Easy Make Ahead Travel Meals

Travel doesn’t have to mean restaurant meals every day—or constant grocery runs. With a few shelf-stable staples and a simple mix-and-match formula, you can cover 3–5 days of satisfying meals with minimal prep.

If you prefer more ready-made meals that are simple to mix and eat or heat and serve, I have you covered there too! Planning your meals ahead of trips will help you avoid any potential digestive upsets caused by hidden ingredients or limited healthy options while away.

Recently, we traveled to Muskoka, also known as cottage country. Our resort did not have kitchenettes available, so I had to be creative in our meal prepping. If you’re like me, or have family members with dietary concerns, eating on long-haul road trips or in restaurants can be frustrating and limiting when it comes to healthy options.

In this two-part blog series, I will guide you on how to make your travel meals healthy, saving you time and money. This way, you can spend more time vacationing instead of making trips to the grocery store or sitting in restaurants. Plus, we all want to avoid those unwanted bathroom excursions! This article will review several quick, simple pack-and-go meals that are essentially shelf-stable, requiring only a few short grocery trips. Next week, be on the lookout for my make-ahead meals that you can put together while on holiday in under 10 minutes!

The Simple Shelf-Stable Formula

Build most of your meals as: protein + fiber (veg/fruit/beans) + carb + fat/flavor.

No-Cook Meals (No Kitchen Needed)

• Tuna/salmon/sardines pouch + whole-grain crackers + olive pack + cheese + fruit

• Chickpeas (can/pouch) + bagged salad + vinaigrette (eat from the bowl/bag)

• Hummus + baby carrots/snap peas + pita (add a hard-boiled egg if available)

• Greek yogurt (plant-based or skyr) + granola + berries/banana

• Cottage cheese + cherry tomatoes + crackers

• Deli turkey/rotisserie chicken + pre-washed greens + avocado

• Nut butter + banana + oats packet (stir oats into yogurt or eat as-is)

• Trail mix + fruit (great emergency meal)

• Granola or protein bars

  
  

Kettle-Friendly Meals

• Instant oatmeal + nut butter + chia + dried fruit/fresh berries

  
  

Minimal-Cook Meals (One Pan or Kitchenette)

• Eggs + spinach (omelet/scramble) + toast

• Pasta + jarred pesto + canned tuna (add spinach at the end)

• Sheet-pan style: pre-cut veg + sausage/tofu (if you have an oven)

  
  

One Shopping Trip List (Covers ~3–5 Days)

Protein: tuna/salmon pouches, rotisserie chicken or deli turkey, Greek yogurt/skyr, hard-boiled eggs, canned beans/lentils

Carbs: oats packets, whole-grain wraps/crackers, bread

Produce: bagged salad, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, bananas/apples, avocado, berries

Fats/Flavor: olive oil packs, nuts/trail mix, hummus, salsa, vinaigrette, salt/pepper

Two Backup Meals (So You’re Not Forced into Restaurants)

• Tuna/salmon/sardines pouch + crackers

• Trail mix + jerky

  
  

When planning, consider your travel setup ahead of time (road trip vs flights/hotels vs camping) and whether you’ll have a mini-fridge or microwave. You may need to contact your accommodation to confirm if there are any restrictions on bringing your own equipment (blenders, slow cookers, etc.) and the voltage requirements—some appliances require more voltage than some places can provide.

Next week, learn about my healthy 5-7 day meal plan! See the recipes I used, packing and batching tips, and other easy, quick how-tos that will make your vacation meals a breeze to enjoy!

Build a meal that will build a better body!