Food & Recipes Health & Survival Ins & Outs of Van Life

Road Trip Food | What is EASY & DIFFICULT to store on the road

It can be difficult to determine what food to pack for a road trip. This is a compiled list of things that I personally found difficult or easy to store without a running refrigerator, but rather, a cooler & ice.

Make sure you have a fridge thermometer in use at all times & throw out anything that looks or smells concerning. Keep your cooler under 40 degrees for food safety.

 

EASY TO STORE & EAT

FRUIT

  • Apples
  • Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime
  • Banana
  • Tomato
  • Avocado
  • Blueberries
  • Berries

VEGGIES

  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Spinach

DRY GOODS

  • Nuts
  • Cereal
  • Trail mix
  • Granola bars/ Protein Bars
  • Oats
  • Lentils, beans, rice
  • Pasta/Ramen
  • Canned Meat/Beans/Soup/Fruit
  • Dried Fruit/Nuts/Trail Mix
  • Dry cereal/oatmeal/granola
  • Crackers/ bread/tortillas/bagels
  • Fruit in plastic cups
  • Nut butters/honey
  • Boxed mashed potato
  • Spices (my biggest issue with spices has been storage space)

Cold

  • Milk – will store well if the temperature is consistent
  • Yogurt – eat within 2-3 days

Frozen:

These items will last for a day or 2 max, but will help keep your other items cold rather than using ice

  • Spinach
  • Corn
  • Broccoli
  • Fruit

 

If you’re concerned about the temperature, you can wrap your cooler in bedding during the day.

 

DIFFICULT TO STORE & EAT

  • Melons: prepare to eat them in one sitting OUTSIDE the van. (Thank me when your van is not sticky)
    • Watermelon (get seedless)
  • Cucumber (will shrivel within 2 days if in a cooler w/water)
  • Bread: find somewhere to store where it won’t get smashed & eat within a couple of days.
  • Eggs: you’re asking for a disaster
  • Fresh Meat: eat deli meat within 2 days max & try to use any bacteria-hosting foods immediately

 

Most likely, you’ll be visiting the store often if you’re traveling a lot (if only for the restroom) You will likely need to replace your ice every 24-48 hours depending on the temperature.

 

MORE RESOURCES for your food and road trip needs

Non-Perishable Foods For Van Life and How To Store Them – SimplyVanLife.com

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