3 month backpacking round USA... tips for a vegan on a budget!!

Hi guys!

In April I will be going off round America with my friend. We're on a ridiculously low budget (after accommodation around $25 a day max!) I'm going to list the places we're going and if anyone has any tips for keeping the budget low but avoiding finding myself with nothing to eat I would be sooo appreciative!! We're staying in hostels and lots of them are providing free meals but I am 99% sure I won't be able to eat any of them.

We are going : Las Vegas, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, LA, Chicago, poss Lake Michigan, Florida (Miami, Orlando, Keys) Washington DC, Salem, Boston, New York.

Eg: are there any crisps (sorry chips!!) that are definitely ok / good chain stores that will stock stuff I can carry with me??

Thanks in advance!!!

any of the plan potato chips are good, like ruffles or lays, and then most BBQ (like bbq lays) flavored are okay....most salt and vinegar are good too oh and original flavored Chex Mix, is vegan now, it used to have milk in it..... you still really should read the labels though because i think they do change ingrediants in certain regions. you'll have really good luck in California though. most of the California grocery stores should get you through, we have Trader Joes, Vons/Safeway, and Ralphs, they all have quite a bit good Vegan options.

Hiya Fae,

Many/most hostels will have at least some free basic vegan options. Big cities can be tougher on a budget and you've picked some of the priciest! If you stick to your list you'll be missing some of my favorite and extremely vegan-friendly places: Portland and Seattle for example. Are you familiar with http://www.couchsurfing.com (free places to stay & cool folks to visit) and http://www.foodnotbombs.net/contacts.html (free food & cool folks)?

Hope this helps!

Aldi carries some vegan items, they're a super cheap store- and the chips and other things are actually vegan solely because it's cheaper to make them that way;)

I dont know how close they may be to where youre going.. I know Chicago has some though.. As well as Michigan (and other states you are not going to!)

Search for vegans to stay with on couchsurfing.org? Or if you don't want to do that you could just message them and I'm sure they'd give you tips.

Thanks for all the tips! I'll check out couchsurfing too :)