VanLife is all about being intentional with your time and how you spend it. So, that means planning out what meals to make, grocery shopping, and prep in advance so you can save time during the hectic weekdays. We’ve all been there: cooking and prepping takes up an entire Saturday or Sunday. And when you work 9-5 M-F, it’s nearly impossible to have enough time to prep foods during the week. But this doesn’t mean that you can never eat well again! Follow these tips on how to maintain a healthy diet while living in a van.
Buy and prep your food in bulk
If you’re going out on a road trip, you might want to hit Costco or Sam’s Club and stock up on some bulk foods. The same goes for a camping trip - if you’re planning to cook in a van, cooking in bulk is a great way to save money. Plus, healthy foods like beans, veggies, and whole grains can be refrigerated or frozen, so they’ll last you a long time.
Meal prepping on Sundays
To me, no other part of van life is as important as nutrition. By prepping your meals for the week on Sundays, you’ll save yourself a ton of time during the week. I even prep food for the following week on Sundays as well. This way, I know exactly what I’ll be eating during the week and don’t have to worry about running out of food.
Keep Registered Dietician approved snacks at hand
Since you’ll be eating three square meals a day (plus snacks in between), it’s important to have a healthy snack at hand at all times to avoid binging on unhealthy processed foods. Nuts, dried fruits, apples, bananas, and trail mix are a few of the best snacks to keep in your van. Whatever snacks you decide to keep on hand, just make sure they’re registered dietician approved!
Don’t skip breakfast!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s a common misconception that living in a van will allow you to skip breakfast. It’s important to eat breakfast every day to kickstart your metabolism and avoid binging on unhealthy foods later on. Oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, and smoothies can all be eaten for breakfast. Try to eat breakfast at the same time every day, so you can get into a healthy routine and it becomes a part of your daily life.
Beans are your friend
Beans are a great source of protein, fiber, and other nutrients, and it can be really easy to slip them into your diet. You can eat them plain, add them to salads, or add them to your soups and stews. You can even make bean burgers to top your salads! Eating a few servings of beans a week will help you get all the protein you need and also helps prevent constipation.
VanLife Dinner Tips - Rotating Proteins, Tofu, and Beans.
For those of you who are vegan, vegetarian, or maybe even reducing your meat intake, you’ll want to make sure to find a protein source that you can use every day. And tofu, beans, and legumes are perfect for this. When rotating proteins, make sure you buy enough for your week, and store them properly. If you’re cooking for one person, you don’t want to buy a whole bag of tofu (unless you have freezer space!)
Final Words
VanLife is all about being intentional with your time and how you spend it. So, that means planning out what meals to make, grocery shopping, and prepping in advance so you can save time during the hectic weekdays. We’ve all been there: cooking and prepping takes up an entire Saturday or Sunday. And when you work 9-5 M-F, it’s nearly impossible to have enough time to prep foods during the week. Now, this doesn’t mean that you can never eat well again! Follow these tips on how to maintain a healthy diet while living in a van.