations-like the time my host family in Buenos Aires took me out for Argentinean asado, or barbecue. Beef-and nothing but beef-was offered.
* Be flexible. I won’t change my eating habits, but if a meal arrives with easily removed meat, I take it out and eat.
ON A WEEKEND GETAWAY
Although eating is part of the adventure, you don’t want it to become an obstacle. With a little looking, you can find a place that’s likely to have vegetarian options.
* College and resort towns tend to have ample choices that are hip, fun and casual.
* Some spas, retreats and B&Bs are veg-friendly. For instance, The White Pig in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia is a vegan B&B (434.831.1416; thewhitepig.com). Brookton Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast in upstate New York serves only vegetarian meals (607.273.5725; brooktonhollowfarm.com). Annapurna Center for Self Healing in Port Townsend, WA, caters to vegans and those who are gluten-intolerant (360.385.2909; annapurnaretreatspa.com). Stanford Inn by the Sea & Spa in Mendocino, CA, accommodates dietary needs (800.331.8884; stanfordinn.com), and The Mill House Inn in East Hampton, NY, offers customized menus for guests (631.324.9766; millhouseinn.com).
* Let someone else do the driving. Check out the low-cost bus company Green Tortoise Adventure Travel. It doesn’t offer luxury accommodations but serves primarily vegetarian food from fresh ingredients (800.867.8647; greentortoise.com). Green Earth Travel agency (888.246.8343; vegtravel.com) can also help you plan a vegetarian or vegan getaway.
They say half the fun is in getting there, but not if you’re flying. Even if you can buy food on domestic flights, don’t count on a veg selection. Your best bet is to get on the plane armed with snacks. If you’re driving to your destination, pack a cooler, or take along a copy of Healthy Highways by Nikki and David Goldbeck to find places to grab a veg meal in all 50 states.
ON A BUSINESS TRIP
The trick is to avoid sounding high-maintenance or having people focus more attention on your food than on you.
* Eat ethnic. Suggest to colleagues that you go out for Mexican, Thai, Indian or Ethiopian food, all of which offer plentiful vegetarian dishes.
*Get a room with a fridge. With a few provisions-fruit, hummus, crackers-you can provide your own breakfast or lunch.
* Negotiate with waiters and room service. A “please” and “thank you” can usually persuade the kitchen to prepare pasta with olive oil, spinach and Parmesan or a plate of steamed vegetables.
* Pack a snack. Never underestimate the power of trail mix to tide you over between meals.
WHEN YOU’RE CAMPING OR HIKING
When you’re roughing it, it’s important to bring vegetarian meals that are quick, easy, flavorful-and lightweight.
* Don’t skimp. With the kind of fuel you burn while hiking, its important to keep your energy up. For snacks, try dried fruits, wasabi peas, sesame sticks, veggie salami and veggie jerky.
* Take individual packets of oatmeal, granola, instant soups, peanut butter and hummus and falafel mixes. Pack Lite Foods (packlitefoods.com) offers lightweight trail food and one-pot camping meals. The company’s pride is its instant meals, which add up to less than one pound of carrying weight per person per day. And you can order individual packets from its website-cooking for one!
* Remember that many foods designed for backpackers are high in sodium and preservatives. One way to cut down is to use only half of the flavor packets, which are mostly salt. But let’s face it-often these packets are what give packaged foods their flavor, so make the best choices you can, and don’t beat yourself up about not having the healthiest meals on a trip. It’s not like you’ll eat this way all the time.
WHEN YOU’RE TRAVELING ABROAD
Some places are more veg-friendly than others. Asian countries, such as Vietnam, India, Tibet and Thailand, offer endless dining possibilities. The cuisines of East Africa, Israel and other parts of the Middle East are also hospitable to vegetarians.
* Most travel books have listings for vegetarian restaurants. A few, such as Berlitz, offer menu-specific guides. Berlitz’s European Menu Reader will help you identify (and pronounce!) the vegetarian specialties you want.
* Local markets are great for fruit. As a rule, anything you can peel is safe to eat.
* Many people avoid street vendors, but if you’re the adventurous type and if you know the local language, street food is an inexpensive and interesting way to experience and savor the local fare.
* For a broad range of country-specific recommendations (vaccinations, food/water issues, health risks, etc.), check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website (cdc.gov/ travel/destinat.htm). It provides valuable information, regardless of where you’re going.
With a little planning and flexibility, you’ll find the key to an enjoyable experience, whether you’re headed overseas or to Ohio.
soy to go
SOYAMILK COMES FROM IN SMALL ETO-PACK BOXESAND IT WON’T SPOIL. TOSS A BOX IN YOUR BAG, AND TAKE OFF.
EMERGENCY
rations
Though I hate to be weighed down when I’m traveling, I’ve learned to bring a few staples along. Depending on where I’m traveling, I’ll bring one emergency snack and one treat for each day I’ll be away.
Seaweed Nori strips are a nifty alternative to potato chips. And they’re a perfect way to get in some veggies when there are none in sight.
Snack bars Look for brands that are low in sugar and made with top-quality ingredients. My personal favorites are Kashi’s Honey Almond Flax and Barbara’s Puffins Cereal and Milk Bars.
Nuts and seeds I always try to pack a selection of mixed nuts in sandwich-sized plastic bags: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts. Add some dried cranberries or raisins if you like.
PACK AND go
Whether you’re a weekend wanderer or a frequent flier, there are certain things you shouldn’t leave home without, including chocolate- the darker, the better (for its antioxidant power)! Here’s the rest of our list.
Wondervase Your hotel room a little drab? Pick a few roadside flowers, and put them in this portable vase. A technomarvel, it looks like a flat bag. But just fill it with warm water, shape it into a vase, re-fill It with cold water to set the shape, and voila! Instant vase. Reverse the process to get it flat again. Small, $7; medium, $8; large, $9. 800.880.6757; wondervase.com
Show-It-All The only thing this clock won’t do is teleport you to your destination – it’s too busy displaying everything from the temperature to currency conversions. Oh, and it also tells time. Multi-function clock, $15. 800.874.1048; eaglecreek.com.
Hi-Tech Translator Perfect for gizmo-loving travelers who’ll be crossing a lot of borders, this tool translates English sentences – such as “I don’t eat meat” – into 16 languages, from Arabic to Hebrew. Lingo Travelmate Translator 16, $65. 800.441.5713; llbean.com
Feet Treats Cruelty-free and all natural, EO’s Amazing Feet Foot Care Kit contains a scrub, a soak and a lotion to soothe your tired tootsies, no matter how many cobblestones you’ve just hobbled over. $13. 800.570.3775; eoproducts.com
Low-Tech Translator A picture is worth, well, you know. If the local language leaves you speechless, just point to one of the hundreds of color pictures. You’ll get your message across. Kwikpoint, $7. 888.594.5764; kwikpoint.com
Strip Tease Instead of lugging around a \suitcase full of heavy, spillable hair products, pack these “strips” of hair gel. Worth the $20 tag for 20 1 Control Tape Extreme Style Strips. 800.644.4831; aveda.com
Sniff ‘n Soothe Nothing derails a vacation quicker than a queasy stomach, stress or lack of sleep. Fight back with . . . Lavender Foam Bath for sanity, calm and travel-stress relief, $3/2.5 oz.; Ginger/Mint Aromatherapy Mist for motion sickness, $7/4 oz.; and German Chamomile essential oil to help bring on sleep in a strange time zone, $10/0.5 oz. From Aura Cacia. 800.437.3301; frontiercoop.com
READERS’ picks
About to hit the open road? We asked you, our readers, for some of your favorite restaurant finds, here and abroad. Tear out this list!
Bamboo Garden
Chinese cuisine; all vegan except for fortune cookies.
304 Roy Street
Seattle, WA
206.282.6616
bamboogarden.net
Wrenkh
Fine dining with veg options.
Bauernmarkt 10
Vienna, Austria
01.533.15.26
Hiltl Vegi
The oldest all-vegetarian restaurant in Europe.
Sihlstrasse 28
8001 Zurich
Switzerland
01.221.38.70
www.hiltl.ch
Saturn Caf
Diner-type vegetarian food with vegan options.
145 Laurel Street
Santa Cruz, CA
831.429.8505
saturncafe.com
La Zucca Magica
All vegetarian with one 5-course menu each evening.
4 bis, Quai Papacino
Nice, France
+33 04 93 56 25 27
Govindas
Cozy vegetarian restaurant run by volunteers.
Norre Farimagsgade 82
1364 Kbenhauen K.
Copenhagen, Denmark
+45.33.33.74.44
Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille
Creative, fancy vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
772 Second Street Pike
Southampton, PA
215.942.8888
bluesagegrille.com
The Laughing Seed Caf
Funky vegetarian restaurant with vegan options.
40 Wall Street
Asheville, NC
828.252.3445
laughingseed.com
Le Commensal
Veg buffet chain in Montreal and Toronto.
655 Bay Street
Toronto, ON
410.596.9364
lecommensal.sites.toronto.com
The Mondragon Caf and Bookstore
Read and eat at this vegan restaurant and bookstore.
91 Albert Street
Winnipeg, MB
204.946.5241
a-zone.org/mondragon
Restaurant Zen
All-vegetarian Chinese food with vegan options.
966 Bout Ren-Lvesque
Quebec City, QC
416.687.8936
Adelante
Mostly vegetarian Mexican restaurant.
21 Brees Blvd.
San Antonio, TX
210.822.7681
Samadhi
Quiet vegetarian, Southeast Asian restaurant.
Wilhelmstrasse 77
Berlin, Germany
030.22.48.88.50
Roots & Fruits
Vegetarian/vegan caf with flavors ranging from French to Indian.
10 Grand Arcade
Yorkshire, England
0113.242.8313
Copyright Active Interest Media Jan 2006