Tips for the Vegetarian Backpacker

A lot of people want to try, at least once in their lives, to backpack across Europe, but only a few do manage to venture out. A great many balk at the challenges, others are put off by the preparations and the costs. Others just lack the drive, and others too, particularly vegetarians, feel that if they do take that backpacking trip, their nutritional requirements would not be met.

Many people mistakenly believe that vegetarians would not be able to survive the arduous journey because of the special diet they have. Maybe this was true in the past, but because of the public’s growing interest and understanding of a vegan lifestyle, it now is, possible for these individuals to accomplish these feats.

Vegetarians should not feel that their dietary requirements would hinder them from embarking on journeys such as these. Prior to leaving your homeland, you can do your research and start preparing for your trip.

You can first send emails to the hostels you wish to stay in. Aside from inquiring about their rates, availabilities and their accepted mode of payment, you can also inform them of your needs and ask if they can address these. If they can’t, you can use the internet and search for places: cafes, restaurants, bars and bistros; even hostels that offer vegetarian cuisine and have vegetarian fare in their respective menus. From there, you can identify the route you should take.

In addition to that, you can actually bring some of your food with you. Several companies now manufacture frozen food that caters to the needs of backpackers, meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. If you’re not keen on bringing something frozen, you can bring the following ready-to-cook with you:

Soups & Convenient Foods
There are several noodles that cook in as little as five minutes. If you do not feel like heating water, you can purchase ready to eat food that come in cans or bottles. Check your local grocery store for these. The only downside to this is that the containers tend to be bulky and some can be heavy.

Easy Meals
Other kinds of food include quick meals. These are food packets that contain not just rice, but lentils and other beans that when cooked, will provide you with a relatively heavy meal. Try to avoid buying quick meals that have too many dried beans as these take longer to cook. Those not too keen on eating rice and beans have other alternatives such as instant mashed potatoes, hummus, even pasta.

Breakfast & Snack Foods
Before you start your journey, you must have a bite of oatmeal, cereal, fruits, granola bars. If you suddenly feel hungry, you can regain your energy and curb your hunger by munching on granola bars, sesame sticks, crackers, bread, fruits, vegetables or even nuts.

Given the wide range of products and choices available in the market, there is no reason why people with special needs, not just vegetarians, should be hindered from doing the activities done by others.

So go on and grab your backpack! You’re now ready to conquer Europe!