In seven years of being vegan, people have asked me numerous times if I find it difficult to be on a vegan diet. My answer is always the same: No, not at all. To be honest, I was pretty surprised in the first place how easy it actually is to change your diet towards a vegan one if you give it a try. I can understand, though, that for vegans, and people who feel a craving for a delicious vegan meal, eating out in unknown places might sound challenging. However, especially while travelling, experiencing the local cuisine is clearly a must. Don´t worry, we will hook you up with some useful tips to make your restaurant visit as stress-free and delicious as possible.

 

First Prize: Find a Vegan or Vegetarian Restaurant

 

Undoubtedly, the best-case scenario is to find a place that only serves vegan dishes or offers clearly marked vegan options. In this case, the only problem you’ll have to prepare yourself for is the agony of choice.

Here are 5 online guides which directly lead you to your vegan paradise:

1.    HappyCow

Founded in 1999, the HappyCow search engine for vegan and vegetarian restaurants, shops and markets has made many people very happy over the years. Having access to a vast number of listings and reviews, you can search for places that are close to your current location and sort the results according to distance, price or ratings.

2.    TripAdvisor

The online platform TripAdvisor is not only known for its holiday booking services, but also offers a large international restaurant rating section. Check the boxes “Vegetarian friendly” and “Vegan options” to filter your results.

3.    Local City Guides

Search online for some local city guides for vegan places. Especially if you are visiting a bigger city, you most likely will not be disappointed. For example, have a look at this guide to the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Cape Town I found when I was planning my trip to Cape Town.

4.    Local Search Engines

Some directories are limited to certain countries or are just more popular in some areas than in others. For example, while the platform Yelp is very popular in the US, the vegan restaurant guide VanillaBean covers many European countries.

5.    Vegan Bloggers

Following vegan bloggers on social media is not only fun, but they also provide you with various useful tips and recommendations. Why not look for some local bloggers? For example, check out the Instagram account of cape_town_vegan.

 

 

Next Best Thing: Find the Vegan Treasure on a Regular Menu

 

While finding a veggie restaurant during your travels is obviously first prize, we know all too well that it is not always possible. However, eating out in a non-vegan restaurant does have one clear advantage. While many restaurants already responded to this trend with more vegan-friendly options and a clearly marked menu, the increasing demand for meals, which are free from animal products, might encourage more and more restaurants to cater for their vegetarian and vegan clientele. Doesn’t that sound good?

With these 5 tips to order vegan at a non-vegan restaurant you will be ready for anything:

1.    Look out for a Vegan-friendly Cuisine

Asian or Indian restaurants are always an excellent choice for vegan options. When eating Italian just order your pasta or pizza without cheese.

2.    Go through the Available Vegetarian Options

Many restaurants mark their vegetarian dishes and if not, it should be easy to find some anyways. If nothing seems to be vegan, ask the waiter if one of these dishes can be prepared without dairy products or eggs.

3.    Have a Look at the Side Dishes

Most restaurants offer a variety of delicious side dishes like rice, potatoes and veggies in any form, salads or sauces. Combine them like a champ and create your own custom meal!

4.    Go Healthy and Eat a Salad

As salads are most likely to be prepared freshly, it should be easy to leave something out. Just ask the waiter to skip the cheese, eggs, meat or yoghurt dressing.

5.    Ask for Help

More and more restaurants are getting aware of people’s allergies and food intolerances. Even if the waiter is not an expert when it comes to the ingredients of some meals, he or she most probably is happy to ask the kitchen staff.

 

Are you feeling hungry already? Then keep calm and try out our tips!