For some travelers finding appropriate food and restaurants may be a challenge. Among this group of travelers there are children and veggies. Here I would like to stop on veggies, who are adults and kids as well.

 

In order no to get reduced to eating chips, pretzels, or a bag of nuts for dinner while traveling and not to get hungry and skinny get ready for your vacations beforehand.

 

• Research Internet for veggie friendly restaurants in the places where you are going to stay. It is not a problem for big cities. You may also find some good places in rural ares.

 

-     For example, in Atlanta - Fung's Vegetarian Chinese Restaurant, located at Green's Corner Shopping Center. This restaurant's chef has more than 20 years experience preparing Chinese cuisine. The menu offers many mock "meats," including vegetarian "spareribs" made of walnuts. Also offered are appetizers, soups, traditional entrees, rice, and noodle dishes.. Full service, take-out, totally vegan, soy milk;

 

-         In Baltimore - Acropolis, 2nd Fl., Light Street Pavilion, Greek. This Greek stands at Harborplace offers several vegetarian dishes including falafel, spinach pies, and vegetable sandwiches. California Pizza Kitchen, 1st Fl., Pratt St., Italian. They offer several types of pizza (with or without cheese) and pasta dishes. Open daily. Full service, vegan options. Thai Noodle Bowl, 2nd Fl., Light Street Pavilion, Thai. It also stands in Harborplace and offers cold noodles with peanut sauce, a vegetable medley with Thai noodles, and Jasmine rice;

-         Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. Other California restaurants that may be recommended are Upstairs Cafe in Jackson, Grounds in Murphys and Joubert's in San Francisco.

 

Many vegetarian societies and groups have their own websites. You may also call them and consult. Ask your travel agent what food is served in the hotel you are going to stay at, whether there are options and what cafes and restaurants have menus designed for veggies.

 

• Be prepared to be flexible and polite. No server on the Earth knows what exactly you eat and what ingredients you avoid. That's for sure, most restaurants and cafes nowadays try to be flexible to satisfy their clients and to follow modern trends in food industry. If nothing vegan appears on the menu, ask the waiter or waitress to make you a veggie plate with mushrooms, potatoes, rice and whatever fresh veggies they have.

 

• Certain restaurants specializing in national cuisine are a good option for veggies. Mexican eateries generally can whip up, e.g. a plain whole-bean and rice burrito, with guacamole, if it is made with fresh vegetables each day and contains no dairy. Middle Eastern- and Mediterranean-style restaurants have vegan food options. Chinese, Thai and other similar restaurants also will have vegetarian and vegan fare. Indian, Vietnamese, Ethiopian and African restaurants may be added to this list of specific cuisine places. England has the best vegetarian-vegan food. They always had great substitutes for meat on the menu, such as textured soy protein and Quorn. If you visit England taste vegan sausage rolls.

 

• Pack some food, particularly that one you usually eat. Soups and hot cereals that require only hot water, cartons of soy or rice milk, an organic cereal, herb teas and the grain beverages are good for such cases. Pack a large bowl, eating utensils and a knife for cutting fruits. Take a jar of organic almond butter and buy nonwheat bread locally for sandwiches.

 

• If there are no restaurants to be found that have vegetarian food, opt for a grocery store and buy vegan yogurt, vegan energy bars, cereal bars, fruit, crackers, chips, and bagels - items generally available in standard grocery stores. When you travel in the UK pay attention to packaged foods with green circle and white V with the text "approved by the Vegetarian Society" on them. In Europe some food ingredients are note as "E" numbers. The ones to definitely avoid include:

 

E120 - cochineal (red food coloring made from crushed beetles)

E542 - edible bone phosphate

E631 - sodium 5'-inosinate

E901 - beeswax

E904 - shellac

E920 - L-cysteine hydrochloride.

 

To sum up, get prepared for your vacations and while you are there be creative.