TAKE ACTION: EATING ON THE ROAD

Liz Knowles/Laura Risk

Eating on the road is hard. The good news is that it is getting easier! There are certainly more healthy options available than ever before, though you might still have to dig a little. Here are a few tips for eating well on the road while being conscious of your environmental impact. A lot of these hacks will save you money, too.

  • Find a good grocery store. Find a nearby grocery store with organic and, hopefully, locally sourced options. A meal from a salad bar made up of locally sourced food is usually fresh, delicious, and less expensive than a meal in a restaurant. Bring your own container for an added bonus!

  • Find a farmers market. This ticks all the boxes for us: locally sourced food, tasty and healthy options, connection to the community, and a chance to meet people and see the area. A no-brainer. In the U.S., you can search for nearby farmers markets via the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.

  • Plan for meatless meals.  We are not vegetarians but we love vegetarian food. Too often, however, we find ourselves mindlessly satisfying hunger on tight schedules without taking into account how much meat we’ve eaten in the last week. Paying more attention to meal options, plus a little planning ahead, can allow you to recenter your food choices and seek out as many vegetarian options as possible while on tour. 

  • Rewrite your rider: Local food. Ask for locally sourced food backstage. We are so often asked what we can and can’t eat and we happily reveal our food ticks and preferences! We do not always think about where our backstage food comes from, however. Ask for local food and you might get something interesting, unusual and unexpected—and take home a great memory of a place you didn’t really get to see otherwise! 

  • Rewrite your rider: Serviceware. Ask for real silverware and plates rather than plastic or paper. Indicate that you won’t be needing plastic water bottles. Bring your own reusable bottle and fill up before going on stage. Think ‘reuse’ rather than ‘recycle’.

  • Rewrite your rider: Packaging. Ask that promoters and venues think about minimizing packaging. Ask for options that don’t involve to-go packaging. Minimize backstage packets like seasoning, sugar, creamers, etc.

  • Ask about composting. Doesn the venue compost uneaten food? Does your house concert host compost? Does the festival compost onsite (see Hillside Festival)? Can you take your compostable garbage with you and dispose of it where it will be composted?

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