[Easy] 1 Week Cottage Meal Plan

4 minute read...
Hey there!  Hope you’re all enjoying the summer so far.  It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. There’s been a lot going on these days and I’m just barely keeping up. Anyway, this post is going to be a little different than what I normally write about. I thought since it’s summer and cottaging (is that a word?…I don’t think so, but it is now!) is on practically everyone’s mind, I’d try to make your life a little easier by giving you my [mostly] healthy, Easy 1 Week Cottage Meal Plan to help get you ready for your holidays. Let’s save the interior design tips until next time, ok? :)

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I decided to put this together for you because, in my experience, meal planning can be such a time suck.  I don’t know about you, but when I dream about getting away to the cottage, my dreams never include all the prep work that needs to happen before you even get there….laundry, packing, meal planning, groceries, toys, firewood, etc....it's exhausting!  So with that said, here’s my Easy 1 Week Cottage Meal Plan to give you one less thing to worry about before you get away to relax.

NOTE: All meals in this meal plan can be made without a stove or microwave.  You will need a source of fire and a cooler though.

DAY 1
Since most rental cottages have late afternoon check-in times typically you only need to worry about preparing dinner on day 1.  If you’re like me, you’ll want to keep this meal as simple as possible since you’ll have so much unpacking to do when you arrive.  I suggest good ole’ hamburgers and hotdogs with a pre-made salad to keep it easy.

You can either buy pre-made burgers or get my for my “Perfect Burger” recipe.  Make them ahead of time for maximum convenience. They freeze well and will help to keep your other cooler items chilled.

Since hamburgers and hotdogs land on the salty side of the spectrum, I like to balance them out with a sweeter salad.  I love Eat Smart’s Sweet Kale Salad.  It’s healthy, easy to pack and tastes amazing!

QUICK ASIDE:  I’d be happy to share ALL of my recipes with you. Download them here, along with a meal plan and grocery list.  (NOTE - the grocery list does NOT include baking items such as flour, sugar, baking powder, etc. as people generally have these items in their pantry).

DAY 2
Again, the first morning of vacation can be a bit rough.  There may still be things to unpack or too much excitement the first night of vacay may have led to a lazy morning.  I suggest banana muffins and almonds for breakfast.  You can buy these from your local grocery store or make my delicious recipe ahead of time and bring them with you.  Eating the muffins the first day also ensures that they’ll be fresh.Breakfast
Banana Muffins and Almonds

Lunch
Ham & Havarti Sandwiches and Watermelon

Dinner
Chicken Wings and Fresh Veggies (Carrots & Celery) with Hummus and Buns

I find bread/buns help to cool the palette after downing a bunch of hot sauce (that is.....if you’re a hot sauce lover like I am).  My favourite wings are ones you get from Costco because they re-heat well, but use whichever ones you like best are fine.  I suggest seasoning a few with only salt for the kiddoes and then use Montreal Chicken Spice on the rest for the adults.  If you’re cottaging with another family, leave the sauce off so that everyone can dip their wings in whichever sauce they choose after the wings are cooked.

Easy 1 Week Cottage Meal Planning DAY 3

Breakfast
Bacon, Eggs, Toast and Strawberries

Lunch
Quinoa & Walnut Salad and Cherries

Dinner
Steak, BBQ baked potatoes, grilled mushrooms, peppers and onions. Download my quinoa salad or grilled vegetable recipe here.

DAY 4
Breakfast
French Toast and Bananas

Lunch
Yogurt, Blueberries and Veggie Straws

Dinner
Sausage on a Bun with Corn on the Cob
Learn how to cook corn on the cob on a BBQ here.

DAY 5
Breakfast
Omelettes and Breakfast Sausage

Lunch
Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Apples

Dinner
Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Salad and Lemon Roasted Greek Potatoes. 

NOTE: Day 6 includes Chicken Caesar Salad for lunch.  I suggest grilling some extra chicken breasts while making your souvlaki to save time the next day.

DAY 6
Breakfast
Pancakes and Strawberries

You can bring a packaged mix (blah) or get my grandma’s famous recipe.

Lunch
Chicken Caesar Salad and Grapes

For the last dinner of vacay, I suggest homemade naan pizzas along with any leftovers you have that need to be used up before packing up for home. :( The kids will love making them too!

And for DAY 7, I recommend cereal and leftover fruit for breakfast.  You’ll be busy packing and tidying before check-out time so you’ll want to keep this meal quick and easy, with as little clean up as possible. Cheerios get my vote as it doubles as good snack food for the kids as well, but of course, bring what suits your family’s tastes best.

So there it is….my tried and true Easy 1 Week Cottage Meal Plan.  It has a variety of foods to suit various palettes and it’s [mostly] healthy. If you have any favourite (easy) meals that you use for your cottage vacations, I’d love to know about them.  Please comment below with your favourite recipe; I’m always looking for ideas.

I also suggest bringing plenty of snack foods, especially if you’ve got kids with you.  All that swimming and playing can create big appetites. Some of my favourite easy snack foods to take to the cottage/beach are:

Pretzel Chips
Nacho Chips & Salsa
Almonds and Walnuts (noted above) or other nuts if you prefer
Veggie Straws (noted above)
Popcorn (Jiffy Pop if you don’t have access to a stove or microwave)
Fruit SqueeZ Packs
Granola Bars
Goldfish Crackers
Cheese Strings
Fruit Gummies or Fruit-to-Go Bars
Freezies (safe to re-freeze if they melt)
Turkey Pepperettes


I like to pack individual snacks for the kids when we head to the beach to avoid fights (and distribution of sand LOL) so I always bring a pack of Ziplock sandwich bags so that I can divide any loose snacks up into individual portions.  They come in handy for leftovers as well so they’re a must-have on my cottage list.

What are your snack foods of choice for the beach or cottage?  Comment below with your favourites; I’d love to know if I’m missing out on something.   


If you don’t have anything to add, that’s cool. :) I just hope that I was able to help save you some time as you get ready for your vacation. Download my Easy 1 Week Cottage Meal Plan here.

I hope you all have an amazing summer and I promise to have some interior design related information ready for you next time. Happy Cottaging! 

Virtual Interior Designer
Orangetree Interiors

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