There is always an argument between non-vegetarians and vegetarians where Vegetarians blame non-vegetarians for cruelty and brutality and in their defense non-vegetarians claim that by refusing non-vegetarians’ dishes there can be loss of cultural prospects as some traditional dishes of particular countries are meat-based. Vegans are called bad tourists by some countries as they affront locals by refusing to have a non-veg meal. On the other hand, vegans’ point is also justified that their choice of leaving meat and vegan products is based on their beliefs and culture and it’s important to stick to beliefs than to please others.

This post does not intend to criticize vegetarians & vegans nor did we support non-vegetarians. It is an educational post just to put some light on countries to avoid traveling if you are a vegan. If you are preparing to visit any one of the countries listed below, you can prepare accordingly and will have a rich cultural experience with your beliefs still intact. We had put the list of 10 countries to Avoid Traveling to if you’re a Vegetarian or Vegan.

Main problems that vegetarians face when they travel to a foreign country, it is very difficult for them to find vegan food without having knowledge of the local language and restaurants. There are many countries where you will find very few vegan options to eat.

In this post we have discussed 10 countries where having a vegan diet is difficult and you have to struggle hard to find a vegetarian diet. 

FRANCE

France is a country that must be avoided to travel if you’re a vegan as finding vegetarian food in France is a little difficult but one suitable option you will get in almost every restaurant is goat cheese salad. Good to go for vegetarians but vegans don’t even have that. Finding vegan food in France is something else entirely, it is possible logically but problematic technically. If you are close to Paris or other large cities in France you can get some good vegan’s option and even some 3-star restaurants are available also in Lyon and Paris. If you are traveling country, then your best bet would be deserts, salads, and bread, if you ponder on it, it will give you a genuine French experience but you have to check your blood sugar.

ARGENTINA

Known for its steaks worldwide, it will be a challenging task to find vegetarian food in Argentina. Argentina comes at place 17^th in meat-eating in a total of 177 countries. Average meat consumption per person in this country is approx. 92kg per year. This data made it clear that most of the dishes prepared here are made of meat and eating red meat is considered a duty by the locals. However the capital city can offer you some respite and you will get lots of hummus, pizzas, croissants, and pasta. Most of these items come with cheese, so for vegans’ only options will be pasta and croissants. Buenos Aires their capital city is the only place concerned about vegetarians; the rest of the country must be avoided Traveling if you’re a Vegetarian or Vegan.

JAPAN

This is an island-based country so they are dependent on fish for a major source of food and almost all food items have fish in it in one form or another. Dashi is the name of common fish which is used in their dishes, even in making sauces and in some other dishes dried tuna is used. If you think having rice or noodles with sauce will be a perfect meal for you, think again. You have to be specific in order that you can’t have any fish in your food. Compared to European countries where large cities provide better vegetarian foods, it is quite opposite in Japan. The countryside of Japan provides better vegan options as many Buddhist temples have vegetarian food but options are limited.

SPAIN

Having vegetarian food in Spain is a little sly because the basic dishes like salads also have a piece of ham on it or you can find dried tuna on your meal. All the famous dishes of Spain have pork, chicken or rabbit in a large pan. Locals are meat lovers and the dishes which looked like vegetarians can have a piece of meat or you can find a bone in it. You can pick away the meat from your food or you can ask for the ingredients before ordering the food. The nature of the country is changing and now many restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan food but meat hanging from the windows is a common site in this country.

CUBA

Cuba is a country to avoid traveling if you’re vegan as vegetarians’ options are very rare and streets are filled with pig meat and other non veg options. Locals prefer rice and meat as daily diet option, other than that ham sandwiches and hot dogs are common foods. Good point is that fresh fruits and vegis can be purchased from local stores. Other than that, yummy options are beans and rice, coffee and rum.  During your stay you will have limited options and you can find joy in tasting the same dishes again and again in different ways.

PHILIPPINES

It comes as a surprise that it will be difficult to find vegan food in Philippines because English is a common language there so one can think that it would not be difficult to find a perfect place. Locals love pork and Filipinos like cheese in everything. Famous dishes of Philippines like Karkare, torta, lechon and pinakbet all have pork, beef or chicken as ingredients. You can find some vegetarian options there but that would be topped with cheese and some cheese on sides also. In a single line, point is that you have to plan your traveling accordingly if you’re a vegan.

CHINA

China can never be on the list of travel options if you’re a vegan as almost every dish in this country is fused with some type of meat. When we say almost every dish, we literally mean that even chips are not safe for vegetarians. Lard is found in vegetarian dishes and is out for vegans. For vegetarians dishes, a high alert should be maintained at eating joints and restaurants because local waiters consider fish as vegetarian food. So be clear and specific when you try the food at local points.

MONGOLIA

Finding vegetarian food in Mongolia is not difficult if you are close to their capital city. In the country, it is difficult to find vegetarians options because the animal is the only food in this country. All the traditional food items contain meat in it. For a vegan, visiting Mongolia has survival issues because if a meal has no meat, it will be filled with some type of milk product. Ulaanbaatar provides some tasty vegan options but the outside city only options for vegans are potatoes, mushrooms, and berries. The country is influenced by Buddhism so there is an understanding of vegetarian food.

PORTUGAL

Definition of true struggle can be defined as finding a true vegetarian joint in Portugal. This country is famous for its meat love and most dishes in this country are made by adding beef or pork. Even their national dishes are made of meat. There are some places offering vegetarian foods but you still have to state it clearly that you don’t want any type of meat in your food while preparing.

DENMARK

Here the dishes have two main ingredients potatoes and meat. The national dish of Denmark is also prepared with combinations of meat. Most restaurants don’t have alternates to non-veg options. Vegetarians can have cheese, yogurt, cereals and for vegans’ safe diet will be bread and fruits. Tourists will find something to eat in this country which will be safe like pastries and pizzas but some big pizzas also have ham in them.

We had prepared the list of the top 10 countries that are not suitable for vegan and vegetarians. This list is based on reviews of tourists, some personnel, and family members’ experiences. These countries are arranged randomly, we do not claim any sequence these countries can be put in the comparison of difficulty in founding vegetarian or vegan dishes.