Chowing down as a Vegan; a commentary on the struggles of eating like a vegan in a foreign country!

Recently, I traveled to Switzerland for 3 weeks. It was a great opportunity to say the least, but being a vegan in a country where meat is a part of every meal was often my most difficult task. Luckily, I expected there would be some difficulties and packed a few things that really came in handy. The following is a commentary on how I survived and enjoyed my meals in Switzerland as a VEGAN!

Food: Vegans typically don't have a hard time finding things for them to eat in familiar surroundings, but while being in a different country, it is definitely a harder task than it seems. The traditional Swiss diet consists of a plethora of cheeses, breads, sausages and meats with each meal as well as buttered vegetables. I tried to venture out of my normal and routine diet to try some new vegan Swiss food, but most of the Swiss diet is NOT vegan! The menus below are what typical Swiss families eat, then what I ate! As you can see, most of the Swiss meal components are crossed through, meaning that no vegan is allowed to eat these ingredients/foods! From the Traditional Swiss menu, what is not crossed out is what I ate with my meals. This is just one day out of 21 days of menus that I charted and kept up with:

Drinks: Since I am a very active person, I typically drink water everyday! In Switzerland, it was no exception. I drank water and wine. Wine is a staple to Swiss meals such as lunch and dinner, so expect it to be on the table at any meal you go to besides breakfast. Their sodas and drinks are definitely not the same as American sodas! They are over carbonated and have little, to no sugar in them.  While they are better for you than typical American sodas, I prefer not to drink any soda anywhere I am. 

Snacks: Swiss people typically eat sausages, pretzels or a baguette for a snack. While I was in Switzerland, I went to the local Coop, a grocery store, and picked up a bag of pistachios, fruits and vegan potato chips! These snacks went everywhere from to the tops of the Alps, to shopping in Zurich, to the Lake of Zurich and the park.  I suggest taking snacks in your backpack with you because Swiss people do a ton of walking and it can be exhausting! A snack is always a reason to stop and take a break for a few minutes.

Eating out: While all Swiss restaurants are very nice, I would suggest not eating out too much as it is expensive and vegan options are usually limited. Although, as part of your tour through Switzerland, you must go to at least one of the very famous vegetarian restaurants! The Hiltl was the first vegetarian restaurant in Europe and has been open since 1898. They offer a multitude of options and are vegan friendly. I would recommend reserving your spot because typically the place is packed! To take a look around at the menu and the place, click here.

While in Switzerland, I also heard about a quaint little restaurant called Tibits. Tibits is like the fastfood version of Hiltl. The owners of Hiltl collaborated with the owners of Tibits to create a wonderful atmosphere and fast paced restaurant. At Tibits, you can dine in or take away! They offer salads and hot dishes, as well. All of their foods are labeled vegan or non vegan so that there will be no mix up in the foods you eat! They also have a website that you can visit here.

For more info: The next few articles I will be writing will be about Vegan traveling and tips! Stay tuned to my page for more tips OR you can email me at alyse@connectedatl.com for answers to any questions and comments you may have!