There is nothing like traveling! This goes double when you get to travel with the ones that you love. However, one of the questions I get ask the most is: How can you get good food on a budget when traveling? Let’s face it, eating healthy (and for cheap) is not something that is easy to do when traveling. Normally we find ourselves eating a lot of fast food or at restaurants that cater to tourists when on a holiday. The good news is that it does not have to be that way! Today we are going to cover a few ways to eat good food on a budget when traveling!
Preparing Your Own Food
There are two main ways to save money on food while on holiday. The first way that we are going to talk about is to buy your own food at local stores and prepare it yourself! Yes, this is a little more work and not as convenient as eating fast food, but it does come with a number of benefits. First of all, it is going to save you money, and secondly you can prepare healthy meals for your family. Now, getting your kids to eat this food is a bit harder than getting them to eat a greasy hamburger. So let’s talk about a few ways you can make this prepared food a little bit more kid friendly:
Putting food on a stick
Kids love this for a number of reasons. First of all, it is easy to pick up and go. Second, it makes it just a lot more fun to eat! I am not talking about eating a bunch of corn dogs during your holiday. In fact, there are tons of healthy foods you can prepare on a stick. Things like fruit, cucumbers, ham and cheese can all easily be placed on sticks for a quick pick me up. Let’s face it, buying some fresh fruit is not only going to save you money, but it is better for your family!
Getting a hotel room with a refrigerator
To make the first tip work, you have to make sure you get a hotel room with a refrigerator. Yes, this typically costs more, but you will end up making this money back with all of the money you will save on food. Eating out every night can become expensive. Get a room with a refrigerator and store snacks in it that are not only kid friendly, but fun to eat. To put it simply, things like grapes, apples, fruit cups, 100 percent real fruit juices, and things of this nature. Not only does this kind of stuff taste good, but it’s full of vitamins and minerals that your kids need.
Forget the bun, do a wrap
The word is out, and wraps are better for you than hamburgers. Maybe this is because people are more likely to put healthy things in a warp. Maybe it is because the carb. loaded bun is being done away with. Regardless of why it is, keeping things in your refrigerator to make wraps is a great idea. Things like cooked chicken strips, tomatoes, mayonnaise, cheese, lemon juice and other things that are easy to spread. For example, chicken salad makes a great filling for a wrap.
More ice-cold tea and less soda
Not only is it cheaper to make tea by the gallon, but it is a lot healthier for you than sodas. Sure making Kool-Aid or storing can soda is easy, but it is full of sugar with really no health benefit at all. Tea is not only hydrogenating but depending on how it is made, it can have a number of great health benefits as well. A lot of this has to do with the antioxidants that are in it.
If You’re Going to Eat Out, Eat With the Locals
This next tip may or may not be a “healthy” alternative, but it is good for people who want to eat on a budget. When you are looking to treat yourself, and your kids, take a break from the food you have prepared and take them out to eat. However, when you do, avoid going to those restaurants that are designed for tourists (this usually does include your hotel’s restaurant as well). These are the places that pretty much serve food that you could get back home. They do not offer much in terms of local cuisine. On top of that, the places that do, tend to charge an extremely high price for said food. So pay attention to where the locals are eating. These places are in business for a reason. If the locals love it, there is a good chance that it offers a truly authentic experience. This is a great and fun way to get your kids to experience something new. It can help bring a little extra culture into their lives. Did I already mention that it will save you money?
What tips do you have for eating good food on a budget when traveling?
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