Shopping List for Motorhome Food

[wildebus]

Whenever I get food ready for a trip away, I end up with a silly amount of stuff and bring most of it back with me!
I think my problem is I like to give myself lots of options of what to eat even though I know won't bother with most of them

Do people have a strict shopping list of what they take away on a trip? (BTW, I am thinking of the kind of trips where you are wild camping, not really near shops or resturants and so what you are going to eat is what you have brought in the van with you).

 

[Campervanannie]

I tend to buy tinned things like chunky soup, baked beans, tinned spuds and tinned curries but always have plenty of salad, bacon, eggs and sausages a nice quiche to go with the salad or tinned mackerel in a spicy tomato sauce

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

We are fully stocked up with the tins, pasta, rice , and most things all the time ,we all ways call at aldi picking up fresh stuff as we start our trips.
We all ways buy to much.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Not my department

 

[AlyJay]

Corned beef, rice, spaghetti, baked beans, tinned chilli beans, spices such as paprika, garlic salt, chilli powder.
Frozen mince, milk, cereal, pizzas , potatoes, onions , bread, spreadable butter, fresh garlic, tinned tomatoes, frozen sausages, wholemeal buns, crisps, plently of sparkling water, tea, coffee, sugar/salt/pepper and beer.
I make things like chilli, cornbeef hash, spaghetti bolognaise etc if I'm cooking and not just reheating stuff in oven.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Actually, if on my own I keep it VERY simple, Bacon, Eggs, tinned toms, and previously bread and budder, but I can't have that nowadays

 

[HurricaneSmith]

We carry a couple of frozen ready meals as an emergency backup to basics, such as bread, fruit, cereal and drinks.

Other than that, I spend time in advance recording good pubs that we can either walk to or where I can easily park my van. We are 79 and 82, in God's Waiting Room, and no longer think about cost.

 

[Trotter]

I suppose what you carry depends on how you can store your purchases.
Going to Newbury, I didn’t have my freezer., so I bought a stack of tinned food. I ate only one tin. Sausage and beans. Brought back memories of army compo rations.
My point? If I have one. I suppose is, if you’re able to run a freezer. Buy and use one.

 

[edina]

As young Trotter says, it depends on your storage. Since going all electric with separate freezer we have added things like frozen chips that we can cook in the air fryer. Frozen mince pre cooked with onions and garlic is a good base for several meals. We use a lot of the packets of microwave rice and carry tins of toms, beans potatoes etc.
Sausages, bacon, black pudding and eggs are breakfast essentials.

 

[nabsim]

I just shop the same as I would at home, don't really do short trips though. I usually buy fresh veg for 2 weeks, (last well in fridge). a malted bloomer lasts me a week then I do without (unless near a shop) until next shopping day

 

[wildebus]

As young Trotter says, it depends on your storage. Since going all electric with separate freezer we have added things like frozen chips that we can cook in the air fryer. Frozen mince pre cooked with onions and garlic is a good base for several meals. We use a lot of the packets of microwave rice and carry tins of toms, beans potatoes etc.
Sausages, bacon, black pudding and eggs are breakfast essentials.

My problem is I have loads of storage available - but my problem is due to THAT problem, I fill it up with way too much food!

I suppose what you carry depends on how you can store your purchases.
Going to Newbury, I didn’t have my freezer., so I bought a stack of tinned food. I ate only one tin. Sausage and beans. Brought back memories of army compo rations.
My point? If I have one. I suppose is, if you’re able to run a freezer. Buy and use one.

I get the tinned bit I must use around 5% of the tinned stock. Freezer is full - Fries (McCain do very good Air Fryer Fries that cook superfast), Fish Fillets, Fishcakes, Burgers, Pizza, various Oomph things (Oomph are a Swedish veggie food brand), etc.

We are fully stocked up with the tins, pasta, rice , and most things all the time ,we all ways call at aldi picking up fresh stuff as we start our trips.
We all ways buy to much.

I Hear you

I tend to buy tinned things like chunky soup, baked beans, tinned spuds and tinned curries but always have plenty of salad, bacon, eggs and sausages a nice quiche to go with the salad or tinned mackerel in a spicy tomato sauce

Don't forget the Crimpet I've been trying to use that but it seems to demand the XL Tortillas to be able to seal up rather than the regular ones that are on the shelves Going to persevere with it. And also try and have some of the tins of healthy oily fish which is bought with good intentions but ends up just living in the cupboard until past its 'use by' dates!


Sounds like my haphazard shove in everything and anything got room for is not that unusual. The one thing I do always try to make sure I don't run out of though .... snacks and sweeties! Got a sweet tooth that must be catered for no matter what!

 

[wildebus]

I just shop the same as I would at home, don't really do short trips though. I usually buy fresh veg for 2 weeks, (last well in fridge). a malted bloomer lasts me a week then I do without (unless near a shop) until next shopping day

If you like bread but find it doesn't last long enough, have you tried a Rye loaf? Can be hard to find, but some Morrisons, some Asdas, and likely all Waitroses sell a Rye loaf that seems to last literally for weeks without going mouldy, hard or stale.
They are maybe an aquired taste as quite different to the typical British spongy loaves, but I grew up with the 'Roggenbrot' type of bread so these Rye mixed loaves are as close as I can find in the UK and I think so much nicer (IMO anyway).

 

[wildebus]

One thing I do, as I have 3 fair sized boxes of food and drink under the bench seat, is to write in a sharpie the 'use by' date on the bottom of the tins (and store then upside down) soI can easily see if something needs to be eaten to avoid wasting it.
Find that handy to have as I often have the same tins in the van from the previous year (told you I have a problem! ) .

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Does anyone use a vacuum packer?

 

[nabsim]

I don't worry about use by dates too much. If its fruit and veg I know when it's gone off, see with meat, the look and smell is enough for me. Tins I work off the advice given many years ago when the Argentinian corned beef problem was about. If I open a tin and it there is any rust I throw it. Anything else (except cheese) if it gets any mould its in the bin.

The over rider with everything though is if it tastes funny I don't eat it

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

We are away most weekend so barbq meat for evening meal, we both love the 4 pack steaks from aldi .
Dose us for Friday and lasagne Saturday pre baked and jacket spuds.on Sunday we do a stir fry Chinese style. With the staek left over followed with a fine drop wine..

 

[TJBi]

Tins of items that can be imported into EU for one emergency meal that never get used on trips and taken off when approaching use by dates. For trips to France, enough fresh food for lunch, evening meal and breakfast in UK, then buy fresh food in arrival port for about 5 days and replenish as required. For UK trips, buy fresh food prior departure for about 5 days and replenish as required.

 

[wildebus]

Does anyone use a vacuum packer?

When I used to make beef casseroles, I would sometimes vacuum seal the remains and reheat as a 'boil-in-the-bag' meal.

 

[wildebus]

I don't worry about use by dates too much. If its fruit and veg I know when it's gone off, see with meat, the look and smell is enough for me. Tins I work off the advice given many years ago when the Argentinian corned beef problem was about. If I open a tin and it there is any rust I throw it. Anything else (except cheese) if it gets any mould its in the bin.

The over rider with everything though is if it tastes funny I don't eat it

I remember when clearing out my mums kitchen after she went into a care home place and found a can of Pepsi under the sink with a sell by date around 10 years earlier.
Decided to try it out of interest ... gawd it was disgusting! Thinking on, tasted just the same as a new can of Pepsi ...

 

[Robmac]

When we start using the Air Fryer we intend to take pretty much what we take now but will also include stuff like McCain Oven Chips, Aunt Bessies roast potatoes (in Duck fat), Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Puddings, small joints such as Brisket (which we will cook in the Remoska before turning the Air Fryer on) and a few frozen veg such as Sprouts and Carrots.

I just like the idea of having a full roast dinner in the van every now and then, and a small joint will make 2 or 3 meals for me as Julie is a vegetarian. As many have said before, the Air Fryer is a game changer.

Just remembered the Schwartz gravy mixes are supposed to be good as well according to reviews. (I spend a lot of time researching food we can cook in the van).

Oh, and when I say we...