I wanna say that the veganism and vegetarianism never became trendy in Europe like they have here in the US…but then again, I haven’t come across any restaurants catering strictly to vegans in the US either. 

Generally, Northern Europeans eat more meat and animal products&nbsper capita than Southern Europeans.  But everywhere you go, there’s always plenty of things on restaurant menus that you can eat.  Veggie-burgers might not be common but there’s always….french fries, salads, meatless pasta dishes, vegetable meddleys, the list is endless.  These are dishes that have always been around, since the old days when Europeans could not afford to eat meat regularly.

Also, there’s supermarkets are aplenty.

Now, I’m not a vegan, so keep that in mind. I’m a lacto-ovo veggie and I’ve never had a problem traveling in Europe. Some places you certainly don’t get a wide variety of choices. The UK actually has quite a few veggie resturants or places with veggie options, especially London. Most guidebooks will give you veg resturants if a city has them. We went to two in Madrid. I always tried to learn how to ask “does this have meat” in each language.  You may want to look on some Vegan websites too.

 
Vegan Grocery and Restaurant
 
http://www.rainbowcoop.org/

Good luck! A vegetarian can get by no problem, but unless you’re staying in places with a kitchen and cooking your own food, I think it would be very hard for a vegan. You simply won’t know what your food is cooked in/with much of the time.

 
Does this belong in nightlife?
 
I don’t get questions like this.  They sell dorito’s and french fries everywhere, why would you assume you’ll be force-fed meat in Europe?

Being vegan/vegetarian is not as simple as not eating meat.  Would you want to live off of doritos and french fries for weeks/months? Probably not, especially if you care at all to be healthy.  It’s really hard when people are so insensitive to such a personal choice…  Not to mention that backpacking and traveling require a certain level of stamina which doritos will never provide…

There are a lot of websites with vegan/veg establishments such as www.happycow.net, www.vegeurope.com, and www.vegguide.com.  You can also get one of these: http://www.amazon.co… which may not be a bad investment so you don’t end up with chicken stock infested rice or something like that.

I’m planning to hit up as many of these resturaunts as possible, and grocery shop in between! 

Thank you very much to those who gave constructive replies. 
And thanks for your reply sbtleasabrick.
I figure a lot of my food will be fresh fruit and nut mixes and I am fine with that.  However a delightful vegan meal  every now and again would be nice. 
Heavydrinker, I put this in the “Nightlife, Eating, and Drinking” forum because finding vegan food would be under “eating”.
For those of those that don’t know much about Vegan, it’s not just animals you don’t eat, it’s by products of animals as well.  And no you usually can not eat french fries from non vegan restaurants as even if they make the fries in veg oil, a lot of places will not only make the fries there but also chicken or fish or what not. 
Oh and Heavydrinker, Doritos’s are not vegan, I suppose potato chips could be but sbtleasabrick said it well, I enjoy putting good food into my body and will need it for energy to get through my travels.  I was a vegetarian for 8 years and have been vegan for 7 now so with me this is not a trend, it’s a lifestyle I choose.  I respect those of you who eat meat and would never sit down while you are eating say a hamburger and then preach my vegan ways to you.  Infact I don’t preach being a vegan at all to anyone.  All I ask is you respect my not eating meat.

Just reading through this thread again… one thing came to mind that happens when I travel. Don’t expect everyone to comprehend vegetarianism – they understand what it is but can’t comprehend why anyone would do this. LTB mentioned it hasn’t “caught on” in Europe and that is true especially in more rural areas. 

One place I intend to visit is Cafe Morgenrot in Berlin, which offers vegan and vegetarian food. Take a look on Google – there are lots of interesting pages about this place.

vegans don’t eat doritos?  That’s fucked!

Seemed kind of obvious to me. Eating and food. YES!! They do go together.

Yes, like one of the pps said, Southern Europe is a lot less inclined to be vegetarian or vegan. If you find yourself in Valencia, Spain, the only place i know is Salud its a very cheap all-you-can-eat and the food is great

Exactly as Keleti said.  In North America, vegetarianism and veganism have become the latest fad.  It hasn’t really caught on in Europe, however, there’s plenty of courses or meals that rely only on plant products (vegetables, fruits, pasta, etc…)  Non-vegetarians eat vegetables too, you know.  Why don’t rely on animal by-products for all of our calories.

Southern Europe: the veganism and vegetarianism fads never took off in Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece), however Southern Europeans eat less meat per capita than Northern Europeans and North Americans.  Southern Europeans also use more olive oil, whereas North Americans and Northern Europeans rely almost entirely on butter and animal fat.   The traditional Mediterranean diet has been internationally hailed for how incredibly healthy it is, because of its high proportion of whole grains, fruits, vegetables. It’s hilarious how North Americans who don’t have very healthy diets think that they are healthier now with this new vegetarianism trend.

And honestly, as a personal trainer, I find it hilarious when people use the health angle to justify veganism/vegetarianism.  To each his own, of course.  If you don’t like the taste of meat, you disagree with killing animals for human consumption (or the methods they use for slaughter), that’s totally understandible.  But please don’t tell me you’re healthier than me.  Every vegetarian I have met has weight-management issues and then indulges in&nbspancakes and cheesecake.  Someone in France or Italy, on the other hand, will have balanced meal made of salad or stewed vegetables, pasta or beans, chicken, and a glass of wine.  And guess who’s thinner and lives longer (hint: it ain’t the Yanks).

luv_the_beach …Not quite sure why you feel the need to mock someone’s life style.  I simply wrote a post to try and see where a vegan maybe able to eat in some countries I have never been too.  Whatever you personal opinion of vegan’s is yours to have but remember you don’t know me from boo so coming out to someone like that is not so nice in my view.
I found this form when I decided to take a trip to Europe and have loved it.  Almost everyone is helpful and gives constructive replies.  Again thank you to those of you who have.  I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to my question. 
So luv_the_beach- I would love for you to point out where I said I was healthier than you?  Who ever said I was healthy either?  I did say I like to eat healthy but it does not say I am.  I eat junk food too.  Just non animal junk food but really do not want to on a 3 wk trek.  If you must know I am a vegan because of animal reasons and am not on some trend band wagon.  I do not wear leather, fur, use natural products etc so obviously I am concerned about what I put in my body.  You said “there’s plenty of courses or meals that rely only on plant products (vegetables, fruits, pasta, etc…)  Non-vegetarians eat vegetables too, you know.”  That I know but how it’s prepared is what makes me a vegan.  That is why I seek vegan restaurants because you can’t be 100% butter is not put in the pasta, salad dressing typically aren’t vegan, cooked veggies may be prepared in something, etc.  So yes raw veggies i could have but seriously not the most satisfying.
Oh by the way I too am a certified trainer ( though don’t do it as a career) and have been studying nutrition for years and am a female who is 5’7” and 115 pounds.

 
measurements?

NYtraveler,

Relax sweetheart, it wasn’t aimed directly at you.  I’m saying this after hearing these things countless times from North Americans. []

heavydrinker you are one funny guy

 
hahaha not a vegan as well but vegetables have more value in europe than they do in america (they like them more) everycountry has soo many varieties of vegetable dishes….if you cant find anything bread and water work well

Where did you get this tid bit?

my encyclepdia “Gqstatus’s Encyclepedia of Tid Bits” i just think that if you look at the dishes in europe they use vegetables a lot more than in america….its a biger part of their meals

Just let everyone eat whatever they want to eat,or not eat. I don’t understand why food is such an issue wherever you go. I am a vegetarian but I am surely not in the mood for a political discussion.But meat eaters mainly try to mock and nail you…Whatver,WHAT I REALLY want to say is that Stockholm (as in Sweden) is a good vegan city.Preferrably the south side!

damn right we meateaters wanna nail you sexy vegans

agreed with drinker

luv the beach….. 1. veganism/vegetarianism isnt a fad. 2. read The China Study

It’s a fad.

Every vegan/vegetarian I know is overweight, indulges in pancakes and chocolate, then can’t lose weight, and is too lazy to take my excercize advice (everyone wants to lose weight until they find out what it takes.)

So, don’t tell me that people do it for health reasons and/or that they’ve all read the China Study.

As you said “ Every vegan/vegetarian I know is overweight, indulges in pancakes and chocolate, then can’t lose weight, and is too lazy to take my excercize advice.”

I’m sure there are a lot of vegan’s/vegetarian’s that you don’t know and and whether you choose to believe it or not, some of them are in great shape, eat healthy, and live great lives.  Yes some may not be healthy or overweight but just cause you don’t know any healthy or in shape one’s doesn’t make it right to act as if we are all unhealthy, out of shape vegan’s/vegetarian’s.

I must be living some great Fad btw as I have been a vegan/vegetarian for 15 years! 

What did you get picked on by a lot of vegan’s/vegetarian’s when you were a kid?

It’s a fad. 

I’m sure there are vegetarians and vegans such as yourself who know how to stay healthy and design a nutritious diet for themselves. 

But more often than not, you have people who overconsume on carbohydrates and make no effort to take in any protein (albeit from plant sources) because they think that this is healthy and slimming…and then you have people on the other extreme, people that overconsume on protein calories, and limit their carbs, because they think that that is healthy and slimming. 

There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and most people jump on the vegetarian/vegan bandwagon without knowing what they’re doing.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there for anyone who wants to do anything relating to health/fitness. 
 
I go to our local healthfood store and you’d think they would look fit.  Not a chance. (Except the young babe they just hired.)

This is so far off topic, it’s time to move to the pub.

That’s not nice
Aren’t like 50 percent (plus) subjects eventually getting to the point where they go off topic?
I’m sorry but other vegans may read that thead and see some of the nice suggestions the nice forum go-ers offered.
I done
Thank you!

Sorry you feel that way, but this entire last page (and most of the first page) has nothing to do with Europe or travel — hence the pub.

I don’t understand how someone can turn their backs on meat, meat is great but it’s a free world so who am I to tell you what you want to eat. I did work with a couple of vegans both were obease, which people used to give them shit about, if you’re fat you should at least be able to enjoy a good steak.
 
One quick question if you are a vegie or vegan do you make your children follow this diet or do you let them eat like a normal person until they are old enough to make the choice? I’ve always wondered as every female vegie I know (all 2 of them) who has had children has started eating meat during pregnancy (doctors orders) and kept eating meat afterwards.

The difficult thing about being vegan is that you never know if animal poop may have fertilized your vegetables. 
 
 

what if vegans were culled like the animals they refuse to eat… would they see the light then?

but would a vegan make tasty eating?
 
Then agains cows and sheep only eat grass and they tast pretty good.