Meals on Wheels

Cooking in a van is not much different to cooking and eating in a house, its just a smaller space. You are limited on your storage and fridge space so meal planning is really essential! Here I am going to talk about how to food shop that is budget friendly when travelling and suggest some healthy balanced meals for you to try out.

Everyones kitchen set up in their van is different because ideally you have designed it to suit your preferences. Also depending on your renovation budget, the appliances you have at your disposal may differ as some vans have extensive kitchens that contain gas stoves and built in fridges, others may just have a camping stove and a 12V cool box.

Food Shopping

Whenever you go food shopping on your travels, always restock any dry cupboard food as these are essentials, especially when you never know when you might run out of gas or if something goes wrong with your fridge. Having dry food is great to have at hand, even if it is super noodles or packet pasta as all you need to add is hot water!

Depending on where you are travelling and how good your fridge is will affect how well food is kept. During my travels in Europe, my 12V fridge could not withstand the high temperatures so we learnt very quickly it was best to keep to weekly shops rather than bi-weekly. For cheaper options, farmer markets and local shops worked better with a budget rather than supermarkets unless it was an Aldi or Lidl.

Meal Ideas

Understandably you will not be cooking 5 star courses when travelling in a van but having limited utensils doesn't mean you can't make great tasting food. I am going to suggest some super easy and quick meals on wheels for you to try out when travelling.

1. One-Pot Paella

This is a super easy and quick meal to make. All you need is a camping stove and a frying pan! Most ingredients can be substituted for the dry option such as onion which can be onion powder if needs be. Also depending on how many people you are feeding and how much is left over, you can always store some away for lunch the next day.

Typical ingredients for paella are:

- paella rice

- onion

- garlic

- vegetable stock

- tomatos

- wine

- any meat substitute

- any seasoning of preference (mines paprika)

Chop and add all ingredients into your hot pan, leaving the wine and rice last to put in. Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes until rice is tender and you are ready to serve!

2. Fajitas

Fajitas are an absolute classic and plus so ideal for when you're travelling. They are quick and easy plus all the ingredients again can be used for left overs the next day. You can also buy fajita kits in shops for extra assistants with this meal.

Typical ingredients are:

- chicken

- onion

- peppers

- seasoning of your choice (I like mine spicy!)

- wraps

- salsa

- lettuce

- sour cream

- anything else you want to add!

Chop and cook all the ingredients and serve up with your wrap fillings! A real quick yummy dish, also ideal if it's raining and you can't enjoy outside.

3. BBQ!

You are travelling in a van! Of course you are going to do a bbq night, also if you run out of gas you can grab a disposable bbq or keep one stored just in case. I think bbq's are also great because whether you are on a campsite or at a spot where there other van travellers, it's a conversation opener. Asking your van neighbours if they want to join is a great way to meet likeminded people and socialise, especially when you are travelling alone!