Eating whilst travelling isn’t the easiest of things, even if you find yourself static in one place for a period of time. You might be surprised to hear that, but after a short while you begin to get fed up of the same things, which are more often than not the unhealthy options. Think about it, you’re walking down the street and you see a McDonalds. You might be craving a home cooked meal, but it’s just not possible, so you call in and grab a Big Mac and fries, and that’s your evening meal until the next day sorted.

Yes?

Well, if you keep that up for any period of time then you’re going to be packing extra timber and knocking the scales towards the sky, as well as probably being border-line bankrupt within a few months.

If you’re traveling within the UK, there are budget-friendly meals you can have, that don’t take hours of slaving over a hot stove, are cheap enough to have most days, and some will even last until the next day, provided you have access to a refrigerator. It’s not all about fish and chips, well, not if you don’t want it to be! Whilst I can’t deny that the UK has become very fast-food and Americanised in terms of meals, and not a lot of it is particularly healthy, here are a few ideas for convenience meals you can easily grab without having to become the next Gordon Ramsey.

Fish & Chips – Okay, so this isn’t exactly dripping in health benefits, but it is something that is easy to grab whilst you’re in the UK, it’s quintessentially British, and it’s just totally delicious. Drench in vinegar, yum!

Head to the Chinese – We all fancy a takeaway from time to time, and whilst a lot of what is on the menu isn’t the healthiest of options, there are a few that won’t pack your waistline with extra lard. Vegetable chow mein is a healthy and filling option, which is relatively cheap too, basically because you’re not paying for meat. Chinese takeaways are on every street corner almost in the UK, which makes this an easy and convenient way to grab your evening meal.

Soup – If you do have access to a cooker, then cooking up a batch of soup and freezing it in tubs is a good way to kit yourself out with meals for a few days, and it’s also healthy too. Fresh bread is easy enough to buy daily, and if you make a couple of different varieties of soup, e.g. vegetable, tomato etc, then you can avoid getting bored of the same thing. During a UK winter, a hearty soup is the best way to warm up.

Pot Noodles – This might not be something you’ve heard of outside of the UK, but basically this is the easiest meal in the entire world, and something anyone born in the 90s in the UK was brought up with! Noodles, add water, boom! You’re done. My favourite is chicken and mushroom, and it’s marginally healthier because it is actually made with tofu; just don’t look too much at the salt content!!

The obligatory kebab shop – A lot of the time, it’s cheaper to eat out and grab a takeaway than it is to cook for yourself. The price of fruit and vegetables, as well as meat, is quite high in the UK, so this is where the kebab shop has us hooked! Pack your kebab with salad, ask for chicken, and avoid too much mayo, and you make it a healthier option than the greasy donor kebab you might find yourself craving after a night out.

Sushi bars – Especially in large cities, you’ll find sushi bars springing up everywhere. Yo! Sushi is a popular one, and this is a healthy option when it comes to your evening meal, or even a quick lunch on the go.

A lot of the food I enjoy in the UK isn’t particularly British, as many different cultural influences have also influenced the food we eat, despite that, there are plentiful ways to eat quickly and easily on the go.

Photo Credit: Jim Legans,Jr under Creative Commons license