Going Vegan: Traveling while vegan

by Stefania Butler, Posted Apr 26th 2006 @ 5:32PM

Last weekend, my family and I visited Portland. This added a new twist to my vegan challenge: how was I going find tasty things to eat in airports and hotels? Because I was traveling with my children, I didn't have the luxury of scouting out the hottest vegan restaurants in Portland. I had to be able to eat where my kids ate. Thank goodness for Gardenburgers. I ate a lot of them this past weekend.

In the airport I was able to track down places that sold veggie sandwiches, lentil soup, vegan pastries, and fruit cups. Granted, I was traveling from San Francisco to Portland, Ore., two vegan-friendly cities. I don't know how I would have fared if I had traveled elsewhere. (I did keep an apple and some pretzels with me, just in case.)

Once we arrived in Portland, the brew pubs (O, how we love the Portland microbrews!) we chose for dinner both had Gardenburgers as vegan options. One of the restaurants also had a veggie pasta, but unless I'm makin' it, I just don't trust it. Soggy vegetables and over-cooked pasta? No thanks. I stuck to the known quantity: the Gardenburger.

We ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant and there were also plenty of choices from home fries to cereals with milk alternatives. No problem there.

Talkin' 'bout snacks after the jump!

Friends who can't believe I'm challenging myself to go vegan for a month have been asking what I've been snacking on. Pretty much the same things I usually snack on. I've roasted garbanzo beans, made hummus, whizzed up some arugula pesto to shmear on bread (using white miso instead of cheese). I also have been making inari sushi to have on hand as a quick snack or part of lunch. We eat edamame tossed with sea salt or spinkled with a little sesame oil. I love hiyayako tofu (chilled tofu flavored with ginger, ground sesame seeds, green onions and ponzu, hold the shaved bonito flakes) as a snack or starter.

It is possible to eat well and be vegan, but I have to admit, midway through week 3, I'm thinking about grilling steaks. When I wrap up the week on Saturday, I'll share my favorite recipes of the week including ravioli and meatballs, and I'll share some vegan product misses.

Filed Under: Vegetarian, Vegan, Non-GMO, Ingredients
Tags: america, breakfast, dessert, going vegan, GoingVegan, lunch, organic, stefania pomponi butler, travelling while vegan, vegan, vegan recipes, vegan snacks, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-26-2006 @10:08PM bob said... Unfortunately, original Gardenburger brand burgers have a great deal of dairy in them, including mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

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4-27-2006 @7:03AM RR said... Was the pasta actually vegetarian or just 'veggie.' Most (not all) pasta is made with eggs in it. Also, Portland is more vegetarian friendly than 90% of places.
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4-27-2006 @9:36AM Carol said... A great resource for Vegan and Vegetarian travelers is
the book Healthy Highways by Nikki & David Goldbeck.

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4-27-2006 @11:22AM Stefania Pomponi Butler said... RR: Most *fresh* pasta is made with eggs, but dried (boxed) pasta (like DeCecco, Barilla, etc.) is usually just semolina flour (some minerals and acids) and water.
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4-27-2006 @11:23AM Stefania Pomponi Butler said... Bob: our vegan waiter assured us the burgers were vegan. He said (and I quote): "It's the only thing I can eat here."
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4-27-2006 @11:26AM Bob Uhl said... The difficulty of finding such food is precisely why the Orthodox Church allows one to break the fasting rules (which if followed strictly are almost vegan) when travelling...
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4-27-2006 @2:12PM Jon said... I have found that if i am traveling, asian and middle eastern foods are the way to go for vegan options, and are genereally cheaper than a vegetarian restaurant. Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Thai, etc.
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