Travel Light, Eat Right
One of the most wonderful parts of an adventure abroad is the opportunity to try delightful new foods, from the local pastry to special festival dishes. If you're traveling on a tight budget, however, it's often difficult just to meet your daily nutritional requirements, let alone splurge on the more exotic entries on the menu.
This is mostly an issue in Europe, since in much of the rest of the world, food comes pretty cheap. Still, even in Paris or Prague, it is possible to calm those hunger pangs, get your vitamins and minerals, and even leave room for barnacles or bull's tail (or, if you're not quite up to that, paella-a traditional Spanish rice and seafood dish), as long as you keep your mind on the prize - and your eyes off the fries.
Value Meals
A great way to start is to calculate mentally the value of any dish before you order it. Think about how much food you're going to get, and how healthy it is going to be, taking the price into consideration. If you're in Hungary, a heaping bowl of beef goulash, crammed with protein, vegetables, and a delicious kick of flavor, and served with bread or dumplings, is a great example of something that will fill your stomach without emptying your wallet.
In Spain, try an ensalada vegetariana - as long as you aren't actually a vegetarian - this salad often consists of not just lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables, but also chunks of tuna and hard-boiled egg. In France or Belgium, quiche is usually made with vegetables or meat and served with salad on the side, all for less than the cost of most entrees.
Throughout Europe, the cheapest food around that's still filling (and not oozing with grease) can be found at the kebab or gyro stands. For as few as two dollars in some places, you can find a pita sandwich piled high with lamb, chicken, or falafel, and as much tomato, onion, and tahini as can fit.
Buffet Bargains
Want even more for your money? Another option is to go the buffet route. In almost any city on the Continent, you'll be able to find a Chinese or Indian restaurant that charges a set price for an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. These always include various vegetable dishes, starches, meats, and usually tofu or cheese, as well as soup or dessert. It may not be the most unique adventure for your palate, but it will keep you going strong for an afternoon of sightseeing or biking from village to village.
In some countries, like Austria and Switzerland, you may also find buffets that serve local dishes. These are often more expensive than the offerings of Asian immigrants, but they frequently feature food cooked right in front of you, as well as the key fact that the fare is unique to the place you are visiting.
Discount Groceries
If you want to keep your food bills as low as they can go, don't forget the classic backpacker trick of going grocery shopping on vacation. Many hostels offer free use of a kitchen, and if you split costs with some friends or fellow travelers, you can cook your own multi-course meals for only three dollars or so.
One of the most interesting places to buy food when traveling, whether to cook or to eat on the run, is the local market. These are often fascinating places filled with locals going about their business and colorful produce (and vendors). As you travel, each city's market begins to take on its own character, and gives you unique insight into what it must be like to live - and eat - there.
By doing any combination of these three things, you'll save a bundle on food during your trip, while still satisfying all your nutritional needs. Taking a daily multivitamin brought from home won't hurt either, and will keep you in top shape for running from museum to monument and for dancing the night away in one of Europe's gigantic clubs. With the money you save, you can travel for longer, stay in nicer accommodations, buy more souvenirs, or, even shell out for a fancy dinner every once in a while.
Alexandra Moss is the editor of LET'S GO: Spain & Portugal. She is a 21-year-old New Yorker who will be a senior at Harvard University this fall and is majoring in literature. She spent last fall studying abroad in Madrid, followed by a month of traveling in Eastern Europe (Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany).
© 2008, Young Money Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
