I always stock the RV with these very same foods and we do our best to stick to that while we are on the road, but that becomes difficult depending on what part of the country we are traveling in. This is where our food prep and planning helps us to stay on track with providing healthy and yummy meals that we know our boys will enjoy.
Expert Advice
Meal Planning Tips To Save Time Money And Stress
As a mom of three young boys, I am constantly in search of recipes and meal plans that are nutritiously yummy. I read labels and try to stick to organic grocery items or at the very least non-GMO foods.
Tips for food prep and planning before long trips
- As best you can, plan your daily meals ahead of time
- Shop for your groceries (don’t forget seasonings, spices & condiments)
- Depending on the length of your trip, shelf stable foods are probably best
- Save money by purchasing fresh veggies, clean, cut and freeze them yourself
- Frozen fruits and veggies go a long way in meal prep
- Pre-clean, season and marinate your meats before freezing
- Make ahead items like muffins can be frozen for a healthy quick breakfast
What qualifies as a “go to” RV friendly meal for our family? In our case, a meal that I can pop in the slow cooker gets placed in my “go to” meal planner for travel. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do is be stuck in the RV preparing three square meals for the family. This mama wants to be outside having fun with my crew!
That said, we do not have an extraordinary amount of storage space for kitchen gadgets in our RV, but I feel that there are some things that I just cannot travel without. The following are my kitchen gadget must-haves for quick and easy meals:
- Slow cooker (I have at least two on hand)
- Microwave/convection oven (thankfully our RV came equipped with this baby)
- Pressure cooker
- Blender
- Vacuum sealer for the frozen meats (this item stays at home, but is critical in meal prep)
My boys love our freshly baked Hearty Boys Banana Bread, which they enjoy having for breakfast with their favorite fruit smoothie or even for a nutritious and satisfying mid-day snack.
Hearty Boys Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2-3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- ¾ c sugar
- ½ c organic whole milk, vanilla yogurt
- ¼ c coconut oil
- 1 ½ t vanilla extract
- 1 ½ c whole wheat flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 t salt
Preparations
Blend together the bananas, eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well, but do not over mix the batter. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes depending on your elevation and convention/microwave oven. I used a mini loaf pan that makes four smaller loafs so that I can freeze them for later. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. You are looking for the toothpick to come out clean when poked through the middle of the loaf.
Our family’s favorite slow cooker travel meal is my First Day Chicken Fajita.
How did it get that name? My kids have caught on to my pattern. This is my go to dish for our first day on the road. I rarely measure anything these days but the recipe is really easy.
First Day Chicken Fajita
Ingredients
- 2 whole onions, cut as thick/thin as you like
- 2 green bell peppers, cut as thick/thin as you like
- 2 red peppers, cut as thick/thin as you like
- 1 stick of butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 4 chicken breasts, fresh or frozen
- 16-20 oz. of your favorite fresh salsa (grocer’s produce section)
- 2 packets of your favorite fajita seasoning
- 1 packet of Sazón
Preparations
Add all of the above ingredients, in order, to your slow cooker on high for 4 hours. I assemble the meal and place in the slow cooker to cook as we drive. My crockpot automatically switches to “warm” when the set cook time is done. Once we arrive to our campsite, dinner is ready. It doesn’t get any easier than that! I serve it on tortillas with yellow rice and sour cream. My hubby prefers to just eat his over the bed of rice. DELICIOUS!
Who doesn’t enjoy a hot, hearty breakfast that keeps those bellies satisfied well into the afternoon hours? Our boys would eat this around the clock if they could, so the best way to deal with my little guys is to make sure they start with their tanks full. Cinnamon Apple Full Octane Oatmeal is a winner in my book. This too is a great slow cooker meal because I can put this in the crock right before I go to bed and viola… breakfast is ready when the boys wake up. (By the way….when do kids start sleeping in? UGHhhhh!) There are plenty of recipes on the Internet for various flavors to satisfy the pickiest eater. The key to successful slow cooker oatmeal is using steel-cut oats.
Cinnamon Apple Full Octane Oatmeal
Ingredients
- ½ stick of butter
- 2 apples peeled, cored and diced
- 1 c Steel-Cut Oatmeal
- 1 ½ c water
- 1 ½ c almond milk
- 1 t cinnamon
- 2 ½ T brown sugar
- 1 t vanilla extract
Preparations
Rub the butter on the inside of your slow cooker crock, coating the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Cut up the remaining butter into small parts and add to the slow cooker vessel. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Put the lid on the crock and set the heat to low for 6-8 hours overnight. This works best on slow cookers with an automatic warm setting to halt cooking, but keep your food warm until breakfast time. My kids will add sliced bananas and craisins to their bowls.
My husband is not thrilled with meatless Mondays, but our kids have fully jumped on board with the idea. This allows me the ability to add high protein beans/legumes to the menu. The easiest of which are Green Lantern Lentils. This dish is where my frozen veggies come in handy.
Green Lantern Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 small bag of Lentils
- Water, enough to more than cover the beans (more can be added if needed)
- 1 cup frozen diced carrots
- 1 cup frozen diced onions
- ½ cup frozen celery
- ½ cup frozen bell peppers (any color)
- 1 can diced tomato
- 1 T tomato paste
- 2 vegetable bouillons
- Cilantro (to taste)
Preparations
Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker on high for 6 hours. Adjust seasonings to taste at the end and add cilantro. It’s such a simple recipe. I usually serve it over a bed of Jasmine or Basmati rice.
Sometimes even with my best meal planning intentions, dinner does not go exactly the way I plan it. It helps to have a meal that can be whipped up at a moment’s notice. My Swiftly Sautéed Shrimp swoops in to save the day.
(This dish went so fast that I had a hard time getting a photo before they dove in.)
Swiftly Sautéed Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb bag of frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, thaw
- 1 cup frozen diced onions
- ½ cup frozen celery
- ½ cup frozen bell peppers (any color)
- 1 packet of Sazón
- 1 t minced garlic
- butter
Preparations
Over medium heat skillet, sauté all the veggies in butter until translucent, stir in the shrimp, Sazón and garlic, and cover for two minutes. Uncover and stir shrimp, sauté until opaque and cooked through. Add salt and pepperto taste. Serve with steamed veggies.
