PLANT-POWERED TOURING 3: A Day in Tour Life
by Emerald Rae
Welcome to the future of sustainable travel! Going veggie is easier than ever and is an effective way to drastically cut down your carbon footprint and keep your energy up on the road. I have been touring-as-vegan for 4 years and wrote this guide to answer some common questions I encounter in my travels.
Here’s a run-down of what’s commonly available on a typical travel day. Feel free to ask me questions at emerald@emeraldrae.com. Photo above: Veggie burger in Burlington, Vermont.
Here we go! Instead of focusing on finding one “protein” food, try to mix and match grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes to give yourself a nutritious diet full of protein, iron, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Let’s go through a typical tour day...
BREAKFAST
A selection of these will likely be readily available at a hotel or homestay...
Grains: Oatmeal, granola, toast, bagels
Fruit: banana, berries, apples, oranges, melon
Spreads: nut butter, jam
Yogurt Substitutes: apple sauce, mashed banana
Beverages: black coffee, black and green tea, orange juice (so you can absorb all the iron in the above… and fight off scurvy, the plague of folk musicians everywhere!)
If you want, here’s what you can bring with you...
Nuts & Seeds: walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, chia
Nut Milk: almond, cashew, coconut, macadamia, oat
Advanced Hippiedom: spirulina, turmeric, flax seed
LUNCH
How to navigate finding food on that long-haul drive...
Finding a Restaurant: Eating at restaurants can seem a little daunting at first. Google the menu ahead of time to see if you can work with it. If you go to a restaurant and discover that it’s not workable, it’s OK to leave and go somewhere else. Be friendly and ask questions. Everything will be fine! Be aware that some types of restaurants will be easier than others. In general, Mexican, Indian and Thai are super easy, sushi can be slightly less easy than those, but totally doable; Standard American Diet (SAD) can be tough, BBQ and Soul/Comfort Food is asking for trouble — although I have come across vegan soul food!
Work with your server: Tell them you are vegetarian or vegan or gluten free or whatever. They want to help you, and may be more nervous than you are. Find something on the menu that is close and ask for substitutions. I’m always on the hunt for sides of avocado, sauerkraut and hot sauce. You can also just make something up from other items on the menu. Be friendly and TIP WELL.
(Pro Tip: DON’T tell them you have an allergy. They can tell you are lying and aren’t amused.)
***SECRET VEGGIE/GF MENU ITEMS***
Restaurants often have off-the-menu options for folks with dietary restrictions. Don’t be afraid to ask — it won’t be the first time.
Finding a Veggie Restaurant: The Happy Cow (www.happycow.net) will help you find great local recommendations. You can also the Urban Spoon App. I often use Waze, Google Maps, or Apple Maps to search for “vegetarian” or “vegan restaurants nearby.”
QUICKER OPTIONS
You got on the road late and need something fast... but not fast food...
Go to a Grocery Store:
You can pull 0.5 miles off the highway and everyone in the band can buy whatever they want. Most larger grocery stores have tons of pre-prepared to-go food. Plus, they’ll have things like batteries, toothpaste, phone chargers and other things you’ve left behind.
Finding Snacks on the Highway:
These will likely be readily available at a service station... behind the Doritos...
Fruit: bananas, apples, oranges
Nuts: peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, mixed nuts
Granola bars: Check for ingredients and sugar content
Trail Mix: nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate
Juice: orange, tomato, smoothies
Hummus: Sabra with pretzels is everywhere now but look for others too!
AIR TRAVEL
What to eat in the air and on the ground...
On the Ground:
Luckily, you're trapped in a giant shopping mall. The options will vary from somewhat plentiful to endless. Armed with your new tricks for navigating restaurants and convenience stores, you will be able to glide right through. If you're in a rush, you can easily stop and ask staff members where the best veggie options are located so you don't have to take a tour of the entire terminal -- although I tend to use it as an excuse to get some much-needed walking in before a long flight.
In the Air:
Plane food sucks. You can sometimes request a vegan meal on the plane, but I usually just bring food with me so I can eat what I want. If I'm changing time zones, I often use this as an excuse for a little "juice fast" and just drink juice, smoothies and water while traveling. It really helps reduce the effects of jet lag and helps reset my digestive system for the next day.
We live our lives between veritable mountains of food! So relax, spin some tunes and enjoy your favorite vegan road snacks on the way to the gig.
Next Up: Put It In Your Rider