Your Complete Guide To Finding Plant-Based Food In Ecuador
“It’s impossible to be vegan in Central or South America!” is something that I’ve heard too many times before traveling to countries like Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and more. The warning never holds true; I’ve had some of the best food of my life in these countries. In fact, many of their staple traditional ingredients are inherently plant-based, making places like Ecuador good for vegetarians and vegans.
This complete guide to vegan food in Ecuador is country-specific, but the tips and advice found here can be broadly applied to other countries in Central and South America as well.
Is Ecuador Good For Vegetarians?
Finding plant-based foods in Ecuador (or Central and South America, for that matter) is not difficult in general. Beans, legumes, grains, vegetables, and fruit are abundant and accessible, even for those traveling on a budget. While you may not have as many options as others or your comfort foods from home as readily available, you will have delicious, simple, and filling ones that promote health for your body, the planet, and the beyond-human world.
How To Find Vegan Food In Ecuador
How To Find Vegan-Friendly Food In Big Cities
Whenever I touch down I a big city in South or Central America I rejoice knowing that I’m going to get to try an abundance of uniquely delicious foods at a variety of restaurants, and Quito (the capital of Ecuador) is no exception. While we’ll discuss food words in Spanish later in the guide, it’s helpful to know that many fully vegan restaurants in big cities have staff that understand English or have a bilingual menu. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to learn the local language! I highly recommend checking out Pimsler as a solid language-learning app.
Use The HappyCow App & Website
Like the very very vegan vegans that we are, we planned our days in Quito around vegan food spots that we wanted to try via HappyCow. And that brings me to my first tip: take advantage of the HappyCow app and website. They instantly locate awesome vegan restaurants and food options all over the world, so when you hit a big city tons of options usually pop up. For example, in Quito it says that there are currently 8 completely vegan restaurants, but you can use the “Vegetarian” or “Veg-Options” filters to expand your findings. Be sure to leave reviews on restaurants that you visit and list new veg spots that you find along the way!
To read my full review of over 6 different vegan restaurants in Quito, Ecuador be sure to check out this article where my favorites are divided into helpful categories.
Simply Search “Vegan” Near You
If you’re in a pinch and don’t have time to look through HappyCow or you just need to find something close by, simply search “vegan” in whatever map application that you use on your phone. The maps will either highlight places with “vegan” in the names or they’ll sort through reviews of restaurants and pull up whichever ones mention the word “vegan.” I’ve also relied on using map apps like this when all of the vegan restaurants on HappyCow are closed and I need something that is open later. If you find a local gem (or even just a place with veg-friendly options) be sure to leave it a review on the map to make it easier for future explorers.
Budget Tip For Vegan Lunches
If you’re in a place with vegan or even vegetarian restaurants, do not skip out on almuerzo! Almuerzo translates to lunch, and almuerzos in Ecuador were always affordable (coming in at around $3 per plate), delicious, and super filling. If you order an almuerzo expect to receive a fresh juice or tea, hearty soup, and main dish loaded with rice, veggies, and probably even some mock meats. And oh yeah, save room for dessert, because that’s soon to follow!
How To Find Vegan-Friendly Food In Towns/Rural Areas
If you whip out your phone and check out HappyCow in a small town or rural area, you may quickly realize that barely anything shows up. Your first reaction may be to panic, but don’t! Just because there are no listings doesn’t mean that the local people don’t eat plants too.
When I’m outside of big cities and looking for a place to eat, I do the following steps, in order: 1) Check out the options on HappyCow and if nothing comes up, 2) Search “vegan” in my map application to find already existing options there, and if that doesn’t work, 3) Follow this guide at a non-vegan restaurants.
It’s important to keep in mind that many people are selling fresh fruits and veggies on the street, as well as roasted plantain or corn (yum!). No matter how local or small the restaurant, they probably have arroz (corn), papas (potatoes), yuca, fresh juice, avocados, and verduras (vegetables) on their menu. You may have to ask for some minor adjustments to the established dishes, but people are usually happy to accommodate.
Here are some things to look for on menus in that are either already vegan-friendly or can easily be made vegan:
- Smoothies: Ask for them to be made with plant-based milk instead of dairy milk/yogurt. If they don’t have any plant-based milk, opt for water in your smoothie in replace of the dairy milk.
- Juices: There is so much fresh juice in Ecuador that is extremely affordable! Take advantage and try all types of different fruits that burst with flavor when spun into a juice. I didn’t come across any juices in Ecuador that weren’t already vegan.
- Veggie Dishes: Be sure to confirm that their veggies are not cooked in butter. An easy swap for animal-based butter is vegetable oil, which many restaurants were happy to use instead.
- Falafel Dishes: Make sure that there is no yogurt in any of the sauces. Sometimes there are and it is easy to exclude them, as most restaurants in Ecuador make their food on the spot.
- Pasta: Ordering pasta with veggies can be a simple but delicious choice. Check to make sure there are no eggs/milk in the pasta.
- Salads: Picking a big salad from the menu can easily be modified by removing any animal products and replacing them with avocado, seeds, nuts, or other fruits and veggies. Ask if there is milk in the dressing. If there is, ask for oil and vinegar instead, or a dairy-free dressing.
- Traditional Dishes: In many places in Ecuador they offered fried yuca, yuca bread, potatoes, roasted corn, and even ceviche made from heart of palm. All of these dishes are usually vegan-friendly.
Vegan Words & Phrases To Know
In order to ask if places have plant-based dishes, or can make some changes to accommodate, you’ll need to know the following phrases and words:
- Leche = milk
- Queso = cheese
- Yogurt = yogur
- Lactose = lactosa
- Huevos = eggs
- Carne = meat
- Mariscos = seafood
- Pescado = fish
- Yo no come carne. / I don’t eat meat.
- Yo no come huevos. / I don’t eat eggs.
- I don’t drink milk. / Yo no tomo leche.
- I don’t eat fish. / Yo no como pescado.
- Does this dish contain meat? / Este plato continue carne?
- Does this bread have milk or eggs in it? / Este pan tine leche o huevos?
- I am vegan. (Feminine + masculine) / Soy vegana. Soy vegano.
- We are vegan. / Somos veganos. Somos veganas.
- Without milk, cheese, yogurt, whey, casein, or lactose, please. / Sin leche, queso, yogur, suero de leche, caseína, o lactosa, por favor.
What If I Can’t Speak Spanish?
If you’re just leaning Spanish or don’t speak the language well enough to say these phrases, don’t fret! Google Translate might just become your best friend (you can download the app & a bunch of words/phrases to use even when you don’t have wifi) and there is another incredible solution that can be applied well beyond Ecuador or even South America.
Before you set off on your adventure, print off the Vegan Meal Cards from the Max Learning website. Page 92 is full of words and phrases that you’ll either need to know how to say or show to somebody when it comes to eating vegan in Spanish. They’re free to download and print, easy to slip into your bag, and so helpful!
Should I Eat Meat Just Because The Locals Do? What If Someone Offers Me Non-Vegan Food?
I often hear people say, “Well, I’m not about to give up any foods when I travel. It doesn’t make sense. I want to experience the culture and how they live.” But when we go to new places we’re often looking for new things because they’re “exotic” to us. They captivate us. They’re so different from what we normally experience, and that’s why they draw us in. Just because something is part of someone’s culture doesn’t mean that it is ethical, or that it is something that you need to take part in as well.
On top of that, the way that we connect fully with others/different cultures is by first being deeply connected to ourselves. The way we connect deeply with ourselves is by finding out what we stand for/value most and acting in alignment. Hence, we create the strongest connections while traveling when we show up fully as ourselves, rooted in our own ethics but curious about how others live.
To hear more on this topic and how to approach sensitive conversations around the issue, check out my post called 4 Reasons Why Travelers Who Love Exploring This Earth Should Be Practicing Veganism.
Enjoy The Best Vegan Food In Ecuador
Now that you’ve learned what to expect, what to look for, and how to navigate vegan travel and living in Ecuador, it’s time to hit the road. If this guide was helpful to you, please share it with a friend, bookmark it as a reference, and give yourself a hug for me for being another vegan traveller out in the world! If you’re looking for unforgettable destinations in Ecuador, check out my vegan-friendly guides (complete with restaurant/food suggestions) to Quito, Baños, and hiking the Quilotoa loop. New guides are being added weekly, so don’t forget to check back in soon!
Stay With A Vegan-Friendly Community In Ecuador
Additionally, if you’re looking to stay with a vegan or vegan-friendly community in Ecuador, this guide contains over 10 different places to check out. Many of them are eco-minded places that offer great volunteer opportunities, perfect for travelers on a small budget.
