Cooking on the road can save you a ton of money but also give you a new perspective on a different area and culture. There’s nothing like wandering the aisles of a foreign grocery store to discover the local everyday items and realizing your standards aren’t necessarily so standard. It’s also fun to check out the international section of grocery stores abroad to see what that country thinks of as your culinary contributions. For example, I recently checked out the American section of a German grocery store to find we’re apparently defined by marshmallow fluff, maple syrup, and Cliff bars.
However, the biggest downside of cooking while traveling is often food waste. Hostels might have big versions of staples like salt and pepper you can use, but usually, Airbnbs won’t have these. This means your grocery trip can quickly get expensive because the smallest container of salt would last you a month, not just the weekend you’re visiting. And if you’re like me, throwing all those unused items out at the end of a trip is painful.
In order to avoid at least a bit of this pain, I’ve put together grocery lists for both bring ahead items and creative ways to avoid waste at your destination. Whichever you choose, a bit of planning can go a long way. In my case, I tend to rely on stir-fry and pasta dishes, but think about your quick go-to meals at home and you can probably make a great variation on the road. Also, sandwich ingredients like bread, cheese, and salami, will always be slightly different in each place, so you can get a consistent staple but with local flair wherever you go.
Note: be careful with any seasonings when you travel. Airport security won’t be a fan of loose salt or other seasoning powders and some countries don’t allow you to bring these items through customs.
AirBNB/Hostel Grocery List – Bring Ahead
Corkscrew (better safe than sorry)
Salt & Pepper Packets (McDonald’s won’t get mad at a few extras with those fries right?)
Optional: Small Spice Kit
AirBNB/Hostel Grocery List – Buy at Destination
Seasoning mix (Montreal, fajita, etc.) packet
Protein (chicken, beef, tofu)
Frozen veggie mix bag
Bread, butter, cheese, salami
