How to Travel while Vegan on a Budget
As someone who’s been vegetarian since 2014 and vegan since 2020, I’ve had a lot of time to discover how to cook wholesome and affordable meals that actually taste good. However, when I first started traveling I had no idea where to start in terms of feeding myself while hostel hopping. Peanut butter sandwiches and an apple you found in the free food cabinet only get you so far before you die of vitamin deficiency or the classic hostel-induced plague. So here lies my favorite assortment of meals that can be made in the most primordial of hostel kitchens…
(also please enjoy this pic of me from my college days suited up in my ex-boyfriend’s Sunday best in our communal kitchen)
- Bagels with Fixin’s
- These are great because they require absolutely no refrigeration and can be customized based on what ingredients are available to you. Throw some stray hostel salt and pepper on top and you’ve got yourself a meal!
- Ingredients: Obviously the humble bagel (toast can be substituted) topped with:
- Spreads:
- Peanut butter
- Hummus
- Jam
- Smashed avocado
- Toppings:
- Baked beans
- This might be controversial, but beans on avocado toast is one of the finest culinary experiences I’ve ever indulged in
- Banana slices on a jam or pb toast
- Get creative and throw on whatever fruit you’ve got (apple slices, blueberries, strawberries… etc.)
- Seasoning blend or hot sauce
- if you’re like me and willing to give up some fractions of those precious backpack liters for a little heat, a seasoning blend or travel size sriracha can take you far
- Tomato
- if you’ve ever been to Spain, you know how yummy tomato toast is– just slice or smash up some tomato and top it with salt and some olive oil if you’re feeling extra fancy
- Baked beans
- Spreads:
- Oat bowls
- If all your traveling has you constantly making use of the communal bathroom (or maybe not getting there enough) allow the beautiful, fibrous, versatile and wholesome oat to heal your GI issues. Microwave some oats with some water or plant-based milk for 2-3 minutes then jazz it up with some simple, versatile, yet delicious toppings.
- Topping ideas:
- Peanut butter
- Agave
- Various fruits
- Nuts
- Soy yogurt
- Topping ideas:
- A lot of these ingredients can be repurposed to make other hostel meals so the investment in some staple ingredients for your oats will be worth it!
- If all your traveling has you constantly making use of the communal bathroom (or maybe not getting there enough) allow the beautiful, fibrous, versatile and wholesome oat to heal your GI issues. Microwave some oats with some water or plant-based milk for 2-3 minutes then jazz it up with some simple, versatile, yet delicious toppings.
- Chickpea Salad Wraps
- Jarred or canned chickpeas have been readily available in virtually every place I’ve traveled to and they’re a great source of protein for a sickly, little, frail, vitamin deficient, dying vegan… (too far?). Pair it with some basic veggies, a tortilla or bread, and some seasonings and you’ll for sure live to see another day!
- For any good chickpea salad sandwich you’ll need a creamy component and a crunchy component
- Creamy ingredients: Smash up those chickpeas with an avocado or for chickpea addicts perhaps pair your beans with some hummus. If you’re really lucky perhaps you could track down some vegan mayo, but in a pinch a little oil and water will do the trick.
- Crunchy ingredients: Chopped up tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions (get creative with your veggies!)
- For any good chickpea salad sandwich you’ll need a creamy component and a crunchy component
- Jarred or canned chickpeas have been readily available in virtually every place I’ve traveled to and they’re a great source of protein for a sickly, little, frail, vitamin deficient, dying vegan… (too far?). Pair it with some basic veggies, a tortilla or bread, and some seasonings and you’ll for sure live to see another day!
- Veggie Stir-Fry
- This is always a meal I go back to because it covers all the food groups and is so easy to make! You can also easily adapt the ingredients to what you have available and still make something scrumptious. You’ll need:
- Veggies
- Fresh or frozen chopped veggies
- Protein
- Chickpeas, edamame, tofu, tempeh, seitan
- Sauce
- Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, peanut sauce (you can buy a jar if it’s available or whip up a quick PB, soy sauce, and agave simple sauce)
- Carb Base
- Serve your creation over rice, quinoa (for an extra bump of protein), or even pasta
- Veggies
- This is always a meal I go back to because it covers all the food groups and is so easy to make! You can also easily adapt the ingredients to what you have available and still make something scrumptious. You’ll need:
- Protein Pasta with Sauce
- Ok, hear me out. Everyone loves pasta, but obviously after eating it after weeks on end it’s going to get boring. Here are some ideas of how to jazz up your pasta and make it a more nutritionally complete meal that you’ll actually be excited to eat. Don’t have a stove top to boil water? Is Jimmy from the bar crawl cooking a 9 course meal and hogging all the burners? If you’ve got a microwave you can just add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time it says on the package and cook your pasta in a microwave safe bowl filled with water.
- Sauces
- Red sauce
- Pesto
- Hummus with a little pasta water (a little weird but I eat this all the time now even at home, I swear it’s so good!)
- Peanut Sauce (you can buy a jar if it’s available or whip up a quick PB, soy sauce, and agave simple sauce)
- Nutrition additions
- Add some protein like chickpeas, edamame, tofu, tempeh, seitan
- Add some veggies like spinach, broccoli, bell peppers or whatever random veggies you can come by
- Get protein from your pasta. More places than you would expect sell chickpea or red lentil pasta. Also check the labels on regular flour and water based pasta, some brands randomly have significant amounts.
- Sauces
- Ok, hear me out. Everyone loves pasta, but obviously after eating it after weeks on end it’s going to get boring. Here are some ideas of how to jazz up your pasta and make it a more nutritionally complete meal that you’ll actually be excited to eat. Don’t have a stove top to boil water? Is Jimmy from the bar crawl cooking a 9 course meal and hogging all the burners? If you’ve got a microwave you can just add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time it says on the package and cook your pasta in a microwave safe bowl filled with water.
Simple Hostel Hopping Shopping List:
- Carbs
- Pasta
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Tortillas
- Bread
- Oats
- Protein
- Chickpeas
- Baked Beans
- Peanut Butter
- Edamame
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Seitan
- Hummus
- Nuts
- Soy yogurt
- Produce
- Frozen mixed veggies
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Bell pepper
- Tomato
- Carrots
- Avocado
- Apples
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Berries
- Sauces & Spices
- Agave
- Jam
- Soy sauce
- Teriyaki sauce
- Vegan pesto
- Red sauce
- Hot sauce
- All-purpose seasoning (I love taco seasoning packets because they’re so portable and flavorful)
Many of these ingredients are also foods that you can snack on throughout the day such as veggies and hummus, nuts, and fruit. As someone who is always hungry, I love to keep some food on me at all times.
You absolutely do not need to buy all of these ingredients to feed yourself a nutritious vegan diet while traveling, but with a basic assortment of some staples, you can feed yourself for an affordable price while still looking forward to mealtimes. You got this– I can already feel hostel kitchens quaking everywhere in response to your culinary excellence. Now go make the best microwaved pasta the world ever did see!