When traveling most people can’t afford to spend $30 per meal eating out at restaurants. Cooking your own foods while traveling allows you to cut down on traveling expenses and makes it easier for you to keep within your food budget. This also means that more money can go to excursions and activities – the real fun parts of traveling.
If you’re going on a short 2 or 3 day trip then it’s much easier to pack for food and you possibly are planning to have a few meals out. You can pack a bunch of snack food, vegetables, and meal prep before leaving your home. You don’t necessarily need access to a kitchen during such short trips. For long trips, however, something that will make life easier is access to any type of kitchen, big or small.
If you want to cook while on vacation it is best to avoid buying foods that come in large amounts or large packages because chances are not everything is going to be eaten before you change destinations or before it terminates. If you’re traveling with a group of people or your family, t is also a great idea to travel with a cooler bag full of food. Therefore, you won’t have to mix up your personal belongings in other bags with the food you’re eating.
This article will give you 7 homemade meals you can make while traveling.
1. One-pot taco skillet
This dish is packed with good beef protein and vegetables. It is quick, easy, and super low-budget to make. This taco skillet goes great with burrito bowls, nacho chips, and even plain or flavored rice (see a full recipe for flavored rice).
If you are traveling with children this is a great meal because it is filled with comfort flavors, is easy to eat and taco meat is such a comfort food (something the kids may need if they’re feeling homesick). Taco meat can also be packed filled with vegetables, this depends on how you choose to make it. If you want some more flavor in the meat just buy a pack of shredded cheese and sprinkle it on top. You will have a delicious gooey melted cheese and taco meal.
What’s better is that usually after you make this meal, there aren’t any leftovers so you won’t have to pack leftover food away. If you are a non-meat eater, a vegetarian taco sauce is also just as easy to make. If you have access to a slow cooker or an instant pot during your travels this meal becomes even easier to make.
2. Lemon chicken pasta
If you’re traveling during the summer then this meal is perfect. The best way to use up the summer vegetables like zucchini, squash, and parsley. This recipe is light and refreshing, great for any time of the day, plus it takes less than 30-minutes to cook.
Cooking chicken is an easy enough task that you’ll be able to do well with access to a small kitchen. Prepare the chicken and season it with salt, pepper, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, and garlic and onion powder. Then just cook it in a skillet with some oil for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Do the same with the vegetables. Season the zucchini and squash with the same things used on the chicken and toss them into the skillet with some garlic. After cooking the pasta just toss all of the ingredients together with some butter and lemon juice.
A great thing about this meal is that it can also be eaten cold. So if you have leftovers and no microwave then you can eat it straight from the fridge without reheating it in the pan. Add some grated cheese, parmesan, and parsley on top if you have those in your travel, bag.
3. Poke bowls
A poke bowl is a rice bowl that originated from Hawaii that has fish served on top of rice and vegetables, usually with some sort of dressing on top. Poke bowls are the type of meal that you can throw together with any ingredients in your fridge. They’re something you could eat every day of your travels and never get tired of. Poke bowls are fresh, bursting with flavor, and only take around 15 minutes to make.
The main dish that is eaten with poke bowls is tuna – something you can get anywhere for a cheap price – a perfect travel food. For traveling it may be easier to buy tuna that is canned however if you prefer the fresher type then always look for sushi-grade tuna. This means that it is fresh and is safe to eat marinated or uncooked.
The rice that is eaten with poke bowls is usually coconut rice but any white rice or brown rice works as well. Rice is a cheap, versatile, and easy ingredient to have with you while you’re traveling. An easy dressing for this meal is using Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise, mix these together and you have a delicious, flavorful dressing. The toppings for poke bowls can be any type of vegetable and/or fruit: edamame, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, mango, nuts and seeds.
4. French toast
French toast is a type of classic comfort food that is easy to make using ingredients you probably already have – especially if you’re planning on being in the same place for a week or two.
To make this recipe all that’s needed is some bread, eggs, milk, butter, and flavorings such as vanilla and cinnamon. The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it once your bread has become a few days old and you need to eat it before it goes moldy. French toast works the best with old, almost stale bread because then the bread doesn’t fall apart so easily when soaked in the milky batter. The batter for French toast can also be made a couple of days before eating and left in the fridge. So, if you are planning to continue traveling and need to get rid of leftover milk and eggs then make the batter and store it in a container for when you get to your next destination. But why stop at these common ingredients? French toast goes great with everything, including avocado and tomatoes, pesto, salmon and hummus.
5. Quesadillas
If you have any leftover proteins such as canned beans or chicken and leftover vegetables then quesadillas will come to your aid in getting rid of them. The only things you’ll need to make this recipe are protein (can be plant-based or meat), tortillas, and shredded cheese. If you have leftover vegetables in the fridge you can sautee them in the pan before combining them with the other ingredients in the tortilla. If you have tofu this recipe will also work, just make sure to pan fry or bake the tofu before putting it into the tortilla.
This is another meal that is great to make when traveling with kids because it can also be made as an on-the-go snack. If you have zip lock bags or containers you can pack the quesadillas for them if they get hungry while out exploring new cities and during activities. This meal is perfectly balanced with proteins, vegetables, fats, and carbohydrates. Something that’s sure to satiate your hunger and give you enough energy for the day.
