Global Travel as a Vegetarian

DrukAir 's economy vegetarian meal! Photo courtesy Daily Mail

Believe it or not, my biggest concern on the road is whether or not there will be decent dining options available, especially in other countries. I enjoy food immensely and want to experience local grub as much as possible; however, it can be a daunting task when you are a plant eater.

This is where research comes in. I look for restaurants on my own before I leave, as well as my favorite go-to guide for healthy, meat-free restaurants. Happy Cow is a lifesaver when it comes to finding delectable feasting around the world. Just go to http://www.happycow.net/ and plug in your destination. Depending on the city, a number of options will pop up with vital information like phone, address, and a description of what is offered. In addition, the restaurants are reviewed and rated. 

I honestly wasn’t expecting to find vegetarian restaurants in Mexico City; however, after perusing Happy Cow's website, I knew my worries were over. There were a number of options available, and my favorite was Pan Comido, where I devoured a fantastic veggie burger. 

Happy Cow also steered me to some really good eateries in Des Moines, where I had my first vegan pizza. By the way, Fong’s Pizza is a quirky joint that is an absolute must.

I’m a grazer; therefore, I prepare my luggage with select goodies to stave off any unwarranted hunger. When traveling internationally, I tend to get carried away with snacks outweighing my clothing. For me, the most important one to have on hand is protein.  

The items I always have stashed are individual bags of nuts or trail mix, peanut butter, nutrition bars, and single-serving containers of soy and/ milk. I also like to pack breakfast bars so that I have something to wake up to (my favorite brand is belVita).

The moral of the story is - have no fear, vegetarians can be well fed while traversing the globe. Bon appétit!

One of my fave snacks when I'm in California