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Hello to all my fellow veggie friends! I know you’re wondering: is it going to be a struggle to be a vegetarian in Tonga?
The short answer is: it’s totally doable to eat a vegetarian diet in Tonga. The long answer is: your variety of food is going to be very limited and it may be hard to get enough protein and feel full.
I’ve been vegetarian for 9 years now and have traveled to about 10 countries in that time. I can say that being vegetarian in Tonga was the toughest!
But like everything, it totally depends on you and your travel situation! If you’re cooking for yourself you may have a harder time due to grocery store selection, if you’re at a resort you can kick back and let the delicious meals come to you, and if you’re at a local restaurant you may have to do some off menu ordering.
I spent 2 weeks in Tonga and got a real taste 😉 of the country!
Are you planning an upcoming trip to the unforgettable isle Kingdom?
READ MORE ABOUT TRAVELING IN TONGA
I’m going to cover grocery shopping, example meals I cooked, resort meals, and also other dietary restrictions all while traveling in beautiful Tonga.
Here’s everything you need to know about being a vegetarian in Tonga…
About the Grocery Stores
Tonga is one of the smallest countries in the world, and it’s right smack dab in the middle of the south pacific. In short, it’s not easy to get fresh food here.
Most Tongans raise their own meat, catch their own fish and grow their own papayas, coconuts, taro, sweet potatoes and bananas. These local food makes up most of the produce that I saw (actually I don’t think I saw bananas for sale but there were sometimes apples) at the grocery store.
The grocery stores are going to vary depending on which island you’re on, but the bulk of them remains the same. Just 2 -3 isles of processed and pre-packaged food. Which is not ideal for most vegetarians.
Most stores had one whole aisle for chips/cookies/candy and then another aisle where pasta, canned meat, coconut milk, baby food, spices, noodles and canned veggies shared the shelves.
There were also fresh rolls and local eggs in just about every store (for a really good price!). But other “stapes” were limited. At one store I bought a can of tomato sauce that had dust on it – that’s how long it had been sitting on the shelf!
Oh and heads up, there are no “quick and healthy” convenience foods like granola bars available, so if you like those bring your own.
If your a vegetarian in Tonga and use to fully stocked, clean and well lit stores, get ready for a big adjustment. The grocery stores here are a far cry from anything like Trader Joes. They usually were in barn looking structures with no signage, but somehow you just knew this was the place!
Vegetarian Options in Stores
As for the vegetarian options, this is not a bean-centric country! I love to throw a can of garbanzo beans into my pasta to add protein… yeah that’s not happening as a vegetarian in Tonga.
One of the grocery stores in Ha’apai had black beans so I was able to buy that there! There was also the unrefrigerated boxed tofu in most stores for just a couple of dollars, but I didn’t try it.
The best high protein veggie snack I found was chili flavored dehydrated peas. It was just $0.50 a bag and had 14g of protein. Not to mention they were actually really good. I added them to my pasta and ramen.
Example Meals (Vegetarian) in Tonga
I mostly cooked for myself the 8 days we were on ‘Eua (we stayed at Kikos Guesthouse !). I got into a routine at the grocery store and with cooking, so here’s what I ate:
Breakfast: peanut butter, apples and crackers OR eggs and a roll.
Lunch: top ramen, an egg, chili peas
Snack: chips / apples & PB / papaya
Dinner: pasta OR curry vermicelli noodles
I ultimately didn’t spend very much on food (I averaged $9 usd per day) but I didn’t feel the vibrant excitement I normally do around meal time. There were a few meals we ate provided by the family like curry and taro. I also opted to eat fish caught by the family a few times with a side of rice. These were my highlight meals on ‘Eua!
Ultimately I was well fed, but it is abnormal to be vegetarian in Tonga and the food options reflected that.
Resort Meals in Tonga
If you have the pleasure of staying at one of Tonga’s many resorts, you should have a bit easier time catering to your “vegetarian in Tonga” needs!
Especially if you email ahead of time and let them know you are vegetarian. We stayed at Matafanua Lodge and they had an amazing menu. I felt fueled up and ready for my swim with whales!
They had a dinner special every night that was usually meat focused, but the owners made sure I had a filling vegetarian meal! The meal options included: veggie curry, quinoa burger, veggie pizza, eggplant parmesan and tacos to name a few!
Other Dietary Restrictions
Okay but what if you have other dietary restrictions in addition to being vegetarian in Tonga? Or just a stand alone allergy or restriction?
Gluten Free in Tonga
About 2 months before traveling to Tonga I went gluten free and I was hoping to keep that up while we were there. This was just a preference not a necessity.
My first meal in Tonga I gave up on being both vegetarian and GF. We went to a restaurant and my only GF and veg option was a salad. I opted to get pasta with veggies to feel more full. Oh well to being gluten free.
While I think you totally can be GF in the country, it’s going to be hard with any additional restrictions. If you’re cooking for yourself your best bet will be curries and rice noodles. If you’re being cooked for there are lots of root vegetables like taro and sweet potato to keep you full, as well as rice! Thankfully dinner rolls are not a staple.
If you are only gluten free without another restriction like vegetarian in Tonga, well then you should be fine! There were tongs of GF fish, beef, chicken and lamb meals, usually served with rice or taro.
Dairy Free in Tonga
What about being dairy free? This is probably the easiest restriction to navigate around as the Kingdom is a low dairy country. We went to an ice cream shop which was the only dairy I had in 16 days! The only cheese available at the store was processed and unrefrigerated, it came in an airtight plastic wrapping.
Most creamy dishes are made with coconut milk and there’s hardly any dairy found in the restaurants.
Nut Allergy in Tonga
I have never been nut free but I wanted to include this for anyone with a nut allergy out there! Honestly the only nuts I really saw was in the form of peanut butter in the store. I don’t even think I saw packaged tree nuts for sale. I reckon most places will be nut allergy friendly!
General Advice for Vegetarians in Tonga
As with any travel, it’s best to try to lean into the local food as much as possible, which is why I opted to eat fish a few times. Being a vegetarian in a meat heavy country (lamb, beef, fish and chicken were everywhere) can be a challenge, but there are always ways to work around it!
If you are preparing to be vegetarian in Tonga, just know that you’re going to need to be clear about your needs. You may also want to pack yourself snacks that you find filling and give you protein. I was thankful I packed some protein bars, and I wish I would have packed some trail mix or something!
I will not lie, I found the food in Tonga to be tough for me.
Besides the resort food which was catered to western travelers, I would give my overall food experience here a 2/10. My partner who eats an omnivore diet had a much better experience and rated it 7/10!
But I didn’t go to Tonga for the food, I went for the adventure. Vegetarianism aside, you will certainly have an unforgettable trip in Tonga.
Bree is a travel writer who specializes in adventure travel – from backpacking guides to ocean escapades! She has worked in marine based tourism in Alaska and in ocean outdoor education on Catalina Island. She is currently living with her partner in New Zealand where she is working and backpacking.
Ahoy! I’m Bree and I’ve started this blog to help you plan your next great outdoor adventure. With a background in marine science, I’ve got an aptitude for all things ocean, but you’ll find land based adventures here too! Everything you see here is based on my own travel experience and paid for myself. I hope you stick around!