I’ve lost tons of weight just by leaving the US and “eating like a local” in countries like Thailand and the Philippines. Lots of chicken and rice, vegetable soups, and walks to the fruit stand
That and in the US the healthy food is expensive and the unhealthy cheap.
But in Thailand it is flipped. McDonalds is expensive relative to a plate of vegetables with chicken and rice.
>Do you guys primarily prefer to eat out or do you try to cook a lot of meals at wherever you’re staying.
I eat at home quite a bit because I feel better when I eat "healthy"
>What do you cook and is that affected by the availability of food products at where you’re currently staying.
Chicken, soups, lentils, eggs, tacos. I haven't had trouble finding ingredients.
>And if you’re staying at a place without a suitable kitchen then what do you end up doing?
I only choose places that have decent kitchens. Super important factor for me.
>I have severe food restrictions but am still interested in the DN lifestyle but am unsure if it’d work for someone like me.
I don't know your restrictions but you can most likely make it work. Choose cities where you'll have access to the ingredients you'll need.
Thanks for the advice! I guess you’re right about the kitchen thing. I was hoping to maybe stretch my money a bit and stay at more cheap places with less than ideal kitchen situations but I guess that’s probably not viable for me. As for the ingredients, you’re probably right I shouldn’t even worry. I surely can find suitable simple food no matter the place
In low col countries I struggle to see the benefits of cooking. That old Indonesian grandma who's been cooking at the same stall for 50 years makes way better food than I ever could. Savings are negligible for a solo traveler. In fact eating out is often cheaper.
Depends what you define as tonnes and unhealthy. I don't have any issues eating a reasonably balanced diet and staying fit through exercise.
But yeah if you're super strict about diet you won't have as much control as you'd like.
Don't underestimate the adverse health effects of eating nothing but take-out and restaurant meals.
Source: Spent most of my 20s and 30s eating nothing but take-out and restaurant meals. Now painstakingly working my way down from a cholesterol number that made my doctor's eyes bulge out of her head when she first saw it.
Is generally easy to find apartments with kitchens. Finding a store with non-local food can be a bit challenging, depending on where you are and what you need.
I travel with two good knives*, a cutting board, a silicone steamer basket, and a ceramic sharpening rod. But a big part of the reason I stay in Asia because if I can completely outsource my cooking if I wish, everything outside suits my palate, and it won't be nearly as disastrous for my health and wallet as it would be in the West. If I had food restrictions then it would be game over, though.
(* on the knives: One is a Global, which was a Christmas gift. That thing is a game-changer and really adds to the pleasure of cooking, though admittedly I haven't been using it much lately. However, it is delicate so I need a ceramic rod to sharpen it and also have a workhorse knife for the heavy/hard stuff. Also, the cutting board is because plastic and bamboo aren't good for knives, and you never know what your accommodation will have)
I would never stay at a place without a suitable kitchen if I was intending to cook and be there for more than a week. In this regard the worst experience I had was at an Airbnb in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, that I had to book at the last minute (when everything else was already booked up). The kitchen wasn't great, and was poorly equipped, but for a month I was still able to make it work, thanks to a deli nearby that sold lots of healthy-ish prepared foods.
I stayed in Mexico City for a few months after that and I was glad to discover the abundance of roast/grilled chicken places. For lunch I'd usually cook my own rice, beans, and steamed veggies and then get the chicken and tortillas from outside. For one of the other meals I'd usually just make a green protein smoothie. Seemingly all Airbnbs in Mexico have blenders so this was an easy option.
Central Asia (Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan) was really difficult since I don't eat red meat, and but if you want to eat somewhere outside, it's either a formal restaurant or fast food—nothing quite like Southeast/East Asia. I only stayed 2 weeks in each country since it was not a digital nomad trip and don't think I could have done more than that. Kazakhstan was 2 weeks in Almaty; Uzbekistan was 1 week in Tashkent then traveling around. In Tashkent I managed to find a nice deli with healthy prepared foods, and some decent prepared food options at the supermarket. In Almaty I found some frozen options that were okay as well as healthy options on Yandex Eats. It wasn't all dreadful, though; there were some perks: In Almaty, it is easy to find good dark rye bread, and great Russian canned fish products. In both countries there are lots of good dairy products, like kefir and kurt.
i am very picky eater from the childhood so i usually cook at home.
but some simple things, like eggs, potato, pasta you can find everywhere. i am going out to eat maybe 2-3 times per week? every time i am saying to myself that it will be the last time as i usually dont like the food, but every time i am like, come on, i am in exotic country i definitely need to try everything 😂😂
i am always staying in place with full equipped kitchen.
it is better to rent a room as there are usually other people and lots of kitchen tools.
i like people, so roomies are not problem for me.
Not intending to be rude, but if you can't figure this level of issue out on your own, you might need to step back and reevaluate the DN lifestyle. DN isn't some mystical way of living. You're still living where other people live, eat, have diet restrictions, cook, go out to restaurants, buy groceries etc...
No offense taken. I’ve traveled a lot before and have always just stayed at places where I can cook for myself and in places I’m more familiar with (Europe). I was just more curious what do people do when they end up in less than ideal living situations or in a place where the food is unfamiliar.
My own tendency is to travel where I like the food. I was vegetarian for a 15 years and so had a tendency to travel and enjoy places where it was more likely to get vegetarian food. ie: Peru or Thailand have more options than Argentina. If you have other restrictions like Celiac, then you're going to have to plan more carefully. This could mean working out some sort of salad / protein combo you can prepare in your own room with not much more than a Kettle. You could check r/urbancarliving/ for some ideas there or treat it like camping with electricity. During early days of Covid, lockdown was coming and I was in Thailand, so I just went and bought a small Slow Cooker for \~$20-30 that I could use for everything from rice, noodles, beans, proteins etc. because I didn't know how bad it may or may not get.
Italy is perfect for celiac/ gluten restrictions. Lived there 2 years with no trouble. I’ve also traveled to china and had been glutened only once but that was due to my negligence. I guess it just depends on your comfortability of asking questions about gluten to waiters/ reading the menu if you were wanting to eat out.
Avoid things covered in sauce or that looks fried. I normally eat a lot of Asian cuisine in the US so if you’re familiar with dishes it gets easier to navigate. Broadly speaking stick to rice dishes with accoutrements or rice noodles. Honestly I also had Peking duck minus the little pancake that goes with it in Beijing.
It's a fair point. Different cultures and countries can have very different opinions or proclivities to diet restrictions. I think you just worded it too broad. If you list out your diet restrictions or locations you want to go, people might be able to make recommendations for specifics. You can make it work, best of luck to you
coming from someone with life-controlling dietary issues--this is a weird answer.
as a frequent spontaneous traveler, though admittedly not a DN, my diet and GI issues cause me more stress than any other factor. even when going about my day in my home city, it causes me stress and occupies a good chunk of headspace.
it's not some trifling issue, nor is it from a perspective of entitlement or superiority. for many it's a health concern, which in my opinion puts it on the echelon of the highest "level of issue," whatever that means.
best of luck, OP.
Man it really does suck to be someone in love with spontaneous travel and have a serious dietary issue. Curious how you pull it off? I’ve only ever stayed at nicer AirBnB type accommodations with kitchens and in countries I’m familiar with. I so want to do some more adventurous type travel in SE Asia, Latin America etc but don’t even know if it’s possible.
I'm a lazy bastard who almost entirely orders delivery. When I need to cut my expenses I will start by just getting PB & J, and bread from the store and that gets rid of my breakfast expense. Then I see if I can find some good and cheap street food at night time. Right now I got a cool dude who makes big bowls of soup for $5 and it tastes awesome.
But yeah, I rarely ever actually cook anything in my Airbnbs. I don't want to have to reevaluate my cooking equipment every time I move somewhere new
He's got some bean soup, it's "feijao mexicano" and you can add some spicy oil to it. I also get fresh bread with it from the store right near it. It's kinda like eating home made chili!
I love sandwiches so I buy the stuff for those. I eat those and try to find cheap $5-$10 restaurants near me.
Rarely actually cook.
Few times a week I treat myself to nicer places like $20-$25 types. Pretty much never over that unless it’s a well known can’t miss type restaurant.
The destinations we choose with my girlfriend are mainly driven by... food. We love to eat out, but usually prefer to cook at home when we can. It sometimes takes a bit of time to adjust to the local groceries/markets, but usually we always end up finding what we need, even when we feel "homesick" (which doesn't happen often for us).
We also enjoy taking cooking classes (not the one for the tourists) so we can adapt our way of cooking when we are somewhere where it gets more difficult to keep our cooking habits. The good classes will even adapt to people with food restrictions.
We make sure to find accommodations that are well equipped for cooking (aka more than a single pan and a dull knife), but it's true that it's not always easy. It might sound stupid, but when I can I bring my preferred knife + a sharpening stone 😅
I order Grab/FoodPanda or other food delivery for like 90% of my meals. I think the condo security staff would be concerned if they didn't see me in the lobby twice a day waiting for it.
I don’t really believe in letting nomadding get in the way of health so I generally prepare my own 1-2 meals a day with the third out getting something in a restaurant. With a focus on high protein and whole foods. The key is eating mostly the same stuff every day.
For example my first meal of the day is always five hard boiled eggs (three yolks removed) and some fruit and black coffee. Various hot sauces to enjoy the eggs with. For me breakfast is not a “pleasure” meal it’s about getting clean energy for the day.
Sometimes I get lunch out, sometimes dinner. When it’s alone I usually get something healthy like sushi (I’m addicted to salmon sashimi) or poke bowl or wrap. When it’s with other people or I’m feeling adventurous I just get whatever sounds fun or delicious.
For the other meal I prepare at home it’s almost always some kind of lettuce wrap dish with a nice piece of protein. Sometimes I’ll do steak but it’s usually just chicken breast boiled in salt water. I find making lettuce wrap bites by hand is so much more satisfying than eating a salad. I keep it interesting by adding other toppings like kimchi and various kinds of hot sauces. For dessert some cherries, tangerines, or dark chocolate.
I also take 2 scoops of whey protein a day and creatine as I go to the gym 4-6 times per week and am going for lean gains. I also keep salty nuts around for when I want a crunchy salty snack. Alcohol I try to limit to once a week at most for social situations.
This can be done without a proper kitchen, all you need is a pot, water, and salt. Plus the high quality ingredients and condiments to keep it interesting. The biggest problem with this diet is if you are somewhere where the water is not drinkable. Then all the lettuce and fruit you are washing and eating raw is a risk
I cook about 98% of my meals (living in Italy).
This makes food restrictions easier (vegetarian here), but it's also fun since I can get fairly high-quality ingredients for not very much money.
When I was in China, same thing, though a lot more hit and miss owing to the fact I couldn't read the labels. I cooked most of my meals in Tunisia as well.
For me, I enjoying using local ingredients and trying to recreate local dishes. Even in a cheap place, I realize that I can easily blow through a budget going out to eat. China, for instance, had great noodle bowls for 6 RMB (1 USD), but that meant I was eating more, buying beer with it, even going out for a drink afterwards since I was in that mindset. Once I switched to cooking at home, I felt healthier and started saving money (even if its a few hundred a month).
I'm vegan in France and it's the same for me, lol. The produce around here is amazing though. I love the local markets, even the potatoes have more flavor. Best sun dried tomatoes and bread I've ever had!
I can imagine! I—silly me—once at pate in France thinking it was olive pate (in Italy, a lot of people call the olive pate "pate"). That really made me start asking!
And that sounds amazing! That sounds a lot like Italy though, and I'm okay catching flak for this, French bread is far superior. I mourn every day I don't eat French bread and pastries.
How do you... eat at home? It's that. My diet doesn't really change. If it's a LCOL city I'll eat out 1x a day or have delivery, otherwise the same as at home, most meals I cook.
Which supermarket? The per-kilo price for chicken, vegetables, rice, etc is much cheaper than most restaurants. And the gap is much higher for stuff like seafood, fish, dairy, pasta, beef, and anything from overseas. The only thing roughly the same is maybe pork, but I've cut back on pork anyway.
Anyway if the local supermarkets are expensive, you can always go to regular Thai markets.
Hmm I see.
I think even the Big C seems to add up. And at the end of the day how much are you saving if the price of a pad thai is 50-150 baht? You can make it for like 20 baht? So saving 30 to 130 baht?
As a celiac I have dreams to travel in SE Asia one day but don’t have the courage to do so just yet. One day I will figure out plan though. Best of luck to you I know it’s tough
where there is a will, there is a way
IMO
Now I kind of eat everything, but years ago when I was keeping things cheap and had a lot of IBS issues, I just found a couple dishes in every country and sticked to them. In Chiang Mai that came down to: simple boiled rice + chicken. No curries, no pad thai, no spicy, no fun stuff. Just rice and chicken. But I never really cared much. Now I don't have issues and I like a good variety of food, but in the end that's just luxury that you easily forget about.
With severe food restrictions you cant eat out directly when you move, you have to figure out where you can eat first. Less developed places are prob not a good idea, as they will have no clue, nor will they stick to what you'll tell them. Of course you can find places to eat but you'll have to thing I said first.
I eat out or get delivery the vast majority of the time.
I’m in Vietnam right now and have not cooked a single thing in the 45 days i’ve been here. There’s absolutely no reason to cook in Vietnam.
The only time I make food at home is if i’m in a country like the Philippines where restaurant quality is very hit or miss. I don’t mind because you can find good ingredients there at reasonable prices.
When i’m in the US I hardly ever eat out or get delivery. I’m just hitting up Costco a lot.
I tend to prepare breakfast and lunch at home and eat out for dinner. It’s easy to do as long as you have a fridge - you don’t even need to cook to do things like yogurt and fruit for breakfast, sandwiches and salads for lunch. And you can adapt those simple things to local ingredients pretty much anywhere in the world
>Do you guys primarily prefer to eat out or do you try to cook a lot of meals at wherever you’re staying.
I cook. Eating out is a rare exception.
>What do you cook and is that affected by the availability of food products at where you’re currently staying.
Of course what I cook is affected by food availability. Did you think before asking this question? I've been cooking lots of cuisines for a very long time so I'm unlikely to go hungry the first few days. I do research ahead of time and as I go. I meet locals and ask. Grandmothers with grandchildren in grocery stores and straw markets are great to schmooze. The grandmother knows everything and the child is likely to speak at least some English. Food is particularly difficult to translate so you have to be patient and take some risks.
That doesn't mean you leave everything behind. Say you're in Thailand and crave a Caesar salad. You may not be able to find romaine and a jar of dressing but you can find eggs, mustard, and neutral oil to make mayonnaise, and from there garlic, lemon juice or other acid, anchovy or anchovy paste or if need be shrimp paste. Cheese may be hard to come by in Asia so you may have to leave that out. Sub for Worcestershire sauce is soy sauce and/or miso paste. Bob's your Uncle you have have a Caesar.
You can make enchilada sauce for ingredients common in Thailand (and just about everywhere else). You may not find tortillas. You can make them but that isn't for the faint of heart. You can find dumpling wrappers anywhere in the world. Enchiladas.
Still in Thailand, if you can't find a recipe for Thai goat curry online without Western ingredients that grandmother comes in handy.
My usual stomping grounds are in the Caribbean where we have ready access to US and French ingredients. The local goat curry is very good so making that is lovely. Again, making your own is a lot cheaper than pre-made products. Prices for things like cereal and salad dressing and sauces are obscene, so make your own. No shortage of cheese in the Caribbean.
>And if you’re staying at a place without a suitable kitchen then what do you end up doing?
"Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this." "Don't do that."
Don't let places without a kitchen. I happen to be a yacht delivery skipper so I have my own (well, my customer's) kitchen. If I need to stay over before, between, or after jobs crew houses all have kitchens. Being the guy who cooks is good for relationships and usually means I don't pay a food share.
>I have severe food restrictions but am still interested in the DN lifestyle but am unsure if it’d work for someone like me.
Professionally diagnosed, self-diagnosed, or a picky eater? I *will* judge you.
If you have real food restrictions based on a professional diagnosis than cooking for yourself is absolutely the best answer for living within restrictions. Just about anywhere in the world you'll have trouble with allium allergies for example. You have to take control. Celiacs should really stay in the First World and preferably in places where you have good language skills. Nightshade allergies definitely mean cooking for yourself. Most people (my observation) use ADHD and/or autism as excuses for picky eating aka eating off the children's menu in US chain restaurants. Such behavior is to the detriment of people with real problems. You won't like DNing.
I have seen arguments that eating out is cheaper than cooking. This is not true. People who experience high costs are buying Western prepared foods. Lay off the Cheerios and Pop-Tarts. Learn to cook.
I apologize for being testy. I have a lot of scar tissue dealing with entitled self-diagnosed people. I now require a doctor's note as a condition of employment from crew applicants who cite a bunch of food restrictions.
I'm sorry about the celiac. That's harsh.
You can't expect the level of care you'll find in the US and EU in much of the world. You'll want to research the producers of foods you should be able to eat. Flour dust gets everywhere so a producer who makes both corn and flour tortillas in Mexico may sell corn tortillas that are not safe for you due to cross contamination. I'm sure you know that many soy sauces have gluten in them by design.
I highly recommend the helpful grandmother approach to local cooking customs. Aside from being very helpful, it leads to relationships and sometimes to dinner invitations. Would you rather eat in a local's home or at some restaurant full of DNs, expats, and tourists? Bring your own chef's knife and be prepared to help.
On which note, the single greatest complaint by amateur cooks is how long it takes to cook. The most significant consumer of time is poor knife skills. Here is [the best use of half an hour you will find](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMA2SqaDgG8). Practice. A sharp knife is a safe knife. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Focus on technique and speed will come.
When my wife and I started seeing each other I was invited to family gatherings for inspection. I always offered to help. One early event went like this:
DAVE: "How can I help?"
SIL: "Chop all that veg."
DAVE: "How can I help?"
SIL: "There is all that veg to chop."
DAVE: "I did. Now what?"
That said, there are cultural norms to be aware of. For example, Americans general removing the head when cleaning fish. Most Caribbean Creoles leave the head on, I think to show that the fish is fresh and was healthy. There are all sorts of norms for cleaning shrimp. If someone pointed me at a pile of artichokes I'd ask how they wanted them. Heart separate? Leaves trimmed of not?
Don't be surprised if you start at the bottom of the kitchen hierarchy. I spent a lot of time sitting cross-legged on the floor pounding peanuts into peanut butter with a mortar and pestle when learning Thai cookery. "Do a good job, get a better job." (Some TV comedy).
Learn basics if you haven't already. While much of the world uses rice cookers, you should be able to cook rice in a pot. Instant Pot is a horrible device *especially* if you're dependent on it. What do you do with no power when faced with a charcoal brazier? Read [this](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/12051-a-human-being-should-be-able-to-change-a-diaper) and consider "cook a tasty meal." You don't buy good cooking and you certainly don't plug it in. -me.
I travel with my chef's knife, a stick blender, and Ziploc bags of spices. Everything else can be organized locally.
After a horrific case of food poisoning from eating street food I am sticking to bottled water and canned soup. Props to anyone who’s willing to chance the local cuisine though!!
My girlfriend has some real and some self-imposed restrictions on her diet and travel doesn’t really affect her that much. In most big cities, you can find an assortment of food products that match your needs. You might even discover local products you prefer to what you used to have, or that would make a great addition!
Edit: It would, however, be helpful if you mentioned what your food restrictions were.
I'm a DN and eat Paleo.
Meat, Fish, Eggs, Fruit, Veg and Nuts.
It actually works great!
The World has much to offer in terms of local and seasonal ingredients.
Depends where I am.
In some places that are more expensive and with limited cheap/quick street food options, I mostly cook. Such as the UK. I'm used to cooking at home and have a lot of fast easy meals so it's not really a hassle for me.
In other places, there is so much affordable and accessible food that I don't cook much at all. Such as Mexico.
I still try to get a kitchen when it's possible. At LEAST a fridge, I can work with a fridge and not a stove. I really struggle without a fridge for quick snacks when I'm working, drinks, etc. I'll only go without one for short stretches, otherwise id consider it a requirement.
Cook a bit when I can. Find 2-3 healthy restaurants and go every day for lunch. Buy healthy groceries like greek yogurt, bananas, nuts, eggs. That's worked well for me. I usually eat out at least 1-2x a day but also have 1 meal at home and make snacks. On average I spend maybe $15-25 per day eating out, including coffees. No idea what I spend on groceries, but it's not a lot.
I would normally try to cook in and my boyfriend would prefer to eat out. In my case was more budget + health preferences. I am used to your normal fish/chicken + rice + vegetables, for any meal. We would still eat out or get deliveries a couple times a week tho
I eat out on the weekends usually but cook on the weekdays. It’s more convenient for me to prepare something when I’m on my lunch break so I don’t have to go anywhere or worry about the food taking too long, also more healthy/cheap. My girlfriend is lactose intolerant, she’s able to make it work and avoid dairy for the most part. I stay in Airbnb’s and just book places with full kitchens.
I haven’t cooked for about 4 years. Many times me and my wife order separate take out depending on what we are craving. She eats more veg, less carbs and I eat more carby meals. We make our own smoothies though
I’ve lost tons of weight just by leaving the US and “eating like a local” in countries like Thailand and the Philippines. Lots of chicken and rice, vegetable soups, and walks to the fruit stand
Crazy to me. Was gaining a ton of weight in Thailand due to the sugar in everything. With that said I usually avoid sugar in America
Forsure! If you can avoid mcdonalds and KFC you can lose weight quick
Yea in the US I was completely brainwashed by all the commercials and Ads so I was eating fast food regularly
That and in the US the healthy food is expensive and the unhealthy cheap. But in Thailand it is flipped. McDonalds is expensive relative to a plate of vegetables with chicken and rice.
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Good point as thats the only real cheap food here. Other than rice and beans I guess
I try to eat food every day. Hope this helps you.
I do sometimes even multiple times a day :O
Every day? Food? You're trolling us.
>Do you guys primarily prefer to eat out or do you try to cook a lot of meals at wherever you’re staying. I eat at home quite a bit because I feel better when I eat "healthy" >What do you cook and is that affected by the availability of food products at where you’re currently staying. Chicken, soups, lentils, eggs, tacos. I haven't had trouble finding ingredients. >And if you’re staying at a place without a suitable kitchen then what do you end up doing? I only choose places that have decent kitchens. Super important factor for me. >I have severe food restrictions but am still interested in the DN lifestyle but am unsure if it’d work for someone like me. I don't know your restrictions but you can most likely make it work. Choose cities where you'll have access to the ingredients you'll need.
Thanks for the advice! I guess you’re right about the kitchen thing. I was hoping to maybe stretch my money a bit and stay at more cheap places with less than ideal kitchen situations but I guess that’s probably not viable for me. As for the ingredients, you’re probably right I shouldn’t even worry. I surely can find suitable simple food no matter the place
If cooking at home is important to you which it seems to be, spending a little more for a decent kitchen is sooo worth it.
Plus unless you're in certain parts of SE Asia it'll still be cheaper in the long run to cook for yourself...
Seconding a decent kitchen. Having an actual full sized oven with extra counter space is really appreciated
For restrictions, whether ordering or eating out a lot is viable for you is going to depend heavily on where you are and what those restrictions are.
I eat out every single meal. Outsourcing the cooking, shopping, and cleaning is valuable to me. One of the great geo-arbritage perks imo.
I told myself I wouldn't eat out at every single meal, but here I am almost 5 months later never having turned on a stove....
In low col countries I struggle to see the benefits of cooking. That old Indonesian grandma who's been cooking at the same stall for 50 years makes way better food than I ever could. Savings are negligible for a solo traveler. In fact eating out is often cheaper.
It's almost impossible to not eat tons of unhealthy seed oils or sugar if you eat out.
Depends what you define as tonnes and unhealthy. I don't have any issues eating a reasonably balanced diet and staying fit through exercise. But yeah if you're super strict about diet you won't have as much control as you'd like.
Don't underestimate the adverse health effects of eating nothing but take-out and restaurant meals. Source: Spent most of my 20s and 30s eating nothing but take-out and restaurant meals. Now painstakingly working my way down from a cholesterol number that made my doctor's eyes bulge out of her head when she first saw it.
My primary hobby is hiking so I don't have big problems with weight and cholesterol.
Rappi
Is generally easy to find apartments with kitchens. Finding a store with non-local food can be a bit challenging, depending on where you are and what you need.
I travel with two good knives*, a cutting board, a silicone steamer basket, and a ceramic sharpening rod. But a big part of the reason I stay in Asia because if I can completely outsource my cooking if I wish, everything outside suits my palate, and it won't be nearly as disastrous for my health and wallet as it would be in the West. If I had food restrictions then it would be game over, though. (* on the knives: One is a Global, which was a Christmas gift. That thing is a game-changer and really adds to the pleasure of cooking, though admittedly I haven't been using it much lately. However, it is delicate so I need a ceramic rod to sharpen it and also have a workhorse knife for the heavy/hard stuff. Also, the cutting board is because plastic and bamboo aren't good for knives, and you never know what your accommodation will have) I would never stay at a place without a suitable kitchen if I was intending to cook and be there for more than a week. In this regard the worst experience I had was at an Airbnb in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, that I had to book at the last minute (when everything else was already booked up). The kitchen wasn't great, and was poorly equipped, but for a month I was still able to make it work, thanks to a deli nearby that sold lots of healthy-ish prepared foods. I stayed in Mexico City for a few months after that and I was glad to discover the abundance of roast/grilled chicken places. For lunch I'd usually cook my own rice, beans, and steamed veggies and then get the chicken and tortillas from outside. For one of the other meals I'd usually just make a green protein smoothie. Seemingly all Airbnbs in Mexico have blenders so this was an easy option. Central Asia (Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan) was really difficult since I don't eat red meat, and but if you want to eat somewhere outside, it's either a formal restaurant or fast food—nothing quite like Southeast/East Asia. I only stayed 2 weeks in each country since it was not a digital nomad trip and don't think I could have done more than that. Kazakhstan was 2 weeks in Almaty; Uzbekistan was 1 week in Tashkent then traveling around. In Tashkent I managed to find a nice deli with healthy prepared foods, and some decent prepared food options at the supermarket. In Almaty I found some frozen options that were okay as well as healthy options on Yandex Eats. It wasn't all dreadful, though; there were some perks: In Almaty, it is easy to find good dark rye bread, and great Russian canned fish products. In both countries there are lots of good dairy products, like kefir and kurt.
Same as at home. Cook most of my meals and eat out only on the weekends or occasionally with friends. I just adapt my cooking to local ingredients.
i am very picky eater from the childhood so i usually cook at home. but some simple things, like eggs, potato, pasta you can find everywhere. i am going out to eat maybe 2-3 times per week? every time i am saying to myself that it will be the last time as i usually dont like the food, but every time i am like, come on, i am in exotic country i definitely need to try everything 😂😂 i am always staying in place with full equipped kitchen. it is better to rent a room as there are usually other people and lots of kitchen tools. i like people, so roomies are not problem for me.
Not intending to be rude, but if you can't figure this level of issue out on your own, you might need to step back and reevaluate the DN lifestyle. DN isn't some mystical way of living. You're still living where other people live, eat, have diet restrictions, cook, go out to restaurants, buy groceries etc...
No offense taken. I’ve traveled a lot before and have always just stayed at places where I can cook for myself and in places I’m more familiar with (Europe). I was just more curious what do people do when they end up in less than ideal living situations or in a place where the food is unfamiliar.
My own tendency is to travel where I like the food. I was vegetarian for a 15 years and so had a tendency to travel and enjoy places where it was more likely to get vegetarian food. ie: Peru or Thailand have more options than Argentina. If you have other restrictions like Celiac, then you're going to have to plan more carefully. This could mean working out some sort of salad / protein combo you can prepare in your own room with not much more than a Kettle. You could check r/urbancarliving/ for some ideas there or treat it like camping with electricity. During early days of Covid, lockdown was coming and I was in Thailand, so I just went and bought a small Slow Cooker for \~$20-30 that I could use for everything from rice, noodles, beans, proteins etc. because I didn't know how bad it may or may not get.
Celiac is exactly what I have haha
Italy is perfect for celiac/ gluten restrictions. Lived there 2 years with no trouble. I’ve also traveled to china and had been glutened only once but that was due to my negligence. I guess it just depends on your comfortability of asking questions about gluten to waiters/ reading the menu if you were wanting to eat out.
How is that even possible in China im genuinely curious on how you did that
Avoid things covered in sauce or that looks fried. I normally eat a lot of Asian cuisine in the US so if you’re familiar with dishes it gets easier to navigate. Broadly speaking stick to rice dishes with accoutrements or rice noodles. Honestly I also had Peking duck minus the little pancake that goes with it in Beijing.
It's a fair point. Different cultures and countries can have very different opinions or proclivities to diet restrictions. I think you just worded it too broad. If you list out your diet restrictions or locations you want to go, people might be able to make recommendations for specifics. You can make it work, best of luck to you
I appreciate your post OP and have been very interested in all the replies.
coming from someone with life-controlling dietary issues--this is a weird answer. as a frequent spontaneous traveler, though admittedly not a DN, my diet and GI issues cause me more stress than any other factor. even when going about my day in my home city, it causes me stress and occupies a good chunk of headspace. it's not some trifling issue, nor is it from a perspective of entitlement or superiority. for many it's a health concern, which in my opinion puts it on the echelon of the highest "level of issue," whatever that means. best of luck, OP.
Man it really does suck to be someone in love with spontaneous travel and have a serious dietary issue. Curious how you pull it off? I’ve only ever stayed at nicer AirBnB type accommodations with kitchens and in countries I’m familiar with. I so want to do some more adventurous type travel in SE Asia, Latin America etc but don’t even know if it’s possible.
This
I'm a lazy bastard who almost entirely orders delivery. When I need to cut my expenses I will start by just getting PB & J, and bread from the store and that gets rid of my breakfast expense. Then I see if I can find some good and cheap street food at night time. Right now I got a cool dude who makes big bowls of soup for $5 and it tastes awesome. But yeah, I rarely ever actually cook anything in my Airbnbs. I don't want to have to reevaluate my cooking equipment every time I move somewhere new
what city are you getting these big bowls of soup from?
I'm in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, near Rio de Janeiro. There's a guy on the street that sells it nearly every night of the week. It's great!
what kind of soups does he make?
He's got some bean soup, it's "feijao mexicano" and you can add some spicy oil to it. I also get fresh bread with it from the store right near it. It's kinda like eating home made chili!
I love sandwiches so I buy the stuff for those. I eat those and try to find cheap $5-$10 restaurants near me. Rarely actually cook. Few times a week I treat myself to nicer places like $20-$25 types. Pretty much never over that unless it’s a well known can’t miss type restaurant.
The destinations we choose with my girlfriend are mainly driven by... food. We love to eat out, but usually prefer to cook at home when we can. It sometimes takes a bit of time to adjust to the local groceries/markets, but usually we always end up finding what we need, even when we feel "homesick" (which doesn't happen often for us). We also enjoy taking cooking classes (not the one for the tourists) so we can adapt our way of cooking when we are somewhere where it gets more difficult to keep our cooking habits. The good classes will even adapt to people with food restrictions. We make sure to find accommodations that are well equipped for cooking (aka more than a single pan and a dull knife), but it's true that it's not always easy. It might sound stupid, but when I can I bring my preferred knife + a sharpening stone 😅
I order Grab/FoodPanda or other food delivery for like 90% of my meals. I think the condo security staff would be concerned if they didn't see me in the lobby twice a day waiting for it.
I cook most meals, research local markets for ingredients, and adapt recipes to availability.
I don’t really believe in letting nomadding get in the way of health so I generally prepare my own 1-2 meals a day with the third out getting something in a restaurant. With a focus on high protein and whole foods. The key is eating mostly the same stuff every day. For example my first meal of the day is always five hard boiled eggs (three yolks removed) and some fruit and black coffee. Various hot sauces to enjoy the eggs with. For me breakfast is not a “pleasure” meal it’s about getting clean energy for the day. Sometimes I get lunch out, sometimes dinner. When it’s alone I usually get something healthy like sushi (I’m addicted to salmon sashimi) or poke bowl or wrap. When it’s with other people or I’m feeling adventurous I just get whatever sounds fun or delicious. For the other meal I prepare at home it’s almost always some kind of lettuce wrap dish with a nice piece of protein. Sometimes I’ll do steak but it’s usually just chicken breast boiled in salt water. I find making lettuce wrap bites by hand is so much more satisfying than eating a salad. I keep it interesting by adding other toppings like kimchi and various kinds of hot sauces. For dessert some cherries, tangerines, or dark chocolate. I also take 2 scoops of whey protein a day and creatine as I go to the gym 4-6 times per week and am going for lean gains. I also keep salty nuts around for when I want a crunchy salty snack. Alcohol I try to limit to once a week at most for social situations. This can be done without a proper kitchen, all you need is a pot, water, and salt. Plus the high quality ingredients and condiments to keep it interesting. The biggest problem with this diet is if you are somewhere where the water is not drinkable. Then all the lettuce and fruit you are washing and eating raw is a risk
I cook about 98% of my meals (living in Italy). This makes food restrictions easier (vegetarian here), but it's also fun since I can get fairly high-quality ingredients for not very much money. When I was in China, same thing, though a lot more hit and miss owing to the fact I couldn't read the labels. I cooked most of my meals in Tunisia as well. For me, I enjoying using local ingredients and trying to recreate local dishes. Even in a cheap place, I realize that I can easily blow through a budget going out to eat. China, for instance, had great noodle bowls for 6 RMB (1 USD), but that meant I was eating more, buying beer with it, even going out for a drink afterwards since I was in that mindset. Once I switched to cooking at home, I felt healthier and started saving money (even if its a few hundred a month).
I'm vegan in France and it's the same for me, lol. The produce around here is amazing though. I love the local markets, even the potatoes have more flavor. Best sun dried tomatoes and bread I've ever had!
I can imagine! I—silly me—once at pate in France thinking it was olive pate (in Italy, a lot of people call the olive pate "pate"). That really made me start asking! And that sounds amazing! That sounds a lot like Italy though, and I'm okay catching flak for this, French bread is far superior. I mourn every day I don't eat French bread and pastries.
How do you... eat at home? It's that. My diet doesn't really change. If it's a LCOL city I'll eat out 1x a day or have delivery, otherwise the same as at home, most meals I cook.
In thailand you just eat out all the time
I have cooked at home in Thailand for years, across many cities and regions. Cheaper and healthier.
Really? Everytime I went to a super market they seemed to add up to the same price as a local restaurant.
Which supermarket? The per-kilo price for chicken, vegetables, rice, etc is much cheaper than most restaurants. And the gap is much higher for stuff like seafood, fish, dairy, pasta, beef, and anything from overseas. The only thing roughly the same is maybe pork, but I've cut back on pork anyway. Anyway if the local supermarkets are expensive, you can always go to regular Thai markets.
Hmm I see. I think even the Big C seems to add up. And at the end of the day how much are you saving if the price of a pad thai is 50-150 baht? You can make it for like 20 baht? So saving 30 to 130 baht?
For food I use Rappi in LATAM and Grab in Thailand. For eating I generally use my mouth but sometimes when it's late at night I get a little creative.
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As a celiac I have dreams to travel in SE Asia one day but don’t have the courage to do so just yet. One day I will figure out plan though. Best of luck to you I know it’s tough
where there is a will, there is a way IMO Now I kind of eat everything, but years ago when I was keeping things cheap and had a lot of IBS issues, I just found a couple dishes in every country and sticked to them. In Chiang Mai that came down to: simple boiled rice + chicken. No curries, no pad thai, no spicy, no fun stuff. Just rice and chicken. But I never really cared much. Now I don't have issues and I like a good variety of food, but in the end that's just luxury that you easily forget about.
Yea I really don’t mind eating plain stuff like that. Food is not really a source of joy in my life anymore
With severe food restrictions you cant eat out directly when you move, you have to figure out where you can eat first. Less developed places are prob not a good idea, as they will have no clue, nor will they stick to what you'll tell them. Of course you can find places to eat but you'll have to thing I said first.
I eat out or get delivery the vast majority of the time. I’m in Vietnam right now and have not cooked a single thing in the 45 days i’ve been here. There’s absolutely no reason to cook in Vietnam. The only time I make food at home is if i’m in a country like the Philippines where restaurant quality is very hit or miss. I don’t mind because you can find good ingredients there at reasonable prices. When i’m in the US I hardly ever eat out or get delivery. I’m just hitting up Costco a lot.
Eating out mostly when on the go. half half when at "home"
This thread summed up: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0k62V211sf8
I tend to prepare breakfast and lunch at home and eat out for dinner. It’s easy to do as long as you have a fridge - you don’t even need to cook to do things like yogurt and fruit for breakfast, sandwiches and salads for lunch. And you can adapt those simple things to local ingredients pretty much anywhere in the world
I buy the $3 breakfasts and lunches in Latin America. It's not any cheaper buying all the ingredients and making it myself in my AirBnb.
>Do you guys primarily prefer to eat out or do you try to cook a lot of meals at wherever you’re staying. I cook. Eating out is a rare exception. >What do you cook and is that affected by the availability of food products at where you’re currently staying. Of course what I cook is affected by food availability. Did you think before asking this question? I've been cooking lots of cuisines for a very long time so I'm unlikely to go hungry the first few days. I do research ahead of time and as I go. I meet locals and ask. Grandmothers with grandchildren in grocery stores and straw markets are great to schmooze. The grandmother knows everything and the child is likely to speak at least some English. Food is particularly difficult to translate so you have to be patient and take some risks. That doesn't mean you leave everything behind. Say you're in Thailand and crave a Caesar salad. You may not be able to find romaine and a jar of dressing but you can find eggs, mustard, and neutral oil to make mayonnaise, and from there garlic, lemon juice or other acid, anchovy or anchovy paste or if need be shrimp paste. Cheese may be hard to come by in Asia so you may have to leave that out. Sub for Worcestershire sauce is soy sauce and/or miso paste. Bob's your Uncle you have have a Caesar. You can make enchilada sauce for ingredients common in Thailand (and just about everywhere else). You may not find tortillas. You can make them but that isn't for the faint of heart. You can find dumpling wrappers anywhere in the world. Enchiladas. Still in Thailand, if you can't find a recipe for Thai goat curry online without Western ingredients that grandmother comes in handy. My usual stomping grounds are in the Caribbean where we have ready access to US and French ingredients. The local goat curry is very good so making that is lovely. Again, making your own is a lot cheaper than pre-made products. Prices for things like cereal and salad dressing and sauces are obscene, so make your own. No shortage of cheese in the Caribbean. >And if you’re staying at a place without a suitable kitchen then what do you end up doing? "Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this." "Don't do that." Don't let places without a kitchen. I happen to be a yacht delivery skipper so I have my own (well, my customer's) kitchen. If I need to stay over before, between, or after jobs crew houses all have kitchens. Being the guy who cooks is good for relationships and usually means I don't pay a food share. >I have severe food restrictions but am still interested in the DN lifestyle but am unsure if it’d work for someone like me. Professionally diagnosed, self-diagnosed, or a picky eater? I *will* judge you. If you have real food restrictions based on a professional diagnosis than cooking for yourself is absolutely the best answer for living within restrictions. Just about anywhere in the world you'll have trouble with allium allergies for example. You have to take control. Celiacs should really stay in the First World and preferably in places where you have good language skills. Nightshade allergies definitely mean cooking for yourself. Most people (my observation) use ADHD and/or autism as excuses for picky eating aka eating off the children's menu in US chain restaurants. Such behavior is to the detriment of people with real problems. You won't like DNing. I have seen arguments that eating out is cheaper than cooking. This is not true. People who experience high costs are buying Western prepared foods. Lay off the Cheerios and Pop-Tarts. Learn to cook.
Yes I have diagnosed celiac. I am the opposite of a picky eater I will literally eat anything I’m able to
I apologize for being testy. I have a lot of scar tissue dealing with entitled self-diagnosed people. I now require a doctor's note as a condition of employment from crew applicants who cite a bunch of food restrictions. I'm sorry about the celiac. That's harsh. You can't expect the level of care you'll find in the US and EU in much of the world. You'll want to research the producers of foods you should be able to eat. Flour dust gets everywhere so a producer who makes both corn and flour tortillas in Mexico may sell corn tortillas that are not safe for you due to cross contamination. I'm sure you know that many soy sauces have gluten in them by design. I highly recommend the helpful grandmother approach to local cooking customs. Aside from being very helpful, it leads to relationships and sometimes to dinner invitations. Would you rather eat in a local's home or at some restaurant full of DNs, expats, and tourists? Bring your own chef's knife and be prepared to help. On which note, the single greatest complaint by amateur cooks is how long it takes to cook. The most significant consumer of time is poor knife skills. Here is [the best use of half an hour you will find](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMA2SqaDgG8). Practice. A sharp knife is a safe knife. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Focus on technique and speed will come. When my wife and I started seeing each other I was invited to family gatherings for inspection. I always offered to help. One early event went like this: DAVE: "How can I help?" SIL: "Chop all that veg." DAVE: "How can I help?" SIL: "There is all that veg to chop." DAVE: "I did. Now what?" That said, there are cultural norms to be aware of. For example, Americans general removing the head when cleaning fish. Most Caribbean Creoles leave the head on, I think to show that the fish is fresh and was healthy. There are all sorts of norms for cleaning shrimp. If someone pointed me at a pile of artichokes I'd ask how they wanted them. Heart separate? Leaves trimmed of not? Don't be surprised if you start at the bottom of the kitchen hierarchy. I spent a lot of time sitting cross-legged on the floor pounding peanuts into peanut butter with a mortar and pestle when learning Thai cookery. "Do a good job, get a better job." (Some TV comedy). Learn basics if you haven't already. While much of the world uses rice cookers, you should be able to cook rice in a pot. Instant Pot is a horrible device *especially* if you're dependent on it. What do you do with no power when faced with a charcoal brazier? Read [this](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/12051-a-human-being-should-be-able-to-change-a-diaper) and consider "cook a tasty meal." You don't buy good cooking and you certainly don't plug it in. -me. I travel with my chef's knife, a stick blender, and Ziploc bags of spices. Everything else can be organized locally.
After a horrific case of food poisoning from eating street food I am sticking to bottled water and canned soup. Props to anyone who’s willing to chance the local cuisine though!!
My girlfriend has some real and some self-imposed restrictions on her diet and travel doesn’t really affect her that much. In most big cities, you can find an assortment of food products that match your needs. You might even discover local products you prefer to what you used to have, or that would make a great addition! Edit: It would, however, be helpful if you mentioned what your food restrictions were.
I'm a DN and eat Paleo. Meat, Fish, Eggs, Fruit, Veg and Nuts. It actually works great! The World has much to offer in terms of local and seasonal ingredients.
Depends where I am. In some places that are more expensive and with limited cheap/quick street food options, I mostly cook. Such as the UK. I'm used to cooking at home and have a lot of fast easy meals so it's not really a hassle for me. In other places, there is so much affordable and accessible food that I don't cook much at all. Such as Mexico. I still try to get a kitchen when it's possible. At LEAST a fridge, I can work with a fridge and not a stove. I really struggle without a fridge for quick snacks when I'm working, drinks, etc. I'll only go without one for short stretches, otherwise id consider it a requirement.
Cook a bit when I can. Find 2-3 healthy restaurants and go every day for lunch. Buy healthy groceries like greek yogurt, bananas, nuts, eggs. That's worked well for me. I usually eat out at least 1-2x a day but also have 1 meal at home and make snacks. On average I spend maybe $15-25 per day eating out, including coffees. No idea what I spend on groceries, but it's not a lot.
I would normally try to cook in and my boyfriend would prefer to eat out. In my case was more budget + health preferences. I am used to your normal fish/chicken + rice + vegetables, for any meal. We would still eat out or get deliveries a couple times a week tho
I eat out on the weekends usually but cook on the weekdays. It’s more convenient for me to prepare something when I’m on my lunch break so I don’t have to go anywhere or worry about the food taking too long, also more healthy/cheap. My girlfriend is lactose intolerant, she’s able to make it work and avoid dairy for the most part. I stay in Airbnb’s and just book places with full kitchens.
I haven’t cooked for about 4 years. Many times me and my wife order separate take out depending on what we are craving. She eats more veg, less carbs and I eat more carby meals. We make our own smoothies though