Walking through the arrivals hall in Christchurch airport offers a clear understanding of two main sources of revenue in New Zealand – sheep and cows. Pictures and sounds of these friendly farm animals greet you at almost every turn. And as a vegan, it becomes clear that life might soon be very difficult!

A common sight in New Zealand – pity we couldn’t save these woolly friends from their fate

However, despite the tremendous amount of dairy produced and milk products consumed, and the presence of many, many sheep farms producing wool and lamb, it is a very easy place to thrive as a plant-based consumer. There appears to be an increasing awareness of alternative dietary requirements and small businesses are blossoming to meet the demand. Since our visit five years prior, the choice and range of products available to vegans has increased dramatically.

Although New Zealand is an isolated country, there is a tremendous variety of fresh produce and fruit sold at both supermarkets and farmers markets across the country. Most of this is grown locally and is beautifully fresh and delicious. There are imported options, but the prices reflect the hefty surcharge to bring these goods into the country from far away lands. An exception to this is perhaps bananas, which are comparable in price to what we pay in North America.

All the larger supermarket chains carry a wide variety of products to support a plant-based diet. These include non-dairy milk and yoghurt options, grains, legumes, nut butters, cereals, soy products, meat substitutes like tempeh and veggie sausages, and breads. In larger cities and towns you’ll find at least one health food store offering everything you could possibly wish for from kombucha to flax seeds. Prices are more expensive than supermarket sundries but many of these products are locally produced and organic. Here are a few options in key centres, many offering freshly prepared vegan food and baking too:

Piko (Christchurch)
Organic Green Grocer (Nelson)
Commonsense Organics (Wellington/Auckland)
Chantal Organics (Napier)
Ceres Fresh Market (Auckland)

Generally we shopped at the Countdown supermarket chain for our regular groceries and did not have any trouble finding everything we needed there. Fruit and vegetables seem to be of better quality and cheaper price at produce markets, but the supermarkets are perfectly fine too for variety and freshness. Whenever possible we purchased fruit and vegetables at road side stalls and even had the chance to pick our own cherries! We also were treated to gorgeous fresh vegetables, herbs and berries from my brother’s garden in Christchurch, making us long for a garden of our own!

Bucket of cherry goodness from PYO (pick-your-own) farm near Nelson

We mostly cooked for ourselves during our three months in New Zealand as we had wonderful kitchen facilities when staying with family and friends on both North and South islands. When we were travelling and camping we usually had access to communal kitchens or used the camp cooking gear we borrowed from my brother. We had a lot of fun trying out new recipes with our family and we especially had fun baking vegan pies, cookies and muffins with our little nephew.

Family baking time!

Yummy homemade pizza

Fresh berries from the garden + vegan waffles = bliss!

Cooking up gourmet vegan chow on one of our camping trips

We did enjoy a few meals out as well as the odd take-out feast with the ethnic flavours of Thailand or India being quite common. Most restaurants are familiar with what vegans eat and are happy to accommodate. Eating out in New Zealand is quite expensive, and our backpackers’ budget struggled to cope with the high cost. In an average restaurant, it’s not uncommon to pay $18-25 for a main meal. Lunch items are a bit cheaper, with coffee and pastry items running around $4 each.

We were also afforded the opportunity through my brother’s generosity and interest, to sample a variety of wonderful local vegan wines. It was very impressive to see that wine makers in New Zealand include information on the component used in the fining process to make wine. Often these components are animal-based, but sometimes a synthetic or plant-based option is utilized. It was very refreshing to find such a wide variety of wines that were vegan and labelled as such.

In summary, New Zealand was an incredibly easy country to navigate as vegans. It would be even easier to enjoy if budget was not a consideration, as there are many wonderful dining options that could easily cater to plant-based requirements, from lunch time food carts through to boutique bistros.

Local resources:

http://www.vegansociety.co.nz

http://www.vegans.co.nz

http://vegetarians.co.nz

www.happycow.net/australia/new_zealand/

We arrived in Croatia from Rome, Italy, where vegan options were plentiful, fresh and delicious and the supermarkets well stocked. We were unsure what our options would be as we touched down in Dubrovnik and set out to explore part of the Balkan region for a couple of months. Our time in Croatia was mostly spent along the Dalmatian Coast and on the Istrian Peninsula. We enjoyed a good mix of small villages and big towns, and aside from one small island hamlet (Sobra on Mljet Island), were able to find everything we needed to make our usual healthy, happy vegan meals and even enjoyed several meals out.

Food shopping

After finding and settling into our accommodation, the next order of business in a new place is to orient ourselves regarding food. Since we mostly stay in places that have kitchen facilities, orientation usually entails locating the nearest grocery store or supermarket to stock up on supplies. It’s always exciting to explore a new store to see the selection of vegan-friendly products, along with local fruits and vegetables.

Picking up soy milk at one of the many Konzum stores across Croatia

In Dubrovnik we found a supermarket called Konzum just down the street from our lodging, near to the main bus station and port. Konzum is a large Croatian supermarket chain and we were delighted to find a large “health food section” with all of our usual requirements: soy milk, oats, muesli, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, dates, and more. We subsequently found that other supermarket chains such as Tommy, Studenac and Pemo also carried most of the basics, but we generally shopped at Konzum since we found their selection, prices and freshness of produce to be the best. Pricing for typical items: 1l soy milk – 18 Kuna (C$3.30); 250ml peanut butter – 10 Kuna (C$1.85); bread loaf – 8 Kuna (C$1.50); 1kg bananas – 10 Kuna (C$1.85).

Our most challenging few days as it relates to food was on the island of Mljet. We initially decided to stay in the town of Sobra which is near the main ferry dock in the centre of the island. Unfortunately we were surprised to find that the small food store was very poorly stocked with supplies and almost no fresh produce. There are a handful of restaurants but their offerings are quite poor and we were not too thrilled about eating bland pizza and pasta for lunch and dinner every day!

So we decided to move to another village on the island called Polace at the entrance to the National Park, and were ecstatic to find two well stocked food markets (with soy milk no less!) as well as plentiful supplies of fruit and vegetables. There is also a bakery that makes the most amazing multi-grain bread (even better than the French and Italian breads we recently indulged in!). We’d certainly recommend Polace as a base if you visit Mljet and wish to enjoy nature while continuing with your plant-based diet. Although we opted to cook all of our meals in our apartment, there are a number of restaurants along the waterfront in Polace, many of which would be able to whip up a vegan salad, sandwich, pizza or pasta. You can read more about what we got up to on Mljet here.

Bean chili over baked potatoes – one of our favourite meals enjoyed in Polace on our lovely patio! And of course, wine with lunch (a very civilized habit acquired in France)!

The bakery or “pekara” in Polace on Mljet Island

One of the very well stocked supermarkets in Polace

We also found a few natural/health food stores called “bio” shops in Dubrovnik and Split. These shops were very well stocked with local and imported natural foods, home and beauty products. We enjoyed a rare treat of tofu and quinoa purchased from one of the bio shops called Trgovina Refužo in Split, just a few steps away from the Riva. It was really great to chat to the store owner who has been vegan for many years and is working hard to promote a plant-based lifestyle in Croatia. The shop is very well stocked with nuts, seeds, grains and flours in bulk bins, along with meat alternatives such as tofu and seitan, and non-dairy milks. There is also a gluten-free product section. Here’s a list of the other bio shops we found:

Bio and Bio – Dubrovnik

Bio and Bio - Split

Zdravi Bili – Split

What an unexpected treat to find tofu and quinoa in Croatia! We had a great time checking out bio store Trgovina Refužo in Split

Where possible, we also seek out markets to buy our food. We hoped that Croatia would be similar to the other European countries we’d recently visited. We were not disappointed by the produce markets, fruit and vegetable vendors and bakeries in every place we visited! Not only are the local ingredients fresher and more tasty, they tend to be cheaper too – especially when purchased at places where locals shop. Local fruits include mandarin oranges, grapes, pomegranates, apples, limes, melons and lemons. Local vegetables include potatoes (the best we’ve had!), chard (how we’ve missed you!), cabbage, zucchinis, lettuces, cucumber and tomatoes (yes, a fruit, but more suited to the vegetable list somehow!). Anything imported is quite a bit more expensive, but there is a good variety.

The “green market” in Split next to Diocletian’s Palace (photo credit: www.taxisplitairport.com)

Our typical breakfast consists of oats or muesli/granola with soy milk, nuts, dates, flax seeds, oat bran and banana. We had no problem finding any of these ingredients during our stay in Croatia. Lunches and dinners are usually interchangeable and we make large portions to allow for leftovers if we’re staying in one place for a few days. We generally make bean burritos, lentil stew, pasta with vegetable and tomato sauce, chickpea curry, soups and other dishes as we find available ingredients for a special treat (like tofu!).

Yummy lentil stew with fresh veggies over cous cous with a side of roasted beets

Eating out

We don’t eat out very often on this global adventure with its backpacker budget, but we do like to support local vegan restaurants when we can. In Split we discovered a wonderful spot called Makrovega, serving reasonably priced daily set vegan and vegetarian menus, along with light meals such as veggie burgers, burritos and sandwiches. They also have a delicious variety of dessert items and fresh cold-pressed juices. There’s also another option in Split called Vege which is a take-out window located near the produce market. We didn’t get a chance to eat there, but wish we did! There is a popular vegetarian restaurant called Nishta inside the old city walls of Dubrovnik that we were hoping to try, but unfortunately it was closed on the day we visited the old town.

Lunch at Makrovega – we tried the burger and tofu burrito – both outstanding!

Generally we don’t have the luxury of choice for vegetarian or vegan restaurants, so we get creative, and work around the menu offerings, and sometimes, the language barrier! In Croatia, the most common restaurants are eateries called “konobas” run by local families serving mostly regional fare which is heavily weighted to meat and fish dishes. All of the restaurants we visited had pizza and pasta selections that could easily be made vegan, along with amazing vegetable side dishes. These restaurants offered up the best meals:

Sperun – Split (very heavy on seafood and local fare, but there are pasta options; we ordered the spaghetti with tomato sauce and a side order of each of the boiled and grilled veggies – wonderful flavours and generous portions but slightly heavy on the olive oil for our liking)

Quaint local restaurant Sperun, hidden off the main tourist promenade in Split

Bistro Toc – Split (we asked for a vegan version of the burrito with tofu and avocado instead of meat and cheese – very happily accommodated and delicious too!)

Pizzeria Napoli – Labin (we initially wanted to try a regional pasta dish called fuzi which is served with locally grown white truffles, but unfortunately the dish is made with cream and cheese; we opted instead for a veggie pizza with no cheese – again, happily accommodated and we weren’t disappointed!)

Pizzeria Napoli on the main square in Labin on the Istrian Peninsula

Gorgeous, colourful vegan pizza enjoyed on the patio overlooking the main square in Labin

The verdict

Being vegan in Croatia was much easier than we expected it to be. This is largely attributed to the availability of varied supplies in the supermarkets as well as our ability (and interest) to cook for ourselves. Eating out for every meal would be possible, but one of vegan inclination would be limited to pizza and pasta in most restaurants. There is also not very much ethnic diversity in the towns we visited, so typical options for vegans like Mexican, Thai or Japanese are not plentiful.

Hands down the easiest place to be vegan in Croatia is Split (compared to other larger towns we visited, including Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula and Rovinj). Zagreb was not on our itinerary on this trip, but it’s likely that it would have more options than the rest of the country.

Best local food tried: Croatian chard (dark green leafy vegetable) and potatoes

Most surprising food experience: Well-stocked bio/natural food stores in bigger centres

Most challenging food experience: Understanding the language to convey or request vegan requirements

Here’s a delicious and healthy vegan adaptation of a traditional favorite!

Ingredients:

1 tsp water
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 head broccoli
2 zucchinis
3 carrots
1 butternut (small)
Pinch salt and pepper
3 cups fresh spinach, shredded
1/4 cup water
2 blocks firm tofu, drained
1 large can tomato paste
750ml pasta sauce
1 box lasagne sheets (egg-free)

Method:

Lightly grease a large rectangular (10 x 13 x 4 inches or so) glass baking dish with a small amount of olive oil. Spread  1/3 can of tomato paste onto base of dish. Preheat oven to 350 deg F or 180 deg C.

Fill base with one layer of lasagne noodles.

Lightly fry garlic in water in a large pan. Add herbs.

Thinly slice broccoli, zucchinis and carrots. Peel, de-seed and cut butternut into small cubes.

Add vegetables, salt and pepper to garlic and herbs. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add pasta sauce and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

While vegetables are cooking, blend spinach with water. Add tofu and blend gently to create a chunky paste resembling ricotta cheese.

Pour half of spinach/tofu mixture onto first layer of noodles. Top with half of vegetable/pasta sauce mixture.

Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layering once more. Finish with a layer of noodles and top with the remainder of the tomato paste.

Cover dish with foil and place in pre-heated oven and cook for 1 hour. If the noodles are cooked after 1 hour, remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If the noodles are not tender after an hour, leave in for another 20 minutes and check again. Remove when ready and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy (for dinner, and lunch the next day!) with a crisp salad and a glass of red vegan vino!

** This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagne sheets available at health food stores or well-stocked local supermarkets **

We spent over 3 weeks in Guatemala and during this time, had the opportunity to try a wide variety of foods and restaurants that satisfied our vegan requirements. The staple of rice and beans is nicely complemented by the ever-present corn tortillas. It’s impossible to walk down the street and not hear the pat-pat-pat of the tortilla dough being hand-shaped into 5-inch rounds or to smell the tortillas toasting on the cast iron griddles. The tortillas are made from many different corn varieties – white, yellow, blue, black and likely more! Delicious on their own or as part of a meal!

At our first stop in Flores, we were delighted to discover a full menu of vegetarian and vegan options at the restaurant inside Los Amigos hostel. We tried the tofu wrap, burrito, curry, falafel and salads, as well as the fruit smoothies. All were very tasty, and very reasonably priced for our backpackers’ budget. We decided to eat all of our meals here, as the food, prices and atmosphere were just right for us. They also have an awesome happy hour menu with great deals on all sorts of yummy cocktails and local beers.

Richard relaxing in the garden restaurant at Los Amigos hostel in Flores

The city of Antigua provided a wide variety of options for us including well-stocked supermarkets and a large outdoor produce market. We had a kitchen at our accommodation, Holistico Hostal, so we were able to cook for ourselves most of the time – economical and healthy! We whipped up bean and veggie fillings for our delicious corn tortillas, hot off the griddle! We did enjoy two meals in local restaurants – a fresh and tasty quinoa and tofu wrap at Pitaya and a typical Guatemalan meal consisting of veggie-stuffed tostadas, guacamole, salsa and pickled cabbage at Sabe Rico. Both were on the pricier end of the scale, but were good quality meals. We were also able to temporarily return to banana heaven and enjoyed the use of the hostel’s blender, making a deep green spinach and 8-banana smoothie on two occasions!

Lunch at Pitaya in Antigua

Guatemalan meal at Sabe Rico in Antigua

Return of the spinach-banana smoothie – oh, how we missed you!

The majority of our time in Gautemala was spent in Panajachel, a town on the shore of Lake Atitlan. Here we lived with a local Guatemalan family while we attended Spanish school for two weeks. We ate all of our meals with host-mom Magda, and she did an amazing job of catering to our (unusual) requirements. Breakfasts were fruit and cereal or oats, lunches included pasta, beans/rice, veggies, tortillas and bread, and dinners included soup, bread, tortillas, salad and veggies. We supplemented our meals with peanut butter sandwiches as snacks during lessons, and lots of fruit during the day. Our host-mom was very intrigued that we could not only survive, but thrive on our diet – especially since we ran a marathon while staying with her!

Panajachel has a fair number of restaurants offering vegan options, some even advertising vegan meals and treats on their window signage. Our culinary outings in Panajachel on Calle Santander included a wonderful smoothie/juice bar called Pitaya (not connected to the one in Antigua), a great little restaurant called Llama del Fuego with a multitude of tofu, tempeh and other vegan friendly options, vegan apple strudel from Cafe Kitsch, wood-fired pizza and delicious freshly made pupusas (bean stuffed corn pockets) with salsa from a street vendor.

Pitaya Juice Bar in Panajachel – banana, mango and papaya smoothies – yum!

Another smoothie break at Llama del Fuego in Panajachel – chocolate, banana and mango – yum again!

Snack time at our study table at Casa Magda!

Bev with our host-mom, Magda, in the kitchen at Casa de Magda

During our time at Lake Atitlan we visited two other villages on the lake shore. San Pedro is the largest village after Panajachel, and is a bohemian oasis with a wide variety of vegan choices. We enjoyed a yummy veggie burger at the Irish pub (only one of the many nationalities represented here!), and made the mistake of only buying two delicious vegan choc-chip banana cookies from the natural foods market on the main street just up and to the left from the ferry dock. This market stocks a wide variety of local and imported foods that would happily support a plant-based diet, albeit at a hefty premium. The other village we visited was San Marcos, and it’s a little more hippy trippy than the other villages around the lake. We tried to find a few of the vegan outlets that we’d read about, but were unsuccessful in locating them – either due to closure for the season or poor directions. We were later told that they do exist by friends who visited the village!

In Guatemala we did feel a bit restricted with breakfast options in lodgings that included breakfast in the room rate. Most often breakfasts included bread, fruit, eggs, pancakes, juice and coffee. We usually opted for the fruit, bread and coffee, and then added our own granola, oats or cereal as we were able to. We did have pancakes on occasion once we’d confirmed that no dairy was used in the batter. It’s worth considering this when you’re travelling as a vegan, as the inclusion of breakfast is often not great value if you don’t take advantage of the full spread. Going forward, we may opt to ask for a reduction in rate in favour of an included breakfast.

Breakfast on the deck at El Portal Hostel in Semuc Champey – granola, Cheerios, soy milk, bananas and coffee

Finding staples like fruit, vegetables, soy milk, cereal and peanut butter was very easy in Guatemala and the supermarkets are very well stocked. Bread is in plentiful supply with bakeries or “panaderias” almost outnumbering the tortilla vendors! Be aware that the bread is usually made with white flour and is more cake-like than the crusty bread that you might expect if you’re from North America or Europe. You can also buy sandwich bread (wholegrain and wholewheat) in the supermarkets that are a little healthier although who knows what goes into that bread to keep it fresh! There are also many street vendors who sell cut fruit, fresh juice, pastries, breads, chips, candy and soft drinks. Similarly, there are vendors who board buses with all sorts of food items. Most of these were deep-fried items and definitely not vegan-friendly! Be sure to ask if the item is “sin carne o lactosa o huevos” if you’re intent on staying vegan!

Learning a bit of Spanish was very helpful to us when navigating meal times and shopping for groceries in Guatemala (and all the other Central American countries we’ve visited). It’s definitely a good idea to brush up on a few Spanish phrases and to learn the Spanish words for meat and dairy items. Most restaurants understood vegetarian, but very few understood vegan, so we were careful to describe as best we could in our limited Spanish what we did and didn’t want!

We picked up a batch of supplies as we moved through each major town and were never without an “emergency” source of calories! Aside from more secluded jungle locations like Semuc Champey or smaller villages across the countryside, we found it very easy to continue our plant-based diet in Guatemala in the locations that we found ourselves.

And last but not least – beverages! We enjoyed many wonderful cups of coffee in various spots across Guatemala. Our favourite place for a strong brew was undoubtedly Crossroads Cafe (notwithstanding the religious underpinnings!)  in Panajachel. Of course, we are now in the habit of taking our soy milk with us wherever we go as there is usually a great cup of coffee within arm’s reach! Favourite drinks in Guatemala included the deep, dark Moza beer (our favourite beer hands down on the trip so far) and the many delicious smoothies along the way made from the fresh and plentiful fruit supplies including papaya, mango, banana and pineapple. Be sure to ask if the smoothie bar has soy milk as cow’s milk and/or yogurt is commonly used to make smoothies. You can ask for purified water to be used if no soy milk is available (or bring your own, as we did!).

Rich enjoying a cold and satisfying Moza beer

Best local food tried: Corn tortillas

Most surprising food experience: Eating wonderful tempeh sandwiches in Panajachel

Most challenging food experience: Too much bread