Staying in a hostel is one of the best ways to save on accommodation when you’re travelling on a budget. Depending on where you’re travelling, most hostels will have a fully equipped kitchen to use. While it’s easy to eat out for every meal, you can often save a lot of money by making some of your meals from a hostel. Today I’m sharing some of my favourite healthy hostel meal ideas (that are vegan), to keep in your back pocket for the next time you’re travelling!
Sometimes the hardest part is knowing what to cook, especially when you’re sharing a kitchen with other people. These healthy hostel meal ideas are vegan and generally won’t take you more than 30 minutes to make!
Breakfast
Yogurt, granola & berries
Grab a non-dairy yogurt (coconut yogurt is my fave!), add vegan granola, some fresh or frozen berries and you’re good to go!
Overnight oats /oatmeal
Oatmeal is a go-to whenever I travel because it’s filling and cheap. Make it the night before if you have a container to store it in or prepare the morning of.
Ingredients:
- Oats
- Plant-based milk (optional)
- Banana, fresh/frozen fruit
- Almond/peanut butter
- Dark chocolate (optional)
- Maple syrup (optional)
Here’s how to make it:
- Add 1/2 cup – 1 cup of oats to a bowl
- Add enough water of plant-based milk to cover reach the top of the oats
- Mix in some sliced banana + other toppings (dark chocolate is a good option)
- Microwave for 2-3 minutes OR leave in the fridge overnight
- Add additional toppings such as maple syrup, almond/peanut butter, mixed berries & enjoy!
Avocado toast
You can’t go wrong with avocado toast! It’s been a staple for me the past few months because it’s super easy to make and tastes delicious.
Ingredients:
- Avocados (2-3)
- Lemon
- Baby spinach
- Red onion
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- Fresh basil (optional but highly suggested)
- Bread
How to make:
- Smash your avocado in a bowl
- Squeeze 1/3 or 1/2 of a lemon into the same bowl
- Add salt & pepper, garlic powder to taste + any other spices you might have on hand (I love adding paprika)
- Dice the red onion and toss in the avocado mixture
- Cut up your tomatoes
- Toast the bread
- Assemble the toast with the avocado mixture
- Add spinach, fresh basil and tomatoes & enjoy!
Lunch
Veggie wrap
This is an easy lunch option if you don’t have much time!
Ingredients:
- Wraps
- Lettuce/spinach
- Hummus
- Hot sauce/ peri peri sauce
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Bell peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
How to make:
- Apply hummus to a wrap
- Chop up all veggies
- Assemble wrap with sauce, lettuce/spinach and all other veggies
Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Tacos
Tacos are probably my all-time favourite meal! They’re super easy to make and make a great lunch or dinner any day of the week.
Ingredients:
- Canned black beans or lentils
- Tortillas
- Cauliflower
- Sweet potato
- Onion
- Garlic
- Taco seasoning or cumin, chilli powder & smoked paprika
- Salsa
- Guacamole (homemade or store-bought)
How to make:
- Chop up all your veggies and let them sautee in a frying pan
- Add black beans or lentils
- Toss in your taco seasoning or spices until they’re well combined
- Let it cook for another few minutes or until all the veggies are soft
- Assemble your tacos, add salsa and add your fave guac on top!
Chickpea salad
If you’re looking for a healthy meal to tie you over, this chickpea salad is perfect.
Ingredients:
- Canned chickpeas
- Lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Cucumber
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
How to make:
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas
- Chop up the lettuce and put it in a large salad bowl
- Chop all other veggies and throw them in the bowl
- Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper
Dinner
Stir fry
This is one of my go-to meals when I’m in a hostel because it’s filling and always tastes great!
Ingredients:
- Rice noodles (or wholewheat spaghetti if you can’t find them)
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Bell peppers
- Onion
- Zucchini
- Soy sauce
- Lemon
- Peanut butter
- Garlic
How to make:
- Chop up onion and garlic and toss in a frying pan
- Chop all other veggies and mix
- Boil a pot of water
- Once boiling, add your rice noodles or pasta
- While the noodles are cooking, start on your peanut sauce
- Mix garlic, 1/2 a lemon a scoop of peanut butter, about 1/3 cup of soy sauce and 1/4 cup of water
- Once the noodles are ready, mix them into the veggies and add the sauce on top
One-pot hummus pasta
While this combo might seem a bit unconventional, you need to trust me!
Ingredients:
- Hummus
- Lemon
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Spaghetti
- Baby spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
How to make:
- Boil your pasta water and toss in the spaghetti
- While the spaghetti is cooking, chop your tomatoes
- Drain the water when the pasta is done
- Add baby spinach to cook down, cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil
- Scoop in your hummus until it coats the spaghetti evenly
- Squeeze about half a lemon to add some freshness and you’re good to go!
Lentil chilli
Another one-pot recipe that’s super filling and packed with protein.
Ingredients:
- Canned lentils
- Carrots
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Chilli powder
- Smoked paprika
- Oregano
- Chilli flakes
- 1 cup veggie broth
- Can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
How to make:
- Chop up garlic and onion and let them saute in olive oil in a large pot
- Add spices to the mix
- Chop all veggies and throw them into the pot
- Let the veggies simmer for a few minutes
- Then add the veggie broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
- Let it cook for roughly 10 minutes or until all the veggies are soft
Snacks
If these healthy hostel meal ideas aren’t enough to keep you full throughout the day, these snacks are great to keep on hand!
- Hummus & veggies
- Dark chocolate & berries
- Nuts/trail mix
- Popcorn
What recipe will you try first?
So there we have it – my favourite healthy hostel meal ideas. Looking for more hostel info? Check out my blogs on hostels here.
You can find more ideas over on my TikTok and Instagram, where I share travel info each day! I’ll see you next week with another blog but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media if you have any questions or want to chat about travel.
Cheers,
Amy xx
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