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?

There are lovely supermarkets and produce markets in Spain

Yes. But the Op has said she’s not near one.

I thought Billiefish's advice was pretty good actually. Most of the major supermarkets would do home delivery so that is surely good if you don't drive. It doesn't stop you using the corner shop either.

We often self-cater in Europe, and are usually not driving (not because we can't, but because we don't want the expense of hiring a car). We take good teabags and not a lot else. We do like to stay in areas with some facilities though, not just villages with only a corner shop within walking distance. We like pool, beach, some cafés and restaurants, some public transport and the odd reasonable supermarket.

*@IHaveBrilloHair *

Is your username a reference to Jaws?

I thought Billiefish's advice was pretty good actually

It’s unfortunate the advice was accompanied with a kicking.

I think OP is getting a bit of an unfair kicking.

I have found most European supermarkets to be more expensive than UK ones, and if she's able to bring a lot of what she needs without having to arrange a home delivery or travel without a car to a supermarket, then why on earth not?

Well Billiefish, said more than once it's 45 degrees there today, which is completely irrelevant since the OP is going in February.

wowfudge I thought I remembered some upheaval about travelling during Foot & Mouth. I thought there was some claim that it was (partly) caused by people bringing raw meat into the country in their luggage but that could be bollocks!!

We take weetabix and Robinson’s squash for the kids. Tea bags for me.
That’s it really.

Why do people do this? Is it to save money? Seems like a lot of hassle and no way to enjoy a holiday.
Breakfast - cereal/porridge/toast.
Lunch - grab something light and easy, salad, wrap etc.
Rather than lugging yoghurt in a suitcase to another country. Then getting there and prepping food, cooking it, coming back in the day just to eat.

When kids were small we took the type of cereal bar snacks they are familiar with too.

The OP is not going in February.

Re read her original post.

Re read her original post.

And not just once.

Oh, you're right, sorry, I did misread.

I love this thread. Makes me

Then getting there and prepping food, cooking it, coming back in the day just to eat

I’ve just spent a month in the Uk with a large assortment of my family and we enjoyed being back home about 6.30 in order to make an evening meal whilst my grandchildren ran about the garden and jumped in the river at the bottom of the garden.

We’d have a lovely breakfast in the morning when we’d sometimes see Deer and Otters on the river bank whilst we were eating then we’d have a packed lunch or something we bought at lunchtime. Come evening we’d cook a nice meal whilst the children were running around the garden and being children.

Other nights we’d have fish and chips or white pudding and chips whilst dodging divebombing gulls the size of terra dactyl .

Bedtime would be about 11 which was normal bedtime where we lived allowing for a time difference. It was the best holiday ever.

If you're not interested in food then eat what's available at the large corner shop rather than making all these lists of... food... that you're not interested in

I note you won't have a car. Does the accommodation have a washing machine, or does the village have a laundrette? You may need one should the kefir burst. Or the cream cheese. Or the almond milk.

What hobby said. Maybe a big packet of porridge and some tea bags at a push, but carting kefir grains back and forth to Spain is both foodie and just generally unnecessary imo.

I note you won't have a car. Does the accommodation have a washing machine, or does the village have a laundrette? You may need one should the kefir burst. Or the cream cheese. Or the almond milk*

If it’s all in a separate suitcase there won’t be any need for extra washing in the unlikely event there will be spillage.

For someone not interested in food you seem pretty particular about it!

We are not interested in food! Eat to fuel

I don't get why someone who is not interested in food has started a thread about lugging Kefir to Spain .

Possible ED?

Probably, it's an MN food thread!

We shopped in Mercadona a couple of times last September during a fortnight in Spain. I wouldn't have said it was any more expensive than either Tesco or Sainsbury's (I know they're not the cheapest options here either).It was good with plenty of choice.

I don't want to carry a huge weight of food in luggage so just stuff our preferred teabags in. Other food and drink is best bought locally.

I’m genuinely surprised at all the people taking teabags on holiday.