Creating meal plans for your RV trip is a little different than planning for meals at your brick-and-mortar home.

Several things are obvious, like not having a cavernous pantry or larger refrigerator to store a weeks’ worth of meals.

Other meal prep things may not be top of mind because you are so used to having certain things at your fingertips.

Maybe there are some condiments and spices you always have at home but not in your RV.

Or maybe you always use a specific baking dish or pan you don’t have room to carry in your RV.

You really must think through each meal you plan on making on your RV trip. Otherwise, you’ll will find yourself without an important item that’s crucial to a recipe.

Here are some things you can do to create successful meal plans for your RV Trips.

RV Meal Plans Without Refrigeration

If you have a refrigerator in your RV, it may not be very large. Even if it is, the fridge is likely to be filled with cool drinks, basics like milk, eggs, and condiments.

That means you’ll barely have room to add extra items for RV meal plans throughout your trip.

The less refrigerated items you can purchase, the better.

If you have a freezer with your refrigerator, maybe there are items you can freeze for the start of your trip and thaw later for a meal.

Try to substitute items in your meal plans that don’t need refrigeration.

RV Meal Plans Without Lots of Ingredients

The more ingredients each meal plan has, the more storage you are going to need to find. And as mentioned above, refrigerated items add an extra complication.

When you put together your complete menu, go through the items and see what you can substitute.

Maybe there are items you can combine or omit if they are not critical. Also compare items across your different meals.

Is there something you can use in two different menus instead of bringing to different items? Do a little research online.

There are many suggestions on items that can be substituted out for others. This may reduce your number of ingredients so less storage space is necessary.

RV Meal Plans With Available Ingredients

One way to create meal plans for your RV trip is to plan out the menu based on your location.

Think about the area you are going to and try to plan your future meal needs according to what might be available in the area.

Buying local is a great way to help the local environment too – bonus! Try not to plan menus with exotic items you may not be able to find later.

RV Meals That Depend on the Weather

If you are going to a cold climate, think about foods that will be nice and warm and contribute to warming your RV.

On the other hand, if you are traveling to someplace warm, think about cool foods you can prepare. Or better yet, enjoy planning meals you can cook up outdoors.

One Pot RV Meals

When planning your RV menu, it is also as important to consider what you are going to need to cook the meals.

You need the right utensils, pots, and pans to cook up meals. And you need the right kitchen items to be able to eat your meals.

If you can prepare a meal in one pot (or pan), that makes for a great RV meal plan. If you don’t want to do a lot of dishes, paper products are a good option.

When planning your RV meals, look across your menu and see what items can serve dual purposes.

Never bring a waffle maker if you can’t use it to cook several different types of meals. Or unless you plan to eat waffles every day!

Prepping RV Meals in Advance

You might want to think about the weight of the items you are putting together as part of your meal plan.

Some items can be prepped before you leave, and you can leave weight behind. Remove extra packaging from items that make sense.

Cut up fruits and vegetables and leave the excess behind if you’re able.

Select lightweight pans (or even disposable aluminum) so you are not adding excess weight to the RV.

Meals as Part of the RV Experience

When planning your meals, don’t just think about what you will need to store or using the least number of items possible or the lightest weight pans.

You should also consider making your meals a part of your RV getaway, too. Find fun things you can make together as a family.

Or solo, bring along a favorite meal you can grill or cookout over the fire pit as a treat.

Maybe you read about a local delicacy at your next destination, and you want to try it out.

Get local items at the grocery store and plan an experience around that local meal.

Don’t lose sight of the reason for RVing. It is the freedom to experience our travels in a way that makes sense to us.

Creating meal plans for your RV trips should also include experiencing your destination and the stops along the way. Incorporate that into your meal planning.

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