If you are self-catering abroad, what do you pack by way of food?

[Lovemenorca]

Single parent two children

Usually we do all inclusive or half board. This year our big hol is in Feb so I’ve booked a simple air bnb for a week in Spain. There’s a full kitchen. I’m looking to only eat out for dinners. So planning to “cook” for breakfast and lunch.

Lovely town. No big supermarket close by. A large corner shop that does phenomenal fresh fruit salad and veg. But limited in terms of dried goods.

We are no foodies. And I’m not interested in cooking elaborate dishes or sourcing local specialties. We are very active and eat to fuel and it’s a lot of veg, fruit, salad, avocados, salmon, chicken, Greek yoghurt etc and i will get these locally.

However, I’d like to take the kefir yoghurts that I love that I know won’t be available and also some cream cheese. Can I pack these items in a cooling lunch box with an ice pack in it - and do you think ok for a total of 7/8 hours door to door (transfers flight etc)?

Planning on bringing some packets of microwaveable rice, tins of Wild salmon and also tins of tuna - so then I can mix eg rice, tin of tuna, tinned sweet corn and a splash of soy sauce (my children LOVE this!). Also I’ll bring some tortillas and then I’ll fill with cream cheese and ham that I’ll buy out there and they can have but the pool. I’ll get a load of salad from the shop and have with the tinned tuna I’ve brought from home.

Breakfast - I’ll bring porridge sachets (so then I just need to buy milk) , dried apricots and dates for topping. And we will also have lots of fruit and maybe some toast.

I drink almond milk - I’ll pack the long life version as wont be able to get there

So my question is re whether possible to bring a small amount of refrigerated food if backed in hold luggage in a cooking bag with cooking packs inside?

And then curious about what you bring by way of dried food for self catering abroad holidays?

Currently on a self catering holiday in Spain. I brought some seasonings with me, some of those super concentrated squash (for autistic dc) tea, my preferred decaf coffee and dried yeast for making pizza dough.
I wouldn't bother risking the yogurt!

Over the years we've learned that eating weird brands is half the adventure.

Our next big self-catering break is 3 weeks in Florida. Based on experience we'll take teabags as they're light to pack and the equivalent in America is very expensive. We'll also take those little squeezy diluting juices as squash isn't really a "thing" in the US. And that's it.

Packing your suitcase full of microwave rice and tins of tuna is madness.

Well this thread has taught me that a lot of people can't go anywhere without access to squash and that there is a portable alternative to the normal bottles you keep in the fridge.

We take food with us, but only because my DDs have coeliac disease so I take some gluten free basics with us just in case. This year we went to Majorca and there as so much gluten free stuff available in all the supermarkets (even the local corner shops) that I won't bother taking anything next time we go. I definitely wouldn't take yogurt - if you put it in your hand luggage you won't be allowed to take it through as it will probably be classed as a liquid - and if you put it in your suitcase in the hold, it could pop due to the pressure in the air or just get squashed/broken by people manhandling the luggage.

I have taken long life milk once to make tea, wrapped up well previously and it did burst in the hold, so please be warned, it’s never treated gently!

Can you just take food in any condition and packaging though? I thought it had to be vacuum packed, tinned, sealed etc. Isn't that how we got Foot & Mouth or is that just a myth or possibly misremembered by me?

I've never brought perishables, but when skiing on a budget for self catering I have brought peanut butter, wraps, coffee, teabags (never as good abroad) pasta and a jar of pesto. People may scoff, but the supermarkets in the ski resorts are expensive so it was good to have some basics. We always bring ground coffee with us as in some countries it just doesn't taste as good as what we're used to.

Also recently on a break to Bologna I brought muesli. Saved having to go to the supermarket ( milk more easily obtainable from corner shop) and stopped me eating pastries for breakfast which cause my blood sugar to plummet.

Can't believe no one has asked the most important question...OP what brand is this amazing kefir yoghurt?!

I got a nice one from Tesco the other day but can't say it was worthy of lugging internationally so I wasn't without it for a week!

Totally bemused by this thread.
I have camped or self catered in Europe many times. The only food items I would take are teabags, lunch and snacks for the journey. All else can be bought there.
Madness to take tinned stuff and rice. They have that there.

You cant take yogurts on a plane

"Eat to Fuel" and "We're all skinny" the rest of us who enjoy nice foods on holidays and the local delicacies (Like myself !) must be a right bunch of glutinous fat fuckers then 🤷🏻‍♀️ - I'll remember that when I'm packing my size 8 bikini

I don't know why particularly but this thread has amused me enormously. The thought of sachets of porridge and tins of tuna in a suitcase. All to go to ... Spain!

Aren't there a lot of restrictions on taking food to other countries? Or have I been watching too much Australian Border Patrol?

Australia have very strict restrictions. But there aren't restrictions within the EU. Come Brexit of course who knows. I only ever take food back with me, last time I was in Spain we took 6 expensive bottles of red we couldn't get in the UK back with us.

For someone who isn’t interested in food and only eats to fuel, you are awfully preoccupied with what type of food you eat!

We’re also all skinny, and really enjoy trying the local food when we go on holiday. We always go self catering and have never taken anything with us (not even tea bags as none of us drink tea).

I this a thing people do, take porridge sachets? sounds like a blast of a holiday.

I’m sorry but I struggle to believe any yoghurt is that delicious one needs to take it Spain with them

Also who that can’t drive goes to a small village with no supermarket, especially when going with dc. Not the best choice

“Eat to fuel” and? Humans need food for fuel so what’s your point? Bit sad your dc get get any joy from food

You cant take yogurts on a plane

Wasn't there a Samuel L Jackson film about someone who tried?

I think it’s a bit sad that your DC don’t get any pleasure from food actually. Mine are 5 and 4 and love trying all the local cuisine when we go abroad. It’s part of the experience. Good food is one of life’s pleasures! Even for skinny people

You cant take yogurts on a plane

Perhaps you can’t in the cabin but you can in the hold.

There’s also the fact that foreign brand yoghurts people can by in their local supermarket were more than likely air freighted there.

@Davros when there was an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in the UK, travellers from the UK weren't allowed to take anything containing any dairy produce into other EU countries. And we had to walk over detergent soaked hygiene mats on the way into immigration in Spain. I remember it clearly although it was quite some time ago now.

I only take tea. I even hate myself for that a bit - makes me feel like a proper brexity Little Englander.

Tea, aside, Spanish supermarkets are great - TBH we probably eat better over there as there's so much good quality, well priced fresh food. We eat out for lunch, and just graze for breakfast/supper.

@BiggerBoat1
"I'm sick of these motherfucking yoghurts on this motherfucking plane"

I always do airbnb abroad (I've never been to a 'resort'). If travelling with small dc, I take some easy snacks for the first day or so until we can get ourselves sorted and get to the shop or market. And some emergency please just be quiet chocolate for the plane. Otherwise, I've never even thought to bring food with me for the flat. There are lovely supermarkets and produce markets in Spain. Even when travelling alone with my newly weaning baby, I just brought about 2 days worth of snacks. Otherwise, he ate whatever we found. Surely, that's half the fun, trying new things?

Fwiw, you can find loads of tinned fish (including tuna) in Spain, even in the smallest village shops. We stayed in an airbnb in a really remote village with just a shop and almost no tourists, and they had everything we could have ever wanted in that shop. Spanish people need to eat too. I had tuna every day for lunch from the shop. It's not mars. They really do have food.

I’ve never taken dairy but with picky small children I’d take marmite, specific brand cereal bars, peanut butter, tiny bottle of
Squash and teabags for me.