Travel // Dining Out

Dining Out

There's no need to worry about whether you'll be able to find delicious vegetarian food while vacationing away from your favorite haunts. PETA can help you find vegetarian-friendly dining options wherever you may roam.

Many restaurant chains provide lots of vegetarian dishes right on the menu—you don't have to ask for anything special. Check out a list of restaurants with vegetarian entrées. Some fast-food restaurants offer quick eats such as veggie burgers and bean burritos. Review this list of fast-food chains that offer vegetarian options. It's also wise to have vegetarian snacks on hand just in case hunger hits when stopping isn't convenient. Check out this list of portable veggie snacks.

Eating Abroad

For international dining resources, visit VegDining.com and check out its dining card available through the PETA Mall. Visit VegCooking.com for reviews of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the United States.

If you're visiting a country where a few non-English phrases might be helpful, the International Vegetarian Union has translations and pronunciation guides for languages from every continent. The Vegan Passport, which explains vegetarianism in several languages, is available from The American Vegan Society. To get your copy, write to The American Vegan Society at 56 Dinshah Ln., P.O. Box H, Malaga, NJ 08328-0908, or call 609-694-2887. Speaking Vegetarian, published by Pilot Books, is also a good resource. To get your copy, for $14.95, call 1-800-797-4568 or e-mail pilotmail@hamptons.com.

What to Avoid

The saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" may hold true when it comes to eating pasta, but some regional eating habits can be hard for compassionate travelers to stomach. It is especially important to avoid the following cruelly produced animal products during your travels:

Foie gras is made from the grotesquely enlarged livers of ducks and geese who have been cruelly force-fed. Although France is the primary exporter and consumer of this so-called "delicacy," the inhumane force-feedings take place in the United States too. Learn more about foie gras here.
Veal comes from male calves who are traumatically separated from their distraught mothers at birth and forced to spend their short lives in individual crates that are often barely larger than their own bodies. These crates are designed to prohibit exercise and normal muscle growth in order to produce tender "gourmet" veal. Learn more about veal here.
Don't be reeled in by "seafood" buffets. The methods used to catch and kill fish, shrimp, lobsters, crabs, and other sea life are horrifying. Whether they're raised on filthy, antibiotic-laden aquafarms, caught in the ocean by enormous nets, or hooked through the mouth, there's no doubt about it—eating aquatic animals is cruel. Learn more about fish and lobsters.
In some Asian countries, the flesh of horses, dogs, and cats is served in restaurants alongside the flesh of cows and pigs and may not be identified by species. It's best not to eat any meat.

The increasing popularity of veganism has made it easier than ever for travelers to eat ethically wherever they go. Making a point to choose vegetarian options when dining out will also help send the message that restaurants should offer more vegetarian meals. Bon voyage and bon appétit!