Let’s face it, sticking to a specific diet while travelling can sometimes feel impossible. Every day on the road you’ll be confronted with delicious treats and rich authentic cuisine, so you’re bound to gain a pound or two. But when it comes to food and backpacking, the real challenge is trying to follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
Depending on your travel destination, finding vegan meals might just be impossible. Finding a vegan option can feel like a gamble at times, but sadly it’s not as invigorating as playing online gambling games like poker or roulette. However, there are ways for vegans to overcome challenges while travelling. Check out these must-have apps for vegan travellers.
PlantEaters
No matter where you are in the world, PlantEaters can help you find a delicious vegetarian or vegan meal. This free app gives its users the ability to search for meatless meals in the area, and you can even share information on your dining experiences. PlantEaters acts as a community resource for vegan and vegetarian travellers everywhere.
Vegman
Vegman is another free app that is driven entirely by its community of vegan users. All you need to do is provide your location and you’ll be provided veg/vegan options near you. You can also provide the name of a restaurant to check if it has vegan options beforehand. Check out the Vegman blog posts to read up on the latest animal friendly movements.
Veganagogo
One of the most frustrating aspects of travelling as a vegan is trying to translate the foreign menu items. Half the time you might not even know what you’re ordering. It is extremely hard to communicate to the restaurant staff about your dietary needs when you don’t speak the same language.
With the Veganagogo app, there is no need to worry. This app allows you to translate common food-related phrases in over 50 languages. Downloading Veganagogo will cost $2.99, but it will make your travels as a vegan so much simpler.
Happy Cow
Happy Cow is one of the most popular resources for finding plant-based foods in almost 200 countries. It allows users to search for options, but also provide content on restaurants they’ve tried. Happy Cow now features an informational section on recipes, travel tips, healthy vegan living, and more.
Vanilla Bean
This app is specifically geared towards travellers (and locals) in the UK and Europe. Vanilla Bean provides information on over 32,000 restaurants, so your options are basically endless. You can also filter the results based on any additional dietary needs, such as gluten or lactose free. There is even a section dedicated to organic, local, and fair-trade ingredients.
Vegaholic
Vegans like to have fun, too! The Vegaholic app is a database of beers, wines, and liquors that allows you to see which alcohol is vegan-friendly. All you need to do is search the name of your desired beverage, and it will be designated as “vegan friendly” or “not vegan friendly”.