By Jim Boyle
Traveling by RV is a great way to get away from the stress of life. Like having a little holiday in a home away from home. And in that little home away from home, you can go almost anywhere with your family — still with the comfort of amenities right at your campsite.
But with little holidays come little challenges. One of the most common is making sure that you can prepare great meals and eat well the road. (Constant fast food gets old … fast.) The key to unlocking this culinary feat is to prepare in advance, always making sure that your RV has a great kitchen workstation to make magic happen.
So, let’s talk about some tips and tricks to eat well on the road—whether it’s amazing cooking in the galley or on the grill.
Picking your route
The best way to start planning out your meals for the trip is to know where you are going and how long you will be traveling. Work out the route that you will be taking to have a better idea of what you need to pack, or stops that you make throughout the trip to pick up certain food things on the way.
Preparing for the road
The best way to cook while traveling is to prepare extensively. These are some of the ways you can prepare for the trip.
- Make meal plans for the entire trip. If you have an idea of what you’re cooking for each day, you won’t be left confused and flustered. Have backup plans in case the meal for a certain falls through.
- Make a checklist of everything you need. This includes the ingredients you will need, the equipment to cook with, spices and homemade rubs for any grilling that you plan on doing.
- RVs come with refrigerators, so use them to store fresh foods and anything that must stay cold. This will help prolong the shelf life of your fresh ingredients.
- Make a list of easy recipes, because holidays are a time to relax and you don’t want to be wasting away in the kitchen.
Overcoming common food challenges on the road
Nothing is without challenges, and you are bound to face a few hiccups on the road. Mitigate this by having backup plans for certain struggles you may face.
- Meeting your daily nutrition goals will be one of the challenges you face while on the road. This may be because you might not have a full variety of fresh foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. You can make up for this by carrying along vitamin supplements to make up for important nutrients that you may miss out on.
- Pack the canned variety of foods. This way you won’t run the risk of them getting spoiled by being exposed to the elements.
- At every corner, aim to practice good safety habits. This is mainly to prevent bacteria build-up and your family from getting sick. Keep water on hand for easy washing.
- If someone in your family is unfortunate enough to come down with a stomach bug, make sure to have a stock of over-the-counter medication to treat them. Keep sicknesses like nausea or diarrhea at the forefront of your mind when visiting a pharmacy. (Because we all know that what happens in the bathroom has a big impact on the cabin.)
- Be aware of food spoiling ahead of time, especially if you’re traveling during warmer weather.
- Make a note of all the drugstores and doctors that appear on your route, just in case need to seek emergency assistance.
Tips to make cooking on the road easier
- If you’re renting an RV, make an attempt to familiarize yourself with their built-in kitchen, so that you can navigate it easily when cooking during the trip.
- Make regular pit stops to pick up fresh vegetables, fruits and nonperishable food. You can do this make by making a note of all the supermarkets and farmers markets that appear on your route. This way you will have a constant stream of fresh food instead of overpacking your fridge at the beginning of the trip.
- For every meal that you plan, try to make healthier decisions, even while you’re traveling.
- When it comes time to make meals, create a roster of help. Assign family members on a rotational basis to tasks like prepping food and cleaning up afterward.
- The equipment you pack should be the types that are easy to clean and easy to store in your RV.
- Make use of disposable plates to save up on water for washing up. Remember to dispose of these properly.
Equipment you need
While some RVs come with a fully functional kitchen, packing the right equipment will make your trip more comfortable.
- Use an inductor stovetop or a gas-operated stove to use as an additional heat source if you’re making multiple things at once.
- Pack proper cooking equipment like pots, pans, and utensils to use in the kitchen.
- Make sure that you have the right type of fuel for your cookers. Propane gas for stoves or coal and wood for kettle grills.
- Invest in a camping grill gate to use on top of your own grill.
Food ideas to eat well on the road
As mentioned previously, stocking up on veggies and perishables while en route, and packing non-perishable items before the trip is a good idea. These are some options that you can consider cooking while traveling.
- Out of all the seafood that is great for grilling, shrimp and lobster are the best and quickest to make – all you need is some butter and salt. If you find a great fishmonger while on the road you can get some on the way.
- Other easy-to-grill options are processed meat options like hamburgers, hotdogs and ham. If you aren’t partial to these, you can get your favorite cuts of meat and throw them on the grill.
- Any fish or game that you catch on your trip is perfect for grilling in the spur of the moment.
- When you make side dishes, you can grill some vegetables with butter, salt and pepper to bring out their natural flavors.
- Sandwiches are also great grilled. Leftovers in sandwiches are also a great way to prevent food waste.
Conclusion
Make dining while you’re on your RV trip by having all the basics down. This includes meal planning, stopping for regular stock-ups and having all the tools that you need to make memorable meals while on the road. You can also make your time in the kitchen less by getting the family to help with cooking and cleaning up. That way everyone can get back to the joy of being on holiday.
