Plant-Based Lifestyle: Tips for Traveling + Resources

Recently on the podcast, I did an episode about the pros and cons of a plant-based lifestyle and I talked about everything from what I eat when I travel, to how I got started to some of my favorite products. Since this was a super requested episode, I wanted to do a blog post as well so you could have links to the products I spoke about on the show to hopefully help you on your plant-based journey. (Listen to the episode here).

First things first, I am not fully vegan. I occasionally eat fish and sometimes honey. I also don’t live in a strict “vegan” household. Olivia eats all kinds of things and we both wear and use things made from animal products (but I’m slowly making those changes, too). Third, before you make any drastic changes to your diet or lifestyle, you should always consult with your healthcare professional.

Okay! Now, let’s dive in!

As I mentioned on the podcast, I was never a really big meat eater, even as a child, but did notice a huge shift in how I felt when I made the transition to a plant-based diet. I felt lighter, woke up less puffy and had little trouble reaching my goal weight (I also do intermittent fasting where I don’t eat after 7pm or before 10am, but more on that in the episode… click here to listen).

WHAT I EAT WHEN I TRAVEL

I almost never eat fast food when I am home, but when I am traveling, especially when it is a smaller town, sometimes fast food places have some good vegan options. I usually travel with a toaster (don’t judge me) so I will stop at a grocery store before heading to my hotel and pick up a loaf of bread, peanut butter, bananas, and carrot sticks for my hotel room. That way I know I always have a vegan option available to me, especially for when I get home from work and am too tired to figure out what else to eat.

What I Order When I’m on The Road

Chipotle – my favorite of the fast food options, I order a veggie bowl with brown rice, both kinds of beans, the fajita veggies, sofritos, all three kinds of salsa, guac (which is free if you don’t order meat) and some lettuce.

Burger King – close second, I will eat the Impossible Whopper as my guilty pleasure when I travel. I like mine with extra pickles and a side of mustard. To try to stay at least a bit on the healthy side, I order water instead of a soda and I don’t order fries.

HappyCow is an incredible resource that I use A LOT when I travel. It is like Yelp but for Vegan/Veg restaurants around the country. You just put in the zip code and restaurants near you that are vegan friendly will pop up on a map with reviews from other users. It is a really great way to find places to eat in a new city. (Because there is nothing worse than showing up to a restaurant and have nothing you can eat on the menu).

FAVORITE PRODUCT/SWAPS

Treeline Cream Cheese – this is my favorite cream cheese vegan product. I love it spread on a bagel with some of Trader Joes’ everything but the bagel seasoning.

Earth Balance Buttery Spread: I LOVE eating a toasted baguette with butter and this spread resembles the taste of butter to me more than any other.

Beyond Meat Ground Beef – I use this in my Bolognese sauce (recipe coming soon)

Follow Your Heart Parmesan Cheese – I’ve tried them all and these shreds are the best on the market. If you can’t find them near you, you can always use nutritional yeast as a swap, too!

Daiya Chedder Cheese Block– I find when I grate this at home, it has the same taste and consistency perfect for tacos and nachos.

Reddi-Wip Almond Whipped Cream – My favorite to use on some fresh berries as a treat. Seriously good.

As I mentioned on the podcast, I am going to start posting more vegan recipes here so make sure to check back for updates!

RESOURCES

There are so many great documentaries out there on the benefits, both health and environmentally, of living a plant based diet. A few of my favorites are:

What the Health – “This film examines the link between diet and disease, and the billions of dollars at stake in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and food industries.”

Forks Over Knives – “According to the research of two food scientists, the popularity of processed foods has led to epidemic rates of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.”

Earthlings. – “EARTHLINGS is a 2005 American documentary film about humankind’s total dependence on animals for economic purposes.  Presented in five chapters (pets, food, clothing, entertainment and scientific research) the film is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, featuring music by Moby, and was written, produced and directed by Shaun Monson.”

If you want more information, I break down everything from my favorite recipes to cookbooks to more products on A Beginners Guide to Eating Plant Based. Check it out here! And if you have any killer plant-based recipes or product for me to try! Let me know! I always love discovering new vegan treats!