A Guide To Eating Vegan At An All-Inclusive Resort

The beach at our resort in La Romana, Dominican Republic

There are so many ways of traveling, and we will choose one according to our budget and personality. For instance, during my trips I usually stay at an Airbnb. Sometimes I go camping, but very rarely stay at a hotel. I’ve been on a cruise once–even though I thought I never would go on one–when my friends surprised me by inviting me on a bachelorette party aboard. An all-inclusive resort is another place I never believed I would end up in, as they are not my style at all.  It’s a type of resort that includes everything you need in your trip in the booking price, from food to drinks, even activities and entertainment. You can order room service and it will be included, or go to a restaurant, have a coffee, do yoga, among many other perks.

Nonetheless, my family invited me on a trip with another family, with whom we are friends. The idea was to go to an all-inclusive resort in Dominican Republic, relax, fully disconnect, and not worry about anything (cooking, cleaning, etc.). I received the invitation with open arms, and a tired mind and body. Relaxing was what I had been needing for a while. I travel pretty frequently, but it’s usually short and active trips. Five days in a country I’ve never been to, at the beach, without needing to cook or clean, sounded like a gift from the heavens.

Moreover, it was an opportunity to experience and learn about a different type of traveling as a vegan, which can sometimes be challenging. Consequently, I’m now capable of preparing this sustainable travel guide to eating vegan at an all-inclusive resort, and maybe help you get a glimpse of what it is like before you go to one yourself!

I had tried this fruit in Perú, and missed it! It’s a kind of maracuyá I don’t see in Florida (sweet granadilla)

WHAT I ATE AS A VEGAN IN AN ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT

I arrived after 4 pm at the resort, which meant that restaurants had just closed for cleaning and would only open again for dinner. The trip had been quite long; I had woken up early in the morning, waited at the airport, flew, then did a little road trip from Punta Cana to the resort, which was in La Romana, about an hour away, all without having lunch. At first, I wasn’t very hungry, because excitement and beach-lust had taken its place. I found fruit and coffee at one of the coffeeshops and went straight to the beach.

At around 7 I started getting hungry, so I went to my room and called room service, which was available 24/7. They asked me if I had any allergies. I told them I was a celiac, so I had a gluten allergy, and that I was also a vegan, to which they replied “oh, a vegetarian”.  I told them that it was a bit different from being a vegetarian, and I explained what foods were considered vegan. I ended up ordering rice noodles with tomato sauce, which I ate just an hour before dinner.

At night, we went to the Italian restaurant in the resort. When I got there, my group was already at the table, and they enthusiastically told me they had vegan options. When I grabbed the menu, I noticed there was a ‘V’ sign next to a few items, which translated into ‘Vegan’, as explained in a small paragraph at the end of the menu. When I read it, all those items had cheese or eggs. I understood then that they didn’t know what vegan food meant, and that probably, in Dominican Republic, they used it interchangeably with vegetarian. Consequently, I talked to the waiter and told them what I needed, hoping that I could make one of the items vegan, or maybe merge the plant-based ingredients from two salads into one. They weren’t as flexible though. All I could negotiate was removing the cheese from a small salad, which ended up being just tomato, cucumber, and spinach. My tummy, used to eating more filling meals, started demanding more, and I started getting the impression that I wasn’t going to eat very well during the trip.

Luckily, dinner finished early, before the other restaurants closed, so as soon as we left, I went to the buffet, where my intuition guided me to. I assumed I would find more options there, and I had more freedom in making my own meals. I wasn’t mistaken. Some people from my group joined me for a second dinner, where I finally satisfied my hunger. From then on, I either went to the buffet before dinner at a restaurant (when dinner was late, and I ran the risk of the buffet being closed after we were done), or after dinner (if we had dinner at the restaurant early, and I didn’t manage to eat anything).

Lunch at the buffet: corn, potatoes, broccoli, rice, beans, and guac,

The only restaurant in which I could have a proper meal was the Asian one. There was a chef called Domingo, who cooked us dinner in front of us, as the seats were placed around an iron griddle. I told him I only wanted rice and veggies (since he was going to do a sort of fried rice with non-vegan ingredients), and no soy sauce (because of gluten). It was amazing!

Water was served from big glass waters at the restaurants, whereas at the common areas–like the lobby, coffee shop, or beach–they gave you plastic bottles, which ended up being the most unsustainable part of my trip, but also an unavoidable one. You can’t drink tap water in the Dominican Republic for various reasons, so I didn’t have a choice, except trying to drink from the restaurants as much as I could.

Dinner at the Asian Restaurant inside the resort. It was amazing and super tasty!

3 TIPS FOR EATING PLANT-BASED AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT

1. Always ask the servers

If you see beans in sauce, for instance, ask what the ingredients of the sauce are, because it could have a non-vegan ingredient; or if the baked vegetables are a bit “shiny” ask if they have butter on it or if it’s just oil. Sometimes being specific is better than just asking if it’s vegan, because some people may not know exactly what vegan food implies.

2. Play it safe

When in doubt go for what you are 100% sure is vegan or plant-based, like whole vegetables (not mashed or in a stew), or fruits, to name a few. For drinks, play it safe by trying drinking fruit juices, black coffee, and alcoholic beverages you know will be vegan (not wine, for example).

3. Eat varied

Keep up your healthy habits and your nutrition on point during your holidays, and a great way to do it is to keep your meals as varied as possible, and to eat whole foods. Make sure to include healthy carbs, protein, and fats in them, lots of veggies, water and fruit!

Have you been to an all-inclusive on a plant-based or vegan diet? Let me know in the comments below!

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Hi, I’m Melina,

I’m the creator of Sustainable Rookie, and my goal is to share what I learn throughout my sustainability journey, so that I can help other people live a more conscious life.

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