Tracye McQuirter Shares Her Best Vegan Travel Tips From a Year Abroad

Photo courtesy Tracye McQuirter

Communicating our dietary preferences to restaurant staff can be challenging enough on our home turf, but when our stomachs are grumbling in Guadalajara or we’re feeling peckish in Paris, the potential for error is enough to strike fear in the hearts of even the most intrepid travelers.

Subsisting on side salads and nutrition bars is not the only strategy for sidestepping meat and dairy when we travel, however. The key to eating well while we’re away is all in the pre-departure prep, according to Tracy McQuirter, MPH, who knows a thing or two about globetrotting as a vegan.

In early 2024, the best-selling author and public health nutritionist set off on a year-long sabbatical, traveling to 10 different countries across North America, Europe, and Asia. The experience fine-tuned her approach to navigating the world without undermining her ethics or her health.

Whether you’re heading off on a stress-relieving sabbatical or a two-week summer vacation, McQuirter’s travel takeaways can help you eat well and be well while wandering the world, too.

“Happy Cow, that’s obviously my bible,” says McQuirter. The popular vegan dining app is no secret among vegan travelers–-it boasts more than 2 million monthly users—but not everyone knows it can be used to find natural-food stores and even hotels.

And never underestimate Google. “I just happened to google ‘vegan restaurant’ and found this hidden, tucked away place, and they had a six-course vegan dinner,” recalls McQuirter. She relied on Google Translate to facilitate communication in many of the countries she visited, whether navigating a menu in the Netherlands or buying vegetables in Vietnam. YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp groups were equally reliable sources of travel intel, too, helping her discover what other vegans were saying about specific restaurants and other destinations. TikTok also functions as a practical vegan dining guide; use the app’s search function to input “vegan” and your destination’s name, and watch your feed flood with food possibilities.

One of the joys of travel is meeting like-minded people, for companionship and camaraderie, and for sharing travel advice and meals together. McQuirter didn’t leave it to chance, but made connections before she arrived at a destination to ensure she’d find the vegan community she was hoping for. “I reached out to vegan influencers, [direct messaged] people beforehand, and asked colleagues about friends,” she says. “Before I landed, I wanted to know vegan folks. People were really happy to meet up.”

It’s a plant-based traveler’s lament: You meet a friendly non-vegan local who invites you to their home or to a restaurant for a meal. Is it possible to accept the invitation without compromising our dietary choices? McQuirter says yes. “I would always first suggest a vegan spot. I would say, ‘I’m vegan, so if you want to do food, maybe we can go here.’” Other times, she’d reframe the proposed meetup to center around another activity, or suggest meeting up outside of mealtimes for conversation and tea instead. “Sometimes I would go and sit and talk, and I wouldn’t get anything. I’m so used to doing that after 38 years, it’s not a big deal.” Another helpful habit she’s developed is to arrive at each new destination with the idea that the experience will be positive, which acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy. “I have that expectation going in that people are going to be warm and welcoming, and that’s what I find.”

Being respectful of a local culture’s social mores and traditions can go a long way toward creating positive experiences, whatever your dietary persuasion. For McQuirter, it starts with research. “I read about the culture, the customs, how people dress,” she says. She jots a few standard words, phrases, and greetings into her phone’s Notes app so she has them at the ready. And to be what she calls “a gracious guest,” she keeps a flexible attitude on her travels. “Many countries have a slower, more relaxed, or otherwise different pace than the U.S.,” she says. “So go with the flow. Manage expectations.”

To support the people who live and work where you’re traveling, McQuirter recommends skipping the multinational chain stores and making conscious purchasing choices from local retailers. “Shop at local markets, stores, and vendors as much as possible, to contribute to the economy and to experience local culture,” she says. She also encourages us to spread our tourism dollars around by seeking out nearby vegan food tours, animal sanctuaries, and festivals. “It’s a way to support local vegans, feel at home, and expand your global vegan community.”