Airlie Beach, Australia:
I’m headed to the Whitsundays today and will hopefully come back with some great photos — it’s a debate between travelers whether the Whitsundays or Fraser Island are more beautiful so this might be a difficult decision.
In the meantime, a few people have emailed asking about food life in a hostel. A lot of travelers eat, if not the majority, than many of their meals out. Some people have tried to argue that it’s cheaper to eat fast food than buy groceries but I can’t agree. A week’s worth of groceries here might cost me $20 AUD (with absolutely zero meal creativity) whereas even at McDonald’s, a meal costs more than $7.
Most hostels have a well-equipped kitchen with hot plates, a microwave, pots and cutlery. It’s basic but does the trick.
What’s a typical day of eats on the road?
Breakfast: oatmeal, a spoonful of PB and a crumbled up flax granola bar.
Lunch: Ryvita crackers topped with hummus, avocado and tomato
and an apple
For a snack, an unpictured KIND bar — review to come when I get home in April. The chocolate sesame & peanuts tastes like a candy bar!
And come dinnertime, it’s a big bowl of cous cous, mixed beans, peas, corn, green beans and diced tomatoes. Not the most beautiful meal but filling and healthy (the two main requirements).
So there you go: a typical food diary in a hostel. It’s definitely less than I eat at home and I can tell a difference in terms of how my clothes fit — nothing that a few homecooked meals back in the USA won’t remedy.
But for a budget traveler, cooking even just one meal can make a big difference to the bottom line.
Today’s trip to the Whitsundays offers another buffet lunch and then I’m determined to get a Clancy’s pie for dinner since several people have mentioned how yummy they are.
Do you typically eat the same things every day or mix it up? Usually, I like a lot of variation but when you’re traveling from place-to-place and everything needs to fit in one grocery bag, repetition is key. And yes, I brought my own jar of Trader Joe’s PB. It’s getting perilously close to the bottom, though!




























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