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In todays show I’d like to share my best: Lazy Vegan Travel Tips.

(I’m thinking maybe I should rename myself The Lazy Vegan as it’s been the relevant descriptor for my podcast 2 weeks in a row now!)

Before we get rolling a couple of clarifications,

A) These 13 lazy vegan travel tips are primarily in relation to food rather than all other aspects of living a vegan lifestyle.

B) They are also going to be most useful for the short trip where you’re staying in a hotel without access to a well stocked kitchen or without the desire to put much time or effort into meal prep.

In show #466 I shared 4 Plant Based Eating Travel Tips that are more aligned with staying in a well stocked house.

(or temptingly overly well stocked house as is the case when I stay with my mum and dad!)

Onwards and lets get our acronym on (!) with,

First: PRE Travel Lazy Vegan Tips. 

P.ack protein pimps.

Actually they’ll likely be a convenient combo of both protein pimps and micro-nutrient dense meal enhancers. My go 2’s include:

• Plant based protein powder like Prana Himalayan Salted Caramel.
• Hemp seeds (protein PLUS omega 3’s)
• Chia seeds (protein PLUS calcium)
• Pumpkin seeds (protein PLUS iron)
• Nutritional yeast (protein PLUS B12)

R.esearch the best vegan restaurants / cafes near to where you’re staying.

It’s frustratingly easy to get swept up into the activities of a new destination and all of a sudden find yourself over hungry and utterly irrational. This is the scenario where you may be tempted to resort to an entirely UN-ideal meal in desperation. Either your own or to pacify companions who have little interest in finding somewhere Vegan… Healthy… further away than the closest disgusting looking burger joint!

This is actually something that can be fun rather than a drag. I recommend typing #vegan and then the city you’re going to into Instagram and hunting down the most delicious looking cafes to visit. For the lazy vegan this is a whole lot more pleasurable than resorting to UN-planned Un-fun crap-o-la food that you may feel obliged to then try and work off with extra treadmill trudging!

E.xpect delays / obstacles and have portable snacks to turn to in times of Hanger!

• Nuts, seeds and edamame are my go 2’s here.
• I also ensure a proper meal prior to arriving at / at the airport if it’s a meal time flight.Very often I fly in the early afternoon so lunch will be leftovers from dinner the previous evening. That double meal is also the perfect chance to use up any scrapes at home that won’t keep while you’re away.

Next: DURING Travel Lazy Vegan Tips. 

D.o a shop for basics on arrival. My go 2’s include:

• Almond milk.
• Nuts.
• For easy meals in: mixed green leaves / kale-slaw / coconut yoghurt / microwaveable plant based burgers / 4 beans mix / avocado. 

U.nderstand not everyone, everywhere you go will know what vegan means. Often they assume it’s the same as vegetarian. Frequently they will be bewildered that someone could actually live without cheese. I tend to get very specific when communicating my desire to consume: “No animal products whatsoever. No meat, fish, dairy, eggs.” I’ll check if vegetables are cooked with butter or if there’s honey or gelatine or meat / fish stock hiding in something.

When dining out or buying different brands form different stores here are a few common NON-vegan yet vegan looking foods to look out for:

• Salad dressing with egg, dairy honey and less obviously FISH in them.
• Potato chips with whey, cheese, skim milk or CHICKEN in them.
• Dairy free products like yoghurt / ice cream that still contain coachineals (ground up INSECTS) orcastoreum (I’d assume that was a type of caster sugar however it’s actually vanilla scented beaver secretion).

The simple (lazy!) solution is obviously to choose primarily one ingredient whole foods that don’t have a long list of unrecognizable ingredients to negotiate. 

R.equest vegan options get added to a menu when they are lacking. OK, this is about making it easier on you in the future!

Animal agriculture exists purely due to the simple law of supple and demand. Equally, the more polite yet passionate and uncompromising vegans demand  plant based options the more establishments will be forced to provide them. I believe it’s as important to register your demand for something that’s not yet available as it is to support (by purchasing) the products that are already available.

For example whenever I go into Dan Murphy’s (liquor store) in Noosa when visiting the family I ask if they have Vegan Baileys yet!

I.ncrease the nutritional value of any light-weight meal out by adding your own ‘protein pimps’ or scouring the menu for simple add ons that comes as sides or are part of other meals. Stuff like: avocado, whatever nuts or seeds they have, extra fibrous veg instead of light weight salad or low value chips.

N.ever be swayed by peer pressure / social convenience. This is always applicable however when traveling it can be extra tempting to give in to “But you’re on holiday!” whether that’s the urging of friends and family or simply that nagging little voice in your own head!

G.ive positive feedback to the establishments that are accommodating. Reinforcing the actions you want more of (the cruelty free meals you want more of) is vital. I’ve seen too many gorgeous vegan restaurants close and I want them to thrive. Sharing your plant based deliciousness via social media means a lot to any small business.

Finally: POST Travel Lazy Vegan Tips. 

P.rioritize your ideal eating (and exercise) regime ASAP on your return home. Maybe you did get swayed by the “But you’re on holiday!” brigade? That’s ok. It’s never about being perfect. It’s always about how quickly you get back to your most effective eating and exercising actions. TODAY is the best day to reinstate the habits that work for you. 

O.nly implement the new holiday habits that are genuinely beneficial to you. You know how it’s super easy to acquire a habit for a somewhat indulgent (dessert like!) breakfast every day on holiday? Or perhaps a lunch time alcoholic beverage? Maybe grazing on nuts before dinner?

I’ve found there are also some good habits that muscle their way into my holiday routine. For example I’ll tend to drink less coffee and consume less protein powder. I’m also less likely to scroll mindlessly through social media on my phone in bed and more likely to sleep well.

Returning from even a mini-break like a couple of nights away is an ideal time to make some little upgrades to your routine.

S.teer clear of the vices you may have over-indulged in (like alcohol) for a week or so. As much as I’m a fan of sticking to the Lazy Vegan Travel Tips that ensure you’re not returning home with excess baggage (!) there’s also life to be lived and travel to be enjoyed right?

With a couple of my fav vices (chosen in advance with volition) I’ll consciously over-indulge guilt free on holiday and then under-indulge on my return. My old strategy of random holiday indulging all over the place is such a short term joy. As I get older I find it takes MONTHS to shed fat I can easily acquire in just a long weekend of excessive demolishing. It’s just not worth the struggle to me anymore. A couple of vices (like wine and bread) indulged in then avoided for a week or so is much more manageable.

T.ake time to access / learn from any first time unforeseen obstacles that perhaps can be outsmarted in future. Again this is about making it easier on you in the future! Equally if something doesn’t go to plan and you learn from it then there was value in that obstacle. Here are a few of my holiday learnings:

• Don’t arrive to stay at a friends house STARVING as they might not have food you can eat. I’ve done this late at night and also fallen for it early in the morning. If you’re an early riser and the people you’re staying with aren’t it’s always best to have something (even plant based protein powder) to hold you over if you’re too polite to raid their fridge while waiting for them to wake up!
• Don’t assume your speciality Go 2 foods like: plant based protein powder / hemp seeds / nutritional yeast will be easy to buy in a new area. That’s why I travel with protein pimps!
• Don’t assume if someone is bringing a ‘vegan salad / curry / anything…’ to an event that’s it’s free of animal products. The safest bet is to always have something easy to prepare and big enough to share that you know you can eat.

To get actionable today, so you have any Lazy Vegan Travel Tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them. You can let me know via the comments below.

That’s it for this week in Healthification. Huge gratitude to YOU for sharing this week with me. I appreciate it.

The Healthification podcast is proudly bought to you by my FREE ‘Easy Vegan’ plan. It took me 25 years to transition from a meat eater to a happy, healthy Vegan! You can do it in just 3 days with  my simplified ‘easy vegan’ plan!  Get the fit, strong, and healthy plant based body you deserve… while avoiding ALL the mistakes I made along the way!

To learn more check out: strongbodygreenplanet.com

Till next time, remember Creating a body and life you love is Freedom. (If this ex-carb queen, NON-genetically gifted, naturally uncoordinated VEGAN-chick can do it – so can YOU!!!)

If you liked ‘Lazy Vegan Travel Tips‘ you’ll also like: 4 Plant Based Eating Travel Tips

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