Five Tips For Traveling With Vegan Kids

I recently traveled to Massachuetts from San Francisco with two kids. Just me and the two kids. Being gluten-free and vegan, this felt daunting. As a mother of two, it felt nearly impossible.Here are some tips and meals we enjoyed as we traveled.

1. Pack Snacks

We are headed to the plane.  I have learned that you NEVER travel anywhere - not even five minutes without snacks, water and a change of clothes for the kids. What was I going to do for a 3300 mile trip? I packed one of the kids rolling bags with cashews, almonds and peanuts, sweet potato smoothies, nori snacks and fruit strips. We were taking a red-eye so most restaurants were closed at the terminal. The Starbucks was open -  Phew - one black coffee for mommy. On second hand, that was the worst idea on the planet - with two kids, a cart with two carry-ons and two car seats. The coffee is now coloring the floor at gate 9. Onwards...

2. Check out the airlines meal availability

Jet Blue is very vegan friendly. Thank goodness. They had vegan and gluten-free meals available for sale.This is what they have: The PUMP UP Box:

Dip-in Hummus — OriginalOloves Olives — Basil Garlic2 Degrees Snack bar — Chocolate BananaMary's Gone Crackers Multigrain CrackersEnlightened Roasted Broad Beans

3. Go straight to the supermarket when you arrive.

Here are some meal plans.Day 1:

  • We ate some of our snacks as we left the airport.
  • Lunch: A big huge salad with tomatoes, avocados, black beans, kalamata olives, drizzled with olive oil, herbs and salt.
  • Dinner: Taco Tuesday, tofu and refried bean tacos with salsa and guacamole and a little side salad.

Day 2:

  • Breakfast: GF oatmeal with blueberries, almonds, cinnamon and maple syrup.
  • Lunch: Fresh red lentils with salad, tomatoes, capers, herbs and olive oil.
  • Dinner:  Grilled corn on the cob and asparagus, mushroom caps filled with pecan and mushroom pâté,
  • (Have black beans soaking for lunch tomorrow.)

Day 3:

  • Breakfast: Homemade granola (Put 3 dates, a handful of cashews, pecans and walnuts and cinnamon in the blender and ground it and ate it like cereal) and sweet potato with salsa.
  • Lunch: Huge salad of black beans, sweet potato, left over smorgasbord from the previous meals.
  • Dinner: Veggie burgers, roasted rainbow potatoes and corn on the cob.

Snack: 

  • Nachos with roasted vegetables. (pictured above.)

4.  Use your social network

Before you leave post on social media or a vegan site - asking for favorite vegan place to eat in "specific area." People are so helpful.

5.  Look on Happy Cow.

The most important thing is to keep it simple. There are grocery stores everywhere you go with options for you like potatoes, and portabellos, and veggies and fruit. Don't fret.So there you have it. Some ideas I use to keep my kids from starving and to keep me from going insane.How about you? Please share your tips when you travel in the comments.

Raising kids veganJennifer Jones-HortonComment