Planning for a self-catering holiday is generally quite stress free. After all, most people are of the opinion that they can pick up whatever they need when they get to their chosen destination. Failing that, restaurants are always an option. However, self catering holidays are more complicated and require more planning when you are a vegetarian or vegan. You certainly cannot rely on the local stores to have everything that you require and the chances are that the local restaurants will only have one or two vegetarian dishes on the menu that may not meet your requirements. So, if you are vegetarian, what do you actually need to take on a self catering holiday?

Mmmmm vegetables!

If you are going on a self catering holiday to a caravan, holiday home or apartment the question of what to take doesn’t really come into play as much, as you would have similar facilities in your accommodation as you would at home. Therefore, you would be able to purchase all of the fresh vegetables and other items that you would have in your fridge and cupboard back home. The accommodation would also be likely to have all of the crockery and cooking utensils that you require.

The difficulties set in for vegetarians who are planning a camping trip as there are far fewer facilities available for the storage of food. My best friend and her boyfriend are vegetarians and they enjoy camping during their holidays. They have said that one of the main difficulties with planning for this type of holiday is that many of the foodstuffs that they would wish to take with them are perishable, which can almost rule them out entirely.

You don’t want this to be your only choice

Obviously items like milk and bread can usually be purchased at or near the camping site. It is recommended that you buy only small bottles/cartons of milk as it does not keep well in the heat. However, if you can find somewhere shaded, you could probably get a couple of days out of your milk supply by putting it in a basin of really cold water. This goes for fresh squeezed juice as well. Remember to also take bottles of water with you as these will be will be essential for drinking, cooking and cleaning with.

My friend’s list of food to take on a vegetarian camping trip includes dried pasta, cartons of passata and jars of pesto – after all, pasta is as quick and easy to prepare as it is tasty and filling. For lunch-time snacks, why not try baked beans (a camping staple for all!), packets of noodles, tins of soup and tins of mixed beans and pulses. A small bottle of olive oil, salad dressing or other condiments will go a long way to flavouring these basics. Eggs are an all around essential that can be used as a meal or snack at any time of day, as can cereal. At least if you have these two items you know you won’t go hungry. Packets of nuts are handy snacks that will keep you feeling full between meals. If you are a fan of nuts, then peanut butter will probably also be at the top of your list.

Monkey nuts - not just for monkeys

If you want to jazz things up a bit, which you probably will if you are going away for longer than a weekend, why not try taking a disposable barbeque with you? These are readily available throughout the summer months at all of the major supermarkets. You can use them to barbeque skewered vegetables, such as courgettes, peppers and onions. These can be served alongside barbequed tomatoes with halloumi cheese and barbequed mushrooms. Of course, many of these items will need to be bought fresh, so these meals will require some forward planning on your part. Maybe this is something you can treat yourself to once or twice during your trip. When you are at the shops to buy your fresh vegetables you could also pick up some crusty bread to dip in olive oil as an accompaniment to your barbequed veggies. Even when shopping during your trip you will probably find that you want to keep things as simple as possible, but you could pick up some mixed herbs or spices if you want to jazz your meals up a bit.

I’m sure many vegetarians feel that when the summer barbeque season rolls around, the supermarkets only cater to meat eaters. This is probably true to a degree but why not try picking up the foil trays of ready to cook mixed vegetables that can usually be found in the chilled section during the summer months. These will also cook well on a barbeque.

Sweetcorn + BBQ = very tasty!

With regards to the essential non-food items you will need for a self catering camping trip, make sure that you take plastic plates and bowls, cutlery, a chopping knife and a small chopping board, bottle opener, tin opener and camping stove. You should also keep in mind that even though you are going on holiday there will still be dishes to do, so you will need to pack a basin, small bottle of washing up liquid and tea towels. Matches are an essential item, as are Tupperware tubs which you will find have a whole host of uses.

Depending on how strict your vegetarian principles are, you may need to stock up on dairy free and animal free products before you go. These can include toiletries and cosmetics, so make sure that you have everything that you need as it is unlikely that you will find items that meet your standards when you reach your destination.

Make sure you’ve got all the Vegan boxes ticked

It is also important to remember the little luxuries; you are on holiday after all. A decent supply of sweets, crisps, chocolate, wine and beer are essential items for your al fresco evenings.

As with any camping trip, enjoy yourself and make the most of it but remember be kind to the environment around you and dispose of your rubbish respectfully and responsibly.

Filed under Blog, Food