4 simple meals while traveling

So, you’re traveling and staying in an Airbnb, hostel, or apartment. You’ve got the kitchen and all the utensils, now you just need some recipe ideas. Cooking simple meals while traveling is an excellent way to save a little money here and there, especially if you’re on the road for weeks at a time, or if you’re a solo traveler and don’t want to eat out alone for every meal.

I do enjoy eating out alone, but sometimes it gets old getting weird looks from basically everyone in the restaurant (especially if you’re in Europe).

As much as I love dining out and experiencing the pulse of a culture through food, it can also be much healthier and faster to prepare something quick wherever you’re staying, if you have access to a kitchen.

A few of these recipes are no-brainers, BUT when you’re traveling, it can be pretty tricky figuring out meal prep, so that’s why I’ve made it easy for you!

Plus, preparing a meal at home is a way to embrace living like a local – after all, locals usually don’t eat out for every meal. That’s why I’ve rounded up four no-brainer recipes for you that you can easily make, along with a short grocery list of items.

Pasta

Forever a standby, making a pasta dish is as easy as 1-2-3. All you have to do is boil your noodles and pick a sauce. You could buy canned sauce at the store, but I try to go with basic olive oil and cheese for sauce instead. This only works if you can get your hands on some olive oil, which sometimes isn’t easy.

Also, it doesn’t always make sense to buy a bottle of olive oil if you’re only visiting for a few days. In that case, try the simplest pasta recipe out there – pasta with butter and cheese. No oil needed! Just noodles, butter and cheese. Yes, it’s that basic, but it will still be tasty and keep you full.

My favorite easy pasta dish that still feels homemade is made with fettuccini noodles, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, and fresh reggiano parmesan cheese. Here’s how to make it.

First, boil your noodles. While those noodles are getting cooking on the stove, sauté garlic with olive oil for about a minute. Make sure not to burn the garlic – way before it starts to brown, remove from heat and allow the oil to cool a bit.

Cut up the tomatoes, and carefully add them to the pan with the garlic to avoid splatter. Bring up the heat to a simmer and let the tomatoes, garlic, and oil sauté until your noodles are ready.

Drain the noodles. Make sure they’re drained well, then pour the tomatoes right on top and stir.

Plate your pasta. Chop the basil and add to the top along with as much parmesan as you like. There you go, simple and delicious!

Sandwich

Yes, a simple sandwich is one of my simple meals while traveling! A true no-brainer. Quick, easy, and pretty painless.

It can be fun to make a sandwich that goes along with the culture of where you are in the world. Try making a bánh mì in Vietnam, a prosciutto and cheese panini in Italy, or a sardine sandwich in Portugal!

Or you can go with the standard cheese sandwich. Just slices of cheese and bread. Voilà!

It’s as simple as it sounds.

For the Americans out there, sorry to disappoint, but it is actually very hard to find peanut butter abroad. At least, that was my experience! I still don’t know how I survived without access to a good ‘ol PB&J.

Sautéed spinach or kale

This one makes a great side dish!

To be honest, kale might be hard to come by while you’re traveling, depending on where you’re at. I looked for kale while in Europe and didn’t find it, but I also didn’t go to a farmer’s market – just the grocery store on the corner, which could have had a more limited supply.

Try the farmer’s market – you might find it there. At the least, most markets abroad will have a hearty leaf available, like spinach or cabbage.

First, heat some oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in some garlic along with chopped onion or shallot if you like, for about a minute. Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add in the kale or spinach in batches, tossing until it starts to wilt. It’ll take about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to add more than you think you need. Add a dash of salt and pepper too if you like!

Egg scramble or omelet

Another simple meal while traveling! It takes about 10 minutes to chop up the vegetables, but after that you’re done cooking in a snap.

Basically, as long as you have eggs, you can add any type of vegetable you like along with your scramble or omelet. Usually I go with garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado (if I can find it), and spinach!

Usually an egg scramble is good in the morning for breakfast obviously, but hey, if you want to eat it for dinner too, why not? I’ve done it plenty of times. Always tasty.

Love to cook? Here are some cookbooks I recommend!

What do you think – do you guys have some simple meals while traveling you can share with me? I’m all ears! Let me know in the comments below, or send me a DM on Instagram.

Grocery list:

• Pasta noodles
• Lettuce, kale or spinach
• Tomatoes
• Onion
• Garlic
• Basil
• Parmesan cheese
• Eggs
• Cheese slices
• Lunchmeat (turkey, ham, salami, prosciutto, etc.)
• Bread

About to head out on a trip? Check out my post on “Top 10 Travel Essentials.”

 Disclosure Statement —- “Jen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.” This means if you purchase one of the recommended cookbooks above, I’ll make a teeny commission at no cost to you!

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