What will be healthy meals while Camping and RV'ing

[campervans]

Which food will best for camping and RV'ing on road?

 

[UTTransplant]

You should generally eat what you eat at home. We always have. I always had a stove (white gas when in tents, propane in a trailer or motorhome). That plus a small selection of staples and menus from home seemed just fine. You can freeze meats in advance for short trips, and they act to keep the cooler or refrigerator cold. The alternative is just pick up meats and/or fresh product frequently.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Agree with the above comment. Whatever you eat at home, you can fix and eat camping. Just because you are "camping" does not mean you need to change your diet at all. There's nothing different here.

The only difference is, instead of cooking it over an electric stove top at home, you may want to fix it over an open fire when camping.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am with the others here, though it does depend on what level of kitchen facilities you have on the road. I have owned camper vans in the past (20-30 years ago) with only an icebox, yes an actual ice box, where you put a block of ice, not a refrigerator, a small microwave over and a camping stove for cooking. Which can limit what you travel with and cook. Now I have a Class A coach with a 3 burner propane stove, convection/microwave oven, RV refrigerator / freezer, a decent amount of counter space, room for an air fryer, etc. So it is 90% like our kitchen at home.

 

[Larry N.]

Which food will best for camping and RV'ing on road?

Basically, whatever you like, as many indicate above. We tend to plan meals (roughly) for the first week or so, with sometimes a variation or three available, but based on (usually) slightly on the easier side to prepare of our normal home fare. Still, DW has baked pineapple upside down cake and biscuits (mmm, sausage gravy) in the convection oven, and most anything that goes in the crock pot or that is cooked on stove top, including stir fries, steaks, hamburgers, stuffed green peppers, etc. and we also have an inexpensive air fryer (just like our one at home) which is great for fish, chicken strips, french fries (if you don't want too many), and most anything else that works in there.

She does omelets (sometimes) for breakfast, and we've got a Blackstone 17" griddle that I've done bacon, sausage, grilled cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs, home fries, eggs and more on. We've also used the microwave for "TV dinners" and for warming leftovers.

We often have a quick and easy supper meal on hand for days when we arrive late afternoon and don't want to mess with something more involved. And once in a while we'll "eat out," depending on whether there are other folks in the group (if a group) that want to go, or if we're tired or if we just want something different.

So it's whatever you want, making it as quick and easy or as involved as you care to do.

ALSO, remember that there are grocery stores available most places that you'll go, too.

 

[Contributor]

The tittle asks about healthy meals. We like to eat healthy all the time. We pack enough food for the trip and then some. We pack a lot of snacks, lots of nuts and fruit. We take some emergency food like can soups (progresso brand is our favorite).

On the road, morning coffee is either instant or percolator vs Mr Coffee at home. Breakfast on the road is oatmeal with fruit, nuts and raisins. Lunch is mostly sandwiches with chips and fruit (apple, orange). Dinners are usually some kind of pasta, fish for my wife and meat for me and lots of vegetables.

Pasta and some steamed veggies are done inside the trailer. Most of the time my wife makes packets using heavy duty aluminum foils. The packets vary, from potatoes and onions in olive oil, to veggies like broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts with mushrooms brushed in olive oil.

Since we like to explore during the day, we often find the local deli/sandwich shop and often buy lunch and some leftovers for later.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I cook the foil packets over the fire.

 

[Skookum]

We take a gas BBQ/grill with us. Lots of chicken breast and lean meats, marinated (low sodium), veggies, grains and light carbs. We also really like salmon. The asparagus (garlic/oil) gets cooked on the grill inside a foil packet. Grilling veggies works too.

The sky is the limit, although, there are nuances to preparing food with limited counter space, a small oven, etc.

If your RV has a gas oven I'd recommend inserting a terracotta tile/ cooking stone that's almost as large as the center rack. Those little gas burners tend to spot-cook. The stone helps distribute the heat and retain heat between the burner cycling.

Cereals and oatmeals, a bit of fresh fruit for breakfast. Sometimes, omelettes. And sometimes, bacon: Best cooked on the gas grill outdoors, on a small sheet lined with foil. Pro tip: Don't get the BBQ over about 300 degrees

One of the indoor/winter meals we like to cook is a modified curry. Chicken breast stir-fried with onions, add peppers and some other veggies. Then add water, bring to a boil, then let simmer until meats are cooked, about 15 minutes. Add some s&b curry cubes, mix until melted. Serve over rice of your choice (we like basmati). Cooking for 2-3 people requires a big pan and sometimes two burners but it can be done! If we're really hungry we'll throw a small rosemary loaf in the oven to go with it.

Last year, we crocked a turkey breast for Thanksgiving and made all the fixins. Just a 2-burner induction range and convection-micro. It worked, and it tasted AWESOME.

If you also have a convection micro and a gas oven it's like having a double oven! A whole chef's kitchen at your disposal. Cook healthy to your heart's content!

 

[Mountain high]

Out west we eat lots of leafy greens and whole grains while camping.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Which food will best for camping and RV'ing on road?

People tend to run a little fast and loose using the word camping in regards to RV-ing.

Camping to me is a tent or a tiny trailer with limited cooking and cold storage facilities.

You should consider RV-ing more like have a mobile apartment. Eat as you would at home, potentially adding a grill to get the back to nature grilling experience.

Might be nice to know what you are "camping in" to advise better.

I did motorcycle camping. A tent and everything to camp in saddle bags and a sissy bar case. I pretty much ate dehydrated meals and shelf stable milk.

 

[DutchmenSport]

"Healthy" eating is a relative term you know. What is "healthy" for one person may be death to another. And don't forget about the ever changing food and nutrition experts and their sage and wise nutritional recommendations. Case in point: Eggs. Years ago, Eggs were the golden food source. Later they were almost banned because the experts said they were unhealthy. Now, they are just expensive!

Shell fish, some folks are allergic, others consider it 100% all the rave!

If you are on a Keto diet, lots of "healthy" foods are off limits: breads, pastas, cereals, and most vegetables, potatoes and fruits. It's OK to eat these things, you just have "count the carbs" to stay on target.

Are you on an Adkins diet? Lots of things the average person eats is not good if on Adkins.

Or Vegan diets? This is almost opposite of Keto. Vegans don't eat meat at all. Keto, the most accepting is ALL meat. With Keto, vegetables are bad. With Vegan, all meat is bad.

So, really "Healthy" eating... It's all just a matter of opinion.

One thing is certain, McDonalds is not serving real potatoes. In their French Fries, there is no "potato". Their meat is artificial ... They claim is 100% beef, but it's not! Not to mention their ice-cream products. Shoot, I worked for McDonalds in 1974 and even then, the "soft serve" ice cream had zero dairy in it. I think we all can agree.... Fast Food is NOT healthy eating. They offer a salad that has more calories and carbs than a German Tort.

 

[Contributor]

At the risk of offending. If someone is on a special diet to loose weight (Keto, Adkins), they either have a medical condition that makes them prone to weight gain (thyroid, unable to exercise, etc), or they previously had an unhealthy diet. Yes, even eating too much healthy food is an unhealthy diet.

On the other hand, some people with medical conditions are directed by their doctors and dieticians to avoid certain "healthy foods". This due to the individuals condition, not the food itself.

Whole wheat grains are healthy when consumed in the proper portions. Fruits are healthier than juices. Unpeeled potatoes are healthier than peeled.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

Which food will best for camping and RV'ing on road?

Welcome to the Forum! So I take it you have a camper van? That would be a bit more challenging for us since we have a residential frig.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

"Healthy" eating is a relative term you know. What is "healthy" for one person may be death to another.

Good points.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

Packaged or canned tuna, salmon, etc. Lots of things you can do with those items.

Packaged Tasty Bite Organic Indian Madras Lentils for fiber. (Lentils, Red Beans, Spices in a Creamy Tomato Sauce.) Several things you can make with this. (Rice, flat bread, ground beef to name a few.)

 

[Mr Lars]

B-fast= Cheerios w/beer
Lunch= Cheese sandwich w/beer
Dinner=Fish Boil w/beer

 

[JudyJB]

I am also guessing you have a van with a limited or non-existant kitchen, so cooking is difficult. You also probably have a very tiny refrigerator or use a cooler, while most of us on this forum have trailers or motorhomes with at least a small refrigerator and a stove and microwave. Not knowing what your limitations are makes it really hard for us to answer the question.

For example, I was going to suggest cooking at home and freezing things, but you probably cannot do that. (I have a freezer full of meat and other frozen things, and a refrigerator full of drinks, vegetables, fruit, and condiments.) However, there are always grocery stores along the way, so you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits as you go.

One thing I did way back when before I had a motorhome and camped with my ex and kids was to always have some emergency food in cans or dried that did not require refrigeration. That way, I could throw a meal together if we decided to stay longer someplace and could not access a grocery store.

 

[JudyJB]

B-fast= Cheerios w/beer
Lunch= Cheese sandwich w/beer
Dinner=Fish Boil w/beer

Tsk, tsk!!

 

[UTTransplant]

We camped in pop ups with 4 kids for 20 years with no refrigerator (ice chest) and a propane stove. It is perfectly possible to cook just like you do at home, with the limitations of no specialized appliances. Most of the time we didn’t have electricity either. Shop for fresh produce and meat every 2-3 days. Get a good ice chest with a tray that keeps delicate items out of the ice (butter, eggs, meat). Splurge on the space for a good selection of seasonings. I used a nesting set of camping pots for cooking to take up less space. I fed six people this way for many years.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Get a good ice chest with a tray that keeps delicate items out of the ice (butter, eggs, meat).

I did some ocean racing on sailboats - some trips 10 guys for 8 days. Certain things were poured into ziplocks, the ziplock put in an appropriate sized tupperware, the tupperware filled with water and prefrozen. The prefrozen blocks were packed into the chest freezer. Overflow packed in the fridge and obviously used first.

Drinking water also frozen and placed in ice chests.

 

[1stimerver]

In our early days, camping in a conversion van, Our little Coleman icebox cooler could only keep so many things cold. We discovered that the styrofoam boxes that Omaha steaks ships their products in could keep meats etc frozen for 3 to 4 days with only minimal thawing. We'd pre-freeze our meats, put them in the box and wrap the styrofoam box in an old blanket and locate it in a storage bin till we needed it. Other than that we prepped fresh veggies like carrots, onions, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower etc and kept them in zip locked bags along with eggs, butter, cheese and milk in the icebox till we needed them. Drinks were kept in a separate cooler. We'd also purchase fresh veggies (corn tomatoes and lettuce) locally, when needed. We fondly recall preparing meals together, on our two burner Coleman stove on a park picnic table, sometimes grilling meats on the fire pit. Add some pasta, rice, and potatoes and the two of us could eat well for up to 5 or 6 days with those provisions.

Nowadays the fridge in our TT allows for us to carry more food and along with our Blackstone, we eat better with less cooking and cleanup effort.

Safe travels and all the best.