Guest Post by Stephanie de Geus.
You know, being vegan is great. Being vegan and eating gluten-free is also great, and surprisingly isn’t as hard as it sounds. That is, until you eat out, stay at a friend’s house overnight or travel to a different country altogether. That’s when it can really get challenging. But it’s not hard, and with these five tips you don’t have to worry about it at all.
1 Prepare
Before you go, have a look online to see where you can get a great meal. I love Happy Cow for this. This website is great and the app can be found in the Google Play store and the iTunes App store. The Android version of the app comes in two variations – a free version with tons of apps and pop ups, and a full version that is add-free and has much more content.
The best thing about the Happy Cow app is that is uses your location and shows you the nearest vegan, vegetarian and veg-friendly places to eat, as well as pinpointing the organic stores and other places perfect for your diet and lifestyle. It also boast a built-in Google Maps plugin which gives you the option to navigate quickly and easily to the restaurant or shop of your choice without getting lost.
2 Bring your own food
If you have a really restrictive diet or if you have things you really can’t live without, be sure to bring your special foods along with you for the trip. I’m known for prepping baggies of porridge (gluten-free porridge oats, chia and cinnamon) and popping them in my suitcase to enjoy in the mornings. No hassle of bringing a ton of different products just to make breakfast!
I also love peanut butter and I’ve finally found the best one – ever. So yes, I do bring that along too. It’s quickly becoming one of my absolute favourite comfort foods and since breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, I’m bringing my peanut butter.
The other thing I often bring with me is rice cakes (which are great with peanut butter and awesome on a road trip), apples, bananas, baggies with nuts, nut bars, tea (I love my tea), home-baked goods like cookies or banana bread, and quinoa. Especially the latter is great. Quinoa is jam-packed with protein, and its flavour is neutral, meaning you can use it for anything. It’s great in a sweet breakfast porridge with cinnamon and almond milk, but it also works great as a rice substitute in sushi rolls or as a base for a veggie stir fry. You literally cannot go wrong with this.
3 Take what’s being offered
The hardest lesson to learn when travelling as a gluten-free vegan is that sometimes you just have to take what you can get. And honestly, that’s hard. Especially if there are no dessert options, or what you think you’ve ordered turns out to be another thing entirely. Just keep your head up and smile, even if you feel like crying.
Luckily most places will have a selection of sides and they can be a lifesaver when it comes to sticking with your diet. On several occasions I’ve found myself in a restaurant that had no vegan options as a main course, so I ended up going with soup, baked potatoes and a salad. And you know what, I didn’t mind at all.
You might find that the particular restaurant you’ve visited can only you a plate of grilled vegetables. If this is the case then take them! The fact that they are willing to make those for you gives them a lot of credit.
4 Nuts & seeds
Nuts and seeds are great to bring along when you’re out and about. They’re quick and easy to throw in your bag and they provide a generous amount of energy and nutrients. Nuts and seeds are packed with essential healthy fats and are a great source of protein. Without a doubt, they will keep you going for several hours. They are also great to eat on the go, while walking through a city, without much hassle.
5 Market day
As for us fruit and veggie lovers, market day might be the best invention – ever. Markets tend to have a lot of fresh and local produce, they often offer deals and you’ll be spoiled for choice. Find out when the market days are and be sure to pay them a visit. If you’re smart you’ll be able to stock up food for the next few days. Or at least to tide you over till the next market day. Also check out the busiest stall, because just as with restaurants, this will give you a great idea of the place to be. Trust the locals!
As you can see, travelling as a gluten free vegan isn’t hard or impossible, it’s just takes a little practice and thought before heading out. So what are your top tips for traveling with a restrictive diet? We’d love to know! Please feel free to share them in the comments.
Stephanie is a freelance copywriter, blogger, lover of science fiction, book nerd and an avid (vegan & gluten free) traveller living in the Netherlands, blogging on luthien.org and running a business on Stephanie De Geus She wants to inspire people to live the life they love and believes you can do anything when you set your mind to it.
Twitter: @sdgeus
Instagram: @luthien28
Pinterest: pinterest.com/luthien/
Facebook: Stpehanie on Facebook
Did this help you? If so, I would greatly appreciate a share on Facebook, twitter, linkedin, or pinterest.
My Favorite Products (Affiliate links- if you make a purchase I may earn a small commission)
Thrive Market - healthy gluten free, sugar free and speciality online food and household products
Silk and Sonder Monthly Journals and Planners
My Portable Infrared Sauna
Self Care Journal
Martie discounted food
Olipop - healthy soda with probiotics and prebiotics
Digestion Kit
Stress Oils
