Tips for Eating Vegan Food When Traveling Abroad

Maintaining a certain eating routine when traveling can be overwhelming. You're going into uncharted territory and the place you visit may not be used to your eating habits, let alone healthy eating habits. The idea of being vegan is a newer concept, one that not every culture will know. Here are a few tips that I've learned to still eat healthy vegan food abroad.

1. Do Your Research

The best way to ensure you'll be able to eat is to do your research in advance. Find out if the city you're going to has vegan restaurants or markets nearby, search for vegan Facebook groups and ask for advice online. Fortunately, when I planned my trip to Cusco I also found numerous vegan restaurants within walking distance to my accommodation.

2. Learn How to Order Food in the Local Language

No carne, por favor. If you like to travel to remote locations or outside city centers, it's best to write a list of words to describe what you cannot eat. The word, vegan, is a newer concept and many countries aren't familiar with the idea. I found this to be especially helpful when traveling throughout Thailand when fish sauce is used in almost every dish.

3. Bring Your Must-Have Snacks

If you know your food options will be limited and you have the space in your luggage, bring snacks that will keep you energized. When I hiked a 5-day trek to Machu Picchu, I wasn't sure if the food available would sustain my energy for the 75km hike, so I packed Vega One bars. These small bars are perfect for traveling and are loaded with the essentials. Each bar contains 12g of plant-based protein, 50% DV of 12 vitamins and minerals, 3g of fiber, and veggies. I also took the Vega Sport Protein bars for those extra strenuous hikes, which have 15g of protein.

4. Shop at Local Markets

A big part of the travel experience is the food. Though it's great to eat at restaurants, the markets are a wonderful way to experience the culture and how people live. It's also much cheaper than eating out every night. My favorite days of the week in Rwanda were market days. I walked 20 minutes down a dirt road to buy fresh produce and avocados for $.30 each, but it was a wonderful opportunity to meet everyone on the street and experience shopping like a local.

Local market in Rwanda

Fresh produce in Rwanda

5. Go with the Flow

There might be nights when all you can find is bread and a salad, and sometimes that's okay. My friend and I visited Lisbon and I remember eating at a local fish restaurant because we couldn't find anything else. I ordered salad that they used for garnish under the main dishes. It was only one meal and the experience dining with locals rather than the food itself was the most enjoyable part of that evening.

Let me know what works for you (and what doesn't) and enjoy your travels!

Peace,

Shopping Like a Local: Visiting a Rwandan Market

There is something romantic about grocery shopping in covered markets. The vendors, the chaotic arrangement of vegetables, and the community feel makes shopping an interesting experience. Whenever I travel or live abroad, I am always drawn to local markets. Perhaps because it is just that, local. I also feel a greater connection to my food when seeing it in the open air rather than neatly lined in a sterile-looking grocery store. The produce is fresh and real, unlike so much food found in America. Every Tuesday and Friday I have the opportunity to walk to a local market in the neighboring town of Rubona, approximately one mile from ASYV. Although all meals are included at the Village, I enjoy cooking some of my own. The walk to the market is pleasant and Rwandans are very friendly. It is customary to greet each passerby with mwiriwe, or good afternoon. Often, children follow closely behind me, giggling and whispering, muzungu, a term given to white visitors.

The market is an open-air space lined with people selling everything from goats to flour. Upon arrival, I am immediately offered tomatoes, cabbage, and any other produce that is available. I am always amazed by how incredibly inexpensive fresh produce is buy in Rwanda. I can recall paying $2.00 for avocados in Prague and in Florida, but in Rwanda, I pay less than fifty cents for three.

After perusing the aisles, I settle on a price for the produce. Here is a breakdown of food that I purchased (1 USD = 681 RWF, as of 2014):

Small Bananas          100 RWF

Basket of Tomatoes  100 RWF

Avocados (3)             300 RWF

Green Peppers (3)     100 RWF

Total                         600 RWF ($0.88)

These prices can also change slightly depending on one's bargaining skills. Compared to grocery shopping in Kigali, I find that the produce is fresher and half the cost. This food lasts a few days and it's delicious.

In addition to shopping at the local market, I also go to the grocery stores in Kigali to buy "junk food." To give you an idea about current 2014 market prices, here are a few examples:

Can of Diet Coke                                     900 RWF

Bottle of Coke or Fanta                         300 RWF

500g of coffee                                         2,100 RWF

1 liter of low-fat milk                             1,000 RWF

500g of pasta                                          1,900 RWF

Bag of tortilla chips                                1,900 RWF

Local gouda cheese wheel                     3,750 RWF

Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar      1,100 RWF

Large jar of peanut butter                     3,600 RWF

In general, I can find almost any food in Rwanda. It is more expensive to buy certain items (e.g. cheese and sauces), but the local fruits and vegetables more than make up for it.