Easy and Healthy Airbnb Recipes for Travel

Sharing some easy and healthy Airbnb recipes that you can make for longer vacations or when you want to save a little money on your trip.

Hi friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend and that you’re doing ok. After taking some time off at the end of last week, I’m easing back into the swing of things here on the blog. Writing here has always been a bright spot for me and I hope it’s a bright spot for you, too. <3

I’s impossible to ignore the heaviness of recent events: the loss of Charlie Kirk, the tragedy of the school shooting, the woman who was killed on public transportation, and remembering 9/11. It’s been a lot. If you’re feeling sadness or heaviness, please know that I see you, I feel it too, and I’m sending you a big hug through the screen.

In the spirit of focusing on some of the simple joys, I wanted to share something a little lighter today: easy and healthy Airbnb recipes. I’ve been wanting to publish this since we got back from Spain and now we’re in September. No time like the present 😉

Easy and Healthy Airbnb Recipes for Travel

Easy and Healthy Airbnb Recipes for Travel

Why We Cook at Airbnbs While Traveling

When we travel, we’ve learned that eating out for every single meal just doesn’t work for us. It gets expensive quickly, restaurant meals can be heavy, and the kids don’t exactly love sitting at a table three times a day.

What works better for us: eating out for one large meal per day (usually lunch or dinner), and enjoying quick bites out, or making the rest of our meals simple and fresh at the Airbnb. Not only is it more budget-friendly, but it also feels fun to shop local markets, enjoy regional specialties, and gather for a casual family dinner. Also, the restaurants and cafes that we dine at are AWESOME; it’s better to splurge on one larger, amazing meal than a bunch of mediocre places throughout the day.

During our trip to Spain, some of my favorite memories were cooking alongside my friend Sam. She’d make a dish or two, I’d make something at the Airbnb and we’d walk it over, and the kids would run around while we shared good food, good wine, and good company. That’s what vacation meals should feel like! We looked forward to our family dinners, and since they live there, they didn’t need to feel like they had to feed all of us or go out to restaurants multiple times each week. We shared the cooking and cleaning load, and it was awesome.

Airbnb Grocery Shopping List

Airbnb Grocery Shopping List

When we check into an Airbnb, I almost always grab these staples:

Granola or cereal

Yogurts

Almond milk (or other milk of choice)

Coffee (the instant decaf in Spain was 2 euros and tasted heavenly)

Water and sparkling waters

Fresh berries and seasonal fruit

Eggs

Bread

Nutella or jam (because kids)

Protein (rotisserie chicken, canned tuna or sardines, Spanish tortilla, etc.)

Snacking veggies (bell peppers, cucumber, carrots)

Guacamole + hummus

Snack bars

Supplements: I always bring my Daily Nutritional Support powder + vitamins with me

Supplements

Easy Airbnb Breakfast Ideas

Yogurt parfaits with granola + berries

Eggs and toast with fruit

Protein pudding with berries

Spanish tortilla (homemade or pre-made from a local market)

Egg casserole (great if you’re staying in one place for a week or more)

Quick Airbnb Lunch & Dinner Recipes

These meals come together with minimal prep and local ingredients:

Rotisserie chicken enchiladas

Big salad bowls with greens, veggies, beans or tuna, olive oil, and lemon

Charcuterie-style dinner with local cheeses, meats, olives, bread, and veggies

Simple pasta night: pasta, olive oil, garlic (or garlic powder), seasonal veggies, and protein like shrimp or chicken

Grilled protein + veggies (if the Airbnb has an outdoor grill)

Chopped Greek salad (cucumbers, bell pepper, onions, olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, feta, herbs like mint and rosemary, chicken, and a lemon vinaigrette)

Easy and Healthy Airbnb Recipes for Travel

Healthy Snack & Happy Hour Ideas

We love a mid-afternoon snack break or a happy hour:

Fresh fruit + cheese plate

Guacamole and hummus with sliced veggies + crackers

Olives + nuts

Chips with salsa

Wine or sparkling water mocktails

Traveling doesn’t have to mean blowing your budget or feeling sluggish after too many heavy meals. With a quick grocery trip and a few simple recipes, you can enjoy healthy, delicious meals right in your Airbnb.

I think there’s something so special about gathering around the table with family or friends, and sharing food you’ve prepared together. It makes the trip that much more memorable.

Tell me, friends: Do you cook when you stay at Airbnbs, or do you prefer eating out most of the time? Share your go-to vacation meal in the comments so we can all get inspired for our next trip!

xoxo

Gina

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6 Comments

  1. MB on September 15, 2025 at 8:44 am

    Gina,

    Thank you so for much for acknowledging the horror of last week’s many tragedies especially Charlie Kirk. I am not on social media and only follow blogs, and I noticed who stayed silent and who didn’t. Thank you for speaking up because no matter where you land politically, children losing their father and a wife her husband is a horrible tragedy that we should all pause to acknowledge.

    • Fitnessista on September 17, 2025 at 5:40 pm

      it’s been a week and I still can’t believe it… and I’m still filled with grief. sending you a hug.

  2. Cara on September 15, 2025 at 12:00 pm

    Great tips! I usually always do breakfast and lunch at an Airbnb (unless out and about during the day) My staple for breakie are and yogurt, granola and fruit with hard boiled eggs, lunches are usually veggies, hummus, canned fish, fresh fruit, cheeses etc.

  3. Emily on September 15, 2025 at 3:22 pm

    When our family goes away, I’ll usually hard boil some eggs in the beginning of the week, and breakfasts are super casual: yogurt, fruit, granola, cereal, boiled eggs — breakfast cooking vacation for mom!

    We usually only eat out once a day as well, and sometimes even skip that. Sometimes we are doing so much during the day that by the time dinner comes around, nobody has it in them to get ready go sit in a restaurant, so an easy meal in it is!

  4. Amanda on September 16, 2025 at 5:24 am

    We travel to Colorado (from Boston) for a few different weeks each year. Often during the colder months I’ll freeze portions of chili or bolognese or soup and pack it in my checked luggage and it stays frozen/insulated. We call it suitcase chili! We also do salads with protein, tacos, and easy meals with things like sausage and pesto which bring a lot of flavor to whatever you’re making.

  5. olviya on September 18, 2025 at 7:00 pm

    Also feeling the heaviness from these last few weeks. Moving my body, fueling well and spending time in worship helps recenter my thoughts.

    Thanks for sharing the meal ideas! We eat similarly while traveling. It’s the best of both worlds. 🙂

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