Living and travelling in a van may seem as though it’s harder to make delicious food. Tack on doing this without a fridge and it may seem impossible. It really doesn’t have to be and with a few adjustments living without a fridge isn’t a big deal.
My first few months of travelling without a fridge in my van I purchased ice every few days to fill my cooler—or Esky— to keep food chilled. Then I met a few other travellers who refused to buy ice. They would just eat food within a few days of buying it and shop often.
After hearing this, I immediately started counting how much money I had been wasting on ice. Sometimes with the heat I had to buy ice every day. But, other times I could get away with three days on the same bag. Even at every two days, at AU$4.50 minimum a bag, that added up to nearly AU$70 a month. Ice also leaves everything in the cooler wet when it melts.
Regardless, I knew if other people had been doing it, it was definitely something I wanted to try. And, it’s ended up working out really great. A quick note: ice or not, many other travellers are vegetarian focused as meat doesn’t keep well without a proper fridge.
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Shop often and Strategically
For my first tip on travelling without a fridge, grocery shopping more often can reduce waste by buying foods to eat for a few days. I’m guilty of always spending too much time grocery shopping. So, I knew shopping more often would be a problem, but I’ve adjusted. The best tip I can give is write a shopping list, seriously, just do it.
Even a list with “veggies to add to pasta,” keeps me focused on what to buy and prevents unnecessary wandering. Be strategic by buying foods that don’t expire quickly. I don’t drink milk so this wasn’t a problem, but as long as I drink my Tetra-Pac of macadamia milk within a few days, I’ve never had it go bad. Same goes for certain cheeses, hard cheeses always last longer than soft and those that are unopened. Think parmesan compared to cream cheese. It may take some food going off to learn these lessons, but it’s worth it, eventually.
Pro tip: when shopping for produce, look for what’s in the fridge and not. This can give a good indication of how long something will last without being refrigerated, such as zucchinis compared with lettuce.
Make use of Public Barbecues
Using a gas stove of any kind generally isn’t expensive, but can sometimes limit the styles of cooking. Using one of the thousands of free public barbecues around Australia is a great way to get out of the van, and often enjoy food around new scenery.
Wikicamps Australia, a popular camping app even has a filter for electric barbecues.
Some foods I prefer to use a barbecue for is toasting bread, roasting potatoes and grilling halloumi. If barbecuing is your thing, it’s also a good idea to invest in a grilling mat. Grilling mat’s are generally silicone and lay on top of barbecues, allowing heat through for cooking without melting the mat. It’s perfect for the times you land on a dirty barbecue.
Rethink Meat Consumption
Prior to travelling without a fridge, some people eat meat every day. Most people I know have had to change those habits as travelling without a fridge means meat goes off quick. For those not interested in cutting out meat altogether there’s another option. Consider buying from butchers to purchase smaller portions, instead of overeating, over paying or wasting food.
Even meat stored with ice in a cooler, it can still go bad quickly. After just a day of having raw chicken in my cooler, with ice, I opened it to the smell of rotten eggs. Thankfully that was the one and only time it happened. Later I cut it out altogether. If nothing else, buy meat right before eating to prevent it from spoiling.
Shop Reduced
This goes for anyone shopping, but some grocery stores will have reduced items gathered in specific sections—such as the dairy. I would definitely recommend checking it out. I’ve come across wild discounts that have resulted in creative, delicious meals. Once a A$5 container of ricotta was just A$0.50 the day before expiry, which I added it to my pesto pasta that night.
I know everyone may not be that creative, but it’s a good way to get inspired, which can be tough living without a fridge sometimes. Woolworths also has “the odd bunch” for many produce. This incentive was started to prevent food waste, as normally odd shaped or miscoloured produce will never be sold due to its looks, even though the nutrition and flavour is the same. It’s especially great for avocados!
Have a Realistic Appetite
The biggest change I’ve made to my diet since moving into my van is how much I eat. I don’t work out as much as I once did living in Canada and therefore my body doesn’t need as much energy. First moving into the van, I would buy food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including snacks. I’ve shifted this to a decently sized breakfast, and a big, late lunch. As it begun to get darker in the evening I found there was less I could do around cities or campsites at night so I just erased the need for dinner.
Before when I was buying food for three big meals it would take up more room in my cooler and there was often food wasted. This is what works best for me, it may not be for everyone.
If it’s time to make the switch to using a fridge, check out my article on how to choose the best camp fridge, and learning about an easy solar energy set-up!
