7 Essential Cooking Tips for Travelers

Best Cooking Tips for Travelers

Stay Somewhere With a Kitchen

This one is like, duh. But I’m just saying! Without a kitchen, it’s wayyy more difficult to eat at home. Although not impossible, scroll down for tips when you don’t have a kitchen.

Get Back to Basics

Cooking simple dishes with simple ingredients saves you a lot of time and hassle. I like to think, what would college Rachel make? Shopping in a foreign grocery store, not being able to read labels, and not having everything you might get at Whole Foods can be a challenge.

But by keeping it simple, you’ll save yourself unnecessary stress. Every market or grocery store I’ve ever been to abroad has at least had eggs, veggies, fruits, rice or pasta, bread, and meat (the meat is for Jack).

Not to mention you are at the complete mercy of whatever utensils and appliances were provided. Before heading to the store, take stock of what you have at your disposal.

Most US accommodations will have a stocked kitchen, most kitchen I’ve encountered abroad have been pretty sparse.

Here are some of my go-to meals:

Breakfast

• Omelet
• Breakfast Hash
• Smoothie
• Eggs and Fruit
• Overnight Oats

Lunch and Dinner

• Rice Bowls
• Pasta
• Tacos
• Salads
• Burgers
• Sandwiches

Snacks

• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Raw Veggies
• Nuts

Simplify the Staples

Don’t forget the first time you’re shopping in a new area, you’ll need to restock your pantry necessities. Every time. I’ve managed to simplify what we consider staples over the last two years (and I think Jack lowered his standards for my cooking). To add a little more flavor, I also try to buy whatever spicy peppers I find.

Pantry Staples

• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Rice
• Garlic
• Seasoning Packets
• Vinegar (if I’m staying somewhere long-term)

Buy Local and In-Season

You know what they say, when in Rome. Peanut butter will cost you an arm and a leg, but you know what there’s plenty of? Plantains. Nothing is better than chili’s in Mexico, quinoa in Peru, or plantains in Ecuador.

My strategy at a strange grocery store is to get random fruits or veggies, and figure out what to do with it later. You might discover your new favorite! And buying in season is a lot easier abroad. If it’s not in season, you probably can’t find it at the store.

An even better approach is to buy produce from smaller vendors and farmers market-style markets. The food tastes way better, and you can directly see where your money is going, instead of giving it to a big corporate grocery store.

Remember: embrace the plantains.

Make Local or Regional Recipes

This one goes hand-in-hand with buying local. You might be discouraged at the grocery store that you cant make your mom’s famous casserole. But guess what the grocery store is full of? All the ingredients to make any regional dish. And plantains.

Plus you’re learning something new you can take with you forever!

For example, when we were in Ecuador, we tried our hand at this easy Bolón recipe (Ecuadorian Green Plantain Fritters). They weren’t the prettiest, but tasted pretty good!

Learn to Guesstimate

You’d be hard pressed to stay somewhere abroad that has measuring cups. I’m usually winging it anyway, so it hasn’t been too much of a hardship. If I had a nickel every time I measured out rice with a coffee mug. When following an actual recipe, eye balling and guessing proportions is sometimes as good as its gonna get.

Don’t Buy Too Much

One of my biggest pet peeves is food waste. I’d rather not get enough and have to eat out one night, than throw away a bunch of food because we have to leave. Planning ahead a bit can help.

If you think, ok I need food for like 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 1 dinner this week, you’ll have a better idea of how much to buy.

I’ve also noticed produce doesn’t last as long in countries outside the US, so don’t buy too much thinking you have a while to eat it. It’s best to make smaller, more frequent trips.

For more money saving advice, read: 16 Hacks to Save Money as a Digital Nomad

Bonus Tip: Cooking Without a Kitchen

We’ve definitely been there before. Lets just say we stayed in a Vegas Strip hotel for 3 weeks once…

If your hotel or accommodation has at least a mini-fridge or a microwave, we’re cooking! (lol)

Here are some no-cook meals when you find yourself in this predicament:

• Store-Bought Hardboiled Eggs
• Yogurt
• Overnight Oats
• Oatmeal
• Fruit
• Raw Veggies
• Salads
• Any Microwave Meal
• Protein Shake
• Orange Juice

When you’re in a situation without the resources or tools to cook, be scrappy. Steal single-use salt and pepper packets from food courts, keep to-go silverware and wash it, bring home leftovers when you do eat out. Unfortunately, plantains do not thrive in this environment as they are best served boiled, fried or baked. Sorry.

There you have it. My best advice for cooking for travelers. The biggest tip of all is to give yourself grace and acknowledge you’re doing the best you can, whether you eat boring pasta 5x a week, or find yourself eating out more than you’d like.

What other advice have you found useful for cooking while traveling? I’m always looking for ideas!

What other advice have you found useful for cooking while traveling? I’m always looking for ideas!