The Challenge of Eating Veg Abroad
Traveling as a vegetarian or vegan has become significantly easier in recent years, but food delivery apps add a layer of complexity. Menus are often in local languages, dietary filters may not exist in regional apps, and the definition of "vegetarian" varies drastically between cultures.
This guide helps you navigate food delivery apps worldwide so you can find plant-based meals reliably, avoid hidden animal ingredients, and make the most of local veg-friendly cuisines.
Download HappyCow
The HappyCow app is the single best resource for vegetarian and vegan travelers. It maps veg-friendly restaurants worldwide, and many of these restaurants are also on local delivery platforms. Use it to find restaurants, then search for them by name in your delivery app.
Delivery Apps with Vegetarian & Vegan Filters
Not all food delivery apps offer dietary filtering. Here is how the major platforms compare:
Apps with Good Veg Filters
- Uber Eats: Offers "Vegetarian" and "Vegan" dietary preference filters in most markets. You can set these in your account preferences for persistent filtering.
- Deliveroo: Has vegetarian and vegan tags on individual menu items in the UK, Europe, and parts of Asia. One of the better platforms for dietary filtering.
- Wolt: Includes dietary tags and filtering in Nordic countries, Central Europe, and Japan. Generally reliable labeling.
- Swiggy & Zomato (India): Both have excellent "Pure Veg" filters that show only vegetarian restaurants. India's delivery apps are the gold standard for vegetarian filtering.
- Just Eat / Takeaway.com: Offers dietary filters in many European markets, though accuracy depends on restaurant participation.
Apps with Limited or No Veg Filters
- Grab Food (Southeast Asia): Limited dietary filtering. You will need to browse menus manually or search for specific restaurant types.
- LINE MAN (Thailand): No dedicated veg filter, but searching "vegetarian" or "เจ" (Thai for vegan/Buddhist vegetarian) can help.
- Baemin (South Korea): No dietary filter. Vegetarian Korean food is limited on the platform. See our South Korea guide for tips.
- iFood (Brazil): Basic filtering available but not comprehensive. Search for "vegano" or "vegetariano" in the app.
- Rappi (Latin America): Has some dietary categories but they vary by country and city.
Best Countries for Vegetarian & Vegan Delivery
Excellent
- India: The easiest country in the world for vegetarian delivery. Roughly 30-40% of the population is vegetarian, and every major delivery app has dedicated veg-only modes. Vegan options are also plentiful, especially South Indian cuisine.
- United Kingdom: London and major UK cities have an enormous vegan delivery scene. Deliveroo and Uber Eats both have extensive plant-based options and filters.
- Germany: Berlin in particular is one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the world. Lieferando and Wolt offer strong veg filtering.
- Israel: Tel Aviv has one of the highest per-capita vegan populations globally. Wolt and local apps have many vegan restaurants.
Good
- Thailand: Buddhist vegetarian ("jay") food is widely available. Look for restaurants marked with a yellow and red jay flag. However, standard Thai dishes often contain fish sauce even in "vegetable" dishes.
- Taiwan: Excellent Buddhist vegetarian tradition. Many dedicated vegetarian restaurants on delivery apps. Search for "素食" (vegetarian) in local apps.
- Italy: Many naturally vegetarian dishes (pizza margherita, pasta pomodoro, risotto), but vegan cheese and milk alternatives are less common in traditional restaurants.
- Spain: Improving rapidly in major cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Glovo and Uber Eats have growing veg options.
Challenging
- Japan: Dashi (fish stock) is in almost everything, making true vegetarian Japanese food difficult to find. However, dedicated veg restaurants exist in Tokyo and Kyoto. Search for "ビーガン" (vegan) or "菜食" (vegetarian) in Uber Eats or Wolt.
- South Korea: Vegetarianism is uncommon. Many side dishes contain fish, shrimp paste, or anchovy. Temple food ("사찰음식") is a reliable vegan option but rare on delivery apps.
- France: Traditional French cuisine is meat-heavy, but Paris and Lyon have growing vegan scenes. Smaller cities remain challenging.
Watch for Hidden Animal Ingredients
Many cuisines use animal products in ways that are not obvious: fish sauce in Thai food, dashi in Japanese food, lard in Mexican beans, anchovy paste in Korean side dishes, and gelatin in European desserts. When in doubt, add a note in the delivery instructions or check our Food Allergy Guide for communication tips.
How to Search for Veg Food in a Foreign Language
Knowing the right search terms can dramatically improve your results on local delivery apps. Here are key phrases to search:
Key Search Terms by Language
- Spanish: "vegetariano," "vegano," "sin carne" (no meat)
- French: "végétarien," "végane," "sans viande"
- Italian: "vegetariano," "vegano," "senza carne"
- German: "vegetarisch," "vegan," "pflanzlich" (plant-based)
- Japanese: "ビーガン" (vegan), "菜食" (vegetarian), "野菜" (vegetable)
- Korean: "채식" (vegetarian), "비건" (vegan)
- Thai: "เจ" (Buddhist vegan), "มังสวิรัติ" (vegetarian)
- Portuguese: "vegetariano," "vegano"
- Mandarin: "素食" (vegetarian), "纯素" (vegan)
- Hindi: "शाकाहारी" (vegetarian), though most apps use English labels
Screenshot and Save These Terms
Before your trip, save the local-language terms for "vegetarian," "vegan," "no meat," "no fish," and "no eggs/dairy" on your phone. You can paste them directly into delivery app search bars, which is much faster than translating each time.
Communicating Dietary Needs Through Delivery Apps
Delivery apps limit direct communication with restaurants, which makes specifying dietary needs harder than ordering in person. Here are strategies that work:
Use Delivery Notes Effectively
Most delivery apps have a "special instructions" or "notes" field for each item or for the overall order. Write your dietary requirements here in both English and the local language. For example:
"I am vegan. No meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey please. / Je suis végane. Pas de viande, poisson, oeufs, produits laitiers ou miel s'il vous plaît."
Order from Dedicated Veg Restaurants
The most reliable approach is to order from restaurants that are entirely vegetarian or vegan. These restaurants understand plant-based requirements and there is no risk of mix-ups. Use HappyCow or the delivery app's veg filter to find them.
Choose Naturally Veg-Friendly Cuisines
When dedicated veg restaurants are not available, some cuisines are naturally easier for vegetarians:
- Indian: Most dishes clearly labeled veg or non-veg
- Middle Eastern: Falafel, hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush
- Italian: Pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, bruschetta
- Mexican: Bean burritos, veggie tacos (but confirm no lard in beans)
- Ethiopian: Many fasting dishes are naturally vegan
Grocery Delivery for Veg Travelers
If restaurant options are limited, grocery delivery apps can be a lifesaver for vegetarian and vegan travelers. Many countries have excellent grocery delivery services where you can order fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, hummus, and other plant-based staples. Check our Grocery Delivery Guide for app recommendations by country.
This is especially useful in countries where the restaurant scene is not veg-friendly, like Japan or South Korea. You can stock your hotel room or Airbnb with vegan basics and supplement with occasional restaurant orders.
Convenience Stores Are Your Friend
In countries like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, CU) stock onigiri, edamame, fruit, bread, and other items that can be vegetarian. While not delivery, they are available on every corner and open 24/7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Wolt all offer vegetarian and vegan dietary filters in most markets. In India, Swiggy and Zomato have excellent veg-only filters. HappyCow is a dedicated app for finding vegan and vegetarian restaurants worldwide, many of which are on delivery platforms.
India is the easiest country for vegetarian delivery, with most apps offering dedicated veg-only modes. The UK, Germany, and Israel have strong vegan delivery scenes. Thailand and Taiwan also have excellent plant-based options due to Buddhist vegetarian traditions.
Learn the local word for vegetarian and save it on your phone to paste into delivery app search bars. For example, search "vegetariano" in Spanish, "ビーガン" in Japanese, or "채식" in Korean. You can also search for cuisines that naturally have more vegetarian options, such as Indian or Italian.
Cross-contamination risks vary widely. In many Asian countries, dishes labeled vegetarian may be cooked in the same wok as meat dishes. Fish sauce, oyster sauce, and animal-based broths are common hidden ingredients. For strict requirements, order from dedicated vegetarian restaurants whenever possible.
Yes, most countries with food delivery also have grocery delivery apps. Services like Instacart (US), Getir, Gorillas, and local supermarket apps offer fresh produce and plant-based staples. Check our Grocery Delivery Guide for recommendations by country.