Road Trip FOOD Ideas? No JUNK FOOD STUFF Please?

[Dogman]

So when hitting the roads for a three, two weeks or longer. What are some of your FOOD SELECTIONS of ideas for the trips?

Do you have some go-to FOODS?

Do you make up your own stuff before the road trip?

Trust me when I say I enjoy good food, but no expert cook or Food doctor for the healthy people in the know.

I did come across this nice idea which reminded me of my college and Military days of MRE's TV Dinners. lol

Now the little research I have done this is very new called FRESCO http://www.EatFrescoFoods.com as far as I can see they are sold in SC, Georgia and Florida food stores.

[SteveJ]

Everyone's tastes, desires, and travelling style are different, so here goes. I travel solo sometimes, with wife others.

When on me solo trips, it's to get to a region and then do some hop around boondocking using the RT as a base camp for exploring by motorcycle. It's 3-4 days of driving to get to a region, usually. For the getting there I scramble up a bunch of eggs with onions, cheese, bacon and/or sausage and green peppers. Throw them in the microwave then top with some sort of tomatoes. Quick and easy.

For lunch, hopefully a food truck but can be unhealthy fast food.

Supper will be 3-4 ribs from a rack of baby back ribs that were pre cooked, maybe smoked, at home. Or fried chicken leftovers from the Publix deli(which I have a weakness for) Also quick and easy. Baked 'tater or tater salad purchased from a Walmart that I overnighted at. A fresh salad.

All quick and easy with very little clean up.

I don't get crazy about stuffing the fridge/cupboards with a lot of food, there are markets everywhere. I just want enough quick meals to get where I'm going.

Once at a region I usually hit a market twice a week to avoid stuffing the fridge, and to keep the supply of perishables fresh.

I also will grill up extra food and save for leftovers once in an area. Eat a light breakkie, then lunch at a dive, Q stand or food truck/stand, trying to beat the lunch rush, then back to base camp by 4 or 5 pm.

[Jon in AZ]

We like to grill meat, poultry, or seafood with fresh veggies outside in the evening (protein pre-portioned and frozen at home, veggies from local markets). We chop and store leftovers to sauté with or without eggs in the morning for quick breakfast burritos.

Lunch is usually wraps. Tortillas travel much better than bread.

[Janet H]

I make a lot of popcorn (stove top or campstove) for drive munchies...

Breakfast is usually fresh coffee and either cold cereal with fruit or hot oatmeal. Not into cooking much in the AM - even less interested in washing up after.

Lunch: Sandwiches. I stock the fridge with cheese, lettuce, lunchmeat and mustard/mayo. Find a lovely place to stop and have a picnic. easy.
Alternative: the hot case/deli at a local grocery store - especially if I'm going to be stopping to resupply or get fuel.

Dinners: COOK! It's fun and cheap
1. grill something and add a salad or throw your veggies on the grill. Grill extra meat for the next days lunch sandwich.
2. Frozen ravioli and a jar of sauce. Add steamed veggie on the side (start with frozen).
3. tacos
4. breakfast for Dinner (eggs, etc)
5. Chili and corn bread or rolls. Buy the bread and make chili using canned chili as a base. Augment with fresh veggies, left over grilled meat bits, etc.
6. Go out to dinner at some local place that is not fast food but IS recommended
7. Pizza delivery to your rig.

[Davydd]

We carry an Instant Pot and I would be satisfied with one pot meals. There are books and recipes on the subject. I can eat goulash and other stews. My wife is not so much into one pot and prepares sides.

[InterBlog]

No junk food here!!

My husband and I spent years developing a long-haul system for food that we bring on our annual 6,000-mile trek, both to feed multiple family members at a cottage, and also for the weeks that just the two of us spend boondocking at an off-grid property we have.

There's a 5-year epic thread describing the development of that food system here, which also describes which meals we take. They tend to be stews, sauces, gumbos, and similar dishes that we can cook rice, noodles, potatoes, vegetables, etc. (simple preparation) to go with, at the destination. Plus a selection of sausages, tamales, etc.

TL;DR on that linked thread -

1. We custom-designed a hitch carrier to hold a Yeti 50 cooler.
2. I cook large quantities of the various meals and freeze them ahead of time.
3. I pop the frozen meals out of their Pyrex containers vacuum pack them (I use a FoodSaver device).
4. We also made a mold for the Yeti. I then freeze the FoodSaver packs into two 30-lb. blocks of solid ice (add packs, layer up ice and let the layers freeze successively until the blocks are formed).
5. The ice monoliths are still solid when I get to my destination. Lots and lots of food for everyone.

I also have a wire mesh insert for our Vitrifrigo fridge's freezer, so that I can pack smaller FoodSaver'd portions in that.

PICS:

(1) Our hitch carrier:



(2) Removing the ice blocks after 5 days on the road in August of this year:



(3) Smaller freezer insert:

[bigfelipe]

I precook a few meats. Mostly smoked BBQ stuff, brisket, pork, chicken, and ribs. Portion it to meal sizes and vacuum seal. Precooked food l, vacuum sealed lasts a long time and is more forgiving of temp than raw. I also bring taco fixings. Precooked, vacuum sealed meats, vacuum sealed cheese, veggies that don't require require refrigeration like tomatoes onions squash citrus etc. I buy farm eggs that have been washed and oiled but not chilled. Again no need to be refrigerated. Precooked bacon is shelf stable too.

I freeze a layer of ice cube trays in my RV freezer and too with prefrozen bricks of the meats. I fill the pre-chilled fridge with stacks of frozen packets from the bottom up, and keep a few unfrozen options on top. The door is used for drinks and condiments plus any cold veggies and cheese.

I use the cabinet over the front seats as a pantry. Keep my bread, tortillas, and snacks, unchilled sodas, and shelf stable veggies there when I'm on the road. I set it up on the counter when I get parked for any period of time. I also have a little plant pot I keep cilantro and chives in on the counter.

Start with the food on top, using my grill or cooktop. The food in the fridge will stay frozen for a few days and I use it as it thaws. The packets are good for weeks still after thaw. I can pack a month of food I a very small space like this. I hit stores/markets for more veggies and bread as/if needed.

I am a foodie and a cook. So I make good food on the road. I also plan restaurant stops at cool places with interesting/quality grub. Don't do fast food or much junk food on the road.

EDIT: My go-to is tacos. As mentioned, tortillas carry well. Tacos can be made with anything. Everyone likes tacos. Tacos are easy to make and make fast, and require little in the way of dishes and clean up. Breakfast lunch and dinner, tacos work...

[TinyTink]

When I’m vacationing I always bring the same prepared dishes for snacking/lunch for the first few days. Chicken salad with nuts and dried cranberries. I use 1/3 mayo and 2/3 Greek yogurt. You still get the mayo taste, but with fewer calories and more protein. I also make tuna salad and use 1/2 mayo, 1/2 Greek yogurt, splash of pickle juice (you really need the vinegar taste with the missing mayo). I bring a bag of romaine lettuce (whole), sweet mini red peppers with seeds and tips removed, and a loaf of bread. You can eat the chicken or tuna as a sandwich or on top of a salad. Use the romaine to make tuna lettuce wraps for keto/gluten free sandwiches, and the chicken tastes great stuffed in the red peppers. We like to eat brunch on weekends and have an early dinner out to meet locals and see a live band, but this is perfect for our third meal and for late light snacking after a night of dancing. It’s also versatile enough that both kids and my fiancé will eat, sandwiches while allowing me to eat healthy. Also, you can’t beat cereal and milk. You can get as healthy as you want with the cereal. Takes me about an hour to prep all food before a trip.

[MotoVan]

When not too far away from the civilization, I only pack the food for breakfast with me (fresh fruit, boiled or raw eggs, bread, coffee, cream).

If my girlfriend comes along, she packs some already cooked or ready-to-cook food in the fridge, mostly for dinners.

For lunches and dinners I have learned which restaurants are okay to go to, which ones to avoid, and what is okay to eat there.

I also keep a few bags of dehydrated camping food from REI, only for emergencies. Just add boiling water and wait a few minutes. It is quite delicious and healthy.

If you have a freezer, then frozen TV dinners are great, if you pick the ones that have a lot of fresh green vegetables. They have a bad rep for having a lot of salt and preservatives, which is untrue -- they are always frozen afterall -- but you can always read the nutritional info labels and see what's in it. They are quick, convenient, quite healthy, and a lot cheaper than restaurants.

I also get a bag of baby carrots, a bag of celery, and a few cucumbers if I know I will be driving for several days straight. I munch on them during the day when driving. It is a low-calorie healthy snack, and it helps with digestion and hydration at the time when I do not get much movement, driving all day long. I stay away from nuts and high-calorie snacks when I do nothing but drive around.

[arvitrekking]

-Fully cooked smoked pork chops with a bag salad. 3-4 minutes to heat the chops. Little clean up and yummy.
-Yogurt with granola for breakfast.
-Turkey sandwich with chipotle aioli sauce for lunch.
-fruit and nuts for snacks.

[justme]

I am vegetarian and we don't freeze meals ahead. Breakfast is oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. Lunch is usually tomato, cheese, and basil sandwiches (I travel with a basil plant whenever possible - it makes the van smell fabulous). Dinner is pasta, grilled or sauted veggies, Veggie burgers, chili, loaded baked potatoes, etc. Snack food is usually nuts, mini cucumbers, or popcorn, occasionally tortilla chips.

[arvitrekking]

Yum. That sounds delicious..

[Davydd]

I'm kind of a diners, dives, and drive-ins, roadfooder kind of guy seeking out mostly independently owned establishments and local food choices, and not corporate or national chains. Also, I don't pass up too many craft breweries and my wife likes the wineries. That's part of the joys of touring in a Class B RV.

A long time ago just to make it more interesting I decided to concentrate on one single sandwich found mostly in the Midwest and challenging to find most everywhere else--the deep fried breaded pork tenderloin or pork loin sandwich. I formed a Facebook group a decade ago, Pursuing Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches that has grown to over 30,000 members just in order to have help in finding them. I imagined originally that it would grow to an intimate 300 members with like minds.

Not Junk Food. Those are fighting words.

[bigfelipe]

Originally Posted by Davydd

I'm kind of a diners, dives, and drive-ins, roadfooder kind of guy seeking out mostly independently owned establishments and local food choices, and not corporate or national chains. Also, I don't pass up too many craft breweries and my wife likes the wineries. That's part of the joys of touring in a Class B RV.

A long time ago just to make it more interesting I decided to concentrate on one single sandwich found mostly in the Midwest and challenging to find most everywhere else--the deep fried breaded pork tenderloin or pork loin sandwich. I formed a Facebook group a decade ago, Pursuing Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches that has grown to over 30,000 members just in order to have help in finding them. I imagined originally that it would grow to an intimate 300 members with like minds.

Not Junk Food. Those are fighting words.

I check the Triple D map every time I hit the road. Been known to go hundreds of miles out of the way if there are a couple interesting joints to hit on the way...

Never eat at chains if I can help it, unless I have no better options or it's something I have never had and am interested in trying...

[Weroadtrip]

I like making a marinated bean salad at home as it last for a week or more in fridge and adds a nourishing contrast to cold meats and cheese, other salads.
I cook hamburger and chicken at home then freeze. Then its really easy to use in pasta sauces, salads, etc.
I also pre-package things like oats for porridge, or shake mixes into one or two serving baggies so it is very simple to use.
Anything smelly like bacon or bbquing happen on the bbq outside.
I recently acquired a new compressor fridge in my Roadtrek and it is amazing. No more frozen salad ingred. So I will start prepping salad ingred at home too.
We travel for months at a time so I have basically found that many of our home favourites can be translated easily into road foods. Where they make up too many servings the above-mentioned freezer has a good sized freezer.

[CanaryDawn]

Originally Posted by justme

I am vegetarian and we don't freeze meals ahead. Breakfast is oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. Lunch is usually tomato, cheese, and basil sandwiches (I travel with a basil plant whenever possible - it makes the van smell fabulous). Dinner is pasta, grilled or sauted veggies, Veggie burgers, chili, loaded baked potatoes, etc. Snack food is usually nuts, mini cucumbers, or popcorn, occasionally tortilla chips.

Would love to hear how you keep your basil plant alive, prevent mold growth in the soil, etc in a van!

[pacificstar]

Wow I am amazed. What a perfect job you do! I love the Yeti idea!

[pacificstar]

We have come over to camping from boating. We have a few meals that are our favorites a chicken rice dish and turkey chili so I always prepare a few of these meals and freeze them and rotate them into the refrigerator as room allows. I like some of the pe packaged or put together meals from Trader Joe's and in some cases I buy the pre-made pasta or rice packages to have on hand. We have been limited to a week at a time camping so I appreciate all this knowledge for when we have more time to travel. Thanks for all the good ideas.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by bigfelipe

I check the Triple D map every time I hit the road. Been known to go hundreds of miles out of the way if there are a couple interesting joints to hit on the way...

Never eat at chains if I can help it, unless I have no better options or it's something I have never had and am interested in trying...

Yelp is a pretty good guidance in finding all kinds of restaurants. I get a lot of information and finds from the Roadfood website forum as I know many people on there from my travels, and specifically breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches from my own group on Facebook.

https://roadfood.com

"Roadfood means great regional meals along highways, in small towns and in city neighborhoods. It is sleeves-up fare made by cooks, bakers, pitmasters, and sandwich-makers who are America’s culinary folk artists. Roadfood restaurants are almost always casual and affordable. They are diners, small-town cafes, seaside shacks, drive-ins, barbecues, and bake shops. The best of them are colorful places enjoyed by locals (and savvy travelers) for their character as well as their menu."

You really dig down into the regional cuisine pursuing this way and you enter the establishments of the locals to get the flavor of the area in your travels. Pursuing the one sandwich gets you into places you might pass up and overlook because they aren't apparent on many guides. If you really want to get into it, eat at the bar or places where community tables are custom where you sit down on any empty chair and strike up a conversation. One of my favorite places is Talkeetna, Alaska, the town the TV show, Northern Exposure, was modeled after. They have a restaurant like that.

[pasusan]

We come from a trailer with an oven, a larger fridge, more storage space, and reasonable fresh water - so I was stymied at first with our B. We even got a small toaster oven, but ended up figuring out how to function with our limited abilities and so far haven't brought it.

When we are out having fun the very last thing I want to do is go shopping, so figuring out how to bring everything we'll need is paramount. I use an excel spreadsheet to plan meals and what to bring.

Maybe some of these ideas will help others...

I always bring a griddle - fits perfectly over the 2 burners. I can use that to recook things like frozen waffles, french toast, or biscuits that I make ahead. As well as using it to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

I cook pasta ahead and freeze it in ziploc bags so I won't be using and having to dump excess water used for boiling it.

We do bring canned organic soups, chili, and spaghetti sauce.

We also bring the little cups of applesauce - don't need refrigeration after opening a jar...

We use boxed wine that fits in the bottom left side of the wardrobe closet.

We've got a small crockpot that we can set up in the morning and when we get back to the B dinner is ready.

I make up small bags of oatmeal, nuts, and dried fruits - ready to pour into a bowl, add water and microwave.

Ziploc bags with frozen vegetables to stir fry - and those ready rice bowls that all you have to do is microwave.

I made a box the exact size of the freezer so I can see what will fit when loading it up. Sometimes decisions have to be made about what to forego - like frozen pretzels...


This fall we had an 8 night trip to NYC and didn't eat out once. We actually planned to eat at a Bareburger restaurant but it was too crowded and there was a line - ugh.