Improvising meals in the camper has its charm, but it also leads you to overspend, to run out of ingredients in the middle of nowhere or to have the (small) fridge in chaos. Planning a simple weekly menu saves time, money and space, and takes away the drag of "what are we eating today?". Here's how to do it without the stress.
Why planning pays off
- You save money: you buy just enough and waste less.
- You optimise the fridge: in a camper it's small; planning stops it filling up with things that go off.
- You save time and the fatigue of deciding every day.
- You eat better and more varied if you think it through (see eating healthily).
How to build the menu
- Think simple dishes with few pans: stews, rice dishes, pasta, complete salads.
- Make use of common ingredients: so that what you buy serves several dishes (avoiding leftovers that go off).
- Leave room for the local: don't close it down entirely; part of the fun is shopping at each area's markets.
- Combine it with batch cooking: cook a staple in batches (see batch cooking).
The shopping list
The list comes out of the menu, and an efficient shop comes out of the list. Buy in line with the space in your pantry and fridge (don't stockpile), favour products that keep without cold, and always carry an "emergency pantry" (tins, cooked pulses, pasta) for when there are no shops nearby.
Keeping food well with little fridge
- Airtight containers and making good use of the cold (see keeping food).
- The most perishable first, early in the week.
- Buy fresh often and in small amounts if you're going somewhere with shops.
In short
A simple weekly menu saves money, time and space, and makes the most of a camper's small fridge, while leaving room for local produce. The step you can take today: spend ten minutes before a trip sketching out the dishes for a few days (simple, few pans, common ingredients) and build the list from there; you'll travel eating better and spending less. Combine it with the camper cooking guide.