Georgie’s Wanderlust

This mini guide is catered to people who are travelling from hostel to hostel, or hotel to hotel.

Food. One of the greatest joys of my life. While travelling we are often away from our usual favourite items, we don’t have a fridge, and the ingredients on the back are in another language. We want to eat healthy, but are conflicted with treats everywhere. Throw in a wheat allergy and things are sometimes a pain. But never impossible.

Here are my top tips on what to eat while travelling:

Actual foods

These are some of my favourite travelling foods:

• 100% peanut butter (I always carry a spoon)
• Rice cakes
• Hummus
• Fruit (berries, bananas, mandarins)
• Yoghurt (consumed within a reasonable time)
• Canned fish
• Fruit & nut mix
• Cheese – hard cheeses last longer
• A take-out meal from a restaurant
• Leftovers you may have cooked

Plan ahead

You’ve been on a bus for 8 hours and you’re hungry. You get off and right in front of you the man at the bus station is selling deep fried empanadas. Sure, this is fine every now and then, but not as the default.

Planning what to eat while travelling can see you eating healthier foods, and starving less on the bus. Going to the grocery store to stock up on your favourite items, or cooking a meal the night before and bringing the leftovers can be good ideas as well.

Doing a bit of research ahead of time can help you out with restaurants too, especially if you have allergies or dietary requirements.

If you are travelling in a country where you can’t drink the tap water, I highly recommend a Grayl water filter bottle. This will save MANY plastic bottles and you can take it hiking with you too, if that’s your thing.

Pack your favourite healthy snacks

Hello long bus ride. Most bus stations will provide you with a packet of chips and a bottle of water, but we can do better. Virtually everywhere has some form of grocery store, and making a quick trip before your departure can be all the difference in feeling your best self, filled with yummy snacks.

Hot tip – if you try this at the airport to bring on the plane, you won’t be able to bring drinks, hummus or any kind of dip. “Liquids” over 100ml won’t be allowed through customs, and yes, hummus is considered a liquid in this scenario.

Cook!

Most hostels have a kitchen, I prefer to stay at the ones that do. They are more social, and I love having a fridge to store my goodies, and the option to cook. I like to have my own tupperware so I can take food with me when I leave.

Being a wheat free creature, I am going to suggest wheat free food. But for all of the bread loving, pasta loving ones out there, you have endless options and will maybe like some of my suggestions anyway!

A lot of hostels will have communal spices and cooking oils. It’s good to check out what they have before you do a little grocery shop. At the end of your stay they will often happily accept food items that are still good – always check with them first.

For meals I find these ones easy in a hostel:

• Rice & Beans or Tuna or Chicken or Veggies or whatever you like!
• Quinoa salad with cucumber, avocado, tomato, parsley and feta/goats cheese
• GF pasta and whatever sauce is available – I like to add extra veggies or olives
• Pesto veggies – broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, capsicum, spinach

For snacks I like these at a hostel:

• Yoghurt, berries, banana & honey
• GF toast with canned fish or peanut butter or honey
• Rice cakes with peanut butter & honey
• TEA! Lots of hostels will have this free, but it is often only black, and I enjoy a herbal tea in the evening so I pack my own
• Smoothies (if they have a blender)

I also like to eat probiotic foods or take a supplement, especially when I’m travelling in countries that are notorious for stomach parasites. This can help keep your gut flora balanced and strong against any potential viruses or bad bacteria that enter.

I hope you have found some ideas in this mini guide on what to eat while travelling!

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