Cheap No Cooking Monthly Food List

[knoll128]

I'm not wanting to cook in my new van life and am trying to come up with a CHEAP monthly food list that I don't have to cook. Here is my list, do you experienced van lifers think it is doable? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Freelander]

I don't know about you, but I gotta have some meat!!!!

 

[Sofisintown]

Good diet if you don't mind diabetes.

 

[brandywinemylove]

Well I like it. I order or get from Sam's club. I get a lot that u get. But think about adding Vienna sausage, regular crackers. I also get powered milk. Its not what I really like, but after awhile u get used to it. I started eating kinda like that, where my body can used to change. Before I hit the road.. Just my ideal.
When my husband and I were longhaul truck drivers. We did alot of the snacks. And we made it. But he died little over 3 years. Been longing for the road, I kinda doing just short trips. And increased my days out there. My only problems I really have, what if I break down, no man around. So I am trying to find several people to kinda stay close just in case something happens that I can't fix. (Like this new tranmission). See some of u I hope real soon. Thanks


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[highdesertranger]

well cold ramen and cold oatmeal is not something I would look forward to. no hot meals? in the winter?

2 bucks a gallon for water?

how long is that list good for. you should plan on about 1 gallon of water per day.

highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Knoll to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

oops I didn't realize that your a Newcomer. I am going to delete your other duplicate thread.

highdesertranger

 

[RVTravel]

Great Value red lentils are split and go good with one half ramen block soaked for an hour

Boiled eggs (crack blunted end of egg for easy peeling, bring to boil and turn off, set aside for 1 hour while they cook)

Great Value extra sharp cheddar cheese

 

[Uncle Todo]

I've been trying to figure a diet I can easily and cheaply follow vanning it.
I'm currently on a Keto'ish diet but looking at doing a DASH diet.
I do like the idea of no cooking but I won't do canned meat due to high sodium content so I'll be using a 3QT Instant Pot and egg steamer for breakfast.

I did come across KeyStone brand canned meats where they add only a very minimal amount of salt but they are hard to find, at least for me locally they are.

It looks like you're just buying random things you like, so go for it and see how it goes and wing it from there.

 

[ckelly78z]

I don't have many vices in my life (don't smoke, no drugs, very little alcohol, no expensive hobbies), but I do enjoy good food, and will pay for a better cuisine now, and then. Your diet looks similar to mine for breakfast, and lunch, but I need something with substance, and carbs for dinner.

A liesurly, and tasty dinner is a meal I look forward to all day, so shortchanging myself is a disappointment.

 

[desert_sailing]

I also want to find the most bang for the buck when it comes to provisioning my little vessel.

i plan to search for a kcal/$ calculator somewhere online. Of course the hard way is to do my own chart and math... which would omit many options im unaware of for food stuffs.

some food items may cost more but also provide many more kcal... or less as the case may be.

here we go... for starters

https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

 

[crofter]

Too many carbs and you forgot the sardines.

I also carry a protein powdered drink to replace one meal per day and some vitamin C drink packets with 1000mg plus of vitamin C per day. 

I buy bag salad that includes everything and if you want, you can eat it out of the bag too- no dishes! 

I had a park ranger try to kick me out once for eating my salad out of the bag. I told her that I did not bring the picnic basket cos yogi bear is after those picnic baskets.
-crofter

Link to educational video about bears in hibernation.

 

[desert_sailing]

it appears that the link i posted is a subscription thing or something... im sure there are free sites that are similar... sorry about that..

 

[Sofisintown]

No, the link works fine. It does not require subscription.

 

[eDJ_]

If you don't want to cook  "IN" the car,  it is possible to wrap foods in foil and place them in the engine compartment and let the heat there cook your food as you drive. 

This cook book is dedicated to this.  "Manifold Destiny" 2008.   You may find it online as an eBook to read free. 

There is another book by W C & Ruth Kaysing titled "Eating Well for .99 cent a meal" (if you
can find a copy)  Published 1996

I've read where 75% of an engine's energy is wasted as heat.  So you have an oven of sorts under
the hood.  So this kind of cooking may be worth investigating.

Manifold Destiny: The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine!

 

[crofter]

...
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

That is an interesting idea, but I eat for maximum nutrition to maximize my health, not minimum dollars. I may spend more on food as a result, and I am OK with that.    -crofter

 

[travelaround]

I sometimes have a Clif Bar for breakfast... but for dinner I want something better, so I use a HotLogic Mini... when I'm driving somewhere I can put a Lean Cuisine type box with a frozen meal in it... into the HotLogic and it will cook on 12v. three hours, or four. Makes a good dinner. Seriously, if I don't have a good hot dinner day after day, I start to feel deprived. My van doesn't have a kitchen yet, so I've gotten a lot of use out of the HotLogic.

 

[maki2]

Are you afraid of using a propane stove?

 

[RVTravel]

Bag salads, to me, seem like playing russian roulette with the diet. It seems every year some group of people die from luckily finding contaminated products.
https://www.nestandglow.com/life/salad-bags-unhealthy

 

[crofter]

Well, I am not growing my own at this point. My salad comes from an irtigated field harvested by strangers. But I do pay attention to notices of tainted food so I can throw it out if need be.  -crofter

 

[Uncle Todo]

There was a while there a few years back I ate a bag salad every day for about almost 3 years and never had any issues myself.
Cheaper than the salad bar at my local grocer too, then I'd just add some meat, olive oil and pepper.

Unless you grow all your own food, you're opening yourself up to some risk of side effect of mass production.

When I plan a diet, I try and figure out a good diet and then how to follow it on a budget and easily done.
If it's not easy to do it just doesn't work for me.