RV Meal Planning

RV meal planning can become a simple task with practice. A few hours a week of easy RV meal planning and you’ll have RV cooking made easy.  Is it worth the time and effort?  We think so!  There are so many health benefits of cooking your own food at home- you get to control the ingredients and portion sizes (and therefore have control of your health), and it will save you money, too.  If you have your kitchen with you at all times, there’s really no excuse. So let’s dive into some RV cooking tips and healthy RV meal ideas to get you started.

Where to Start with RV Meal Planning

RV meal planning involves some RV-specific considerations to set your plan up for success. Unlike being in a traditional home, your kitchen setup and access may change week to week in RV life.  When you get ready to create your menu for the week ahead, be sure to consider whether you’ll be at an RV resort or campground with hookups, or if you’ll be off-grid boondocking somewhere instead.  This may affect which appliances you can use, and even the tools or ingredients you have on hand.  And if you’re a part-time RVer or just going away for the week, you may need to pack your kitchen supplies from the house, according to your meal plan.  Make sure you have the appliances, equipment, and ingredients you need in the RV. 

Tally up the Amount of Weekly Meals

The typical meal plan is for one week, some people plan only for the five-day workweek, while others will plan a full seven days.  Consider how many meals you may be dining out while on the road (including travel days) and subtract those from your plan.  Determine the number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you’ll need for the week ahead.  And how many people are your prepping for?  Who will be eating these meals with you?  Multiply your number of diners at each meal to get a sense of how much to cook for each meal, and that becomes the outline for your RV meals for a week.

Slot in Recipes and Ingredients

Next up is the actual menu, this is the fun part!  Determine which RV recipes you want to prepare for each meal, and fill in your outline as you go.  Consider overlapping some ingredients across meals so as to simplify your shopping list. Be sure to include at least one meal that you’re excited about and will look forward to, and maybe also one easy meal that doesn’t take a lot of RV meal prep or cooking effort.  Then, you can use this plan to create a list of ingredients that will become your shopping list.

RVer Pro Tip: try to keep your recipes simple, and the ingredients basic so you can find them easily at any grocery store on the road.  

Build Your Shopping List:

Organize your healthy RV food shopping list in order from the beginning of the week to the end.  Make note of any ingredients that are needed for the latter half of the week, will they keep for a week or should you wait to purchase them until mid-week?  Also, only buy what you need.  If you’re only cooking RV meals for two people, you may only need a small amount of an ingredient.  Shop the bulk section or the salad bar, to buy only the amount you need to eliminate waste. Don’t forget the healthy RV snacks for in-between meals and travel day sustenance. And be sure to check the pantry to confirm any staples you may not have in the RV before you head off to the grocery store. 

RV Food Storage:

Especially when it comes to RV meal planning, having the right RV food storage containers on hand is important.  You’ll want to have an assortment of sizes, and containers that stack and use space wisely in your cupboards and fridge.  Plus, you want an air-tight seal to maintain freshness and keep out any pests. 

One RV Cooking Recipe to Inspire Your Meal Planning-

The foil packet dinner is designed to be cooked over a campfire and is one of our favorites because cleanup is so easy.

• Tear off a piece of aluminum foil and set it out on the counter as your dinner canvas. 
• Add a protein and as many veggies as you like, then season with your favorite spices.
• Create an envelope around your ingredients, with some room for them to breathe.
• Cook over the campfire (or grill) and have some tongs ready to remove and open.
  

With time and practice, the meal planning process will get easier and quicker.  Over time, you will identify some go-to staple meals or themes that will show up in your weekly rotation regularly. Play around with different RV cooking ideas, and explore new RV meals on the go to keep things fun. Or maybe shop local and try some RV meals that reflect the destination you’re visiting. Just remember to keep it simple enough so you can stick with the plan.  Bon appetite!