Vegan Road Trip Food Hacks + 10 Easy Vegan Meals to Make at Your Rental Home

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Who doesn’t love a road trip? Whether it’s cross-country or just an hour away, a little adventure is a nice way to shake things up and experience something new. As a vegan, getting out of your usual food environment might feel tricky or even scary. No one wants to worry about having something to eat or going hungry. With a little planning and preparation, you can be sure to eat plenty of nourishing vegan food on your roadtrip no matter your destination. 

As a lifelong Midwesterner, road trips are a part of life. Whether it’s to explore the beautiful Great Lakes, travel to another city, or make the long trip to the mountains or ocean, if you grew up in the Midwest, chances are you’ve been on more road trips than you can count. 

Road trips are more affordable than flying, more-family friendly, and arguably more vegan-friendly! And who doesn’t like having their creature comforts like their favorite pillow or blanket, or cooler full of food, along for the ride?

The thing about road tripping in or from the Midwest is that unless you’re strategically stopping in larger cities, there are few quick vegan food options. We’re talking rural farmland as far as the eye can see and small towns where people may not have even heard of the term vegan.

Now I don’t know about you, but I do not want to spend my vacation constantly researching vegan food options and figuring out what to eat. I want to figure that all out ahead of time and enjoy the trip. I’ll share with you my strategies for food planning without too much hassle.

First, a few things about how I like to prepare for travel and what anchors my road trips.

Finding Vegan Food on a Road Trip

For eating vegan on the road, you have a few choices:

Bring food with you
Stop at a vegan or vegan-friendly restaurant on your trip
Grab food from a store on your trip

I use Google, Google Maps, and Happy Cow to help me find the best vegan and vegan-friendly spots and I star them on my map so it’s easier to find them again. I also look for food along our travel route. 

If you do this enough, you’ll have a map full of starred vegan options and over time you won’t have to spend so much time researching (of course if you’re always taking new routes or heading to new destinations you will). 

While “vegan food” is an obvious search term, I also like to search for specific foods like “tofu” which usually brings up more options than just using the term “vegan.” You can also search for “vegetarian” and see if that helps you find vegan-friendly establishments or menu items that are veganizable. 

When there are no obviously vegan-friendly restaurants, I look to global cuisine such as Mediterranean (falafel, hummus, rice, salad, lentil soup), Thai (tofu and veggie dishes – just be sure to ask about fish sauce), and Mexican (rice, beans, veggie fajitas – just be sure to ask about lard in the beans and chicken broth in the rice).

Taco Bell is perhaps the most vegan-friendly mainstream fast food restaurant, with both refried beans and black beans on the menu. You can easily customize menu items to remove meat and dairy and substitute beans, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce and more.

If nothing else, you can usually find nuts and pretzels at a gas station or convenience store. These places often carry fresh fruit, vegan protein bars, and other vegan snacks.

To be absolutely certain you’ll have plenty of vegan food to eat on your road trip, bring it with you!

Packing Vegan Food for a Road Trip

If there isn’t good vegan food on the travel route or I don’t want to spend the time or money eating out, I throw together some Tofurky sandwiches, fruit and crunchy snacks and toss them in a cooler bag with an ice pack.

I also like to pack vegan Greek yogurt, roasted edamame, and prepped overnight oats or chia pudding for extra fiber and protein, which may be hard to come by as a vegan on a road trip. Not to mention my gut is used to lots of fiber and I prefer to keep that steady so my digestion can stay as consistent as possible!

Nutritious and delicious vegan road trip food (items with * require a cooler and ice or ice pack):

Nut butter and jelly sandwiches
Sandwiches with vegan deli slices, cheese, etc.*
Chickpea salad and crackers*
Bean or grain salads*
Hummus and veggies*
Trail mix or your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
Protein bars
Roasted edamame
Roasted chickpeas
Dry cereal
Popcorn
Fruit

I like to pack my road trip food in reusable food storage containers as it’s less waste than single-use bags but then I also will have those containers to reuse for the duration of the trip (for storing leftovers at the rental home, for packing lunches during the trip, and for packing the cooler with food for the return trip).

I prefer a medium-sized, soft-sided cooler bag that can fit lunches for my family of 4 and that has a shoulder strap (for carrying all the bags at once, as one does). This is easy to fit in the car and is portable for picnics and lunches during the trip. I’ve been using the same cooler bag for years, that I originally purchased for pumping breast milk while traveling – it’s been with me and my family through a lot! I also love that it has a roomy zipper pocket on the front where I keep a pack of wipes for cleaning hands and faces as well as emergency utensils should I forget some.

I also like to keep a picnic blanket in the car in case we stop to eat somewhere that doesn’t have a picnic table. The one we have is pricey, but it’s worth it because we’ve used it countless times and it’s large, waterproof, folds up and has a shoulder strap. Plus they have the cutest designs! But any blanket or sheet will do.

Incorporating Nature and Hiking while Traveling

I love to experience nature wherever I am and it’s easy to search for hiking spots at your destination or along the way.

It’s also nice to pair this with meal or snack time. Have you ever eaten your lunch outside a dingy gas station in the middle of nowhere? I have and it’s not awesome. I’d much rather take two minutes to find a nature preserve or forest close to the highway where I can enjoy my food in nature (and if you have that picnic blanket with you, no need to worry about finding a designated picnic area or tables).

It’s important to move around every couple hours while traveling. So why not do it somewhere beautiful? Bake this time into your travel plans. Trust me, it makes the trip so much more enjoyable! Whether it’s just a scenic area to stop and stretch for a few minutes or an hours-long hike you incorporate into your travel day, I highly recommend looking for some natural areas to check out along your route!

On a recent trip my husband and I found a hiking spot on our way back from our destination and discovered a shallow, sandy-bottomed creek that was perfect for little kids and we talked about bringing our little ones there one day. Well a couple months later we were in the area on a family road trip and made a point to return to that spot and made really sweet memories hiking with our kids and splashing around in that creek! It wasn’t a part of the plan but I happened to see it flagged on the map and remembered that it was a kid-friendly area. 

Bringing Plenty of Water on Your Road Trip

Are you someone who restricts fluids while traveling so you don’t need to spend time stopping and going to the bathroom? Please, don’t!

Obviously dehydration is not great, and who wants to start their trip feeling awful? 

Remember how we just discussed the importance of stopping and getting your blood flowing every couple hours?

If you’re staying hydrated, chances are you’re going to be stopping to relieve yourself on a regular basis and that right there helps get you moving! Seriously, it doesn’t add that much time to your trip and if it’s that big of a deal, you need to adjust your travel plans to accommodate basic bodily needs like food, water, and restroom.

In terms of staying hydrated, I’ve learned after many years of road trips to pack plenty of water. You never know what the water situation will be like on your travel route or at your destination so I’ve learned to bring a few gallons of water in the car. Having jugs of water in the car allows you to refill water bottles on the road and avoid spending money on single-serve water bottles (or gallons from the gas stations which are more expensive than you can get at home). And, remember to pack enough (or plan to buy more) so you can refill your water bottle in the hotel, rental home, or wherever you’re staying!

Using Grocery Delivery While Traveling

Having groceries delivered saves so much hassle for me both in everyday life (I started using it when I had my second baby) but especially while staying in rental homes. It also saves money by not having to depend on restaurant food that first night (or ever during the trip!). 

Have you ever stopped to go grocery shopping close to your destination while traveling with two little kids? I have and it’s not a great experience. Grocery delivery helps save time and frustration all around.

I plan easy meals to make in a rental, write the grocery list ahead of time, and scope out the vegan options that the local store has and what I need to buy and pack from home.

This part takes the most time and planning but it’s worth it when I consider the time and money it saves on the actual trip.

Packing Vegan Essentials for a Road Trip

There are some things I prefer to pack from home, either because I can’t find it at the destination or I don’t need an entire new container of it. I’ll pack up the amount that we need for the trip (usually in a small glass jar) so we’re not taking up more space than necessary.

I tend to pack my own nutritional yeast, cooking oil (I find what rental homes have is usually expired or kept in less than ideal conditions like sitting on a stove), nut butter, protein powder, garlic and onion powder (staple seasonings for many simple meals – see below!), and any specialty vegan items such as vegan deli slices, vegan cheese or special vegan meats that may not be available in stores at our destination. But for the most part I plan meals using simple ingredients that I can find at even the most basic grocery stores.

Making Vegan Food at a Rental Home

When planning meals to make at your rental home, be sure to check out the kitchen amenities on the rental listing.

What kitchen appliances or tools will you need?

We’re big smoothie people so if the rental doesn’t have a blender, you bet I’m packing the Nutribullet (I’ve traveled with my Vitamix before but that’s huge and heavy and I’ve learned I can just do batches in the Nutribullet, which is much easier to pack). 

Does the rental have a stove, oven, microwave, toaster, knives, cutting boards, pots and pans, sheet pans, etc.? Does it have a fridge and freezer? Don’t assume – check the listing. 

Also consider if you have preferences when it comes to dish soap and dishwasher detergent. This may seem extra, but I bring my own soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds for both dishes and laundry at home and always pack it when I’ll be staying at a rental) and unscented dishwasher detergent (Dropps plastic-free pods are easy to throw in a reusable silicone bag and pack with you) because we’re sensitive to scent.

10 Easy Vegan Meals You Can Make in a Rental Home

Here are simple tried-and-true plant-based meals that I like to make at rental homes for my family and friends! They are also great for leftovers and can be packed up for a picnic or meal on the go.

Pasta + Vegan Protein + Frozen Vegetable or Salad

Pasta with a protein and veg is a crowd-pleaser that requires very little tools and prep. You need a pot, stove, and water for the pasta. Depending on your protein you may need a pan and stove or oven. 

Some of my go-to proteins to pair with pasta are nooch tofu, Italian-style seitan, Italian-style crumbles, vegan meatballs and vegan Italian sausage. All of those can be simply sauted with a little oil on the stovetop. Or, the nooch tofu can be baked in an oven or toaster oven.

The easiest vegetable to go with pasta, in my opinion, is to microwave frozen broccoli (or green beans or peas or frozen veggie of your choice). You can also throw together a simple side salad with pre-washed salad greens, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper (perhaps throw a few cherry tomatoes on there too). 

Fajita Tofu, Peppers and Onions

Vegan fajitas can be thrown together easily on the stovetop or as a sheet pan meal in the oven. Simply chop up your tofu, a variety of bell peppers, and onions and toss with some oil and a taco seasoning packet or your favorite combo of seasonings. Cook it all up on the stove or in the oven. 

I like to serve them with whole-wheat tortillas but you can also serve over rice or scoop it up with tortilla chips. 

Add some more deliciousness with refried beans, salsa, guacamole and whatever else your heart desires!

Sheet Pan Sausage, Peppers and Sweet Potato

Chop up your favorite vegan sausage, a variety of peppers and onions, and toss with a bag of frozen sweet potatoes on a sheet pan with oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until your desired level of doneness! So easy and very flavorful.

Breakfast Sandwiches

A fun way to mix up the morning meal, breakfast sandwiches come together easily with a toaster and perhaps a skillet or microwave. 

Choose your favorite breakfast sandwich bread (bagel, English muffin, sandwich bread, vegan croissant, etc.) and fill with your favorite breakfast sandwich fillings! I love Ezekiel English Muffins if I can find them because they’re so hearty and have the best texture and flavor. I like Just egg folds for the convenience, but sautéing slices of tofu is also delicious. Add a sausage patty (easy to heat up in the microwave or on the stove) and a slice of vegan cheese and you’re done. Serve with a side of fruit. 

Burgers + Grilled Veggies

If you’re traveling in a warm season and have access to a grill at your rental home, why not take advantage of it? Vegan burgers and burger buns can be found at most grocery stores and pair deliciously with a variety of grilled vegetables (my favorites are mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and asparagus).

Vegan Protein + Salad + Roasted Potatoes

If I’m turning on the oven I love to roast a big pan of potatoes because they’re a tasty and crowd-pleasing starch to serve any time of day and go with pretty much everything. 

This meal is a great way to combine random leftovers or just to cook up a simple meal. 

Nooch tofu can roast in the oven along with the potatoes while you throw together a basic side salad. Easy, tasty, done. 

Tofurky Sandwiches + Fruit + Crunchy Snack

I’m a big fan of Tofurky vegan deli slices. They’re delicious, widely available, and protein-rich. Plus, a deli sandwich just feels so perfect for a picnic! Pair with whatever odds and ends you have around. I like sweet and juicy fruit along with a crunchy, savory snack food with my Tofurky sandwich!

Mac n’ Cheese + Edamame + Frozen Veg

My kids may be vegan but they are still kids which means they love macaroni and cheese, so I always pack a box of their favorite mac n’ cheese from home to make at our destination. While the noodles cook on the stove I heat up frozen edamame and a frozen vegetable to make a super easy and balanced meal.

Bean Salads

One of the yummiest and easiest meals I tossed together on a road trip was a very simple salad of canned black beans, frozen corn, frozen edamame, and cherry tomatoes. Tossed together with a little oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. It was so refreshing to enjoy at the beach and was a really satisfying dose of fiber and whole food goodness that my body enjoyed immensely.

Eating well on vacation can be quick, easy, and affordable!

Protein Smoothies

Smoothies are a staple for my family so we’re always blending up something yummy even when we’re away from home. My favorite smoothie ingredients are calcium-fortified plant milk, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, spinach, banana, and frozen berries. 

If you make a smoothie hearty enough it could stand in for a meal but is great as part of a meal or as a snack. Smoothies are also an easy way to guarantee some protein and produce especially if you’ll be eating out and not sure if you’ll be able to access many vegan protein sources the rest of the day. 

What are your go-to vegan meals for travel? Share in the comments!