Staying Vegan While On Vacation

Today I am delighted to publish a guest post from one of my readers, Cole Millen. 

Cole describes himself as "an avid traveler and foodie who never forgets that life's best memories are made through real life apprehension of legitimate 'experiences'".

Cole has recently been finding out how difficult it is to maintain a nutritious diet when travelling. 

With increasing demand for healthier travel experiences, I thought it would be useful for Cole to share some tips and tricks of the trade that he has learned from his own experiences of travelling and staying healthy. 

It is easy to stick to a routine when everything stays the same. However, it is difficult for many dieters to be consistent when something changes. Going on vacation is challenging because dieters lose focus and splurge. Those who are on a vegan diet do not have to give up while on the road. It is not always easy to find vegan meals, but it is possible stick to a vegan diet and eat healthily while on vacation without much hassle.

Bring Food Along

It is always smart to pack snacks. Trips never go as planned and it can be hard to know when or where the next meal will happen. Having snacks around saves money and offers an energy boost while on the go. Plus, not every restaurant caters to vegans. Travelers may have to make many substitutions to a dish before it is ready to eat, and the leftover result may be simple and bland.  No one should have to settle for lackluster dishes while on vacation. Travelers should pack their favorite vegan condiments and discretely use them on food to increase the flavor.

Research before Travel

No one is truly a stranger in a strange land thanks to the internet and travel guides. Travelers research climates, hotels and attractions before vacationing anywhere, and it is smart for vegans to research food options. Looking into the customs of an area, finding vegan friendly restaurants nearby a hotel and searching specifically for vegan cuisine is helpful before travel.

The most helpful pieces of advice will come from fellow vegans so. Look for blogs or reviews of hotels and restaurants to find tips from others. There may be specific vegan groups from an area on the internet, or a few travelers may have listed how they survived in a new location on a vegan diet. In my most recent travel to the west coast, I found a great site that allowed for me to better prepare for my trip by reading the reviews on Las Vegas hotels and finding vegan alternatives in the midst of the heavily condensed buffet zone. Being prepared beforehand will help travelers enjoy the sights without worrying about the food.

Learn the Language

Venturing across the world means there might be a language barrier. While people in many countries speak English, it is helpful to learn a few phrases in the native language. Do not just look for translations of the word "vegan" because this often just means a simple meal in other cultures. Assemble a list of basic vocabulary words that relate to foods vegans typically eat. This lets travelers inquire for specific and well liked items. Foreign countries often offer unique foods. There may be special vegetables or vegan dishes that a country is known for. Look up the vocabulary for local foods to try new vegan items.

Offer Ideas at Restaurants

Restaurants try to accommodate patrons, but many wait staff are not always familiar with the needs of a vegan diet. It may fall to the guest to ask questions and make suggestions to help inform the staff. Knowing what a restaurant offers beforehand and having ideas ready helps the process of dining out go smoothly. Those who are friendly and explain their dietary needs while making polite suggestions should find that the restaurant is willing to make changes.

Cook While on the Road

Eating out for the entirety of a vacation is the fastest way to gain weight and lose money. Most accommodations have a kitchen area, so travelers should plan to cook a few meals. Cooking gives vegans total control of a meal and can be a worthwhile experience. This lets travelers visit authentic markets, buy local foods and create their own recipes. Making dinner in a different setting can be as memorable an occasion as anything else on a trip.

Staying on a vegan diet while on vacation is not impossible. Some people may encounter locations that do not have vegan options, but all vacations have setbacks. Maintaining a positive attitude and laughing over challenges helps make the most of any vacation. There is always another restaurant nearby, and no one will starve will trying to uphold a vegan diet on vacation. Researching the area, planning beforehand and being flexible make it possible to have an enjoyable, exciting and relaxing vegan vacation.

If you have enjoyed this post and would like to keep in touch, please sign up for my free email updates.

You can also join me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Easy tips for eating more fruit and vegetables

We all know that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is vital for our health and well-being.

It just isn't always that easy to do.

So here are some ideas and tips to help you reach your 5-a-day and maybe even in time your 10-a-day - please CLICK to tweet.

The vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytonutrients contained in fruit and vegetables are essential for all bodily functions, such as digestion, detoxification, immunity, mood regulation and our hormone system. The more fruit and vegetables we eat, the better we look and feel.

Government dietary guidelines in the UK and the USA suggest eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

Cancer experts say that consuming 8 to 10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day is even better for protecting our health.

The last National Diet and Nutrition Survey in the UK revealed that the majority of the population is not even managing to eat the minimum guideline of 5 portions per day - only 13 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women met this goal.

Average intake of fruit and vegetables was 2.7 portions for men and 2.9 portions for women. Of the men surveyed, 21 per cent ate no fruit in the survey week and 2 per cent ate no vegetables.

Women did a little better, with 15 per cent eating no fruit and 2 per cent eating no vegetables. One per cent reported eating no fruit or vegetables in the survey week.

Mean daily consumption was lowest in the youngest group (19–24 years) at 1.3 and 1.8 portions for men and women respectively, and was highest in the oldest group (50–64 years) at 3.6 and 3.8 portions.

Here are some tips for increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables in your diet

1.            Buy many kinds of fruits and vegetables when you shop so you have plenty of choices 2.            Stock up on frozen vegetables for easy cooking, so that you always have a vegetable dish with every dinner 3.            Use the fruits and vegetables that go bad easily (peaches, asparagus) first. Save hardier varieties (apple, squash) or frozen goods for later in the week 4.            Keep fruits and vegetables where you can see them. The more often you see them, the more likely you are to eat them. 5.            Keep a bowl of cut-up vegetables on the top shelf of the refrigerator 6.            Cut up a selection of fruit and leave the plate on the table when the children come home from school - you will find that it all miraculously disappears 7.            Choose fresh fruit for dessert or make a simple fruit compote (e.g., apple and apricot). Cooking apples can be steamed in a matter of minutes and served with a simple sauce, e.g., peanut butter and rice malt syrup, or dried pears, cinnamon and tahini. 8.            Keep a fruit bowl on your kitchen counter table, or desk at work. 9.            Pack a piece of fruit or some cut-up vegetables in your briefcase or backpack; carry moist towelettes for easy cleanup. 10.       Add fruits and vegetables to lunch by having them in a soup or salad, or cut up raw. 11.       Soups are an excellent way to combine a wide range of different vegetables. Simple combinations allow you to create variety throughout the week. 12.       Experiment with fruit smoothies. Use a simple hand blender to blend a selection of fruits, e.g., blueberries, strawberries, banana with rice milk and some ground seeds. 13.       Experiment with home-made vegetable juices prepared using a juicing machine. 14.       Make a carrot and apple base and add vegetables such as cabbage, cucumber, celery, fennel, beetroot, radish and red cabbage. Herbs such as mint and parsley can also be added. Numerous combinations can be created, such as apple, cucumber and mint; carrot and beetroot; apple, red cabbage and beetroot; carrot, apple and celery; apple, celery and lime. 15.       Experiment with cooking vegetables in different ways: stir-frying, steaming and sautéing are quick and easy methods. Vegetables can also be baked – although the cooking time is longer, the preparation is quick. 16.       Add extra varieties of vegetables when you prepare soups, sauces and casseroles (for example, add grated carrots and courgettes to spaghetti sauce) 17.       Take advantage of salad bars, which offer ready-to-eat raw vegetables and fruits and prepared salads made with fruits and vegetables 18.       Use vegetable based juices such as carrot juice when preparing sauces.

Here is a handy guide I wrote suggesting over 50 ways to add portions of fruit and vegetables to your dishes.

If you have enjoyed this post and would like to keep in touch please sign up for my free email newsletter.

You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and visit my website.