Mediterranean Diet Travel Meal Ideas

We just spent 4 weeks traveling across the US in a small RV with our family of four (2 adults, 2 kids). We definitely didn’t stick with our normal Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan, but I’m proud to admit we did a pretty good job of eating healthy on the road. Sharing some of our favorite Mediterranean Diet Travel Meal Ideas.

Eating Healthy on the Go

As we share often, the Mediterranean Diet is great because you can adapt it to almost any eating situation. Family parties, backyard bbq’s, eating out…the Mediterranean diet can fit into all of that.

We aren’t strangers to travel, as evident by these posts –

• Healthy Road Trip Snacks
• A Mediterranean Diet Spin on Healthy Camping Food
• Store Bought Snacks We Love

Our most recent road trip was a bit different. First off, we were gone for a total of 4 weeks. Secondly, we were traveling in a small RV. This meant we had a fridge, stove, oven, microwave and electricity for most of the time we were traveling.

We did a combination of eating out, preparing meals in the RV and at campsites, and eating with family during visits along the way.

Some of the must haves we indulged in and enjoyed while traveling included –

• BBQ in Texas
• Hot Dogs, Deep Dish Pizza and Italian Beef sandwiches in Illinois
• White Castle in Indianna

The rest of the time we tried to follow the basics of the Mediterranean Diet guidelines.

The Mediterranean Diet & Travel

We provide some specific Mediterranean diet travel ideas below, but in general we did the following –

• Including fresh fruit daily
  • we picked up apples, grapes and berries at grocery stores and even convenience stores along the way for easy to eat breakfast, lunch and snack additions
  • when we were at a campsite, we cut up watermelon and pineapple to store in the RV fridge
  • if we went out to eat for breakfast or lunch, we often ordered a side of fruit to share

• Making sure we had veggies often
  • Pre made bagged salads were one of our favorite quick, grab and go options
  • We brought some Daily Harvest veggie bowls for a microwaveable lunch and dinner option
  • When we were visiting family we had grilled corn on the cob or sautéed summer squash with onions to go along with family bbq’s. No one ever minded us adding in an extra veggie side dish.
  • On days we didn’t have access to cooking methods, we’d put together a raw veggie tray with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber and baby carrots

• Having Nuts and Seeds on Hand
  • We ate a lot of “grazing” type meals on long travel days, which included cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, olive and nuts and seeds
  • We had smoked almonds, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cashews on hand to go with lunch or even as a quick snack
  • Sprinkling nuts or seeds on top of salads is a great way to add crunch, protein and healthy fats
  • We brought Almond Butter to dip apples into or spread onto bread or crackers

• Choosing Healthy (but still delicious) Meals when Eating Out

• Sometimes Dan and I would split two dishes – one healthier and one that we really wanted to try
• We were surprised to find a lot of fish options as we traveled around
• Almost all places had the option to switch out sides for a salad or steamed veggies

Mediterranean Diet Travel Meals

These were some of our favorite meals that we ate and enjoyed while traveling these past 4 weeks. Just remember that we often had access to power, a stove/oven and a fridge/freezer.

• Herb Salmon
  • We made sure to bring along our frozen Sitka Salmon for a few dinners while traveling
  • There were two methods of preparation we enjoyed best on the road –
    • Simply roasted in a pan over the stove (or campfire) with some olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder
    • In the air fryer with our favorite store bought seasoning blend

• Greek Salad

• There is no cooking involved in the salad, so it’s easy to make at a campsite
  • In place of homemade dressing, I simply used olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (it was all I had in the camper)

• Summer Watermelon Salad
  • We bought a watermelon a few times while traveling and made this Refreshing Watermelon Salad a lot
  • It only takes a few ingredients (watermelon, feta, olive oil, red onion and pepper)
  • Check out this post if you need tips on How to Pick a Watermelon

• Charcuterie Board

• We often made this for lunch (while driving!) and sometimes for dinner
  • Picked up some cheese, salami, crackers, and olives at a local grocery store while traveling
  • Added nuts, fresh fruit (usually grapes or berries) and sometimes even dried fruit

Our Favorite Mediterranean Diet Travel Snacks

There was a lot of snacking happening during our trip. We changed time zones multiple times and our schedule was constantly changing.

Some of our favorite snacks included –

• Memore
  • We brought their Daily Greens + along and made it a morning ritual
  • It’s a daily greens powder that is made with whole food ingredients, includes an entire serving of dark green leafy veggies, dietary fiber, plant based protein and uses ingredients designed for brain health
  • It helped keep us regular (very hard to do when traveling!) and was an easy way to get in our daily greens
  • You can use the code “the_domestic_dietitian” for a discount if you order your own here – https://yourmemore.com/the_domestic_dietitian

• Mavuno Harvest Dried Pineapple
  • dried fruit is great to bring traveling because it lasts and doesn’t need to be refrigerated
  • this is our favorite brand and the one we all like
  • it was great to bring in a backpack on hikes as well

• Kind Bar Mini’s

• The kind bar mini’s are a great afternoon pick me up
  • I love that they use nuts and real ingredients and the kids love that they have chocolate in them

• Purely Elizabeth Banana Nut Superfood Oatmeal
  • Easy to whip up for a quick breakfast
    • you can simply add boiling water or use the microwave it you have access to one
  • I like to take it even further and add fresh berries and sliced almonds on top