by Rosa Holly

Created on: November 14, 2007

I'm not a vegetarian. I just don't eat meat. And I'm from Montana. There are more cattle than people in this state and the cattle are not usually destined for petting zoos. On top of that, it's a large state and with family members from one end to the other, I'd have to say it's a pretty good place to hone your veggie hunting skills.

I won't really talk about larger cities in this article. Even those few restaurants with legitimate vegetarian menus in NYC are easily ten times the number of all restaurants in some states. The same goes for other cities. Also, with Whole Foods becoming such an ubiquitous corporation, there's really no need for panic in highly populated areas. If you want to be extra sure, you can search for vegetarian restaurants and health food stores in your destination city online. In fact, the internet will be an invaluable tool for making the food finding part of your trip easier.

__The Boonies__

Stretches of empty highway and small-town destinations however, are going to be painful to deal with. Those are the places you need to worry about. A long trip across country or a short plane ride that sets you down in Nowhere, South Dakota is going to require some preparation. First of all, consider that a greasy spoon is a greasy spoon. If you have to order cheese on a bun, it's probably not any worse than the cheeseburger. Just make sure to ask that your meal is cooked on the opposite end of the grill from anyone else's meal. I learned this after ordering veggie browns with a former boyfriend and watching as the cook plopped our pristine potatoes down in a big puddle of hamburger juice.

In this scenario, you're probably going to be concerned about nutrition and desperate for taste. Make sure you get enough protein and iron. Supplementing with groceries is going to make a big difference. You'd be surprised how an apple or some snow peas liven up that umpteenth grilled cheese. Or you could just wrap a tortilla around some kidney beans, avocado, tomatoes, and lime instead. That sounds a heck of a lot more delicious anyway.

Aside from canned beans, nuts and nut butters are good sources of portable protein. Also, if you are not vegan, you can eat more dairy products and eggs at the restaurants you come across. Order milk instead of OJ and bring the orange with you. Try to not fall into the trap of eating only carbohydrates like pasta for lunch and pastries for breakfast. Although grains provide some protein and needed energy, if you're in a spot that

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