Hello Vegan Travel Lovers!!
The summer beach season is now upon us! As vegans, we worry about this. What in the world can we have for lunch from the cafes on the beach boardwalk? Do we have more or less options at the beach depending on where we travel internationally? Let us ponder these questions and come up with some viable solutions whenever possible!
In the United States, there are indeed limited selections for vegan diners at the beach. Some beaches only have a shack or two onsite, which mainly sell hot dogs, burgers, and fries. If we are lucky, the french fries may be cooked in a separate fryer from the meat. It is not the healthiest lunch option. However, as the saying goes..”It is better than nothing”!
Some beaches have boardwalks which are shops and cafes lining up the area surrounding the beach. Even those provide limited, if any vegan choices. There may be a pizza shop or two willing to make a pie with veggie toppings and no cheese. In this case, the food vendor would still want it to be profitable for him, so more than likely he would not be open to selling just the one slice without cheese. Certain boardwalk locations may contain sandwich shops where you may order a vegetable sandwich or a falafel in pita bread. Again, there are the less healthy options such as french fries or fried dough. However, vegans need to inquire if these are fried in vegetable oil and fried separately from meat or chicken. I’ve rarely seen any other food choices for vegans at the beach. Even the seafood restaurants do not usually provide options, as the corn on the cob is usually pre-buttered and the onion rings contain egg batter. It is an unfortunate state of affairs for vegans wanting a tummy-filling lunch at the beach!
Though I have not been there myself, there are indeed vegan cafes and dining choices at the beach boardwalks in such vegan-friendly areas such as Miami Beach, Florida and Venice Beach, California. Other beach destinations in Florida and California provide vegan dining also.
Globally, the beach dining scene may be different and better or worse for vegans, depending where you travel. I would like to give a few examples of international destinations where I have journeyed. In Trinidad for example, the beaches have multiple food vendor stalls selling Bake N’. The popular one known all over the region is Bake N’Shark..Not vegan of course! Vegan may order a Bake N’Veggie. This is a thick baked bread sandwich which you may fill with various cold vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and one of several sauces including hot sauce, mustard, or various spices. Corn soup vendors are popular also. In Capetown, South Africa. The boardwalk area has an upscale air with quite a selection of restaurants and cafes, in addition to shops. One cafe in particular, sells healthy, vegan wrap sandwiches and the most amazing fruit smoothies! At Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio, Brazil, there is no official boardwalk per say. However, there are a couple of food vendor stands and also food and beverage vendors making their rounds across the sand.
My basic message is that the domestic and international beach scene is a mixed bag for vegans, depending where you travel. In general, it is disappointing for vegans, but some global destinations provide a happy dining experience for the vegan traveler! Your best bet and my advice is to visit a local food market beforehand and purchase some vegan snacks and sandwiches to take to the beach with you!