Staying at home this summer?

With money a bit tight and an unfavourable exchange rate in many countries, more of us are choosing the comfort of home this summer. It's a great opportunity to relax without the hassle of packing, long car journeys or airport delays. You might even get the chance to try some new summer recipes or invite friends round for a barbecue. And it's the perfect time to get the kids involved too.

Planning your holiday food

Spending your holiday at home gives you a great chance to try out new recipes and have fun with food. When you're at home you're not limited to what's on the menu in your holiday resort, and you can save on restaurant prices. And hopefully, you won't have to squeeze the cooking into a busy day.

If you’re feeling really organised you could make and freeze a few dishes so you can take some time off from cooking later in the holiday.

Why not have a change and get the family to take it in turns to do the cooking, you could even let the kids take charge for a day?

When trying out new recipes at home is you can be as creative as you want in your own kitchen. You can also swap ingredients and adapt recipes to make healthier versions. Take a look at the eatwell plate to see what makes a healthy, balanced diet.

Make staying at home special

Make the most of any summer sun by eating outside. Dust off the barbecue and get family and friends round for lunch. If you’re inviting a crowd, keep the costs down, and avoid having to be in the kitchen all day, by asking everyone to bring some foods such as a salad, side dish or dessert.

• Make a change from traditional burgers that can contain high levels of saturated fats and try some of our leaner ideas for summer eating.

• You could even try barbecuing your dessert. Halved peaches grilled until soft and served with half fat crème fraîche topped with toasted almonds can round off a meal perfectly.
• Why not treat yourselves to a special holiday meal – our summer recipes will give you plenty of tasty ideas. Dress things up with a tablecloth, light some candles and pass around brightly coloured napkins. If it starts to turn chilly outside in the evening, take out piles of cosy jumpers and blankets and stay out to watch the stars!
• Consider rounding off your British holiday with another great British tradition – afternoon tea. Get out your best cups and saucers and bake up some delicious scones to serve up with freshly picked strawberries.

Eating around the world

If you’re really missing a trip overseas why not recreate your favourite destination in your kitchen?

If you love to tour Europe try our aubergine pasta for an Italian theme, head to France with a sausage and bean cassoulet or soak up some Spanish atmosphere with a traditional omelette.

But why limit yourself to Europe? With no long haul flights to sit through you could be enjoying dishes inspired by destinations all over the world – you could even visit a different continent every night!

Keeping the kids happy

Keep the children busy over the holidays by letting them help out with some of the planning.

• Let older children prepare a special meal for you or their friends. If they get a chance to get involved with the planning and make some choices about the menu, they might be keener to get involved, and can learn some valuable cookery skills along the way.
• Even the youngest children can help out. Washing vegetables and adding fillings like cucumber to sandwiches can be fun for little ones — and if they pinch a few bits to eat along the way, it’ll just help them on their way to their five portions a day.
• Why not visit a farm shop for some of your essential ingredients? Picking your own strawberries can be great fun, and you might get a chance to meet the farm animals.
• Strawberry cones are fun to make with kids, and a healthier alternative to ice cream.

There are lots of activities available to help the kids work up an appetite, and many of them are free. Make good use of your local parks and look out for free swimming for under-16s and the over-60s. You might even be able to get free tennis courts and coaching at your local leisure centre, so it’s worth asking in advance. Or make the most of the garden and see how many new games you can invent with a simple football.

Days out

Have fun choosing activities and day trips to make the most of your time. Your tourist information centre should have lots of information about local attractions or spend a bit of time researching online.

For some day trips, like a picnic in the park or a walk in the woods, a packed lunch can be the highlight of the day. Pack up a delicious pasta salad, refreshing summer fruits and some cool drinks.

Packing your own tasty lunch will also help cut the costs of day trips to attractions and means you'll avoid both café prices and all those long queues. Try our top tips for some healthy lunchbox ideas and recipes.

If you're venturing further afield don't forget to pack something for the journey. Fresh fruit, malt loaf and water can keep everyone happy without leaving too much mess in the car!

If you're taking a picnic, or just some snacks, don't take food out of the fridge until the last minute and use a cool bag to keep it chilled until you're ready to eat. It's especially important that meat and anything with cream in it are kept cool.