Last Updated on April 30, 2024 by Nikole

Traveling in a campervan is all about saving money, living minimalistic, and exploring new areas. One of the greatest experiences of living or traveling in a motorhome is the cooking and the food! You may not have a kitchen inside of your campervan, but that doesn’t matter!! You can still experience vanlife cooking!

If you are anything like me then you love food! For some reason, I tend to get a little grabby when it comes to pulling things off the grocery store shelves. And I get super excited about what to make for my next meal on the road.

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Welcome to our guide on everything to do with campervan food and cooking!! We are here to share with you some of our greatest tips and secrets to making and eating some of the best foods on the go. We will go over everything from storage to keeping things fresh for longer.

Make a Food List

Like I stated above, I can get a bit grabby when it comes to the grocery store. Thank goodness I have my husband to tell me when I am just grabbing things to grab them.

If you are like me, then you need a grocery list when shopping for your campervan foods. Remember that your campervan and your cooler or fridge have limited space. So plan out your meals and plan out your grocery list. This tip will help you stay on track when you are in the store.

Store Food Properly in Your Campervan

Sometimes we can’t help which critters get into our living space. We have lost so many foods to mice. Keep in mind they can chew through just about anything. If you purchase foods in cardboard boxes or bags, try transferring them to airtight containers.

Things like coffee are better off bought in a tub or later transferred to a tub, imagine the mess that would make if something chewed through that.

How to Pack the campervan Cooler/Fridge

Our campervan is too small for a fridge, and we don’t want to worry about the electricity to keep a fridge running. Instead, we use a Lifetime cooler, yes it keeps the ice almost as long as a Yeti would. Lifetime coolers are more than half the price of a Yeti too, your welcome!

When packing your cooler try transferring things like veggies and meats into airtight containers so they don’t leak out into the cooler. Don’t leave most foods in their original containers, because they may be too bulky to pack in the same cooler.

to keep your cooler cold longer, try and minimize the amount of time you have it open. Invest in a separator, so you have an idea of where everything is, thus spending less time with the top open while you search.

You can always bring more than one cooler. You could try bringing a small cooler for your drinks, and a large cooler for your food.

Space Saving Hacks

An All in one Spice Container can help you create some delicious meals and help you save space. This comes with some of your basic and most essential spices like salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Check out more campervan space-saving hacks here.

Legacy food packs I know this doesn’t always seem like the most delicious option for food, but it can save space in your cooler. We will often pack some of these meals in a bag for certain dinners when we really don’t want to cook that night. This has really saved our butts a few times. Quite honestly some of them are absolutely delicious!

Transfer condiments like mayo, mustard, and ranch into smaller containers. Better yet, you can always purchase them in small containers and pack those instead of the bulky containers.

Saving Water While Boondocking

1. Wash your cooking pots as soon as you finish cooking! I think we all know what happens when food get’s caked on to our pots and pans. We have to either soak them or scrape them, which can use up quite a bit of precious water.

Try eating leftovers so you won’t need to wash as many dishes. The more you cook in your campervan the more dishes you will need to wash.

Opt-out of pasta dishes. I’m not saying never eat pasta, just try to limit the pasta dishes you cook. Or cook the pasta ahead of time, that way you only need to heat it up instead of boiling it in water.

Purchase non-stick pots and pans that way grime just slide off your pans when you are washing them, thus needing less water.

How to dispose of Grease

Don’t ever throw your grease out on the ground or in a stream. Be responsible and dispose of grease properly. You can either seal it in an airtight container to dispose of it later, or you can throw it out into your campfire and let it burn.

The Smells

Have you ever cooked salmon at your house, left it for a few hours, only to return to a very fishy-smelling house? Well, the same will hold true if you are cooking smelly foods in your campervan. Keep in mind that you are cooking in a small space, and could potentially contaminate your whole van with fish smells for a few days.

Don’t worry, you can still eat that salmon, just cook it outside.

Can you Cook inside your Campervan?

Absolutely! Just like your kitchen at home, make sure you aren’t leaving items close to where you are cooking, and make sure your van is well ventilated.

Use your discretion on whether or not to cook inside your campervan. Personally, we don’t because we don’t have enough space. We set up a canopy and table outside of the van and cook out there.

Make sure you always remember the fire extinguisher and smoke detector. Don’t leave anything to cook or boil without having someone watch it.

What to Cook inside your Campervan

1. Breakfast– for breakfast we typically do some instant oatmeal with granola. It can be fairly easy to make with minimal mess. We just pop the oats and water (or milk if you prefer) in the microwave or over a propane burner.

Plus, eating oatmeal first thing, keeps us full for any morning activities we may have planned for the day.

2. Lunch– For lunch we usually eat sandwiches, salads, or wraps. Tuna sandwiches are our favorite to eat while traveling. For a quick lunch, we like to purchase premade individual salads from the store along with some grapes or some type of fruit. Anything that is easy to prepare and clean up we will prep for lunch.

3. Dinner– Dinner is where things can get a bit messy because we bring out the raw meats and cut up our veggies. This can take some time, but I love cooking outside. It just adds to the whole adventurous experience.

If you cook, try prepping stuff that takes one to two pots such as stir fry or soups.

4. Snacks– We love chips, but they take up so much space. So instead we try to get things like granola or protein bars.

Non-electric cooking Options

Cooking in a campervan can require electricity, but it doesn’t have to. Here are some great options for cooking while you are camping with your van. Some of these options may even give you the greatest tasting food you have ever had.

Over the Firepit

One of the oldest ways of cooking can really help you get through some meals. You can just grab your skewers and some hot dogs, or cut up some chicken bits, bell peppers, and onions.

Propane burner

Possibly one of the more portable options for stoves, this burner is our favorite! Even though it has just one burner, we find that it serves us perfectly for our cooked dinners. Weighing only a little over 3 pounds this makes for easy packing and won’t weigh the campervan down when storing it.

Camping Propane Burner

The most compact option for cooking is this backpacking burner. It’s compact and lightweight enough to carry on a backpacking excursion. However, this may not be the best option for those with bigger groups of people as it cannot cook a lot all at once.

Propane Grill

An actual grill may not seem like the best option for a small campervan due to its size. However, this is one of the most compact options for an actual grill. It has a 284 sq. in. grilling platform and offers 20,000 total BTUs. The legs also fold up offering a better storage option.

All In One Propane Burner

This Coleman propane grill serves four purposes: wok, grill, stove, and griddle. It would literally serve all of your needs and is suitable for up to 4 people. All you need is a propane canister to cook on any of the 100 square inch attachments.