Best Food to Take RV Camping
I love cooking in my RV. One of the things that attracts me to the RV lifestyle is the simplicity. I like the small space, only having what I need on hand and appreciating the things that I do have. This simplicity extends to the food I take with me in the RV. Over the years, I’ve developed some favorite recipes and simple meals that are the best food to take RV camping.
Often RVs have little counter space, small refrigerators and just a few burners on the stove. Many do not have an oven. These are the best RV foods because they take little prep and can be cooked either on a stove top or on a campfire. Many of them are self-stable, so they don’t take up valuable refrigerator real estate. Some are foods that don’t need to be cooked at all.
I break it down into different categories and hopefully these lists will help you come up with some ideas for what are your best foods to take RV camping, depending on your diet and food preferences. Personally, I’m gluten free, so I always look for gluten free alternatives when I can.
My list of best food to take RV camping
I’ve talked to a lot of women RVers and van lifers about the food they love to take RV camping. I’ll share some of my favorite foods and well and insight I’ve received from others who live this lifestyle. Some of the food choices will be different depending on your kitchen set-up, your dietary preferences and whether you’re full time or part time in your RV lifestyle.
Pre-Cooked RV Meals
Sometimes the best RV meals are the ones you make ahead of time and take with you just to heat up. Sure, you can buy pre-made meals at the grocery store, but I don’t like to eat a lot of processed food and prefer to cook up some good hearty, healthy dishes to take along. These are some of my favorite meals to cook ahead of time to take in my RV.
Chili as a Cook Ahead RV Meal
Chili is an easy dish to fix and freezes well. Make a big batch and freeze it in small containers to thaw out when you’re ready to heat it up. I like to make turkey chili, but it’s a versatile dish that you can make vegetarian or vegan and it’s naturally gluten free. Eat with corn chips or you can also make cornbread to go with it.
Meatloaf is a Great RV Food
Meatloaf or lentil loaf are both great RV meals. Meatloaf is a great food to cook ahead of time for RV camping. You can cut it into chunks and freeze it. Take it out to heat, or eat it cold in a sandwich.
Soup is so Versatile for RV Camping
Soup is the perfect make ahead food. There are so many varieties of soup. I like to make chicken soup in the crock pot and then divide it into single servings to take out and eat with bread or corn chips. Other varieties of hearty soups to make that also freeze well are: lentil soup, beef barely soup, squash soup, ham and bean soup, black bean soup, vegetable soup.
Casseroles
Comfort foods are often the best to make ahead for easy heat and serve RV camping meals. Tuna Casserole is a great example of something I rarely eat at home, that I will make ahead to take on a camping trip. I use gluten free noodles in my version.
Egg Dishes
Eggs make great camping food. Make small quiches in muffin tins to bake ahead of time and then freeze for eating later. Here are a few fun recipes to check out.
Cook Meat Ahead of Time for a Quick RV Meal
Cooking meats ahead of time and then sealing in vacuum bags for eating later is a great way to get ahead of camping meals. Bake chicken breasts or thighs. You can then heat up over a campfire or shred and add to things like tacos or on salad.
Make Ahead Pasta Dishes
Cook-ahead pasta dishes such as lasagne or stuffed shells are great RV camping meals. If you have an onboard microwave, that can be the best way to re-heat for eating. You can also wrap in foil and reheat over a campfire.
Chicken Salad
I love chicken salad and don’t make it enough. I make it with crunchy celery, dried cranberries for sweetness, mayonnaise and walnuts for the flavor. Can be eaten alone, as a sandwich or on top of salad. Here’s a simple and easy to make recipe.
Quinoa Salad
As someone who is gluten intolerant, I’m always looking for good gluten free recipes. I love quinoa as a grain and this simple quinoa salad recipe (from a local Portland business) is my favorite. I like to make this at home, because some of the ingredients, like sherry vinegar, are not things I typically travel with, as I only use it for this recipe.
RV Food Basics
For those of us who full-time or spend months of a time on the road, preparing food ahead of time is not an option. We need to shop, prep and cook our RV meals on the road. Like most things RV-related, it’s great when food can serve multiple purposes—when you can make one thing that serves as an ingredient in multiple dishes. Here are some of my favorite basic, simple, healthy RV meals. Feel free to adjust the recipes to your taste preferences.
Rice Bowls
Rice bowls are one of my main go-to on the road meals. I cook a batch of rice ahead of time or buy pre-cooked rice such as Ben’s Original Whole Grain Brown Rice and add toppings to it, depending on what I have on hand.
The beauty of these rice bowls is you can add what ever vegetable, protein and dressing you want. Having cooked rice on hand makes it easy to throw this meal together. You can also use quinoa—which has more protein than rice. It’s easy to make this meal vegan, gluten free or with meat and cheese.
Here are a few suggestions for Rice/Grain Bowls:
- Black beans, avocado, corn, salsa and cheese
- Fried onions and peppers and Italian sausage
- Chick peas, shredded cabbage and Asian salad dressing
- Fried Tofu, steamed broccoli, and everything bagel seasoning mix
- Grilled chicken, cucumber, tomato, feta cheese, kalamata olives
- Shrimp, steamed asparagus, cilantro lime dressing
Other Easy to Make RV Camping Foods
Many times an RV will only have one or two burners. So simple or one-dish meals are the way to go. Throwing everything in one pot saves time and space. Here are a few examples of easy or one-dish RV camping meals:
- Chili
- Chicken with curry sauce
- Tortellini alfredo with packaged tortellini and sauce
- Stir fries: whatever vegetables and protein you have around. I love red peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus and tofu, shrimp, or chicken.
- Spaghetti and meatballs
- Pork chops and onions
Cooking Over the Campfire
One of the fun things about camping is cooking over a wood fire or charcoal grill. There are many traditional campfire foods like, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob. These are easy to pick up and keep on hand for a quick and easy meal. But why not think outside the box when it comes to campfire meals?
Cast iron is great to cook over a wood fire with. Personally I have two cast iron pans and they are what I use for about 90% of my dishes. Many people love to cook over a campfire with dutch ovens. Think about things like:
- Woodfire Pizza
- Cast iron frittata
- Fish or shrimp tacos
- Marinated chicken or beef skewers
- Quesadillas
- African Peanut Stew
- Dutch Oven Enchiladas
Salad Makes a Great RV Camping Food
The food I probably eat most while traveling in my RV is salad. Sometimes I just buy the pre-made salad kits at the grocery store, but if I can, I shop at farmer’s markets along my journey. The produce is fresher and lasts longer. I hate wasting good food!
When I make salad, I try to mix up the greens with things like arugula, fresh herbs and spinach. Sometimes I’ll add a little cabbage. And in addition to veggies like carrots, cucumber, bell peppers and tomatoes, I keep on hand fun things like sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, blue cheese, black olives and garbanzo beans to add on top.
Of course, the key to a good salad is the salad dressing. My favorites are Blue cheese and Poppyseed or just some really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which I usually have on hand in my RV.
To add protein to my salad, I add beans or fry up a bit of shrimp or make some marinated tofu.
Food for RV Driving Days
On RV travel days, you’re going to want food that you can eat without preparation. Think healthy snacks that will keep you alert and energized. These are some of my go-to foods to have close to the steering wheel:
- Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts and pistachios
- Cheese sticks
- Beef jerky
- Carrots
- Hummus and crackers
- Apples and peanut butter
- Salty snack—yes, sometimes I’ll buy a bag of chips or even better cheese popcorn
Fun RV Camping Food
RV camping is fun and whether we’re full time or not, snacking on food that’s just right for camping is part of that fun. Who doesn’t love s’mores by the campfire? I love s’mores and because I’m gluten free, I always make sure to have my own gluten free graham crackers on hand or better yet–make s’mores with gluten free Oreos. Yum!
Other Fun Camping Food
- Trail mix: buy pre-packaged or make your own with peanuts, raisins, chocolate chips and any other nuts or dried fruit you like
- Fruit snacks. I am sure these tasty buggers are pure sugar, but I love to nosh on them in my RV
- Popcorn: I mentioned before that I like popcorn and there’s nothing like Jiffy Pop on an open fire to bring back childhood camping memories
- Pudgie Pies: I was introduced to pudgie pies by my fellow camp hosts. You start with a pie iron and fill it with any combination of sweet and savory foods for a delicious and fun treat around the campfire. We did pie crust and fruit, tortillas with cheese and salsa, pizza dough with sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni, chocolate and cherry pie filling. The possibilities are endless.
Here is My List of RV Camping Food Staples
I like to travel with shelf stable foods that can be used in any number of recipes. For example, tuna can be used for a tuna sandwich, in tuna casserole or as protein on top of a salad. When I have tuna around, I have plenty of options.
- Rice – can get pre-cooked, but I prefer making my own. I just bought a rice cooker this year and have enjoyed making rice and quinoa in it.
- Canned beans – pintos, kidney, black, red, garbanzo, refried—I like to mix up my variety of beans
- Coffee
- Honey – I get local, raw honey whenever I can.
- Teas. I like herbal teas in the evening, especially when it’s cool
- Cereal. Easy for a quick breakfast with nuts and fruit
- Shelf stable alternative milks—small size, single serving when available
- Instant oatmeal
- Rice cakes. A quick breakfast for me is rice cake with nut butter and banana
- Peanut butter or other nut butters
- Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, mango, cherries
- Crackers – I like gluten free crackers from Trader Joe’s
- Cheeses – Trader Joe’s is my go-to for good cheese and crackers
- Pasta (gluten free for me)
- Avocados
- Tortilla shells – sometimes soft, sometimes hard
- Sausage – It’s easy to keep in the freezer and pull out for a quick stir fry or to add to pasta sauce
- Cabbage – it keeps a long time and is great in stir fries
- Bananas
- Apples
- Nuts and seeds
- Granola bars
- Tuna
- Smoked oysters
- Canned soup or shelf stable soups
- Condiments—get small sizes so as not to use refrigerator space
- Tasty Bite quick meals
- Spices: garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, olive oil, sesame oil, coconut aminos or soy sauce, Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch , ketchup, mustard, Trader Joe’s Everything but the bagel seasoning, salad dressing, hot sauce, –add the spices and condiments you use a lot in your home.
- Of course—marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers!
Things to Cook with in Your RV
Limited storage space in the RV means I’m very picky about what cooking pots, pans and kitchen gadgets I bring along.
Cast Iron Pots and Pans
Cast iron pans are what I use to cook 99% of my meals. I have two sizes for small and larger dishes. Although these pans are heavy, I find they hold heat well and cook better than lighter weight non-stick pans.
Outdoor Grill
Sometimes I travel with an outdoor grill, sometimes I don’t. This year I’ve got a Cuisinart Mini propane grill. It’s nice to be able to cook outside, especially meats and fish on hot days.
Omnia Stove Top Oven
For those of us who do not have an oven in an RV, an Omnia Oven can be a great option. It turns your cooktop into an oven and you can bake things like pizza, brownies, cookies, cakes and casseroles. I don’t personally use an Ominia oven, but I have two vanlifer friends who do and love theirs. I have to say, I’ve reaped the benefit of their ovens and there’s nothing like hot brownies on a chilly night at the campground.
Instant Pot
RVers love their Instant Pots! Great for making all kinds of food from stews to chilis, to rice, meat, beans and even yogurt. Because it’s a pressure cooker, foods cook faster. Instant pots are good when you have a reliable power source. Personally, I tried an Instant Pot, but didn’t use it enough to justify the amount of space it took up in my RV.
Crock Pot
A crock pot uses less energy than an Instant Pot and cooks food slowly over time. If you have an inverter, you can even cook in a crock pot while you drive. Just make sure it’s secure. Great for making soups, stews, meats and sauces.
Air Fryer
I haven’t quite jumped onto the air fryer craze, but for people with limited space, it’s a great way to cook. Air fryers do use a lot of power, so be sure to check your power limitations when deciding whether an Air Fryer is right for your RV kitchen or not.
Rice Maker
Rice maker I just bought this tiny and affordable rice maker and so far I love it! It can run off my Jackery 1000 . I eat rice a lot! It also makes quinoa, brown and white rice perfectly and steel cut oats.
Solar Oven
If you camp off-grid a lot and want to still be able to bake, a solar oven might be for you. I’ve been to a few gatherings where people have set them up and made roasted vegetables or brownies. I thought it was cool, but didn’t feel like I needed to add something like that to my arsenal of cooking supplies.
Grill
I’ve traveled sometimes with an outdoor grill and sometimes without. I especially like having a grill in the warmer months, when I don’t want to heat up the inside of my RV from cooking. They’re great for meat. There’s something about grilled chicken or beef that just isn’t the same when you cook it on a stovetop. A grill for me is great for when I’m sitting still in one place for a while because it can be a pain to clean up and pack up each time you move. This summer I’ll be traveling with this small grill that I got off Facebook marketplace. I’ll let you know how it works.
Want More? Get My 3 Favorite Camping Recipes
What are your favorite foods to take RV camping? Share in the comments below.
