Are you planning a beach vacation? Then you need a meal plan! Save time and money using our seven-day plan. Don’t waste a minute trying to figure out what you are cooking, let us do it for you. We’ve got a complete meal plan with breakfast, lunch, and dinner that is sure to please all of your loved ones. Traveling with another family or two? We’ve got you covered!
Let’s go to The Chalkboard.
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Why Should You Have A Beach Vacation Meal Plan?
Going on vacation should be a relaxing experience, complete with leisurely days and lots of time spent with loved ones. No one wants to stand in front of the refrigerator and wonder what to make for dinner. Going in with a plan helps to make your vacation stress-free. Plus, you can do a lot of the prep can in advance, so you aren’t cooking if you don’t desire it.
Prices for groceries at beach vacation spots can be marked up significantly. Cooking will also save you money versus going out to dinner.
Simply put, having a beach vacation meal plan will save you time and money.
But where to start? Whether you have already mastered our Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning and are a complete pro or have never meal planned before, aka a “noob” as my kids call me whenever they can, there are certain things to consider when cooking on vacation.
How To Create A Beach Vacation Meal Plan
Cooking at a beach house is not the same as being in your home. The equipment is different, and the warm weather lends itself to simple, lighter fare.Here are some other things to keep in mind.
- Consider what is in your rental kitchen. We have a list below of some standard kitchen items. Ask ahead if there is a BBQ.
- Breakfasts are simple so that you can get your toes in the sand right away. But plan for a few bigger morning meals like pancakes or waffles. Youn may want to sleep in or delay your beach time if you’ve gotten too much sun, or it’s rainy.
- Lunches should be portable so you can eat as you watch the waves. That doesn’t just mean sandwiches. Think hearty grain salads, wraps, and leftovers.
- Dinners should be crowd-pleasers that don’t take hours to prepare. It sounds like an impossible feat, right? It’s doable, and lots of dinners can be made at home and just reheated.
- Don’t forget the snacks. Popcorn, frozen grapes, mandarins, and fig bars are all family favorites.
- If all of this is too much to think about, don’t worry, we have a complete beach vacation meal plan below.
Multi-Family Beach Vacation Meal Plan Ideas
If you have another family or two joining you for the week, here are a few things to consider.
- Make sure to share the cooking load. Everyone is on vacation, so no one person should be responsible for all meals. Each family can take turns making dinners.
- Think about if one person will do all of the grocery shopping or if each family will do some.
- Alert everyone if there is a food allergy, especially for little ones who may not communicate.
- If children will be there, it’s not a bad idea to have a kid-friendly backup meal or two. Frozen chicken nuggets, pasta with sauce or butter are both great options. Hangry kids are not pleasant.
Beach Vacation Meal Ideas
Here are some ideas on what to cook.
Breakfast
- Make a batch of oatmeal overnight oats before you go. It is just $6 for a large can of McCann’s Irish Oats, which will feed your family for a week. Oats can be served cold, or you can heat them in the morning, add some fruit, and you are on your way. Cookie and Kate have a great article on how to make them.
- Make parfaits with yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit. They seem fancy but are easy to prepare and customize.
- Plan a day or two for more extensive breakfasts. Our make-ahead pancake board makes an impressive spread that is easy to scale.
Beach House Lunches
- Sandwiches! Make peanut butter and jelly, turkey and cheese, or whatever works. They are portable and customizable.
- This Chickpea Tuna Salad takes minutes to prepare is healthy and portable.
- Make extra grilled chicken or use leftovers from the pulled chicken in our meal plan and put it in a wrap for lunch the next day.
Beach Vacation Meal Plan Dinner Ideas
- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches – Make this chicken in the crockpot before you travel. It freezes well and is so versatile. Use it in quesadillas, in a cold chicken salad, or add protein to simple greens.
- Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups – Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser but let’s be honest, it is a lot of work. These roll-ups give you the same flavor in half the time. Add meat or keep it vegetarian. Another make-at-home meal, this dish is freezer-friendly and easy to double or even triple.
- Chimichurri Fish – This fish looks impressive and takes no time to prepare. Make the sauce a few days ahead, and the prep time is nil. Don’t like fish? This herb-based sauce is excellent on chicken, shrimp, and steak. Serve it with rice and grilled vegetables.
- Grilled Chicken with a Mediterranean Salad – This Mediterranean salad comes together with mostly pantry ingredients in no time. Add some grilled chicken, and you have a meal that’s filling but light.
- Big Mac Salad – Combining two unlikely things, a McDonald’s burger and salad, this recipe is a fun twist on a classic. I like to omit the meat and serve it alongside a regular hamburger. Although with the ground beef included, it’s a delightful beach meal for lunch or dinner.
- Enchiladas – These take time but are oh so worth it. Make them ahead and double the batch. They freeze so well. Serve with yellow rice, refried beans, lettuce, and pico de gallo. It’s like dinner at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
- Tortellini Salad – Ready in less than 30 minutes, this dinner is the perfect summer dish. Serve along with BBQ items or on its own; it’s great either way.
The Kitchen Chalkboard’s 7-Day Beach Vacation Meal Plan (With Recipes)
Sunday
Breakfast – Overnight Oats
Lunch – Sandwiches
Dinner – Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, French Fries, Broccoli
Monday
Breakfast – Yogurt Parfaits
Lunch – Chicken Salad Wraps Using leftover chicken from dinner
Dinner – Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups, Green Salad
Tuesday
Breakfast – Overnight Oats
Lunch – Chickpea Tuna Salad
Dinner – Chimichurri Fish, Rice, Vegetables
Wednesday
Breakfast – Make Ahead Pancake Board
Lunch – Sandwiches
Dinner – Grilled Chicken, Mediterranean Salad
Thursday
Breakfast – Yogurt Parfaits
Lunch – Leftover Mediterranean Salad
Dinner – Big Mac Salad with hamburgers
Friday
Breakfast – Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit, Scrambled Eggs
Lunch – Leftover Big Mac Salad
Dinner – Tortellini Salad
Saturday
Breakfast – Overnight Oats
Lunch – Leftover Tortellini Salad
Dinner – Enchiladas, yellow rice, refried beans, lettuce, pico de gallo
No need to write it down! You can download it here.
Basic Utensils Found In A Beach House Kitchen
Here are the kitchen items in most rentals. While most houses have a BBQ, it is best to confirm before you book.
- Large dinner plates
- Cereal bowls
- Cutlery
- Coffee mugs and casual drink glasses
- A spaghetti pot and colander
- Skillet and saucepan
- Knives
How Do You Pack Food For A Beach Vacation?
- Even if you plan on going out to dinner a night or two, pack an extra meal if you can. Even if it’s frozen pizzas, this will allow you to change plans if needed. Sometimes everyone is tired; it’s good to have a backup.
- If you are working with a recipe with spices, measure them out and pack them in a baggie labeled with the recipe name. This prep will save you the step of measuring out spices and giving you fewer things to pack.
- Go through each recipe to make sure you pack up all the necessary ingredients.
- Don’t forget coffee, tea, lemonade, or other beverages (adult ones, too) and snacks!
- You can expect that knives are dull. You might want to pack one or two of your own. Here’s a great tutorial on how to safely carry them. Remember, do NOT take knives on an airplane.
- Don’t forget coolers and ice packs so you can be mobile. Meals on the beach are the best!
What Do You Think?
Do you have any good vacation plans? What is in your beach vacation meal plan? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear! Be sure to check out our ski trip meal plan.
Does your beach vacay also involve some time on the water? We’ve got you covered with the Ultimate List of Boat Food.
Happy Beachin’!
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