Traveling- Food and eating
Alot of the questions we get about traveling is how do we deal with the whole "food thing." Things like "don't you get tired of always eating out?" Well the answer to that is pretty easy.
When Andy and I first started traveling, just the two of us, it was romantic and so fun to pick restaurants and get lost finding hidden gems. Now with the boys that isn't really an option. Anyone who has ever dined with children should be able to relate to the difficulties that come with restaurant eating with littles.
So. Here is what we do. It is really surprising how close a grocery store is to almost anywhere you go. People everywhere seem to need one, so it is usually one of our first stops.
We grab things that are travel staples:
Almond Butter
Jelly
Fresh berries
Bananas
Apples
Avocado
Tomato
Mushrooms
Spinach
Local Fresh Veggies
Eggs
Bread (for the kids)
Sweet potatoes
Chicken (rotisserie if in a hotel, raw it a place to cook)
Italian Turkey Sausage
Hummus
Kid Snacks (the usual things that our kiddos eat)
The other big thing to consider is where you are staying. (Don't worry I will write about hotel choices another day). For the most part we try to stay in a place with a small kitchenette or rent somewhere that has a full kitchen. Occasionally we aren't able to do that and a plain jane hotel is where we end up. NOT the end of the world. Most chain-style hotels offer a breakfast area as well...Those places are great to grab things like yogurt, hard boiled eggs, toast and to-go peanut butters for later. Same kind of places usually have an area to grill as well...So grab some chicken and grill for the time you are there!
The idea of eating while on the road usually makes people think fast food and take-out. For the W's though it is alot of home-cooked meals and being a little creative. Being prepared and planning before we get to a place helps a ton.
Breakfast ideas:
Did you know you can hard-boil eggs in a coffee maker? I didn't either until I tried...Amazing and it works. All you do is put the eggs in the coffee pot. Run it through a few cycles of coffee (just the water, no grounds) and BAM. Pair a couple eggs with some avocado, tomato and some berries and you have a tasty breakfast.
You can slice a sweet potato and make sweet potato toast. Top it with some almond butter, berries, or apples and YUM!
Oatmeal is also an easy to make and transport meal. Add some almond butter, berries and a banana= TASTY!
Plain old toast with a smashed avocado, some sliced tomatoes and an egg! Delish
Lunch ideas:Mostly we all eat the leftovers from dinner the night before for lunch. If not then we opt for things like PBJ's, turkey roll-ups with sliced applies, and hummus and veggies.
Our boys are like both Andy and I...Both are grazers so lunch is more like a tapas style meal. They eat a little of this and that.
Dinner ideas:
I would say that 90% of the time I prepare dinner for our family. Sometimes we will go out to dinner with my husband's clients or we will have an off day and need a change of pace.
A whole rotisserie chicken can do WONDERS for a family for dinner. Don't over-think the meals that you can make with one. Here are some ideas:
When Andy and I first started traveling, just the two of us, it was romantic and so fun to pick restaurants and get lost finding hidden gems. Now with the boys that isn't really an option. Anyone who has ever dined with children should be able to relate to the difficulties that come with restaurant eating with littles.
So. Here is what we do. It is really surprising how close a grocery store is to almost anywhere you go. People everywhere seem to need one, so it is usually one of our first stops.
We grab things that are travel staples:
Almond Butter
Jelly
Fresh berries
Bananas
Apples
Avocado
Tomato
Mushrooms
Spinach
Local Fresh Veggies
Eggs
Bread (for the kids)
Sweet potatoes
Chicken (rotisserie if in a hotel, raw it a place to cook)
Italian Turkey Sausage
Hummus
Kid Snacks (the usual things that our kiddos eat)
The other big thing to consider is where you are staying. (Don't worry I will write about hotel choices another day). For the most part we try to stay in a place with a small kitchenette or rent somewhere that has a full kitchen. Occasionally we aren't able to do that and a plain jane hotel is where we end up. NOT the end of the world. Most chain-style hotels offer a breakfast area as well...Those places are great to grab things like yogurt, hard boiled eggs, toast and to-go peanut butters for later. Same kind of places usually have an area to grill as well...So grab some chicken and grill for the time you are there!
The idea of eating while on the road usually makes people think fast food and take-out. For the W's though it is alot of home-cooked meals and being a little creative. Being prepared and planning before we get to a place helps a ton.
Breakfast ideas:
Did you know you can hard-boil eggs in a coffee maker? I didn't either until I tried...Amazing and it works. All you do is put the eggs in the coffee pot. Run it through a few cycles of coffee (just the water, no grounds) and BAM. Pair a couple eggs with some avocado, tomato and some berries and you have a tasty breakfast.
You can slice a sweet potato and make sweet potato toast. Top it with some almond butter, berries, or apples and YUM!
Oatmeal is also an easy to make and transport meal. Add some almond butter, berries and a banana= TASTY!
Plain old toast with a smashed avocado, some sliced tomatoes and an egg! Delish
Lunch ideas:Mostly we all eat the leftovers from dinner the night before for lunch. If not then we opt for things like PBJ's, turkey roll-ups with sliced applies, and hummus and veggies.
Our boys are like both Andy and I...Both are grazers so lunch is more like a tapas style meal. They eat a little of this and that.
Dinner ideas:
I would say that 90% of the time I prepare dinner for our family. Sometimes we will go out to dinner with my husband's clients or we will have an off day and need a change of pace.
A whole rotisserie chicken can do WONDERS for a family for dinner. Don't over-think the meals that you can make with one. Here are some ideas:
- Chicken and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with some steamed veggies (can make anywhere)
- Chicken Tacos (can make anywhere)
- Chicken and rice with veggies (can make anywhere)
- Chicken and noodles (need something to boil water)
If we are in a place with a full kitchen that makes things a lot easier. I like to plan out our meals so that I can use parts of dinner in breakfast or lunch the next day.
Italian Turkey sausage is AWESOME!
Italian Turkey sausage is AWESOME!
- Chili
- Spaghetti Sauce (or spaghetti squash sauce)
- Saute it with mushrooms and spinach and put over a baked sweet potato
- Eat it with mushrooms and spinach with eggs
- Tacos
Traveling as much as the W's do it is daunting to always find a restaurant with the kiddos. So doing it this way not only saves us major cash, it saves time and effort. The kids stay on the same schedule, the same diet and the same overall everything while we are traveling.
A couple of random tips!
Have questions?
Would love to answer them!
-Cheers
- Buy some foil....If your hotel doesn't have dishes and such you can wrap your leftovers in foil.
- the same travel bottles we use for our toiletries...we bought a set and travel with things like olive oil, salt/pepper, balsamic vinegar, basil and oregano.
- Pack a re-usable shopping bag. That way you can carry your groceries out of the store AND not over-purchase for your trip.
Have questions?
Would love to answer them!
-Cheers
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