Packing groceries to prepare lunch and evening meals keeps travel costs down while also allowing you to stick closer to your normal diet. No one wants to slave in the kitchen for hours on end during a vacation so keep travel food simple. For lunches, try PB&J with veggie chips and apple sauce Turkey sandwiches with sliced apples
Chicken salad or tuna salad sandwiches or atop leaf lettuce with a fruit salad side Deviled eggs, pickles, crackers, and watermelon A loaded Chef salad with grilled chicken, cheese, apples, and avocado.
Roast beef sandwiches with cheddar slices and pretzel sticks Pasta salad with feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, olives, and basil.
An assortment of cured meats (like salami, prosciutto, capicola), cheeses, and crackers Teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps with a side of snap peas and carrots Almond butter and banana sandwiches with sweet potato chips
If you have a hotel with a kitchenette, you have the option of preparing simple dinners as well. Try picking up a frozen pizza or a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store and heating it up in your room. After a day on the road or out exploring with a backseat full of kids, eating in-room helps you kick back and relax at the end of the day rather than having to corral tired kids into a noisy restaurant.
Though cooking at your hotel or campground is usually the most economical way to eat, sometimes you’ll yearn for a change of pace. And in fact, it is possible to eat out even on a budget. Visit restaurants’ websites and faceblog pages for coupons. Often, eating lunch rather than dinner at a restaurant makes the meal much more affordable. Consider splitting a large portion or taking half of your portion to go in order to stretch one big meal into two smaller ones.
Barb homeschooled her four children, taking them all over the world in pursuit of educational experiences. Her grown children in turn are homeschooling her growing brood of grandchildren. Here, she shares some of her family’s educational travel experiences:
