I had the good fortune of traveling abroad with my family last week. (You can probably tell from my last blog that I needed a little vacation!)

This was the first time I traveled to another country as a vegetarian, so it was an interesting experience. I think if I had traveled to a country in Europe versus one in the Caribbean, I might have had an easier time finding veg options. Fortunately, there was no shortage of amazing fruit.

I will happily share a few travel tips that I learned from this trip. It’s not so difficult to be a traveling veg, if you prepare a little.

1. Call or e-mail ahead of time to find out if there are vegetarian restaurants in the area. If not, ask for restaurant names and numbers so you can call them directly. Most places, including resort restaurants, are happy to make special meals upon request.

2. Visit Happy Cow for a listing of veg-friendly restaurants in your destination country.

3. If necessary, check to see if the area restaurants carry non-dairy milk or if a local grocer carries it. If not, the asceptic boxes found here can be brought over. Be sure to pack those in the luggage you plan to check, not in your carry-on luggage.

4. Don’t be afraid to get creative. You can find peanut butter and jelly most anywhere. Add bananas and a tortilla for a tasty roll-up. Beans are pretty easy to find and can be turned into burgers, quesadillas, or burritos. Of course, there is always pasta. Who doesn’t carry pasta? (Okay, you might have me if you’re traveling to Turkey!)

5. Pack nutrient-dense snacks like nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, pumpkin seeds, and power bars.

6. Relax. A few days with an unbalanced diet should not keep you from enjoying yourself. (The water, however, might- so be careful!) You’ll have plenty of time to stock up on nutrition when you return.

Bon voyage!

For the past few months, my three-year old son had been a little, um, moody. My husband and I would hear his door open in the morning, wait for the pitter patter of feet, and wonder just exactly what was going to set him off that day and just how long it would take for him to be screaming- or in tears. To say we had to walk around on eggshells with him would be a quite accurate cliche.

I figured this was a phase and, like all the others, would pass. But unlike the other mood phases, this one seemed to be lasting a bit too long.

Then I read something that seems to have changed our world.

B-12 is a vitamin that is processed by bacteria in the intestines of animals. Humans process some, but we don’t seem to absorb our own sources very well. Plant sources like miso, spirulina, and tempeh are not very well-absorbed either, though some believe that vegans may be able to absorb this vitamin better than others, just as they do other vitamins.

B-12 is important because it helps to make red blood cells and keeps the nervous system working properly. Not much is needed, and it does seem to store well in the body.

So how do those who avoid animal products get B-12? Usually through fortified sources, like soy milks, breakfast cereals, and meat substitutes.

Although I was aware of this information, it wasn’t until I read that a B-12 deficiency can affect mood that a light bulb went on. I had been trying hard to feed Max a primarily whole-foods diet that did not include many of the foods that would be fortified with B-12. And the timing of those changes coincided with his mood change.

The next day, I started Max on a supplement and the change was almost miraculous. That same day, I could actually ask my son to repeat himself when I didn’t understand him and not expect a barrage of tears to follow.

I do not have a medical background; I only have my experience and self-education, but the change in my son seems too great to be just a coincidence. He is still very much a three-year old, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but Max is fun to be around again …and I hope THIS phase doesn’t pass!

(B-12 is also found in nutritional yeast flakes. These are really tasty, with a nutty flavor that my son adores. We sprinkle it over popcorn and cream cheese bagels, and use it in some of our recipes.)