Traveling on a budget can be a challenge in areas where restaurant eating is expensive. In addition, for those with food allergies or other eating considerations, finding alternative meal options can be very helpful.

Several years ago, I spent a couple of weeks in Switzerland, staying with family. I asked where the locals eat when they were traveling around Switzerland, and the answer was – the grocery store. Two of the largest chains, Coop and Migros, had cafeterias in their stores that offered a wide variety of meals and individual items that were freshly made and relatively inexpensive.

I began to observe that many grocery stores in the U.S., as well as other countries, had cafeterias as well. But most importantly, I began using the local grocery store (or in some areas, the more charming series of cheese, bread, sausage, wine stores, etc.) and local outdoor markets as my primary source of meals while traveling. I only go to restaurants occasionally or to sample special cuisine.

No longer was the grocery store just for snacks and bottled water! If the hotel room has a refrigerator, you can pick up items for a couple of days at a time. Here are some suggestions:

Breakfast – fresh fruit that’s already cut up, yogurt, various granolas and cereals (packaged and bulk), hard boiled eggs (they’re the brightly colored eggs in the dairy case in many stores), various baked goods, bagels and cream cheese, etc.

Lunch – Deli meat and cheese (fresh sliced or packaged), rolls and breads, fruit, bakery items, chips, cheese blocks, crackers, dried Italian salami (and others), prepackaged snack items. I often like to bring a lunch with me when I sightsee and find a place on site to relax and eat. Sometimes, eating lunch at a restaurant takes too much time away from sightseeing.

Dinner – Many stores have store prepared hot items, salad bars, and pizza. You can also get items for a picnic such as roasted chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, bread, and cheese. Almost every area has beautiful parks or gardens available to enjoy your picnic. Some areas also offer free concerts or street performers (buskers) in the evening to entertain you while you eat. One of my favorite meals in Paris was meeting up with a group of people for a picnic of cheeses, sausages, bread, fruit, and wine in a local park on a beautiful evening.

Eating is an important part of traveling and certainly experiencing local restaurant meals exposes you to some great cuisine. But if you are on a budget, and don’t want to eat all your meals at restaurants, you have other options in the local grocery store or neighborhood market.