Cooking in Hostels: A Guide to Grocery Shopping & Easy Meals

Cooking while traveling might not be the first thing on your mind, but hostel kitchens can be a game-changer for budget travellers, long-term backpackers, and anyone who enjoys a more independent food experience. 

While eating out is a big part of exploring a new place, cooking your own meals has its perks—it saves money, gives you control over what you eat, and lets you experience local ingredients in a hands-on way.

But let’s be real—cooking in a hostel isn’t the same as cooking at home. You’re sharing space, dealing with whatever equipment (or lack of!) is available, and trying to figure out what to buy in a foreign grocery store where everything looks slightly different from what you’re used to.

That’s where this guide comes in! Whether you’re planning to make one meal or cook regularly, I’ll walk you through:
✔ What to expect in a hostel kitchen
✔ How to grocery shop in a new country without getting overwhelmed
✔ Simple, hostel-friendly meal ideas that require minimal effort
✔ How to find fresh, local ingredients while traveling

Cooking in hostels doesn’t have to be a hassle—with a little planning, it can be one of the best parts of your trip!

The Challenge of Grocery Shopping While Traveling

If you’re anything like me, you dream about all the amazing meals you’re going to cook while traveling. You see someone whip up a great dish in a hostel kitchen and think, Next time, I’ll make something like that! 

But then you walk into a supermarket, suddenly your brain goes blank and you’re left staring at the shelves. (Although to be honest, this used to happen to me in Finland, too.)

Don’t get me wrong—I LOVE browsing local supermarkets and outdoor markets (and, yes, sneaking a peek into locals’ shopping baskets to see what they buy). But the reality is, in a foreign grocery store where everything looks unfamiliar, decision-making becomes ten times harder. 

Add in the rush of being hungry and needing something quick, and suddenly you’re grabbing the first thing that looks edible—which usually isn’t the best choice.

To save you from that scenario (and quite frankly just to help myself next time), I’ve put together this hostel cooking guide. 

Whether you’re staying somewhere for one night or a week, having a plan makes hostel cooking easier, cheaper, and more enjoyable—without resorting to sad, dry, overpriced sandwiches.

What to Expect in a Hostel Kitchen

Before buying groceries, check what your hostel actually provides. 

Some hostels have fully stocked kitchens with stoves, ovens, fridges, and plenty of cookware. 

Others? A microwave, a dodgy electric kettle, and a broken toaster—if you’re lucky.

Common Hostel Kitchen Setups

• Fully Equipped Kitchen – Stove, oven, fridge, plenty of pots and pans.
• Basic Kitchen – Hot plates, microwave, fridge, limited cookware.
• Minimal Setup – Just a kettle and microwave.
• No Kitchen at All – Time to get creative with no-cook meals!

Biggest money-saving tip: Most hostels also have “free food” shelves, where travellers leave behind pasta, rice, cooking oil, salt, and spices. Sometimes the hostel might provide you with salt, oil or basic spices – but don’t expect anything fancier than black pepper!

Always, always check this before your shopping trip—you might score some freebies. 

Shopping for Hostel Cooking: How to Grocery Shop in a New Country

Walking into a foreign supermarket can be overwhelming (I love it!). Different brands, different layouts, and everything is in a language you don’t understand. 

The trick? Stick to a simple shopping list of ingredients that can be used in multiple ways. Add local foods whenever you want to try something new.

Basic Grocery List for Hostel Cooking

Here’s my go-to list (that I wrote down mostly for myself 😀)

Protein & Staples

• Eggs – Cheap, versatile, and protein-packed. You can boil, fry, scramble, or toss them in a soup (yes, it works!).
• Bread – Choose something local! In Latvia, I loved the dark rye bread, but often found the OG local bread a bit too sweet.
• Pasta or Rice – Easy to cook and can be paired with almost anything. (And there usually is a packet of pasta in the freebie box.)
• Canned Beans or Lentils – Great for quick protein, no refrigeration needed.
• Oats – I love these for a morning porridge, you can usually find them everywhere and they’re cheap!

Veggies & Fruits That Don’t Require Much Prep

• Cucumber & Peppers – Great for fresh salads or quick snacks.
• Onion & Garlic – Essential for adding flavor to anything you cook.
• Tomatoes – Can be eaten raw, added to sandwiches, or cooked into pasta sauce.
• Apples, clementines, bananas – So easy to have as a snack!

Quick Snacks & No-Cook Foods

• Porridge Packets (Pussipuuro for us Finns! Please try to pronounce that 😂) – Perfect for when you only have a kettle, but also easy to spice up with yoghurt, nuts, honey…
• Yogurt & Granola – Easy breakfast, no cooking required.
• Nuts & Dried Fruit – Good for snacking and energy boosts. Although to be fair, I don’t usually like these so much. I know they’re good for me, but the bag will be forgotten somewhere.

Local Market Finds

• If you want to experience local food culture, visit markets instead of supermarkets.
• Instead of grabbing pre-packaged food at a supermarket, you can buy fresh bread, cheese, and seasonal produce for the same price—or less.
• For example in Riga, the Central Market is perfect for fresh bread, cheese, and produce at affordable prices. One of the older guests at the hostel used to go there for a walk every morning, and return with some bread, vegetables, a new cheese to sample and some red wine for breakfast. Excellent use of free will!

Easy Meals You Can Make in a Hostel

Hostel cooking is all about simplicity. You want quick meals with minimal ingredients—especially when the kitchen is crowded.

Egg-Based Meals

• Scrambled Eggs with Bread – Quick and filling. Add any veggies you have. (Trust me this works, I ate it for nearly 6 months straight.)
• Omelet – Toss in some onions, peppers, and cheese for extra flavor.
• Boiled Eggs – Great for breakfast or a snack on the go.

Pasta & Rice Dishes

• Pasta with Veggies & Canned Tuna – A one-pot meal that’s cheap and satisfying.
• Rice with Beans & Spices – A filling option that doesn’t require refrigeration.
• Pasta with pesto – Can’t go wrong with this hostel staple (honestly, you will see 50 % of other hostel guests make this too).

No-Cook Meals

• Sandwiches or Wraps – Bread + cheese + veggies = easy lunch.
• Overnight Oats – Mix oats with yogurt or milk, leave overnight, and enjoy in the morning.

One-Pot Meals

• Lentil Soup – Canned lentils, tomatoes, onion, and whatever spices you find on the free food shelf.
• Simple Stir-Fry – Fry onions, garlic, and any veggies with rice or pasta.

💡 Want more hostel-friendly meal ideas? I’m working on a list of super easy, budget-friendly hostel recipes—stay tuned for that soon!

Pro Tip: If the hostel kitchen isn’t a big industrial one, opt for meals that take under 15 minutes and require only one pan. This will leave space for everyone else to cook too. For the love of god, don’t plan a full 3-course meal for your group and hogging the kitchen the entire night, unless you’re planning on sharing with everyone else too (hint hint nudge nudge).

Microwave Meals: A Budget-Friendly Alternative to Cooking

If cooking from scratch feels like too much effort but you don’t want to spend a fortune eating out, microwaveable ready meals can be a great in-between option. In some countries (especially in Finland, Scandinavia, the UK, and parts of Asia) supermarkets have an impressive selection of affordable, decent-quality microwave meals.

🍛 Pre-cooked rice or grain packs – Just heat and add canned beans, veggies, or sauce.
🥘 Supermarket curries, pasta dishes, or soups – Often cheaper than a restaurant meal but still filling.
🥗 Fresh deli salads or wraps – Some stores sell ready-to-eat meals that don’t even need heating.

These meals can be lifesavers when hostel kitchens are too crowded, or when you just can’t be bothered to cook after a long day of exploring. Plus, many hostels have at least a microwave—even if they lack a proper kitchen.

Food Storage in Hostels: Plan Ahead to Avoid Waste

One thing you might not think about when cooking in hostels is where to store your food. Fridge space can be limited, and dry storage might just be a single shared shelf where things mysteriously disappear (seriously, hostel food theft is a thing).

If you’re planning to cook more than one meal, bring your own storage solutions:
🥡 Tupperware, reusable silicone bags or just simple zip-lock plastic bags – Great for storing leftovers or prepped ingredients.
🛍️ Plastic or fabric shopping bags – Keeps your dry food together (and makes it less tempting for someone to “accidentally” take it).
🥫 Reused glass jars – Perfect for carrying things like overnight oats, sauces, or loose ingredients without spilling.

If you don’t have storage containers, try buying only what you’ll use in one meal to avoid waste. Some hostels have shared fridges, but keeping track of your food (and labeling it with your name) will save you from any unfortunate “disappearances.”

Why Cooking in Hostels is Worth It

Cooking in a hostel doesn’t have to be stressful. It’s a great way to save money, eat healthier, and experience local ingredients.

A little planning goes a long way:

• Stick to a simple shopping list with versatile ingredients.
• Check hostel facilities before buying food to avoid waste.
• Visit local markets for fresh, affordable ingredients.
• Choose meals that are quick and easy to prepare—hostel kitchens get busy!

I’m planning to write more easy hostel-friendly recipes soon, so stay tuned! I’m also working on a custom GPT to help you plan your hostel meals based on available kitchen facilities, local supermarket options, and your budget. Let me know what kind of recipes or food-planning tools would help you the most! 😊

Hostel cooking is all about being flexible, resourceful, and enjoying the experience. Who knows? You might even make new friends while cooking dinner (especially if you share)!