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Vegan IS possible :)

mfmarotto

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances (09/2016)
Frances & Portugues (06/2019)
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. :p 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. :)
 
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Thanks, Mary … will gladly share this with my vegan wife - I still eat eggs and that's about it. We are leaving for LePuy in 27 days and hoping the French are as accommodating since we've heard the food quality on St Jaques is even better than Espana. Bon Chamin!
 
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Having been vegan only for 10months and having planned to walk the camino for a few years now, this is one of the questions I have on my list.
So thank you for so a full answer, it has settled my mind on how to eat.
I'm very happy with beans and rice for a few meals a week so should cope well with that.
Thanks again.
 
I have read (on a vegan blog) that the paella de verduras available at the bars/restaurants that have this sign is totally vegan.

View attachment 94562
Yes it is. Of course, these are not the best paellas in the world because they are frozen and reheated. But I had this paella de verduras a few times on the CF and it was good enough.
 
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Yes it is. Of course, these are not the best paellas in the world because they are frozen and reheated. But I had this paella de verduras a few times on the CF and it was good enough.
Yes, I know that these are mass produced paellas, I just wanted to mention it as a reliable vegan dish in many restaurants along the Camino, when one doesn't want to cook.
😊
 

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