In the good old childhood days, when we made long journeys by train, we carried our food for the whole journey. Yes, the food, fruits, and chai vendors popped up at every station. If there was Agra petha at Agra station, there was Sweet Milk at Bhopal Station, and Mathura Peda at Mathura Junction. Travel food for vegetarians was never a problem.
We used to love observing the size of Bananas going shorter as you move south. Picking up oranges at Nagpur, Jhalmuri at Bengal stations, or eating Dosas at Manmad station are some of my fondest travel memories.
dry potato sabzi and poori were my favorite travel foods. Neatly packed in old cardboard sweet boxes that could be disposed of once used, Poori and aloo sabzi survived easily for 2-3 days depending upon the weather.
Water was always from the public taps in railway stations. Bottled water was yet to become mainstream and food delivery apps were in the realm of science fiction.
Switch to the third decade of the 21st century, we are flooded with food options while traveling. There are more outlets than we can explore at airports and railway stations. Add to it the food delivery apps that deliver you anything you wish to eat. But, the quality of food is deteriorating so fast that I have again started carrying my own food. I discovered that I am not alone, many people have started doing it again – going back to their childhood ways.
Best Travel Food For Vegetarians
As usual, I asked my Twitter family, what is their favorite food to carry along. Here is a list that came up:
Theplas and Khakharas
Bless the vegetarian Gujjus for inventing these absolutely travel-friendly dishes. I knew Theplas but discovered them as travel food when I was based in Goa. Gujarati ladies in our neighborhood used to sell a pack of 5-6 Theplas with a bite of pickle inside them. It was perfect to pack one such pack per person. Theplas easily last for 4-5 days. Just pull out one, roll it, and eat it. A complete food that requires no paraphernalia.
Khakharas are even easier to find now. Every supermarket has them. Earlier, they used to be larger in size, breaking easily. Now, you can find them in small shapes that are easy to consume on the move. They are dry in comparison to Theplas, but if you are a vegetarian traveling to primarily non-vegetarian countries, they are a must-pack in your luggage.
Aalu Puri with Pickle – Travel food for Vegetarians
As I already mentioned, this is an easy-to-make and long-lasting food. Like Theplas, you can just eat them out of the box you carry them in. Fried puris taste as good when they are cold as they do when they come out piping hot from the frying pan.
As a North Indian, my favorite go-to pickle with this combo is Mango.
You can have your own variations of this combo like you can have Gobhi or Peas or Matar added to the sabzi. Ajwain Puri tastes very good. You can have Palak or Pumpkin puri if you have enough time to prepare them before travel.
Sattu
I discovered Sattu on a road trip in Bihar. Sattu is nothing but finely ground-roasted chana. Just add water, salt, sugar, or jaggery as per your choice and you have a fulfilling healthy drink in your hands.
If you have access, you can add lemon juice, finely chopped onions, and fresh green chilies.
Feel free to try your own version of Sattu. It is easy to carry, and a healthy and comfortable drink, especially in summer. Epic Mahabharat also mentions Sattu and Malpua as the two foods that travelers used to carry with them. So, this is an age-old living tradition.
Nuts – Travel food for Vegetarians
For snacking, just carry a box of nuts – almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts. You can add your seeds if you like. Easy to eat and they keep you charged for a long time.
Remember, many combat professionals carry only nuts with them.