When its holiday time the last thing anyone wants, is to miss out on the fun times because they are stuck in a kitchen. There are ways though, to make meal prep and cooking all part of the joy of holidaying, starting by making an outing of sourcing locally grown and produced food.
Visiting a farmers market is a great way to soak up the atmosphere of a holiday destination as well as getting the freshest of produce for your meals. Taking advantage of locally grown produce and in particular, what the region is best known for, is a great way to make holiday memories. For instance if you are staying in a tropical region look for fresh vegetables and fruits for healthy salads and snacks. Farmers markets are also terrific places for picking up preserves and pickles, jams, and honey and you can start your day with a cooked breakfast and coffee in between browsing. You will probably find all you need for your happy hour snacks and sweet treats too.
If you’re holidaying near a river or the beach, take the fishing gear and see if you can add seafood to the menu, or if luck isn’t on your side, you’re bound to find local vendors to buy the catch of the day from. Look for local specialty shops such as bakeries for freshly baked bread and butchers for easy-to-cook, ready prepared meals too.
Have some ideas and recipes for meals to cook ready before you leave home. Meals that can be cooked on the BBQ and one-pot ideas which make cleaning up easy are popular choices on holidays. Having a notebook of favourite recipes that are quick and easy to prepare is a good way to take the thinking out of meal planning when there are things you’d rather be doing.
Some pantry staples in the caravan will make meal preparation easier too with items like pasta, rice, Asian noodles, and couscous on hand. Pack in your favourite herbs and spices and some tinned products like tomatoes, bean varieties, and chickpeas that can be all be added to soups, stews, and one-pot dishes for added flavour. Being prepared with some basics will help to make meal planning easy and buying fresh from the local area will support the smaller communities and towns you visit.
Sharing meal preparation and eating with friends also adds to the fun of spending time together on holidays. Think of some shared meals which everyone can make to their liking. Pizzas or taco nights are fun and easy meals where the kids can get involved in the preparation, and you’ll know they will enjoy what they’ve made.
