If you are someone who loves to travel then you know that in addition to the cost of the travel itself the cost of food can be a major expense for your vacation. It is very easy to tally up expenses for food that can easily exceed the cost of your vacation if you are not careful. We have put together some helpful hints to assist you with planning your trip and saving money on dining while on your trip.

First off, the age old advice of eating a good breakfast applies here as well. Always eat a balanced meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates such as traditional bacon and eggs with toast instead of a sugar laden breakfast of donuts. Complex carbohydrates including whole grain cereal, oatmeal, or wheat toast will also help keep hunger away and make you feel satisfied longer.

Endeavor to make lunch your biggest meal of the day since most restaurants usually have specials during lunch hour that can save you a great deal of money. Be friendly with the employees at the hotel you are staying and ask their advice for local eating establishments that have lunch specials. I always enjoy trying the food at little cafes that the locals love.

It is always smart to take along some snacks with you while you are out running around, especially if you are on some kind of tour with a lot of other people. You may be hungry before any scheduled stops for food, so be prepared by having a few snacks like fruit, crackers, nuts, or maybe some trail mix. Get your snacks at a local store instead of from a machine to keep the cost down.

Although many people look at going grocery shopping on vacation as taboo this is really not smart thinking. Anytime we go on vacation I always make sure that we have accommodations that have a kitchen and refrigerator so that we can prepare some of our own meals. There is absolutely no reason to eat out for every meal when you are traveling, especially if you are on a vacation that is a week or more. If you have a family of four you can probably save at least $50 a day just from eating one meal in.

Another good idea especially if you need to lose a few pounds, and most of us do, is to plan to diet a little while on vacation. You could do something like the Slimfast diet where you drink a shake for breakfast and lunch and only eat dinner. Another thing that dramatically increases the cost of dining out on vacations is the addition of alcoholic beverages. Not only are they just empty calories but you are charged for every drink as opposed to drinking a regular beverage where you are normally only charged for one glass and then get free refills.