Staying veg*an while traveling the world

[ndoherty13]

Hi all,

My first post after lurking and reading for quite some time. I'm very glad to become part of an online community I respect a great deal.

Reading Steve's numerous blog posts on diet convinced me to give vegetarianism a 30-day trial back in January, and I enjoyed it so much that I haven't looked back. This month, I'm doing 30 days of vegan. That's also going very well, and I intend to carry on with it beyond June.

My issue:

I have big ambitions to travel the world, and to do so on a shoestring budget so I can get into the real nitty gritty of cultures and have meaningful experiences. However, I'm worried that trying to stick to a strict veg*an diet while on the road will limit my experiences. I want to dine with local families in the small fishing villages of Southeast Asia. I'd like to spend some time on a farm in the mountains of Italy. I hope to be welcomed into small communities in Africa. Is this possible if I turn my nose up at the meat-based dishes that will likely be offered to me? Can I even hope to survive on the road without eating meat, given that not every society has a Whole Foods or a farmers market close by.

What got me thinking about all this was watching an interview with Anthony Bourdain (especially at about the 18-minute mark):
YouTube - Authors@Google: Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain makes a point there that really struck a chord with me: he'd rather violate his own deeply held values about food/diet than offend his host, someone who may have gone to great lengths and expense to provide a meal for him. The offering of such a meal is often a showing of respect, and to not eat it because you're vegetarian doesn't make any sense in some cultures. Indeed, such a refusal can be highly offensive.

I'm interested to hear the thoughts of others on this. In such situations, should you stick to your beliefs no matter what, or should you relax them a little in exchange for a pleasant bonding experience between you and your host(s)?

[aelle]

Hey ndoherty,
I am a world traveler and a vegan. No one has ever been offended by my refusing a meal, ever. Most hosts have actually been really interested in my explanations for my choice and love to hear about or try vegan cuisine (especially if it's French and 'exotic' on top of that!)

Your comment on Whole Foods not being available around the planet made me laugh. You know, it's not even been half a century since we started our mass consumption of meat. As a result, most cultures have some vegetarian (sometimes vegan) staples and balanced meals, whether it's beans and bread, couscous with vegetable stew and chickpeas or rice and tofu. And there are supermarkets and street markets (America is the only place where I've seen so few of them) with fresh produce all over the world. Even in poorer countries, meat and butter is the first things that goes missing, not grains and beans...

You'll soon find out, even without leaving the country, that the key to remaining vegan is preparation. Explaining your diet to your hosts before they buy and prepare food for you, researching and calling restaurants in advance, carrying an apple and a Lara bar in your purse when you're out for the day or carrying a jar of peanut butter and trailmix in your backpack if you're on the road for a week. Of course if you wait until there's a big plate of meat in front of you to bring veganism up you may feel like a bit of an ass (although, would you feel guilty refusing food you're allergic to? that you can't eat for religious reasons? veganism is not much different to me). These are habits that take a bit of time to acquire, but they're the ones who'll help you never get in a tight spot, cause embarrassment to your hosts or force you to eat animal products because you're just starving.

I hope this helps! I plan on writing more on the topic (at least on my blog and maybe here) so do tell me what you think of this.

[funchy]

A good host should respect your preferences/beliefs/requests. What if it was a life-threatening food allergy? Would Bourdain really risk a reaction because his fear of offending someone?

I've lived in Mexico a semester as part of college, living with a local family. I've also been to parts of Europe, also sometimes staying in private homes. I don't claim to be a world traveler, but I never sensed any negative reaction or hurt feelings when I said "no thank you" to dishes with ingredients I wouldn't eat.

I think there is this hollywood idea shown in some movies that if we're asked to dine with the natives and we turn down the bowl of mystery food passed to us, that it will anger the chief, and he will have you tossed into the volcano.

IMO as a westerner, you'll also be rejecting their offer of water, drinks with ice cubes, uncooked vegetables washed in water, etc because of Montezuma's Revenge. If you're going to serious 3rd world areas, this will result in more than a bellyache. These illnesses can hospitalize or possibly kill you. Or you can bring home Hep C from uncooked produce irrigated with sewer effluent (not kidding -- this was one problem in some parts of Mexico). The locals get used to outsiders "weird" eating habits, and we as visitors remain healthy and content.

So I'd absolutely be ready to politely decline foods. Two suggestions: one is to learn to say "no thank you" in their language. Depending on situation, you might learn the word for "allergy" so you can excuse yourself without hurting their feelings. Also, look up common native dishes and/or learn the words for native meats. It's not their job to tell you there is X meat in the food. Learn what you should be watching out for and how to ask in their language about the food.

Good luck to you!

[ndoherty13]

Many thanks to you both for those responses. I had started to question whether veganism was a sustainable way of life for me, but you've reassured me that it can be done even while vagabonding. I especially like the allergy tip, which may come in handy if I find myself in the company of a small-minded host.

I think I read on Steve's blog recently that he'll be going on vacation abroad this summer. I'll be interested to hear how he manages his raw diet during that time.

Thanks again for the responses. If anyone else wants to chime in with their experiences on this topic, I'd love to hear them.