Ideas for food on vacation in Mexico page

[Momto3]

Hello Primal Family!
Our family will be heading to Mexico for a week. We will have access to about 8-10 restaurants in the resort area, and if we feel brave enough can take a taxi to a big grocery store. We have a full kitchen in suite. We are a family of 5 (3 kids under age 9) I am just trying to brainstorm and prep for this trip on items I should try to pack in our suitcase. It would be nice to keep costs lower, yet I am also looking forward to relaxing...not cooking (it's vacation for this stay at home mom!)

ideas so far:
cans of olives
nitrate free beef jerky
homemade almond flour muffins
nuts


at the resort:
hard boiled eggs (maybe I can take a doggie bag home from the huge buffet in the morning )

Thanks for the ideas!

[tfarny]

Mexican grocery stores are cool and easy, super fun for your kids too. Relax and get out of the resort, it'll be a good experience for the family.
Buy a ton of eggs and cheese, etc. and this is not a week to go low-fruit! Steaks are really good and cheap in mexico as well as fruits and basic veg of course. I'd buy a huge mound of beef fajitas (w/corn tortillas) ingredients and a huge ton of eggs and salsa, and cook several easy mexican meals at your place. I did exactly that this summer, it was easy, fun, and saved a ton of cash and time.

[Meadow]

Last time I went on vacation, we ate most of our breakfasts and lunches through grocery shopping, but we ate all dinners out. We just had lots of grilled meats (mostly fish), shrimp, lobster and usually I could scrounge up some veggie.

I went shopping when we first arrived and bought eggs, bacon, butter, veggies, tuna, and deli meat and cheese. In the morning I scrambled up eggs real quick with bacon, we relaxed on the veranda overlooking the ocean with breakfast each day. I chopped up veggies like peppers and cucumber at the start of the week, and I just packed those in a bag each morning. I tossed in the meats and cheeses or tuna, and we munched on those throughout the day. Couple years ago we went to Hawaii, I remember roasting two chickens at the start of the week and we ate those for lunch and snacks the rest of the week.

I packed in my suitcase a few items to make this easier:
-Sandwich and snack baggies for packing lunches
-Some spices in small baggies (kosher salt, pepper, and a couple of our favs)
-A cooler backpack, this was GREAT for the beach...I put ice in a freezer bag and tossed our lunch in the pack
-Nuts (like you mentioned)
-Some nut crackers (I like these with tuna for lunch as a splurge)
-Kind nut bars for a sweet treat


Being out in the sun all day or playing in the ocean is quite draining. So I don't count carbs really while out vacationing....I just try and avoid gluten first, and hope for the best with everything else.

[Hedonist]

Mexican grocery stores are cool and easy, super fun for your kids too. Relax and get out of the resort, it'll be a good experience for the family.
Buy a ton of eggs and cheese, etc. and this is not a week to go low-fruit! Steaks are really good and cheap in mexico as well as fruits and basic veg of course. I'd buy a huge mound of beef fajitas (w/corn tortillas) ingredients and a huge ton of eggs and salsa, and cook several easy mexican meals at your place. I did exactly that this summer, it was easy, fun, and saved a ton of cash and time.

i haven't been to Mexico, except for a couple of trips to Tijuana long ago. My knowledge of "Mexican" cooking is mostly California Mexican, aka "Tex Mex." When I go out for Mexican food I also get fajitas, no beans, no rice, maybe corn tortillas. Go to the mercado to get stuff for some meals, and enjoy native foods in the restaurants for some.

[Balance]

Buy some carne asada in bulk at the local Carniceria. I love that stuff!

[Orchid]

Tangent: I spent a week once in Mexico City and have to say they have the *best* dining scene.

But, sounds like you are in a resort... I remember Cancun having the same food options as an American suburb, so, you know the drill there. The hotel restaurant was per American tastes, too, but a little less corny than the Cancun malls, so you know the drill there too. As far as "normal" Mexico goes, I agree with others that grocery stores are great and fun -- plenty of meats and veggies, although they do have their share of the mega-stores, too, so you may want to avoid those because they are full of Wal-Mart-esque junk. For dining out meals, specifically: fajitas, chicken mole (don't remember all whats in the sauce exactly -- sugar?) but its really yummy as well as protein-y, and grilled meats, and salads with meats. Food is cooked in lard, there, which is awesome. I remember observing from my cold doggie bags the evidence of lard or butter with the congealed fat everywhere.

I don't remember it being overly rice and bean-y, mostly meat-y.

[BStoneFitz]

i live in south texas (like at the border!) and there are a ton of great mexican restaurants that I enjoy. I usually get an order of chicken or steak fajitas (or combined) and substitute the rice and beans for steamed/sauteed vegetables. i also just leave the tortillas, or someone else at the table will eat them. super easy, really good. just don't touch the free chips and salsa!

[Momto3]

Great ideas so far. Thanks!

[canio6]

Depending on where you are going you could probably get some great seafood dishes. We have an excellent Mexican seafood restaurant here. It's definitely not your usual taco, burrito type place.

[O_O]

I'd be enjoying any tropical fruits they have along with hass avocado.

Wishing you a safe journey in Mexico.