Vegan IS possible :)

[mfmarotto]

Hi everyone! This is a bit long, but bear with me because it's important. Something I thought about often while walking the Camino (Frances and Portuguese) was how easy, accessible and delicious it was to eat 100% vegan the whole time (I was even able to eat whole foods plant based, i.e. "healthy vegan", for most of my meals!). I really want to share this with anyone who comes across my post because I have seen SO many people in various Camino forums say that it simply isn't possible and you should start introducing animal products into your diet in preparation. That's nonsense, I promise you! Furthermore, I even met a woman on the Camino who's vegan and told me she was buying baby food at the store because she didn't know what else to eat - I couldn't believe it!

There was a wealth of vegan restaurants and albergues (or places with vegan options), along both Caminos I walked. I honestly think I've eaten some of my best vegan meals I've ever had on the Camino this summer. If there was ever a dry patch, which did happen a few times, there was always easy vegan staples in the store (grains, beans, fruit, veg, nuts, seeds). I will say that you need to prepare in advance (i.e. shopping in a bigger city and carrying some food in your pack) if you plan to sleep in a smaller village, or if it is a Sunday, as many places will be closed. That said, I found a fully vegetarian restaurant (with vegan options) in a few different teensy villages (surprise, surprise!) and many tiny shops that had at least microwave rice and beans to get you through a meal.

To be vegan on the Camino isn't as easy as eating non-vegan, of course, but we're all used to that living in a non-vegan world. It takes some preparation, but I found the prep time researching albergues and restaurants super enjoyable! The anticipation made it all even more exciting.

I highly recommend looking up eateries on your route on happycow.com prior to going, as well as checking out heartofthecamino.com/life/vegetarian-way/ for a pretty complete list of veg albergues (only one of them is 100% vegan, but they almost all have a vegan option, and there are more veg places that aren't included on this list!)

If you have any questions at all, PLEASE feel free to contact me. I want everyone to know that it's 100% doable to be vegan and to know how to do it - everyone should know this for the sake of our health, the beautiful animals and the environment. Don't be another pilgrim that starts introducing dairy into their diet prior to going because you don't think it's possible - it is possible and you can look forward to some delicious meals as well as a bit of "back to basics" meals out of the grocery store.

 

[Dani7]

Thank you SO much for this information and reassurance. I knew it would not be impossible and you just confirmed it. Thanks for taking the time to post about your experience

 

[David]

What a lovely positive post!

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi everyone! This is a bit long, but bear with me because it's important. Something I thought about often while walking the Camino (Frances and Portuguese) was how easy, accessible and delicious it was to eat 100% vegan the whole time (I was even able to eat whole foods plant based, i.e. "healthy vegan", for most of my meals!). I really want to share this with anyone who comes across my post because I have seen SO many people in various Camino forums say that it simply isn't possible and you should start introducing animal products into your diet in preparation. That's nonsense, I promise you! Furthermore, I even met a woman on the Camino who's vegan and told me she was buying baby food at the store because she didn't know what else to eat - I couldn't believe it!

There was a wealth of vegan restaurants and albergues (or places with vegan options), along both Caminos I walked. I honestly think I've eaten some of my best vegan meals I've ever had on the Camino this summer. If there was ever a dry patch, which did happen a few times, there was always easy vegan staples in the store (grains, beans, fruit, veg, nuts, seeds). I will say that you need to prepare in advance (i.e. shopping in a bigger city and carrying some food in your pack) if you plan to sleep in a smaller village, or if it is a Sunday, as many places will be closed. That said, I found a fully vegetarian restaurant (with vegan options) in a few different teensy villages (surprise, surprise!) and many tiny shops that had at least microwave rice and beans to get you through a meal.

To be vegan on the Camino isn't as easy as eating non-vegan, of course, but we're all used to that living in a non-vegan world. It takes some preparation, but I found the prep time researching albergues and restaurants super enjoyable! The anticipation made it all even more exciting.

I highly recommend looking up eateries on your route on happycow.com prior to going, as well as checking out heartofthecamino.com/life/vegetarian-way/ for a pretty complete list of veg albergues (only one of them is 100% vegan, but they almost all have a vegan option, and there are more veg places that aren't included on this list!)

If you have any questions at all, PLEASE feel free to contact me. I want everyone to know that it's 100% doable to be vegan and to know how to do it - everyone should know this for the sake of our health, the beautiful animals and the environment. Don't be another pilgrim that starts introducing dairy into their diet prior to going because you don't think it's possible - it is possible and you can look forward to some delicious meals as well as a bit of "back to basics" meals out of the grocery store.

Hi, Mary,

Excellent and reassuring post although I'm far from vegan and vegetarian myself. If you have compiled a list of such albergues and/or restaurants maybe you could post it (only .pdf files allowed) in Resources section of this forum. I'm sure many will be thankful for that.

Have a nice day

 

[Malachiuri]

I met a lovely woman from Ireland who was vegan a couple years ago in Burgos. She thought ahead and had a nice little card printed up in literate Spanish and French detailing her dietary needs and then laminated. If there was any doubt due to the language barrier, she would break out the card and a big goofy grin for the waiter. Every darn time the response was great and she got some nice meals.

Specialty diets can be hard to adhere to and little things like what she did really made it a breeze.

M

 

[bbates225]

Hi everyone! This is a bit long, but bear with me because it's important. Something I thought about often while walking the Camino (Frances and Portuguese) was how easy, accessible and delicious it was to eat 100% vegan the whole time (I was even able to eat whole foods plant based, i.e. "healthy vegan", for most of my meals!). I really want to share this with anyone who comes across my post because I have seen SO many people in various Camino forums say that it simply isn't possible and you should start introducing animal products into your diet in preparation. That's nonsense, I promise you! Furthermore, I even met a woman on the Camino who's vegan and told me she was buying baby food at the store because she didn't know what else to eat - I couldn't believe it!

There was a wealth of vegan restaurants and albergues (or places with vegan options), along both Caminos I walked. I honestly think I've eaten some of my best vegan meals I've ever had on the Camino this summer. If there was ever a dry patch, which did happen a few times, there was always easy vegan staples in the store (grains, beans, fruit, veg, nuts, seeds). I will say that you need to prepare in advance (i.e. shopping in a bigger city and carrying some food in your pack) if you plan to sleep in a smaller village, or if it is a Sunday, as many places will be closed. That said, I found a fully vegetarian restaurant (with vegan options) in a few different teensy villages (surprise, surprise!) and many tiny shops that had at least microwave rice and beans to get you through a meal.

To be vegan on the Camino isn't as easy as eating non-vegan, of course, but we're all used to that living in a non-vegan world. It takes some preparation, but I found the prep time researching albergues and restaurants super enjoyable! The anticipation made it all even more exciting.

I highly recommend looking up eateries on your route on happycow.com prior to going, as well as checking out heartofthecamino.com/life/vegetarian-way/ for a pretty complete list of veg albergues (only one of them is 100% vegan, but they almost all have a vegan option, and there are more veg places that aren't included on this list!)

If you have any questions at all, PLEASE feel free to contact me. I want everyone to know that it's 100% doable to be vegan and to know how to do it - everyone should know this for the sake of our health, the beautiful animals and the environment. Don't be another pilgrim that starts introducing dairy into their diet prior to going because you don't think it's possible - it is possible and you can look forward to some delicious meals as well as a bit of "back to basics" meals out of the grocery store.

Thank you so much for this. I am vegan and although I didn't start adding meat/dairy into my diet before I left, I did weaken and gave in while on the Camino due to lack of planning on my part. It just got easier, especially after my heels started hurting so badly I could barely walk. This will help me stay strong when I return next year

 

[camino-david]

At this momeent there is a couple who are walking their second camino from Finisterre in the north west of France to Finisterre in the north west of Spain and left Leon yesterday or today. Their first camino was the Frances. They are strictly vegan. They prepare and always carry some basics with them together with a small lightweight cooker. They are doing a blog and if anyone wishes to contact them or look at their blog, please PM me

 

[VNwalking]

It is so refreshing to read a post that is positive and proactive, rather than whining about how hard it is to eat vegan or vegetarian food on the camino. Thank you, @Maryfm91.
In the few years that I have been walking, there's been a noticible improvement on the Frances in the availability of vegetarian and vegan food. Alas, it is much harder on less traveled caminos, but it just takes a bit of patience, planning, and flexibility - we who do not eat animal products are eating quite differently than the locals!

 

[Magwood]

I have walked my last two caminos on a plant only diet. I am an experienced camino walker and knew what facilities I might expect to find on a lesser walked route (Mozárabe from Almería last year, and Ruta de la Lana this year).
The Mozárabe was a lot easier as there were more albergues with self catering facilities. This year on the Lana was more tricky, partly because we were walking during the easter celebrations when many of what facilities existed were closed. However I never starved, although I ate very unappealing meals on many occasions. I never once considered introducing animal products to my diet. Without fail restaurateurs would try to accommodate me, although I often paid a high price for eating off-menu. As the OP suggests, it is essential to plan ahead. I wrote a blog post on my vegan camino experience last year including details of extra items I took to make life easier. If interested, you can see it here

 

[franklion]

So great to see such a positive and healthy thread on here!

To piggyback on it all and offer even more resources -- my partner and I walked the Camino last year as vegans. As you all mentioned, its possible, but just takes a little bit of patience and planning.

We wanted to share our experiences and tips with other peregrinos, so we threw together a small guide of sorts, that was compiled with help from other guides and people we've met on the way.

This is just a first draft, so feedback or additions are more than welcome. I will also add this to the resources section, as KinkyOne recommended. Saludos!

Ecotopian Camino de Santiago | Seekingecotopia

A guide to walking a vegan, sustainable, and ecologically conscious Camino

www.seekingecotopia.com

 

[gehns]

I'm a strict vegan/plant-based. This is encouraging! Last year, I hiked the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail eating only 100% vegan foods. This year, I'm hoping to hike Camino as vegan, too. My walk starts on September 6!

 

[zoey.caminodelnorte]

My partner and I are also vegan and I've done 5 caminos, 1 as a vegetarian and 4 as a vegan. (Norte x2, Primitivo, Salvador, Lebaniego/Vadiniense. It's really not hard! Happy cow is your friend and I echo about extra planning being necessary for Sundays or small places.

It's also good to know that allergens are in bold on ingredient lists in Europe so you can look out for eggs and milk at least(except for the trickier ones honey included).

I'd definitely recommend learning enough Spanish to know what to avoid but I think anyone planning a vegan Camino will be more than okay. We definitely don't shy away from vegan junk food or accidentally vegan products especially while hiking but there are healthy options too.

If anyone is planning on doing the above caminos as a vegan they can also contact me! I can give more info about specific products or brands as I lived in Spain for 4 years.

Don't lose hope and don't give up, it will be fine

 

[Sho]

I'm glad to see this post featured. The accompanying salad photo has eggs, so it's not actually vegan

 

[Felicia V]

While I am not vegan, my sister and I are vegetarians. Never a problem, just takes a bit of mindfulness. Thx you so much for this post.
Btw, am I the only one who gained 5 pounds? Lol

 

[Mycroft]

So great to see such a positive and healthy thread on here!

To piggyback on it all and offer even more resources -- my partner and I walked the Camino last year as vegans. As you all mentioned, its possible, but just takes a little bit of patience and planning.

We wanted to share our experiences and tips with other peregrinos, so we threw together a small guide of sorts, that was compiled with help from other guides and people we've met on the way.

This is just a first draft, so feedback or additions are more than welcome. I will also add this to the resources section, as KinkyOne recommended. Saludos!

Ecotopian Camino de Santiago | Seekingecotopia

A guide to walking a vegan, sustainable, and ecologically conscious Camino

www.seekingecotopia.com

Which Camino did you walk last year?

 

[Mycroft]

I'm a strict vegan/plant-based. This is encouraging! Last year, I hiked the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail eating only 100% vegan foods. This year, I'm hoping to hike Camino as vegan, too. My walk starts on September 6!

Which Camino is that, Gehns?

 

[Mycroft]

Hi everyone! This is a bit long, but bear with me because it's important. Something I thought about often while walking the Camino (Frances and Portuguese) was how easy, accessible and delicious it was to eat 100% vegan the whole time (I was even able to eat whole foods plant based, i.e. "healthy vegan", for most of my meals!). I really want to share this with anyone who comes across my post because I have seen SO many people in various Camino forums say that it simply isn't possible and you should start introducing animal products into your diet in preparation. That's nonsense, I promise you! Furthermore, I even met a woman on the Camino who's vegan and told me she was buying baby food at the store because she didn't know what else to eat - I couldn't believe it!

There was a wealth of vegan restaurants and albergues (or places with vegan options), along both Caminos I walked. I honestly think I've eaten some of my best vegan meals I've ever had on the Camino this summer. If there was ever a dry patch, which did happen a few times, there was always easy vegan staples in the store (grains, beans, fruit, veg, nuts, seeds). I will say that you need to prepare in advance (i.e. shopping in a bigger city and carrying some food in your pack) if you plan to sleep in a smaller village, or if it is a Sunday, as many places will be closed. That said, I found a fully vegetarian restaurant (with vegan options) in a few different teensy villages (surprise, surprise!) and many tiny shops that had at least microwave rice and beans to get you through a meal.

To be vegan on the Camino isn't as easy as eating non-vegan, of course, but we're all used to that living in a non-vegan world. It takes some preparation, but I found the prep time researching albergues and restaurants super enjoyable! The anticipation made it all even more exciting.

I highly recommend looking up eateries on your route on happycow.com prior to going, as well as checking out heartofthecamino.com/life/vegetarian-way/ for a pretty complete list of veg albergues (only one of them is 100% vegan, but they almost all have a vegan option, and there are more veg places that aren't included on this list!)

If you have any questions at all, PLEASE feel free to contact me. I want everyone to know that it's 100% doable to be vegan and to know how to do it - everyone should know this for the sake of our health, the beautiful animals and the environment. Don't be another pilgrim that starts introducing dairy into their diet prior to going because you don't think it's possible - it is possible and you can look forward to some delicious meals as well as a bit of "back to basics" meals out of the grocery store.

I echo everyone's appreciation, Mary. I am lacto-ovo vegetarian, and vegan when such options present. I leave in 2 days for the Portugues. I looked up restaurants on happycow for Porto but it didn't occur to me to look for the small towns because of the negativity about options I've read previously. Mary, I'll be on the Coastal route of the Portugues, detouring on the Variante. If I have time at the end, I hope to go to Muxia. If you have any advice or anecdotes you'd like to share, I look forward to hearing about veg restaurants or shops where you found Good Eats!

 

[Marciagayle]

Such great information. I’m hoping to walk my first Camino next May and I’ve been curious about if I’d be able to stay on my WFPB diet. I’m happy to know I can!!

 

[Ton van Tilburg]

Here https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/?page=5 you can find a listing of places where you can get vegetarian food along the camino frances. Many of these places also offer vegan options.

 

[mfmarotto]

Hi there, I just finished it! I hope it helps Feel free to direct message me if you have more specific questions. There were far more things I could've included in here, but this is the bulk of it! https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

Hi, Mary,

Excellent and reassuring post although I'm far from vegan and vegetarian myself. If you have compiled a list of such albergues and/or restaurants maybe you could post it (only .pdf files allowed) in Resources section of this forum. I'm sure many will be thankful for that.

Have a nice day

 

[mfmarotto]

This should help you! Preparation makes such a difference. Feel free to email me (maryfm91@gmail.com) if you have more specific questions. There were far more things I could've included in here, but this is the bulk of it! https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

Thank you so much for this. I am vegan and although I didn't start adding meat/dairy into my diet before I left, I did weaken and gave in while on the Camino due to lack of planning on my part. It just got easier, especially after my heels started hurting so badly I could barely walk. This will help me stay strong when I return next year

 

[mfmarotto]

Ooo!! I'm hoping to walk the PCT in the next couple of years and would LOVE to hear all about how to be vegan on it. Can we talk via email or somewhere else so I can ask questions and learn?

I'm a strict vegan/plant-based. This is encouraging! Last year, I hiked the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail eating only 100% vegan foods. This year, I'm hoping to hike Camino as vegan, too. My walk starts on September 6!

 

[mfmarotto]

Also, this can help you on the Camino! I'm a strict vegan as well. Feel free to direct message me if you have more specific questions. There were far more things I could've included in here, but this is the bulk of it! https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

I'm a strict vegan/plant-based. This is encouraging! Last year, I hiked the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail eating only 100% vegan foods. This year, I'm hoping to hike Camino as vegan, too. My walk starts on September 6!

 

[mfmarotto]

Too weird, I definitely didn't upload that picture!

I'm glad to see this post featured. The accompanying salad photo has eggs, so it's not actually vegan

 

[mfmarotto]

I can try to pull together a list, I did the coastal route as well! Options are definitely more abundant on the Frances, but still found it quite easy to get the whole food staples I needed.

I echo everyone's appreciation, Mary. I am lacto-ovo vegetarian, and vegan when such options present. I leave in 2 days for the Portugues. I looked up restaurants on happycow for Porto but it didn't occur to me to look for the small towns because of the negativity about options I've read previously. Mary, I'll be on the Coastal route of the Portugues, detouring on the Variante. If I have time at the end, I hope to go to Muxia. If you have any advice or anecdotes you'd like to share, I look forward to hearing about veg restaurants or shops where you found Good Eats!

 

[mfmarotto]

You can for sure! I'd say I ate WFPB about 85% of the time, as I did enjoy the vegan restaurants and wanted to support them. I hope this helps. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

Such great information. I’m hoping to walk my first Camino next May and I’ve been curious about if I’d be able to stay on my WFPB diet. I’m happy to know I can!!

 

[Mycroft]

You can for sure! I'd say I ate WFPB about 85% of the time, as I did enjoy the vegan restaurants and wanted to support them. I hope this helps. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZXUmJxnYZXWJnI_J_sTrM7fVRC3z92_k/view?usp=sharing

Maryfm, this list is fabulous. I am leaving tomorrow to begin my journey to Porto where I hope to find bamboo cutlery since I do not have time to get any here before I leave. Will look for your recommended silicon dish as well. My plan at the moment is to take notes as I walk the Coastal Route and in the end, if I have anything pertinent, send this on to you so you can compile one for the Camino Portugues as well, if you are so inclined. One thing I will mention is I believe there is an 'r' missing in your note about making brown rice.
Many many thanks for your good work, and thoughtfulness for sharing this!

 

[mfmarotto]

Awe thank you so much, I hope it'll be helpful! There's some great vegan restaurants I found through HappyCow on the coastal route, including one WFPB one that is sugar and oil free. Good luck finding the cutlery and tupperwares! My cutlery is from ToGoWare and the tupperware was a gift, so I'm not sure where to recommend getting it. Buen Camino!! (And thank you for the catches on the typos, I've corrected them.)

Maryfm, this list is fabulous. I am leaving tomorrow to begin my journey to Porto where I hope to find bamboo cutlery since I do not have time to get any here before I leave. Will look for your recommended silicon dish as well. My plan at the moment is to take notes as I walk the Coastal Route and in the end, if I have anything pertinent, send this on to you so you can compile one for the Camino Portugues as well, if you are so inclined. One thing I will mention is I believe there is an 'r' missing in your note about making brown rice.
Many many thanks for your good work, and thoughtfulness for sharing this!

 

[Mycroft]

Awe thank you so much, I hope it'll be helpful! There's some great vegan restaurants I found through HappyCow on the coastal route, including one WFPB one that is sugar and oil free. Good luck finding the cutlery and tupperwares! My cutlery is from ToGoWare and the tupperware was a gift, so I'm not sure where to recommend getting it. Buen Camino!! (And thank you for the catches on the typos, I've corrected them.)

All the best to you. Hopefully I'll have some bits and pieces to add to your file--maybe come November.

 

[bbates225]

This should help you! Preparation makes such a difference. Feel free to direct message me if you have more specific questions. There were far more things I could've included in here, but this is the bulk of it! https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

This list is amazing. Great job. I'll never know for sure, but once home, someone brought up the idea that since I did start eating meat and dairy, it might have caused the inflammation in my system that brought on the bursitis in my heels. This list is going in my Camino 2020 folder for reference. Thanks again for your time and patience with the list. BTW... I love overnight oats

 

[zoey.caminodelnorte]

Hey everyone, I also made a short note of advice for pilgrims which is just a few paragraphs of general overview aimed more at people who want to cook in albergues, but it won't let me post it here. I guess if anyone wants it they can send me their email and I can send it along.

 

[K Turner]

I was at a cafe in Foncebadon yesterday and they had a print near the counter. At first glance it looks like the path from SJPP to Santiago. Then I noticed it was labeled "The Vegetarian Camino Frances," marking where to get great meals along the Way. I am not vegetarian but thought that was great! My husband and I both have anaphylactic food allergies and though not the same, it does make me respect the various needs out there.

 

[mguillen]

You can for sure! I'd say I ate WFPB about 85% of the time, as I did enjoy the vegan restaurants and wanted to support them. I hope this helps. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

Highly recommend VIVA LA PEPA at the foot of Burgos cathedral.

 

[Spurselona]

Also, this can help you on the Camino! I'm a strict vegan as well. Feel free to direct message me if you have more specific questions. There were far more things I could've included in here, but this is the bulk of it! https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

Thanks for that vegan guide to CF on your google drive!
I'm not vegan (just a veggie), but in a process of going more and more vegan, so any help in finding a good vegan meal is appreciated!

Let's hope the guide is relevant when the world opens up again!

 

[Darren Chittock]

Hi there, I just finished it! I hope it helps Feel free to direct message me if you have more specific questions. There were far more things I could've included in here, but this is the bulk of it! https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vrR1vPm0vWvrjmeG_MDn3j0PsCrEB1Mr

Hi Mary
Is the link still available? As it say not available. I started my Camino last year, I just became vegan and I ended up eating meat as I wasn’t prepared I have now been vegan for 18 months and I won’t be eating animal products again. Thank you for all your info I’m going to finish my Camino next year as a vegan and can’t wait xx

 

[ApproachingBliss]

I love hearing how accessible vegan food is on the Camino. I eat whole food plant based, today is my two year anniversary since starting it. There was another thread about losing weight before or during the camino and if it matters. During this past two years, I lost over 60 lbs and now I have a BMI of 20, and feel so good from it and about it. One interesting thing about it. I lost weight slowly, about 1 lb each 10 days. I had been using a pedometer trying to keep up walking more for health. Then I broke my foot and some toes and couldn't walk for about 3 months. During that time I continued to lose weight at the same pace, 1 lb every 10 days. I almost couldn't believe it myself but I was just strictly eating WFPB and it worked out really well. (I did it for health.)