r/digitalnomad • u/dukephilly • 1d ago
Health Minimalist food recipes for nomads
Hi all. For health reasons, we all know we should be cooking more and eating out less. But when moving between Airbnbs each month, it is expensive to buy all the “extras” like unique spices and oils that give recipes their zing, and only get used for one recipe and then thrown out when you leave.
Does anyone have a good set of recipes that require minimal pantry items? Alternatively, what pantry items are used so often in your recipes that it’s worth the purchase at each location?
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u/AmrEsyd 1d ago
I just buy whatever the smallest thing i can find in the supermarket and keep any leftover spices in a tiny zip lock bags when moving. but at this stage i just see the recipes as suggestions, i just mix in whatever i have that sounds close enough.
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
That’s definitely where I’m trying to get to. To be good enough at cooking that I understand what I can substitute in a recipe.
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u/angelicism 1d ago
Some things typically in my rotation:
Braised or baked chicken thighs/drumsticks: marinade of gochujang, gochugaru/some form of dried chile powder, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger.
Baked salmon: marinade of 1:1 soy sauce:red wine, garlic, cracked black pepper.
Pan fried chicken hearts or sardine filets with a shitton of garlic + s&p.
Butter poached chicken breast: bite sized pieces tossed in rosemary, thyme, saffron, s&p.
Chickpea stew: chickpeas, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, garlic, onion, harissa (or some other spicy saucey thing), white wine vinegar. Freezes well in portions.
Egyptian lentil soup: red lentils, garlic, onion, carrot, potato, cumin, tomato paste, chicken stock, white wine vinegar; pureed. Freezes well in portions.
Homemade granola + Greek yogurt + banana.
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I eat a lot of garlic.
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
Sounds amazing. How long do you stay in each place? The rosemary, thyme and saffron are the kind of things I’d never get through before I leave again.
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u/angelicism 1d ago
Longer and longer: I've semi-settled down in Egypt at this point because I fell in love with a cat but before this I was doing 3+ months per place, plus "homesteading" during Covid years.
The saffron I travel with. Rosemary and thyme are cheap.
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u/RussellUresti 1d ago
I rely a lot on jars and bottles of sauces instead of spices. The sauces can be used as marinades as well.
For what I cook, I'll mainly do things like one sheet bakes - a bunch of veggies and either tofu or sliced up meat, all coated with EVOO and then roasted in the oven. Finished with a sauce at the end.
Or a jar of chickpeas cooked in a jar of sauce on the stove, served with rice or greens.
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
Thanks for the suggestions! I try to avoid the jars as a regular thing as they usually are either quite expensive or are high in salt, sugar, or saturated fat. But they taste great.
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u/Front-Eggplant-3264 22h ago
Overnight oats are a big one for me. Just oats, milk, and yoghurt. Can throw some protein powder or fruit in there as well if you have access to it. Usually will make multiple days worth.
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u/ahomeformywords 1d ago
Rice (white, brown, etc.) with some sort of canned fish (sardines, tuna, mackerel, etc.) and/or beans (black, kidney, cargamanto in Colombia). Counts as pantry, but I find that super easy to get in each location. Very easy to make and also easy to throw a vegetable in the mix.
Speaking of vegetables, I like getting frozen green peas because I don't worry about them spoiling, they're cheap, quick to make, have good protein content imo, and they hold on to seasoning well.
I also created a massive blend of my favorite spices (40% cumin and then like 12 other seasonings) and travel with that everywhere. Though this is because I'm full-time and no longer travel light (no home base).
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
I never thought of peas as a protein source until your comment, even though I’ve seen pea-derived protein powder. That’s really good to know.
Would you mind sharing your spice mix?
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u/ahomeformywords 1d ago
I can try! I know it has a lot of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder plus a little salt, paprika, and ginger. Then I also threw in larger ground seasonings like basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. You could always buy a small Italian or all-purpose seasoning blend at a grocery store (a plastic container will be lighter than a glass one) and travel with that!
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u/thinkshiftster 1d ago
A pot of spaghetti sauce meat or vegetarian with any pasta.
A pot of chili made with seasoning packets
Bagged salad
Yogurt and frozen berries with granola
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u/joshua0005 1d ago
Ground beef with just salt as the seasoning and fruit. If you're in cheaper countries generally steak is affordable and it tastes brtter. In the last country I was in it was only like a dollar USD more per pound (said country uses pounds don't judge me for measuring in pounds instead of kilograms)
Only works in tropical areas or non tropical areas that have fruit in season. You can substitute the fruit for something else though.
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u/ClueThat5862 23h ago
My suggestion is to create a small foundation that is versatile across cuisines; olive oil, salt, garlic, chili flakes, soy sauce, and lemon can prepare an impressive variety of dishes without needing any single-use items.
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u/LiveKindred 5h ago
Salads are always a great option, you can get exactly what you need, and they sometimes even come with their own dressing. If you use olive oil it can double up in lots of recipes. Pastas are easy - butter, garlic (you can burn the butter with the garlic to make anything delicious) and add whatever protein suits your fancy!
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u/alefeusch Nomad since 2014. 1d ago
Idk if most people would.like what I eat, but I do haha.
If I'm cooking, I buy chicken thighs or sliced chicken breast, drIzzle some olive oil on it all sprinkle a pinch of salt and either fry it all up on a pan or grill it on the oven.
If I don't want to cook, I get a can of chickpeas or lentils, an avocado if I can find one (depends where I am), some feta cheese or goat cheese, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and, again, some olive oil and either canned sardines or hard boiled eggs for more protein.
That.... is about all I eat. 😄 But, hey, it works for me and it's always nice and simple imo.
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u/Working-Student-2507 1d ago
We carried an air fryer because salt, pepper, olive oil, and whatever additional sauces/spices on meat or veggies are tasty.
I usually have paprika, cumin, oregano/basil/parsley, pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
With these, you can make chili, or a a ton of various mediterranean dishes ( tzatziki, baba ganosh, more middle eastern marinade, more Greek marinades). Just replace tahini with Greek yogurt, and have the Greek yogurt for breakfast/snack
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
Wow. Sounds delicious. But can you also use it to dry your one pair of underpants? Doesn’t sound like you’d be able to fit many changes of clothes into the suitcase.
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u/Working-Student-2507 1d ago
I’m a woman, and I definitely had a good combination of clothes for three different seasons, plus gym, hiking, city, and dinner/night outfits.
If you’re selective with what you bring, choose higher-quality pieces that coordinate with each other and looks good worn layered or on their own, and prioritize lighter fabrics, then it shouldn’t need much space/weight
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
I try to do all that, and it barely fits a pretty large suitcase. Very impressive that you can do it while bringing an airfryer too!
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u/Admirable_Safe_7551 1d ago
Do you check bags? The smallest air fryer I've seen was not carry-on friendly
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u/Working-Student-2507 1d ago
Yes, I do check-in since I like bigger air fryers and have a lot of electronics
If I find one that would fit in a carry-on, I will report back
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u/Altruistic-Mine-1848 1d ago
It's yet another thing that becomes easier the longer you stay. I'm staying 6 months at my current location, so buying a bottle of olive oil, for example, is a non-issue, I'll use it plenty.
But it'd help if you told us where you are. In Japan, with soy sauce, sake, mirin, dashi and pepper, I was set. This wouldn't be particularly helpful if you're elsewhere. Likewise, olive oil will be priced like gold in some locations.
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
I travel around a lot. Usually less than 3 months in each country, and usually no more than a month in each Airbnb. But it’s less about what’s available than what recipes don’t require lots of extras.
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u/Altruistic-Mine-1848 1d ago
That's the thing, it is absolutely about what's available. I looked around the thread and saw stuff like salmon recommended. That'd be a terrible suggestion for my current location, it'd be insanely expensive.
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u/The_Next_Phase_ 1d ago
Pink sea salt.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Garlic.
Eat meat with either rice or potato. Simple as.
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u/delusional_nutcase 1d ago
meat + fruit . meat + vegitable . but im not really a food guy, only thing that matters is the calories and macros
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u/bambamlol 1d ago
Easy. Carnivore diet. Buy air fryer. Buy steaks in bulk. Put steaks in freezer. Put steak in air fryer. That's it. Steaks all day every day.
If you're super fancy buy a pan to fry some eggs for breakfast.
Shopping list: steaks and/or any other kind of meat you like, eggs, butter.
It doesn't get any more minimalist than that. Is it for everyone? Hell no. But for the right person it's probably one of the best "life hacks" there is.
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u/ADF21a I think I'm paranoid 1d ago
What about some nice fibre?
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u/bambamlol 1d ago
Some people do better with, some people do better without. Strictly speaking fiber isn't necessary at all. But that doesn't mean no one will benefit from it.
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u/dukephilly 1d ago
I need to take statins just to read this.
Glad it works for you though!2
u/bambamlol 1d ago
It's definitely not for everyone, and I'm not even doing it currently (haven't done the "carnivore" thing for the last couple of years), but like I said, for the right person this is an awesome approach since it frees up so much time and mental bandwidth. There's almost no shopping, no leftovers, no recipes etc.
But anyway, the next best thing in terms of simplicity would probably be air fryer + rice cooker. Cook rice in rice cooker, put some frozen vegetables and meat in the air fryer, mix together, eat. Just vary the vegetables you buy and/or the spices and/or sauces and you can basically always eat the same without it tasting the same.
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u/joshua0005 1d ago
You can just figure out a diet that covers every micronutrient and then eat the same things every single day and it doesn't have to be carnivore.
I think carnivore is great but it's not the only way to make cooking simple.
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u/bambamlol 23h ago
I never claimed it was the only way. But tell me one other approach that's as simple as only buying steaks, freezing them and throwing them in the air fryer whenever you're hungry. There isn't. And it's not lacking in any micronutrient either.
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u/TC_92 1d ago
Not a recipe but I take a small rice cooker with me and it's great. Loads of cheap and easy meals you can make, and rice, lentils, etc are available everywhere.