Despite the excitement and fulfillment I derive from exploring diverse cuisines during my travels overseas, it is worth noting that vegetarianism abroad is not necessarily always easy. It is certainly not as glamorous as a blog stocked with images of delicious and unique dishes might lead some to believe. Many meals on 12+ hour bus rides are disappointingly devoid of nutritional value and I don’t like to admit how many times I’ve resorted to processed garbage in transit stations. Even someone that is relatively conscious about what they put into their body ends up consuming snacks with primary ingredients including sugar, white flour, and hydrogenated oil when they would otherwise go hungry. I have entered many a restaurant scouring the menu for something other than bland pizza and pasta before leaving in search of more healthful options, sometimes going into four or five places before finally settling on one so that my boyfriend can at least get something to eat without going insane. The frustration and disappointment involved in this process time and again is what doesn’t come across in mediums such as this.
Luckily, this ain’t my first rodeo. I’ve survived long enough as a vegetarian that I’m used to fending for myself since I decided 12 years ago that animal flesh wasn’t doing it for me. Although times have evolved, back then my conservative hometown in Alaska wasn’t very accustomed to the concept and I took a lot of flak from my peers (to my amusement, many people I grew up with have now seen the light for themselves). In any case, I’ve devised some tricks that help me out in even the most dire of circumstances. I will frequently buy fruits and vegetables at the tiny produce stalls and use my pocketknife to create a sandwich in just about any setting—this is my most common meal on long-distance buses which I end up taking every couple of days while backpacking. I will also sometimes transform a lame side “salad” generally consisting of some lettuce and shredded beet or carrot, and put it into a bread roll for another on-the-go meal. If I’m someplace with a kitchen, I’ll often eat much better if I cook for myself and try to whip up a salad, stir fry, or baked veggie dish with the minimal supplies available.
Overall, I think it’s important to be honest about the trials and tribulations that vegetarians face while traveling in this part of the world. Obviously, being on the road is a much different story from someone that is settled in a place with knowledge about the local food markets and adequate cooking facilities at their disposal. Eating consistent, nutritious meals with whole ingredients is something I look forward to when ending the backpacking portion of this trip. In the meantime, it’s almost better to make light of the difficulties that living with dietary restrictions causes; for instance, the mentality towards vegetarians in Argentina can basically be summed up as…
Wholesome Harvest 