Preparing and packing your own travel lunches can save you a ton of money. In this post, I will share some of my favorite easy thrifty travel lunches. I will also share the recipes I use to make them. All of these are easy to transport and capable of feeding a large family.
But first, a piece of advice from someone who has had her share of travel mishaps!
Stop using ice in your food cooler (even if you’re putting the ice in sealable bags)! On more than one occasion, I have had my lunch completely ruined by melting ice. So, what’s the solution?
Invest in reusable cold gel ice packs for your coolers! They stay cold much longer than ice, they’re reusable, and you’ll never have to worry about soggy food again. Furthermore, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes so you can choose what works best for your specific cooler.
NOTE! I really like the slim, flexible kind because I can just slide them in between my zip top bags of food.
Ranch & Bacon Pasta Salad
This is definitely one of our favorite easy thrifty travel lunches.
You can buy the box version from the store and prepare it according to the package instructions. It’s so simple and only requires a couple ingredients (water to cook the pasta and mayonnaise). At my local Walmart, a twin pack is currently under $4.00.
However, you can make your own version too. You’ll need the ingredients from the list below!
- 1 pound of pasta shells (follow box instructions, cook until al dente)
- 1 pound of regular bacon or turkey bacon (cook in microwave, less grease)
- 1 ranch seasoning packet
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
Cook your bacon, let it cool, break it up, and set it aside.
While your bacon is cooking, you can cook your pasta. Once it’s done, rinse it with cold water, let it drain, and set it aside.
In a separate (small) bowl, mix your ranch dressing packet with the mayonnaise.
Combine your pasta, bacon, and ranch mix in a large bowl. Stir, cover, and refrigerate.
TASTY TIP! If you really want to spruce this up, add some shredded cheddar cheese. You can also chop up some rotisserie chicken and mix that in. So many tasty possibilities!
Egg Salads make easy thrifty travel lunches
Egg salads are so versatile. You can make and serve them in many different ways. My boys used to be picky eaters so years ago I began making what I call the “kid friendly” version. It simply consists of boiled eggs, light mayonnaise (to cut down on the fat content), a small amount of sweet relish, light salt, and black pepper.
Prior to leaving, place the egg salad in a zip top bag and set it in your cooler.
You can serve it with a variety of different crackers, make a sandwich, wrap it in lettuce, or serve it on a plate with tomatoes and chips.
Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad with bacon
This is one of those easy thrifty travel lunches that can feed a lot of people. I used bow tie pasta in the picture above because I already had several boxes in my pantry. It tastes great and if you already have bowtie pasta on hand, why not? However, I do prefer to make this with garden rotini.
Recipe
- 1 pound box of garden rotini (or any other pasta of your choosing)
- 1-2 cups of fresh broccoli (chop it into small florets)
- 1/2 a pound to a pound of regular or turkey bacon (depends on how much bacon you like)
- Cheddar cheese (or any kind of cheese you wish…chopped, shredded, chunked)
- 1-1/2 cups of mayonnaise (start with a cup, mix, evaluate creaminess, add more if needed)
- 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (white vinegar works too)
- 4-5 tablespoons of sugar (add more or less to suit your taste buds)
Chop your broccoli into small florets and prepare your cheese. Set them back in the refrigerator until you’re ready for them.
You’ll probably want to cook your bacon in the microwave so it’s less greasy. Simultaneously, cook your pasta on the stove according to package instructions.
When your bacon is done, simply cool it and break it up in a small bowl. Set it aside.
Once your pasta is done, you’ll rinse it with cold water and drain it well.
Dump your pasta in a large bowl. Then, add the following ingredients: broccoli florets, bacon, and cheese. Stir those ingredients together. After that, you’ll need to add your mayonnaise. Start with a cup and add more if necessary. Then, go ahead and start adding the vinegar and sugar. Everyone has different taste buds so make sure you adjust accordingly.
TASTY TIP! Add some ham chunks!
Chicken Salads make easy thrifty travel lunches
Chicken salads can be made a variety of ways, and they make easy thrifty travel lunches. One super easy method is to just grab a rotisserie chicken from the store that has already been cooked. Take it home and remove the amount of chicken you need for the size chicken salad you want. Alternatively, you can rotisserie your own at home, boil some leg quarters (freeze the broth for something else), grab some cans of chicken from the store, or use leftover baked chicken from a previous meal.
You can serve chicken salad a variety of ways. It makes an excellent sandwich, pairs well with crackers, and makes a nice chip dip. Additionally, it transports well in zip top bags with cold gel ice packs on each side.
Below is a simple “kid-friendly” recipe I use that pleases everyone.
- 4 cups of chicken (chunked)
- 3/4-1 cup of mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
- 3-4 hard boiled eggs (peeled & chopped)
- A couple tablespoons of sweet relish
TASTY TIP! Add some chopped onion!
Not a fan of chicken salad? Sub tuna!
Pimento & Cheese
Are you a cheese fan? Pimento and cheese sandwiches certainly make easy thrifty travel lunches. In addition to sandwiches, you can spread it on crackers, eat it with chips, or turn it into cheese balls.
There are a ton of different cheeses you can use to make it with too. Choose your favorite or try something new! I prefer to shred my own. But if you’re short on time you can buy cheese that’s already shredded.
Want to take pimento and cheese on your next adventure? See my easy recipe below!
- 1 pound of mild cheddar (or cheese of your choice)
- 2 cans of diced pimentos
- 1/2-1 cup of mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
Shred your cheese or dump your bags of cheese in a medium size bowl.
Dump your pimento (juice and all) on a large plate and smash it with a fork. Then, pour the pimento (juice and all) in with the cheese. Slowly add your mayonnaise until you have a spreadable consistency. Let it chill and then place it in zip top baggies for the road ahead.
LOWER FAT OPTION! Use reduced fat fiesta cheese and a light mayonnaise.
Macaroni Salads make easy thrifty travel lunches
Macaroni salads are a super cheap option that feeds a ton of people! It is at the top of my go-to list when traveling as a family and no one ever complains. There are many variations you can make so experiment until you find one you absolutely love.
A longtime family friend, who is sadly no longer with us, brought an amazing macaroni salad to one of my get-to-gethers. I simply had to have the recipe because it was so good! He was kind enough to share it with us, and it is the only recipe I use now. I will share with you below.
- 4 cups of dry macaroni (cooked al dente)
- 2-3 stalks of celery (diced very fine)
- 1 sweet Vidalia onion (diced)
- 6-8 eggs (boiled, peeled, diced)
- 3 Tablespoons of sweet relish
- 1 1/2-2 cups of mayonnaise (use more or less if you need to)
- 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 3/4-1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese (chopped into small cubes)
Cook your macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse the macaroni with cold water. Place the macaroni in a large bowl. Dice your celery, onion, boiled eggs, and sharp cheddar cheese. Then, add those to the macaroni. After that, you’ll add the sweet relish, mayonnaise, white vinegar, and milk. Mix very well. Refrigerate until you’re ready to put it in zip top bags for the road ahead.
TASTY TIP! Add some tiny chunks of ham!
Snacks
Need thrifty road trip snack ideas? Check out my Thrifty Road Trip Snacks post!
I hope these easy thrifty travel lunches help you save time and money. Wishing you many blessings and as always, Safe Travels!
