10 Tips for Staying Plant Based While Traveling
Hello my friends!
Just a few short weeks ago (ok, two weeks) I found myself at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a 4 night work trip. Ummmm, yeah, there are worse work trips!
And while I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful countryside, the gorgeous beaches with turquoise waters and a boogie ride through the countryside (with a swim in a spring-fed cave!) I was also very ready to be home when the time came! Please tell me I’m not the only one that gets like that?
Being a whole-food plant based eater, I know that when I travel I am going to have to #1) be flexible and #2) be creative. Doing this in the Dominican, well, I wasn’t sure what that looked like. But, I am committed to staying on my WFPB lifestyle because I absolutely feel my best when I focus on eating my plants.
And with summer now being HERE (it’s already June!) I wanted to share some tips on how to stay happily plant based when traveling, whether for work or vacation (hopefully it’s vacation for you!). There are ways to travel big and still eat well!
My first suggestion is to go into your travels with a flexible mindset. Not only are you going to encounter different foods, prepared and served differently - you may very well want to experience them! And that is OK! More than ok. Any detour off of your plant based lifestyle will not hurt you and the joy you gain from the experience will be well worth it. So, enjoy your vacation and travels!
If you do have an allergy or gluten sensitivity, then continue to be mindful of those considerations because that can lead to a very unhappy situation or belly and nobody wants that on vacation.
Otherwise, go into it with an intention of eating plant based with the expectation of being flexible. And enjoy!
To start my trip, I packed up my own snacks for the plane which included:
A bag of homemade trail mix - walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds sand dark chocolate chips (I always include a plastic spoon so I don’t have to worry about germy hands… LOL… Have I mentioned I have a little OCD when it comes to germs?? eek)
Kind bars - my favorite are the dark chocolate / cherry. Simple and prepacked and not so messy
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich on high protein bread slices
A banana and two cuties/oranges and whole dried figs
Whatever I didn’t eat on my travel day I knew would make good snacks in the hotel room.
Also, do not forget your refillable water tumbler and constantly refill that baby! Dehydration on planes is significant and can lead to feelings of grumpiness and fatigue (no fun for travel or vacation)
Once we landed in the DR and made our way to the Hard Rock Hotel (a 2,000 room resort with 13 pools and more restaurants and extra activities than I can name) we explored a bit before it came time to find a dinner location.
And here is where the plant based challenges came in! Keep in mind, I was also traveling with my colleague who is not plant based so we had to find options for both of us. Thankfully, she’s gracious and never looks at my way of eating as annoying or troublesome.
On our first night we found an Italian restaurant. Perfect! I was able to order a salad with a non-creamy dressing and pasta with a no-meat sauce. Pretty good right off the bat! But you know what I didn’t have? Protein. But that’s ok. I figured I would get some more the next day.
Day 2 rolled around and we found a breakfast buffet where I was able to select cooked oats, a cup of soy milk and a plate of fruit. Pretty good but not great on the protein source. I also grabbed a slice of the banana bread (still WFPB because the egg in it was just a small fraction of my daily calories). And, more coffee pleeeeaaasssee!
That evening we found a hibachi place (just love those demonstrations, don’t you?). I opted out of the pre-plated sushi and asked for rice and veggies. That request did garner a little bit of a strange look from the chef. And because we were at a group table with strangers and it did call a lot of attention to me I felt a little self conscious but after I made my “weird request” other’s started doing the same! More people ordered without meat! So, wave your “weird flag” and ask for what you want. Others probably want to do the same!
Day 3 and I woke up STARVING. Ravenous. My colleague said - you’ve really only been eating vegetables and carbs. Ummmm, yes, she was right. I could really tell a difference.
But with my plant based protein sources being legumes, nuts, seeds and tofu I wasn’t sure where I was going to get that.
Thankfully, that night we found my holy grail. A Mediterranean restaurant! Bring on the chickpeas, please! This plate had it all - the 100% plant based protein and high fiber sources I was lacking
I found it!!
So much fiber and PROTEIN!! It had falafel, a Greek salad, tabouleh,a stuffed grape leaf, hummus and baba ganoush! And that pita bread, straight out of the oven was heaven!
I will fully admit that I ate here two more times. Just for the fiber and protein and I really started to tell a difference in my body that day. I had a lot more energy, slept better because I wasn’t waking up starving and I felt so much better overall
Day 4 found us at another delicious breakfast buffet. But, again, lots of breakfast meats, eggs, dairy, etc. But, any savvy plant based eater will be able to seek out their plants. I ended up finally finding some really good options. Avocado toast with fresh tomato slices and black olives, hash browns, smashed plantains and, oddly enough, corn. The OJ for some added vitamin C and, of course, coffee. This was very satisfying!
Odd but delicious!
With a little flexibility, whole food plant based eating can be done nearly everywhere.
Besides being open and flexible, here are some more tips to help you travel and stay on track with your plant based eating:
Before your travel, look up your destination (I didn’t do that on this trip since we were on Hard Rock property the entire stay but otherwise, I would have). Check out apps like Yelp, or Google Maps to find vegan and vegetarian-friendly places.
Plan your meals. Make a list of meals you enjoy that include simple ingredients. Keep the recipes on your phone with a list of the ingredients you can grab when you hit a local store
Keep easy-to-carry plant based snacks on hand or in your room/rental house - trail mix, Kind bars, dried fruit, fruit with peels, whole grain crackers, peanut butter packets, roasted chickpeas, etc.
Visit local grocery stores or markets for fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Look for items like pre-cut vegetables, pre-cooked grains, and canned beans for convenience.
If staying at a hotel, book accommodations with a kitchenette or at least a mini-fridge and microwave. Request a room with a kettle for making oatmeal, soups, or boiling water for instant grains.
If staying with friends or family, communicate your dietary needs in advance and offer to bring, contribute or prepare some WFPB dishes
Be mindful but as prepared as possible without feeling guilty if you “slip” from your daily eating routine
Bring your supplements. They can bridge the gap and provide nutrients that we are used to getting
Drink up - hydrate plenty! Lots of fresh water or herbal teas are great ways to stay hydrated
Have fun! Don’t let a few meals or foods throw off your entire vacation. This is also a great way to explore new cuisine and focus on plant based foods prepared and eaten in variety of ways.
Besides, once you are back home you can crank out those smoothies, stir fries, roasted veggies and plant based meals all you want!
Are you planning a trip this summer? What sorts of ways are you planning to stay (mostly) on track with a whole food plant based way of eating? Reply here and let me know
Ready to start a plant based eating lifestyle but don’t know where to start?
Click here and grab my FREE Guide: 4-Step Beginner Guide to Eating Plant Based. Start off with confidence!
