Vegan on the Road - How to Eat in Hotels

Eating vegan on the road can be challenging for even the most determined vegans. Restaurants slip cheese, dairy, and eggs in dishes where you think you’d never find them all the time. Sometimes eating out is possible with help from websites like HappyCow.net, but when that isn’t possible, here are some ideas for eating vegan in your hotel room.

1) The hotel room you choose makes a big difference. First, you should try to get a hotel room with a refrigerator and a microwave. If you don’t want to use a microwave, bring an InstaPot, or get a room with a studio kitchen. If it isn’t possible to have a refrigerator, see if you can use the employee refrigerator or, as a last resort, get a cooler and plan on filling it with ice each day. Many vegan items don’t require refrigeration, but most people prefer crisp fruits and vegetables. The better kitchen you can obtain, the more options you will have when it comes to creating your vegan dishes.

2) Grocery shopping. The first stop to make when you get to your destination should be a grocery store. Keep in mind you have to make several trips based on the size of your refrigerator or cooler. Stock up on produce for raw snacking such as bananas, apples, carrots, celery, and pepper slices. Purchase greens for salads and to use as wraps. Grab hummus and salsas for dipping. Find some canned or frozen beans and spaghetti sauce. You should also be able to find ready-to-eat grains and pasta in the dry goods section or in the frozen section. Pick up some pitas, dried fruits, natural peanut butter, and Lara bars for snacking in the car or for packing picnics. Meals can be a quick combination of a grain or pasta, some spaghetti sauce or salsa, and vegetables.

3) Hotel breakfast. If you are staying at a hotel with a continental breakfast, there should be options besides eggs and bacon. While the options aren’t always the healthiest choices (think waffles and sugary strawberries), your goal should be to make the best choice available. Try granola, oatmeal, English muffins or toast, fruit, tea, and potatoes.

If you can successfully eat vegan while on the road, you can eat vegan anywhere. Try these tips and be creative in coming up with a few of your own.