Car food (no cook, no fridge)

[MsTriste]

Hi all, this is my first post. I've been living out of my car (a Honda Fit) for about a month. I'm waiting for escrow to close on some property, at which point I'll be camping on it. For now, my biggest expense is food, and I'd like to decrease it.

Are there any people here who have suggestions for eating without storage space, a heat source, or a cooling source?

 

[WheelEstate USA]

There are a lot of folks here who live in a like fashion.
We have a galley in our van and keep cold stuff in an extra insulated cooler that conserves on ice. We stay in warmer climates so like cool snacks and drinks.

Since you will have a base camp it will be easy to set up an outdoor kitchen to serve your needs. There lots of foods that require little if any cooling, beyond keeping them shaded. There are several tried and true methods of keeping food safe.
I'm sure some of our camp cooks who live without any source of refrigeration will weigh in here.

Congrats on the new base camp.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

grow a garden, plant some fruit trees, get a couple of chickens, become a vegetarian.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

kurby....you're right on your game today

 

[Almost There]

Ok, no cooking, no fridge...can we do a cooler with ice?

If you can, that would stretch the food availability by a long shot.

Fresh fruit comes to mind as do a lot of vegetables that really don't require refrigeration as long as they're eaten within a few days of being purchased.

There are several different meats now that come in foil packs - salmon, chicken and cooked beef crumbles for example.

Some fresh veggies, some tortilla chips and a pack of beef crumbles along with some sour cream gives you taco salad.

Part of managing to lower food costs comes by figuring out how to plan meals so that you use up a container or fresh food before it has a chance to go bad. And choosing foods that have a longer shelf life.

Lettuce for example - head lettuce goes bad rapidly, romaine will last 5 or 6 times longer - the stems might start to brown but they're the part I tear off and just use the leaf anyways.

You can buy small containers of potato salad and get 2 servings out of it - that means that you get it for lunch and dinner that day but better that than throwing it out or eating restaurant food.

More later if you're interested.

 

[skyl4rk]

You are mobile so use your advantage. Buy supermarket deli food, eat the same day.

 

[LeeRevell]

Canned food requires no cooking to be eaten. Some taste better heated at least, but it is not necessary. Single serve cans of veggies, Chef Boy Ardee stuff and similar. There are many "Ready to Eat" rice packets, that need no cooking. You can place a foil wrapped potato on your engine after getting somewhere, and in a bit of time, baked potato! A little Cheese Wizz, salt and pepper and you got a meal! The possibilities are endless.
Investing in a small propane or butane stove would greatly improve your dining experience.

 

[SoulRaven]

Normally I have an ice chest and campstove, but if I'm heading somewhere I'm not going to be handy to get ice & groceries once a week, I'll stock up on fruits & veggies that don't need refrigeration. Then I stock up on smoked meats that don't need to be refrigerated, it's available in every variety, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, everything. Then there's a large variety of canned goods. I prefer the canned oriental dinners over what the restaurants serve. Canned fruit, and individual servings of stuff like pudding and applesauce are also ready to eat with no prep. Tortillas last longer than bread.

Now, I am still cooking... If you don't have room in your vehicle, or don't want to cook in it, just go to a city park. One fellow I know goes to the picnic shelters at city parks that have free power, and plugs his 2 burner hot plate in to cook his meals every day.

 

[highdesertranger]

uhm, what part of the chicken is vegetarian. sorry had to ask. highdesertranger

 

[flying kurbmaster]

the eggs.......and the feathers

 

[highdesertranger]

well I am not going to ague with you so I will just let it go. highdesertranger

 

[MsTriste]

First, thanks all!  There are definitely some edible items in your posts, and the advice is fantastic.  I can't wait until I have my property and can plant and get chickens for the eggs.  Then I'll be back for more advice on tent/camping style cooking.

Perhaps I should clarify:  right now I'm only interested in the current situation, which is that I and all my worldly goods are crammed in my Honda Fit.  So no space to store stuff at all.  Not even a knife/cutting board etc.

I live in Hawaii so have access to fruit - that one is doable.  

The parks here have no electricity.  A few of them have grills and picnic tables, but I'm reluctant to wash dishes in public.  These are very popular beach parks, so there are people at them until just before they close them at night.  No over night parking allowed either, by the way.  

Steak and potato on the grill?  That might work.  

Also, what about hot coffee?  Lately I've been doing the mcdonalds free refill coffee, but would rather find a cheaper method if possible.

 

[MsTriste]

Might get hungry waiting on that garden and trees. Why the chickens if you are a vegetarian?

No sense in eating cold food if you have some sticks and tin cans.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tin+can+stove&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Soup is easy to heat and can be fortified with fresh ingredients and spices quickly. Add bread.

As to the task of eating without storage space I don't think it can be done because food takes up space.

Guy

I never said I was a vegetarian. That was someone else.
I am aware of the time it takes for trees to grow. I mentioned it in response to the first poster.
I have allocated space for food.

 

[ttpadilla]

First, thanks all!  There are definitely some edible items in your posts, and the advice is fantastic.  I can't wait until I have my property and can plant and get chickens for the eggs.  Then I'll be back for more advice on tent/camping style cooking.

Perhaps I should clarify:  right now I'm only interested in the current situation, which is that I and all my worldly goods are crammed in my Honda Fit.  So no space to store stuff at all.  Not even a knife/cutting board etc.

I live in Hawaii so have access to fruit - that one is doable.  

The parks here have no electricity.  A few of them have grills and picnic tables, but I'm reluctant to wash dishes in public.  These are very popular beach parks, so there are people at them until just before they close them at night.  No over night parking allowed either, by the way.  

Steak and potato on the grill?  That might work.  

Also, what about hot coffee?  Lately I've been doing the mcdonalds free refill coffee, but would rather find a cheaper method if possible.

When my coffee maker broke, I switched to Instant Coffee. Of course you'd need hot water, and I'm trying to think of places where you could get free clean hot water, and failing, but I bet someone knows.

 

[anewbiewannabe]

How often would you be at the grocery? That makes a difference. I'm only guessing that you want to replace restaurant food with groceries.

Breakfasts, lunches, or snacks that could be bought when evening meal is bought would be things like: luna or lara bars, peanut butter and rice cakes, fruits, small packs of fresh veggies like snap peas.

With a grocery that has a salad bar you could have a warm soup or make a salad and pick up some deli meat and/or cheese to add protein. From the bakery you could get a croissant and add meat or cheese from the deli.

Buying this way isn't the cheapest but it is the cheapest way to get decent food where you don't have to worry about cooking or refrigeration.

 

[LucyImHome]

Convenience stores and some of the bigger grocery stores have microwaves. At the grocery store, buy something nukeable and take it to the microwave. Canned goods can be heated by setting in the back of the car or on the roof. A bottle of water can be heated the same way, to make instant whatever. Delis are a good choice but choose wisely as it gets expensive. If you have space for even a small cooler, make it more efficient by wrapping it in Reflectix, and throw blankets or such over it. Dried foods, like fruits. Nuts. Coconuts.

 

[gypsychic]

Rolled oats with fresh or dried fruit added. Get hot water at gas stations that have coffee pots. The red tab is the hot water (I'm a tea drinker) Most places won't make you pay for the water if you bring your own cup.

Protein + fat are your friends. They help to make you feel fuller longer by slowing down how fast high GI carbs are metabolized.

Do you like beef jerky? Increase water consumption if you eat jerky to get thru til you can set up camp.

A weird place to get inexpensive cooked food is hospitals. Most are moving away from the really bad for you choices. Salad and soup bars and the grill can be inexpensive. Individual fruit pieces are usually higher than in a grocery store.

Dried fruit and nuts. Personally I love ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins & sometimes I add nuts). I used to bring that or rolled oats plus dried fruit and nuts for inexpensive lunches at work.

Can you rent a storage space for the month to move some things into so you can have room for a cooler?

Do you have available cup holders? If so, maybe put ice in bottom cup then put another cup inside to hold a small something.

Oh, and, Welcome!

 

[WriterMs]

Often to heat something like one of the shelf-stable meals (rotini with meat sauce, for example), I would take some foil (or for me.. use my silver windshield sunshade) to make a little "hot cone" in the front van window where the sun comes in. Put the vented shelf-stable tray (or an opened can of something) in the middle of the silver cone and give the sun a chance to do your cooking for you. It is not as good as a sun oven but better than cold in my opinion.

Also, if you have a Dollar Tree or similar, you can find several things for somewhat decent nutrition (and find the same things at a grocery store for more money). I buy Jif peanut butter in the little 2 oz. cups. You get 3 of those in a very small box for $1. I like that I can dip apple slices or even whole grain crackers in the little shallow cups and not have a sticky knife to wash (which sounds like something you'd like, too). They carry little snack packs of peanuts and mixed nuts and even sometimes pistachios or pumpkin seeds. And canned veggies, plastic cups of fruits and tins or foil packs of meats.

 

[907KHAM687]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00472MNIE/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1428735482&sr=1&keywords=thermos

I make oatmeal and corn grits in this. And rice, but I'm not a fan of rice. The boiling water and the thermos is easier than using a pot on the stove, and the results are the same if I get the water ratio right. I like the single serving packet of spam, I like to cube it and fry it hard in a pan and throw it in the polenta(fancy names for corn grits.)

I hear that the sun is extra sunny in Hawaii, I would try to boil some water using the sun or a rocket stove, I'm a big fan of boiling water and grains.

 

[VJG1977]

One summer to save money, In the morning I would place a can of green beans and a can of chicken breast on the dash.  At work I would park facing south.  By lunch time the cans would be too hot to hold barehanded.  I kept salt, pepper, hot sauce and plastic forks in the car.  Back then I figured I was saving between $20 and $30 a week over fast food or a restaurant meal.  This was 30 years ago.
I bet if you try any canned food placed between the windshield and a silver [size=medium]sunshade, you could get the heating time way down.  With the Hawaii sun you may have to be [/size]careful not to get the cans too hot.
A loaf of bread makes a lot of sandwiches and I've never seen a minimum purchase at a grocery store deli.  You can buy a quarter pound of anything.  
A lot of foods can be eaten cold.

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Dishes-Best-Served-Cold