By Cierra Peterlin, RD, VRG volunteer

Seeing new places, traveling new roads, and visiting new states, road trips are an adventurous vacation or an enjoyable way to reach a destination. With the rise in popularity of van/RV life and living on the road as well as the comfort of being around fewer people for travel during the pandemic, many of us have been planning road trip getaways. This leads to lots of time spent on the highway and in different places.

In our own towns, and even more so in unknown cities, vegans and vegetarians know it can be challenging to find a veg-friendly restaurant or food stop. Recently I decided to relocate from the Philadelphia, PA area to San Diego, CA, so boy did I have a road trip ahead of me. During my 40-some hour expedition, I would be in new territory and would have to find vegan food in new cities, gas stations, and rest stops. Over the course of my 6-day Cannonball Run I made pit stops in Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona before arriving in San Diego. In this article I’ll share resources and tips for finding vegan options anywhere in the country.

Bring snacks

The first thing I did was pack some hearty snacks… just in case. I gathered a few things that wouldn’t take up too much space and could hold up in a packed car. Plant-based protein shakes or individual size plant milks, Cinnamon Life cereal, pretzels, GoGo squeeZ applesauce, and Hippeas chickpea puffs (these did not hold up in the car and were very messy, but it was worth it cause they’re the best!) were my driving snacks of choice. Having easy snacks like the applesauce pouches and pretzels came in handy when driving. The protein shakes and plant milks were great for long stretches of road with minimal stops as well as for quick meals on the move with the cereal. If you’re going on a road trip I recommend keeping in mind what you can eat while driving and what you can eat as a passenger or at a pit stop. Also think about items that don’t need refrigeration and won’t get crushed in a crowded vehicle.

Learn to love the veggie wrap or sandwich

Chances are you’ll be relying on a Subway, Wawa, Sheets, or another convenience food mart like these for a meal or two. You might need to create a veggie sandwich or wrap. Italian bread or a flour tortilla with lettuce, tomato, onions, some type of pepper, and pickles are usually an option at these places. Some even have spinach, roasted veggies, or hummus. Lean towards sriracha or oil and vinegar for a vegan-friendly spread and voila, you have a vegan meal! It might not be the most glamorous, but it will nourish you and fill your tummy. This idea goes to my next point…

Lower your expectations

Eating on the road may not be what dreams are made of. Sometimes you may be arriving in cities at odd times when vegan restaurants are closed. You may be driving where there are few places to stop and you have to settle for some snacks or the classic vegan sandwich I describe above and move on. Keeping this in mind throughout the trip will help you to not be let down when the vegan food trucks in Moab, UT are closed on Wednesdays or the smoothie and salad spot in Phoenix, AZ is only open until 3 pm and you drive through at 4 pm. It will also make it so much better when you do get to a delicious vegan restaurant in a new city.

Hotels almost always have oatmeal

During your trip you’ll likely stay at some hotels or motels and in some you may get a continental breakfast! Items in these complimentary meals include the basic breakfast foods and one thing you can almost always count on is oatmeal. Typically, there will also be toppings such as raisins, brown sugar, and maybe chopped nuts. If you’re not into oatmeal, the hotel will probably have bread and bagels; however, plant-based butters/cream cheeses are few and far between in these settings. A selection of cereal will also probably be an option, but plant milk may not be (also keep in mind that many breakfast cereals are fortified with animal-based vitamin D3). Apples, bananas, and/or oranges will also probably be available as will coffee, tea, and juice. There is also a chance you might get lucky; out of the 5 hotels where I stayed during my travel, one had oat milk and veggie sausage upon request!

Use the resources

There are many apps and other resources available for finding vegan food options. When you’re in a new city you can turn to The Vegetarian Resource Group’s wealth of resources such as restaurant guides which are broken down by state and city (https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/). You can also download the Happy Cow app for listings of restaurants that are vegetarian, vegan, or have vegan/vegetarian options. The app lets you search anywhere and has pictures and reviews from other users. If these resources aren’t your style or you’re really in a crunch you can always count on a quick Google search to point you in the right direction: vegan food in name of city.

To read more about Cierra’s travels, go to https://www.vrg.org/blog/2022/09/06/vegan-restaurant-highlights-on-the-road-from-philadelphia-to-san-diego/