Some easy and quick way to cook/make foods?

You probably won't find the vast array of frozen dinners we have in the U.S. over in Europe. And if you do find them, they are likely to be much more expensive than if you just buy fresh food and prepare it.

Cooking in a hostel can sometimes be difficult. Hostel kitchens can get very busy at dinner. You're trying to find a free burner or a spare pan. Sometimes it's easiest to make a salad - buy some vegetables, cheeses, a few slices of roast chicken or deli meat. Pasta - can be as quick and simple as boiling water and adding veggies, cheese or butter.

But sometimes money spent on groceries to cook one meal in a hostel is the same amount as what you'd pay for a takeaway meal. Ethnic (ex. curries, falafel sandwiches, noodle soups) is really filling and budget friendly. Many restaurants and pubs have daily specials or offer smaller appetizer sized portions that when combined with a salad or soup can make for a cheap dinner out. Get away from the tourist areas when you eat where prices will always be sky high - go where the locals eat and shop. If you eat at a restaurant or pub, have your big meal at lunch when the prices are much cheaper (save the bread and cherries for dinner).

One word, sandwiches.

I think we probably at some of the best sandwiches we have ever had in Europe. The bread, cheese and meat there is phenomenal. We also found in the Europe grocery stores mustard and mayo in toothpaste tubes that do not need refrigeration, so we brought them along in our packs.

Another trick we found was buying the single serve instant coffee packs and a tube of condensed milk (also available in Europe). Mix them in the morning with cold tap water, and you have a quite tasty "iced coffee" (sans ice) that you can bring around with you during the day.

Most grocery stores also have quick prepared meals that can either be microwaved or eaten cold. They were awesome.

Lots of grocery stores will have ready made sandwiches as will bakeries and butchers. Thinking ethnic is good as this might be cheaper than buying all the ingredients for making a dinner. Lunch specials are another good deal. Make lunch your main meal of the day and you will save money right there. My thoughts on the microwave stuff is that it ends up being more expensive then grabbing a kebab or a nice take-away curry, or some fried rice dish.

I've never found it easy cooking for one in a hostel, particularly in Europe. Not all hostels have kitchens, and few have enough room in a fridge. The best hostel in the entire world I've seen for this was in Sydney, Australia. Lot's of fridge space, lots of kitchen space to cook. But this is a forum about European travel.

Here are some of Rick'e tips:

Tips on Eating

Enjoy your travels!

I'll echo what Jon said. We eat cheap by stopping in small grocery stores. Usually in the back of the store is a deli where you can order sliced meats and cheeses. I typically order 100 grams of a meat and 100 grams of a cheese (which is more than enough for two). The bread section has rolls and baguettes. Mustard in a tube works great (I'm not a mayo fan). Add a drink, some nuts, olives or chocolate and you have everything you need for a quick meal on the go.

In England, I'm more likely to ask a local where to get decent pub grub (I always add, "Nothing fancy.").

Street vendors also sell quick food that isn't expensive like a brat on a roll or crepe.

Where hot water is readily available, as in England, it is possible to buy oatmeal or ramen in a grocery store then fix it using the hot water that is meant for tea-making. When I travel I rely on fresh fruit, local breads, and individually packaged cheeses (baby bel type). In France or Switzerland I would buy a package of meusli and small containers of yoghurt for breakfast. I like to have a package of nuts to munch on. In England some breakfast will usually be included in the price of your room, even in hostels.

I usually rely on sandwiches as well. My husband and I had an impromtu picnic at Bloomsbury Square after spending too much time walking around the British Museum. We went to the nearby Tesco Express and got ready made sandwiches for not quite 2 GBP each. Plus we got 2 for one 20 oz sodas, and 2 packs for 2 GBP melon/fruit cups. And 1 GBP for 2 small Tiramisus in the frozen "pudding" section. So our entire picnic lunch came to just under 7 GBP. And we were full until dinnertime.

In the UK Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, and Marks & Spensers all have sections with "partially prepare" meals.. premarinated meats, etc. If you are wanting to indulge in a "full/real" meal, those might be good options. All of the above, and even Boots Pharmacy (Chemist in Brit-speak) have prepared sandwiches and salads- usually very fresh. M&S and Sainsbury and Waitrose seem to have extensive sections of individualized portions of many prepared dishes. Even Whistle Stop (found in most train stations) has fresh individual rolls, muffins, and other foods.

Boots do meal deals where you can choose a sandwich/wrap/salad, a drink and crisps/cake/fruit for £2.99.

It sounds like you're looking to make your trip as inexpensive as possible, so with that in mind I'll say that in the UK, Waitrose and Marks and Spencers both have nice food, but they are more expensive than Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda (mind you, you usually get what you pay for!)

Last time I was in UK, I was told by a man that I was sharing a hostel room with, that he often went to upmarket stores such as Waitrose just before closing time. Then some of the items near expiry would be on sale at bargain prices. I never got to try this myself, but it would be worth giving it a try.

I think sandwitches and pasta would work.
I agree with the other poster that you won't find many frozen foods in Europe.

Bea, nobody said you would not find frozen foods in Europe. This is not the 3rd world over here. The freezer cases are packed with meals of all kinds. The point is that for the same cost, you can have delicious food from a take out, or bakery or grocery store fixings for a picnic. So, would you rather have some frozen mac and cheese or a nice plate of fried noodles with chicken and vegetable.

Jo,

My comment doesn't have anything to do with me believing that Europe is in the 3rd world. What I meant was the oposite: that foods in Europe are healthier, so since frozen foods are not, it's less likely to see those on the shelves over in Europe.Of they are there, but not as many as in the US.
This is your second "harsh" comment to me.
I only come here to help people, make comments and let the world know my opinion about traveling, not to post nasty messages.
However FYI, I was born and raised in Europe, lived in a few countries before I moved to the USA as an adult, so there is no way that I would ever believe that Europe is in the 3rd world.

Billy,
When we traveled in Switzerland and Germany last year we ate at a lot of Bakeries. They have awesome bread, sandwiches, and cakes. Eat your big meal at noon there and get something else that will keep for a few hours for later. Wrap it up and eat it later that afternoon evening. Tesco was also a great option to save money. One thing not to pass up on was street vender Brat's and Pretzels. They are incredable and filling. Great lunch.

Bea, I apologize if you took my comment to be harsh. It was supposed to be light hearted.

I too like to help people by giving them accurate information. The fact is that the stores in England are filled with lots of junk food too, just like in America. Germany too. One third of the store is often given over to freezers. Perhaps the variety is not as huge as in the states, but they certainly are not lacking in frozen foods. Your comment was, "you will not find much frozen food in Europe". This, in my eyes is incorrect. I also think each country may be different, so France and Switzerland, and Finland could have other products in their stores. But Billy should be able to rest assured that if he wants a frozen pizza, or some frozen nasi goring or chicken masala out of the freezer, he will find it.

Frozen foods in themselves are not unhealthy. In fact, plain frozen veg and fruits can have more vitamins in them than fresh produce sold in the stores, as these have often been sitting around for days losing their vitamins, while the frozen veg are processed quickly after harvest. Finished product meals on the other hand are not so healthy, as they will have more preservatives, artificial colorings and flavorings, salt, fats and sugars.

Ok Jo, no worries. Apology accepted. :)
Well, I've never been to England and last time when I was in Germany was in 95-96. Maybe things were healthier at that time.
Those 2 counties seem to be closer to US than the rest of Europe.
A comment might be incorrect reported to what people came accross or saw. So since I don't eat junk food, I guess I don't see it on the shelves.
Last year when I went to Italy I did look around of a small Supermarket in Rome. I don't remember seeing frozen food. I saw a lot of beer and wine, though.:)

Re: Frozen food in Europe. Picard is a huge French producer of frozen food that has over 500 stores in France and Italy just selling frozen foods.

Frozen foods are NOT synonomous with unhealthy eating.
On the contrary, as someone has already pointed out,
frozen vegetables are usually fresher than ones that are bought from the market as they are immediately frozen. Frozen foods are not JUNK foods. Junk foods are what you buy from fast food outlets and the like.

Before anyone makes a categorical remark as to what is or not available in Europe, it might be good if they did a little research. Just because you didn't notice the availability of a product doesn't mean that it does not exist.

Each person has its own opinion about what's healthy or not.If I look around me, I see a lot of fat and unhealthy people. And it's not just because "junk"=fast food.
FYI frozen vegetable lose their vitamins, plus they taste terrible. I guess this makes them healthier in your opinion.
Frozen foods also have a lot of preservatives added to them, so this doesn't make them healthy.

Where is it written that frozen vegetables "lose their vitamins"? First I heard of it.

All over the internet, Norma.

Oh, for pete's sake. It's all over the internet? So is white supremacy and kiddy porn. I know a "doctor" who promotes a powder on the internet that will increase your IQ and prevent Alzheimers, too. Please, if you can offer reputable documentation about the destruction of vitamins in frozen vegetables, please cite it so we can all be educated. It is the least you can do.

By the way, I just looked at a bag of frozen broccoli in my freezer, Arctic Garden brand, and under ingredients it says "broccoli florets". Period. No preservatives.

Billy, if you have enough room in your luggage, take granola bars. I try to eat the biggest breakfast I can, granola it at lunch, or whenever, and then just buy dinner. Sometimes I need to buy a little something, but I can usually get away with granola bars.