If you’re planning to hit the road for a lengthy RV trip, you might be wondering what to do about food. While eating out on the regular does sound appetizing, it can also be pretty expensive. The same can be said of stopping at fast-food restaurants or picking up snacks at a gas station. To avoid that extra spend, consider the benefits of meal planning, which will also save you a ton of time along the way. Fortunately, with a little bit of prep and some savvy kitchen skills, RV meal planning isn’t all that difficult either.

How to get started with RV meal planning 

According to RVshare, the simplest way to cook meals in your RV is to plan ahead. It’s best for a week-long vacation to start your meal planning by asking yourself what type of vacation you’re taking. RVshare says that if you foresee yourself spending most of your vacation adventuring away from your RV, then it would be wise to consider more Instant Pot or slow cooker style meals or recipes when RV meal planning. These types of meals can be thrown together quickly and don’t take all that much effort. 

But if you plan on lazing around and relaxing? (I mean, who could blame you?) RVshare says that you can easily plan a few meals that can be cooked over a campfire. You’ll probably have more time to prep and put together a meal too.

Overall, once you’ve figured out what type of trip you’re taking and how much effort you actually want to put into cooking, start considering the meals that you’d like to eat during your trip. The Touring Camper suggests that you put a grocery list together based on the meals you want to eat too. Also, consider prepping what you can ahead of time. For instance, if you plan on having burgers? Try seasoning and freezing them before hitting the road. And when it comes to veggies? Chopping them before you go can save a ton of time.

Consider how much storage space your RV has

RVs don’t offer a wealth of space. While some are bigger than others, most RVs aren’t going to come close to the size of your kitchen at home. For most, that obviously means less storage space. That’s why RVshare recommends keeping your storage space in mind when RV meal planning. Consider meals that can be easily stowed away in the fridge or freezer. 

Consider how the types of meals you plan to cook can impact your storage space too. According to RVshare, “you might find it helpful to choose meals that use pasta or rice as a base, as these items are also stored in the pantry, stretching your meals while also freeing up fridge space for other things.” The Wandering Road also suggests opting for smaller sized items when RV meal planning. While going all-in on that bulk box of potato chips might sound like a good idea at the time, buying smaller sized items will help you save space in the long run. 

Get to know your RV’s kitchen when meal planning

The most effective way to meal plan for your next RV trip is to get to know your RV’s kitchen. Before embarking on your next trip, consider spending some time actually cooking your RV’s kitchen. Doing so will give you a good understanding of how much space you have to work with, what types of meals are the easiest to cook in your RV, and how you can perfect your RV meal plan.