How to Eat Sustainably on your Vacation

When most people go on vacation, they don’t think too much about food choices. When you are traveling, it seems to be a little harder to eat sustainably since you don’t often have the option of being “picky”. If eating sustainably, is important to you, even while you are on vacation, than this article is for you! Here are some tips of my own that will help you with how to eat sustainably on your vacation and often, for cheap!

How to Eat Sustainably on your Vacation

Use Apps and technology. There are many apps that can help you with finding the best places to eat, buy food and mingle with the best local offerings. Check out Eat Local. It is an app that helps you locate Farmer’s Markets in the area where you are. It also helps you find produce that is in season in the region you are going to.

Bring your own snacks for short trips. If you can, try to bring your own snacks in reusable containers if possible. That way, you know that they pass your inspection and approval and the only transporting being done is by you.

Do your homework on restaurants in the area. Try to find out if there is a local independent newspaper for the area you are going to. Many times, these can be great resources for finding “hole in the wall’ local fare that is often sustainable and regional as well as non-GMO and organic.

Know what the clean 15 and Dirty Dozen are and stick to it. If you are ordering in a restaurant, make sure you are steering clear of the dirty dozen and try to eat the clean 15. I have made a handy guide that fits in a wallet for free as a printable if you aren’t sure.

Know what is regional. Check out online what the area you are traveling to is known for. Try to eat as local as possible.

Ask the locals. When you get to your destination, ask people who live there what places they recommend for local fare and for fresh local shopping. They will often know of places the online community doesn’t. Plus, smaller establishments often don’t have a advertizing budget for tourists, so they rely on word of mouth.

Be prepared to grocery shop.One of the best ways to avoid foods you don’t want to eat is to shop at the grocery store for things like snacks and light meals like lunch. If you are staying in a hotel with a fridge, I highly recommend shopping in local places for food rather than eating out every meal. Not only will it be more sustainable, healthy and green, but it could possibly save you some serious cash in the long run, even if you have to spend more for a room with a fridge.