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Meal kits offer a great alternative for digital nomads and others on extended travels. Discover the benefits of using meal kits during long-term travel.
Long-term travel—whether for digital nomads, backpackers, volunteers abroad, business travelers, those on an Interrail adventure, or taking a sabbatical year—often comes with unique challenges. One key concern is maintaining a healthy and sustainable diet without spending too much time or money.
Meal kits offer a practical solution. They provide a convenient way to ensure balanced meals, reduce waste, and support local ingredients. In this post, we’ll explore six benefits of using meal kits during extended travel that are worth considering when planning your upcoming adventure.
Saves Time on Meal Planning
Long-term travelers often struggle with meal planning due to uncertainty about where and what ingredients will be available. This often leads to unhealthy eating habits or reliance on fast food or street food, which, while enjoyable, may not provide the nutritional profiles needed to support health and well-being.
You can enjoy street food while traveling but must balance that with healthy meals. Image by freepik
As a globetrotter, you can solve this problem by choosing your meal kit provider. Meal kits come pre-planned and easy to prepare with minimal tools, allowing you to focus on your journey rather than what to cook. Plus, by having meals delivered, you gain consistency in your diet, which is key to enjoying your travels without compromising nutrition or facing health challenges such as nutritional deficiencies.
Ensures Nutritional Balance
Traveling makes it difficult to maintain a balanced diet. Constantly changing locations or staying at hostels and hotels without proper cooking facilities can limit your access to healthy food options. Over time, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies that impact your energy levels and overall well-being—and may even lead to higher healthcare costs and lasting health problems.
Meal kits ensure you get a balanced, healthy, and tasty meal. Photo courtesy HelloFresh
Meal kits can fill this gap by providing meals designed by nutritionists to ensure you get the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins. They take the guesswork out of eating well, allowing you to enjoy balanced meals even when you’re on the move.
Simplifies Budget Management
Affording a travel lifestyle means managing expenses carefully. To eat well and healthily on the read, food costs can add up quickly, especially when you’re frequently dining out. That’s where meal kits provide a structured, cost-effective solution. They can help save money by:
Eliminating dining out expenses by cooking at home.
Reducing impulse grocery purchases by sticking to what’s included.
Cutting down food waste with pre-portioned ingredients.
Anticipating and controlling meal costs with subscription plans.
Simply put, by opting for meal kits, you create a predictable food budget that helps you avoid unexpected expenses, making it easier to manage your travel finances effectively.
Reduces Food Waste
Long-term travelers frequently face the issue of food waste. Buying ingredients in just the right amounts is tough, especially when constantly changing locations. Meal kits come with pre-portioned ingredients, ensuring you use everything included.
Meal kits comes with pre-measured ingredients. This kit includes everything necessary to create a dinner for two. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
This minimizes food waste and eliminates the hassle of figuring out what to do with leftover groceries. By using meal kits, you contribute to more sustainable travel. The consistency in portion sizes means you can enjoy your meals without worrying about wasting resources.
Ensures Variation When Grocery Shopping Hauls Aren’t Possible
The number of digital nomads increased by a whopping 131% between 2019 and 2022, which continues to rise. It is easy to see how the markets must adapt to the changing needs of workers and travelers worldwide. Nonetheless, despite this surge, the market hasn’t fully adapted yet.
This means that many travelers and digital nomads still struggle to find access to supermarkets and grocery stores where they can enjoy a variety of foods. Meal kits can solve this problem for travelers in remote or rural areas by offering diverse recipes and ingredients, ensuring they can access varied and interesting meals even when local grocery options are limited.
Provides Consistent Meal Quality
Traveling through different countries presents challenges, especially for those with specific dietary needs. Not all regions can handle gluten-free, vegan, or other specialized diets.
Suppose you are a traveler with certain dietary needs and want to enjoy your travels without this added challenge. Meal kits are designed to cater to various dietary requirements, ensuring you receive meals that meet your unique needs regardless of location.
Meal kits can cater to special dietary needs. This Forbidden Rice Salad is an example of a healthy vegetarian offering. Photo courtesy HelloFresh
The bottom line? Whether you need gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian options or are simply looking to look after your health and nutrition while on the go, meal kits can provide tailored solutions. This takes the stress out of meal hunting, allowing you to focus on the experiences of your journey without compromising your health.