I found this article and thought it was pretty humorous.  While traveling, it can often be difficult to find healthy food in airports and such.  It can be even harder to find vegan food, as the traveler in the article points out.  The funniest part of the article was him trying to convince the security agent that his peanut butter wasn’t a security risk:

On a recent flight I brought a jar of vegan creamy peanut butter with me. The security agent insisted that my carry-on food product was a cream, and therefore a forbidden substance.

A rather strange discussion ensued in which I tried to explain that peanut butter was a solid with a “creamy” consistency. Creamy was, in this case, an adjective. And the peanut butter should not be thrown in the trash.

The agent looked at me as if I were as nutty as my peanut butter.

With our cruise fast approaching (only 2 weeks away!!!), I’ve been wondering myself if I will have problems finding vegan food.  While I have only been wondering, my very sweet and thoughtful omni-best-friend is so worried for me that she offered to contact the cruise line to find out if there will be vegan food on the boat.  What do vegans eat anyway?

I don’t think it’s necessary to go to such great lengths.  Every restaurant I’ve ever been to, even the most meat-centered, has made a vegan/vegetarian dish when I have requested it and not seen one on the menu.  Most menus are customizable.  In fact, to a certain extent, I think the traveler in this article isn’t as resourceful as a vegan needs to be in a non-vegan society.  For example, I can think of LOTS of things that can be made vegan with a little creativity:

1. Burritos.  Most airports have burrito joints.  Order a basic burrito– beans, rice, veggies (if available), lettuce and such.  Add some guac, but ask for no cheese and no sour cream.  If the beans are refried, confirm that they are vegetarian; likewise with the rice as it has the potential to have been made with animal stock.  Even items from places as gross as Taco Bell can be made vegan.  Bean burrito, no cheese.  Tostada, no cheese. Etc.  Etc.
2. Burgers.  Burgers are abundant as a quick and cheap meal.  Order a burger, sans patty and mayo.  Add extra veggies, if possible.  Order a side of fries and pile the fries inside the bun in place of a patty.  This would do in a pinch, but you do run the risk of the bun being not vegan-friendly.  Bread can be tricky.Now, I know if I don’t address it, people are going to suggest “what about the BK Veggie offered by Burger King?”  Yes, many places are not offering veggie patties which they will use on a burger in place of the battered dairy cow flesh.  I would only order this as a last resort and would specifically request that it be microwaved instead of grilled to avoid being contaminated with said battered dairy cow flesh on the grill.  I would also order is sans bun and mayo.  Keep in mind that the BK Veggie is offered as a “meat free” burger, not as one that is veg*n friendly.
3. Sandwiches.  Chain sandwich shops like Subway are usually present in the airport.From Subway’s website:The menu items that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients are the Veggie Delite® on Italian bread and the Veggie Delite® salad. Also these individual items do not contain animal-derived ingredients: all vegetables, oil, vinegar, mustard, sweet onion sauce and Fruizle. The wheat bread and deli roll contain honey but no other animal-derived ingredients.

   (Note: the Italian Bread at Subway is the only vegan bread.  The others contain honey and/or cheese.)

   If there isn’t a Subway around, any kind of sandwich loaded with veggies, without mayo is probably a safe option.  If you’re unsure about the bread, ask, or go for a salad.

4. Salad.  While some may not consider this the most filling of meal options, I can’t think of anything easier.  There would likely not be any customization necessary, just be sure to order it with a vinaigrette.

5. Pizza.  I’ve been to many an airport with a Pizza Hut and isn’t this list from their website handy?  Order a veggie pizza, no cheese, with Thin ‘N Crispy dough.  The benefit of a custom order is that you’ll be assured of having a freshly baked pizza and not one that has been sitting under a heat lamp.
   
6. McDonald’s.  Doesn’t get much grosser than this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  Even Mickey D’s, the most vegan unfriendly of fast food establishments, can do if you find yourself without any other alternatives.  I haven’t been here in years and don’t even know what they serve anymore, but thanks to their very high tech website, I was able to download a menu and ingredients list.  Everything on the list has weird ingredients in it– like corn syrup as the first ingredient followed by high fructose corn syrup as the second ingredient.  One may argue that McDonald’s does, in fact, NOT serve food, since food is meant to nourish the body.   I would agree.  Eat here at your own risk.  The only reason I’m listing it here is because they are everywhere.If you were in a position and had to resort to McDonald’s, your options would be pretty limited, but at least you wouldn’t starve.  Options: Any salad minus chicken and cheese.  Be sure the dressing is a vinaigrette of some sort.  I would stay away from the Caesar Salad, only because Caesar dressing typically contains anchovies and cheese.  Be forewarned that the croutons have whey in them.

   Another option may be one of the wrap sandwiches, minus the chicken of course.  The ingredients list for the tortilla it gets wrapped up in is hard to read (lots of weird sounding things) and I’m not sure that it is vegan.  If you order this, add any veggie that you can to it (tomato, pickle, etc.) and maybe just use the lettuce as the wrap instead of the tortilla.  If you truly were desperate enough to eat at McDonald’s, the vegan police won’t hunt you down for eating a possibly non-vegan tortilla.

7. Starbucks.  Again, another chain that is everywhere.  Some are even offering hot sandwiches and snack packs to go.  All of them have little packs of nuts for sale and sometimes dried fruit.  I guess some stores are now offering oatmeal, which appears to be vegan.My biggest gripe with Starbucks is that they charge you 40 cents extra to have your drink made with soy milk.  I mean, is there really that much difference between the cost of cow’s milk and soy milk?  No.  The cost of a Starbucks drink should be all inclusive– tea/espresso, syrup, milk.  I’m sending them a letter.  Alright, I just sent them an email requesting that they start offering more vegan snacks and stop charging an extra 40 cents for soy milk.  If you agree with my gripe, send them an email too.

8. Breakfast.  Finding a satisfying breakfast while on the go can be challenging.  Again, a bit of customization is necessary in order to get something that will fill you up.  Stay away from pancakes, waffles and the like since these items are typically made with both dairy and egg products.  Instead, opt for a vegetarian omelet without the eggs.  If they have tofu in the kitchen (which would be a small miracle), ask that they make it with that instead.  Ask how they cook the omelets and request that yours be cooked with a little bit of oil instead of butter, if necessary.  Have some toast on the side, dry unless margarine is an option.  Top it with some fruit preserves.Oatmeal is also a great option.  It’s filling and healthy.  Order it without milk.  Ask for soy milk, if they have it, or some apple juice.  Apple juice on oatmeal is actually quite good.  Add a little cinnamon and you instantly have apple-cinnamon oatmeal!

I hope this dispells the myth that vegans have a hard time finding something to eat while traveling (or even eating out).  Yes, it may be difficult to find food of the caliber that you are accustomed to, but you’ll need to relax your palate a bit if you don’t want to starve to death.