Yes, meal prepping for vacation is a thing. If you are taking a trip that doesn’t involve taking an airplane and you will have access to a kitchen with a refrigerator and stove (thank you air bnb world!), then let’s talk about how to meal prep for a road trip!
Don’t get me wrong- food is one of the best things about travel. We love to eat at new, exciting places. It’s all part of the experience. But after multiple days of eating out for every meal, it just loses its flare.
Here are four great benefits to prepping and planning your vacation food:
Feel better when you get home- no need to “detox”
No extra pounds lingering after your trip
No arguing about where to eat each and every meal
Save a TON of money!
Convinced yet? I meal prepped for a 4-day trip we took last summer, and it was just perfect. We stayed in a cabin with a kitchen and had meals for breakfast and lunch and we decided to go out for a few dinners (and ice cream 😊 ) In the end, we still made a ton of memories, didn’t have a bit of “vacation food guilt”, and was a few hundred ahead in our bank account!
Ideas for you-
Large container of prepped chicken salad- I love making a large batch and keeping in my travel batter bowl with a lid. We just ate with crackers (nut thins), or rice cakes or slider buns for the kids.
Seasoned ground beef- This packs well in a large Pyrex dish with a lid. I season it with Italian seasonings. This way, you can pack a jar of spaghetti sauce and a box of your favorite pasta and have spaghetti night. I love this brand of protein pasta. Just boil the noodles one evening and add your meat to your sauce.
Batch of grilled chicken- Extra protein to use however you like! (And throwing this on the grill with a little seasoning doesn’t take any time at all)
Fruit salad- Sliced strawberries, pineapple, and grapes go a long way!
Breakfast food- A breakfast casserole, oatmeal packets and a “just add water” protein pancake mix makes for an easy breakfast. Just throw your sugar free or pure maple syrup into your travel utility tote. We also threw some smoked turkey sausage into the cooler for an extra breakfast option.
Packing a loaf of bread and lunch meat, a jar of peanut butter and jelly and planning for a potential cookout is beneficial too. Of course, you could just head to the local grocery store once you arrived at your destination, but having it all ready packed and there is so nice! We didn’t have to spend our vacation time “planning” and shopping or slaving much in the kitchen. When it’s already done, you can just let the FUN begin!
If you do not own a utility tote, they are THE BEST! Great for packing all the things. You can see we packed all the things in ours... bananas, instant rice, cereal, easy kids snacks, etc. Highly recommend this bag before travel!
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