Cheap, easy, fast food prep?

by Dianne Z
(Australia)

Hi, we're a family of five, kids ages 4,6 & 7.

WE have no camping experience. We tend to stay in cabins at parks when we travel.

However it's a dream of mine. I struggle to stick to a tight food budget at home and I am afraid that food expenses would be through the roof while traveling.

Any tips for cheap, fast, easy food prep? I don't want a lot of work each day preparing food but I want us to eat nutritious meals and not baked beans on toast every day.

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May 10, 2021
 Same at home
by: Anonymous

We eat exactly the same at home as on the road. In saying that at home we rarely eat out. We do wraps with meat and salad for lunches, fruit or a small veggie/fruit platter with a dip. And then dinners are casseroles in the thermo pot (powerless slow cooker), camp oven roast, bbq and salad. Spaghetti bol.

I have been cooking a bit from Viv moon’s outdoor cookbook on our recent trips. We are also trying to not eat in the car. That way we make sure we stop for morning tea, lunch etc, and eat at those intervals to stop my boys endless grazing. I haven’t really got a handle on prep and freeze yet in the caravan. Good luck
May 10, 2021
 Prepare
by: Alicia C

Driving days make sure you make lunch and snacks instead of buying it, this is a big saving.

With dinners I always have a freezer stash in the van that I have pre made -lasagna, pasticcio, meat pie, chicken Kiev, chicken cordon bleu and I also pre make curry sauces and freeze in zip lock bags then all you have to do is cook your meat and vegetables.

Easy prep meals are spaghetti Bolognese or pasta dishes, burritos, crumbed chicken or parmas and Veg, bbq, hamburgers, stir fry, quiche we also buy a roast chicken and just cook the roast vegetables.
May 10, 2021
 MYO
by: Anonymous

When we travelled WA-Kangaroo Island-TAS with 4 kids (6 week road trip) we took a Weber Q and the large double car fridge, and most nights were just bbq meats and veg with salad.

I took metal skewers to thread veggies onto, made cooking super easy. So all I had to do was those plus whip up a salad (kids Dad cooked on the bbq). We did travel in Summer, so light meals like that were enough.

During the day we just had fresh fruit, nuts, jerky, muesli bars and sandwiches (premade when doing dinner, so no food prep during the day when we had travel or activities).

I think the key is to just make it yourself, and take what food snacks from home you can, to avoid buying snacks or meals or the road.
May 10, 2021
 Easy wraps
by: Anonymous

I have boiled eggs done and when we stop for a driving break we make salad wraps, with egg and aioli, pretty easy and an ok amount of veg.

I just get out the picnic plates, lay a wrap on each one and cut and grate the toppings onto it. We usually stop at a playground to do it so kiddo burns off some energy while I'm making it.

I keep all the salad stuff in a single clip lock box in the eski so I just grab that, the wraps, and the picnic set.
May 10, 2021
 Same for us
by: V L

We eat pretty well camping. What food do you eat at home? There’s no reason you can’t have mostly the same food camping.

Freezing big meals and taking with you.

We have a big family of 8 so eat lots of stews and pot roasts etc with potatoes and pasta. We buy as much as we can at the big shops and avoid the little towns where things cost a fair bit more.
May 10, 2021
 Meal Plan
by: Emma F

I try to eat similar to home, but choose the less prep meals. I'll do a quick meal plan before we go, grab all ingredients and try not to shop when we're away, so budget is stuck to. Obviously depends on how long you're away for u may need to top up the fresh items as u go.
May 10, 2021
 It was more
by: Evelyn D

I’m afraid our food expenses did go through the roof. 3 kids at home we spend $200 week on the road almost double $370.

We spent a lot of time in NT and outback areas. Having a rock solid reliable battery/solar set up with compressor fridge/freezer would help.

We had an ark pak and car fridge but if going again I would do a 2nd battery maybe lithium with good quality wiring in car. Also a Weber for cooking roasts
May 10, 2021
 Home and Away
by: Anonymous

Whatever you make at home can be made when away. We take a Weber, an air fryer and a gas cooktop away with us. Do some planning at home, prep some meals and away you go!
May 10, 2021
 Slow Cooker
by: Emma L

Make alot of slow cooker meals and freeze them.
They defrost really well and can pack them full of vegies.
May 10, 2021
 Chilli Con Carne
by: Joanne P

Chilli con carne freezes really well and most parks have kitchens with microwaves.

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