The Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is not exactly overflowing with vegan dining options. In fact, there seems to be a scarcity of food of any kind; most of the shopping arcades are filled with luxury handbags, perfumes, jewellery, etc. Who needs to eat when you can look thin and fabulous instead! I do. I need to eat, and when I've just come off an overnight trans-Atlantic flight, complete with swollen ankles, smelly breath and bed hair (despite having not slept in a bed), looking fabulous is the last thing on my mind. Fortunately, there is one stand-out vegan-friendly option to save the day, and that's Exki. This chain of healthy fast food outlets started out in Belgium, but they've been popping up in a growing number of European cities, and especially in airports, where they offer a welcome respite from the usual airport fare. There are no fewer than six branches in Charles de Gaulle (and three in Orly, Paris' other airport), so odds are you won't be too far from one no matter which terminal you're flying out of. They are located in terminals S3, S4, 2A, 2D, 2E and 2F. I visited the one in Terminal 2E, which is at gate K47. As usual with Exki, the focus is on natural, sustainable, organic foods. All items are clearly labelled for food allergens and other dietary requirements. I've seen other Exki branches that included a vegan label. While that was not the case here, they do label all vegetarian options, and they also list every ingredient in both French and English, so it's pretty easy to identify the vegan items. The day I was there, those items included a number of different salads, a couple of soups, and one curry dish (curry dishes are found in the cold section with the salads, but there is a microwave in the seating area where you can heat them up). They also had fresh fruit and some vegan chocolate bars. So yeah, heading here is pretty much a no-brainer. If for some reason you can't make it to Exki, there are a few other options where you can at least find something edible. Terminal 2 Miyou (near Gate K41) You'll find this chic, Japanese-inspired café near the elevator, below the food court. They offer one vegan salad with tofu, mango and wheat berries, but at nearly 13 euros it's much poorer value than the salads you'll find at Exki. Food Court (above Miyou) Once you've found Miyou, head up to the next floor and you will be at a small food court. It was not yet open when I passed through at 10 a.m., so I don't have any photos to show you, but honestly, there's not much to see. The most promising options here are the Lebanese place called Meza Liza. They offer a set plate of Lebanese meze, which includes babaghanoush, tabbouleh, hummus and moudardara (lentils and rice with caramelized onions). Apart from that, you might find a vegan pasta option at Piatto del Gusto or a veggie spring roll at Fusion Wok. Terminal 2F Bert's Café Contemporain
On the lower level below the gates, here I found some fresh fruit, fruit juices, and a tabbouleh salad. There was also a label for a tomato gazpacho, which presumably would have also been vegan, but they seemed to be out of it. TJ's Café There's not much reason to choose this place over Bert's, unless you have a thing for raw radishes. Otherwise, you'll find the same fruit cups here as at Bert's but not much else. However, there is a microwave in the seating area, which could come in handy if you're self-catering. Terminal 1 Hippopatamus This well-known French chain is very meat-focused, but it does have a few tasty-sounding side dishes, like ratatouille and candied vegetables. You could concoct a pretty inexpensive meal by ordering a few of these. And that's about it. If I haven't made it clear, finding the nearest Exki branch really should be your top priority if you're looking for a meal at Charles de Gaulle. And, if you're on a long-haul flight, be sure to ask for a VGML meal in advance when you make your flight reservation. While airlines often refer to this as a vegetarian meal, this is in fact the code for a vegan meal, while the code for a lacto-ovo vegetarian meal is VLML. That being said, in my experience airline staff often get confused by special meal requests, and mistakes do happen, so it's a good idea to bring some food with you. Just remember though, that customs officials will confiscate any fresh produce when you arrive at your destination, so if you don't eat it you'll probably lose it. Things like nuts, seeds, granola bars, etc. should make it through. Bon voyage! Originally posted by Wendy Werneth on the nomadic vegan
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Do you think travel as a vegan is hard? I know I certainly did before I actually tried it. After learning about the horrors of the meat, egg and dairy industries, I definitely felt compelled to go vegan. I knew deep down that it was the only way of living that was truly aligned with my most deeply-held values – the values of peace, non-violence and compassion. But there was something holding me back, and that something was fear. Travel was a huge part of my life, and my passion for exploring the world had already led me on adventures on all 7 continents and in more than 90 countries. But what would happen to my love affair with travel if I became vegan? I doubted whether it was even possible to be vegan in some of the places I'd been, and in some of the places I still planned to visit. At the very least, surely the hassle of being vegan on the road would make travel stressful and tiring. I was afraid that I'd be missing out on all the local specialties, that I would cause a stir and create embarrassing situations when I tried to ask for vegan food in restaurants, and that I would become a pain in the butt in the eyes of whoever I was travelling with. Imagine my surprise, then, when I finally gave it a trial run and discovered that being vegan didn't make travel worse ... it actually made it much BETTER! Now, I already knew that there were many benefits to becoming vegan. Obviously, I would be saving innocent animals from needless suffering and death. On top of that, I would improve my own health, help save the planet, and contribute to ending world hunger. But, better travel?! That was a secret vegan benefit that no one had ever told me about. And yet it's true. Sure, it takes a little research and preparation, but by following a few simple steps I've been able to uncover delicious vegan specialties everywhere I go, even in notoriously meat-and-dairy-loving countries like France and Switzerland. Being vegan has opened a new window onto each destination and allowed me to connect with each country's people, animals, culture and environment in a way I'd never done before. It's a unique way of travelling that most people never get to experience. I was completely blown away when I realized just how wrong I had been about what I thought vegan travel would be like. And I knew I wasn't the only one with these misconceptions. Most people think travelling as a vegan is all but impossible. And who can blame them? We're told the same story over and over again by guidebooks, well-meaning friends and family, and pretty much everyone we meet. But if the person telling you about all the difficulties of vegan travel isn't vegan, then they don't really know what they're talking about. I promise you that, with a bit of planning and foresight, following a vegan lifestyle while on the road will enrich your travel experiences in ways you never imagined. And I'm here to show you how. I've teamed up with the folks at HappyCow to bring you 9 Steps for Easy Vegan Travel – a free ebook that will guide you step by step through the process of planning your trip, seeking out vegan-friendly restaurants, communicating your needs, and discovering a new corner of the world through its vegan cuisine. And best of all, we're offering this vegan travel guide for free! Click here to download your copy before your next trip. My mission here at The Nomadic Vegan is to empower you to be vegan anywhere and spread compassion everywhere. And I'm sure that, once you've read 9 Steps for Easy Vegan Travel, you'll have the confidence and the skills you need to do just that. Come join the ever-growing numbers of vegan travellers who have made their travels more memorable, more rewarding and more delicious! You won't believe what you've been missing out on. GRAB YOUR COPY NOW! An earlier version of this article originally appeared as a guest post on HappyCow.net. Originally posted by Wendy Werneth on the nomadic vegan |
AuthorWriter and Blogger Brittany Lucero studied both PR and Fine Art and graduated with honors at Reinhardt university. Upon completion of her certifications, and after saving funds earned from nanny and restaurant jobs, she took two months to travel Europe alone. Since then, Brittany has made her way to several countries, including Thailand, Iceland, Japan, and recently, Ireland. Through her experiences traveling, she discovered another passion of hers: whiskey-making. From the Bourbon Trail to Japan, she's explored this subject, and currently wears many hats in her role at a local, organic distillery in Chicago while still finding time to travel- of course. Archives
September 2017
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