I love planning and preparing food for our trips. I asked Mom if I could take over that job and have been doing it for about a year now. I believe one of the biggest keys to success in the meal planning is having master meal and shopping lists. I am so thankful that Mom has taught me to use master lists so as not to forget even the smallest details.
I plan the first few weeks of meals although it is a guide, and I do not have to follow it exactly. I also have a master list of pantry and other food items that we bring with us on our trips. I will go through the meal plan and master list before we leave and add whatever we don’t have on hand to one of our shopping lists. We shop at Sam’s Club, Costco, Walmart Supercenter, and a local grocery store.
Some have asked how we fix and manage meals on the road. Each week varies, depending on how much we are driving, where we are in the trip, and if we’ve grocery shopped recently, but this will give you a glimpse into our first week of the trip we just completed. For many meals, I had prepared the meat before we left, but I can cook it on the road when needed. Fridays are a bit different because we eat a bigger lunch, no dinner, and then snack after the conference.
Our breakfasts consist of some of the following: smoothies, granola, granola bars, and yogurt. Also, with lunch and dinner, we have salad, but instead of repetitiously listing it, I thought I would just let you know here.
Serving Jesus,
Anna
Friday
Lunch – Breakfast burritos (eggs, sausage, cheese, spices)
Dinner/late night snack – Smoothies and snacks after conference
Saturday
Lunch – Chick-fil-a (brought in by conference hosts)
Dinner – Shredded Mexican beef (made before we left) in tortillas or on lettuce
Sunday
Bigger breakfast/brunch – Leftover biscuits and gravy from Jesse’s birthday
Dinner – Campfire roasted hotdogs and Maple Oat Cookies (some ate these uncooked and some cooked theirs on foil over the fire)
Monday
Lunch – Leftovers
Dinner – Sloppy Joes and roasted red peppers
Tuesday
Lunch – Sloppy Jo sliders (toasted whole-wheat homemade rolls, topped with leftover Sloppy Jo meat and cheese)
Dinner – Chili with corn chips
Wednesday
Lunch – Cracker Barrel
Dinner – Nobody was very hungry so we had leftovers and smoothies for those who wanted them.
Thursday
Lunch – Tuna burgers (made from canned tuna, spices, egg, mayo, and then cooked) or tuna melts (tuna burger on an open-face, toasted, whole-wheat, homemade roll with melted cheese)
Dinner – Campfire dinner with hot dogs and onion/potato packets (cooked in foil over the fire).
Friday
Lunch – Tacos (cooked ahead and frozen)
Dinner/late night snack – Smoothies and snacks after conference
“… hope in God: for I shall yet praise him,
who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
Psalms 43:5
What about veggies and fruit? Fresh, frozen or canned? One more thing can you give some food storage ideas? You all seem to do an excellent job planning ahead when you travel.
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It all depends on refrigerator/freezer room and when we will be shopping next whether the veggies are fresh or frozen. Spinach is normally frozen and compacted for the breakfast smoothies. Fruit is a mixture of frozen and fresh depending how it is being used. Smoothies usually use frozen except apples are usually fresh.
I love gleaning ideas from your meal plan. You are such a blessing to your family. Thank you for sharing!
What a great post Anna. Always love to read about your cooking. Cookies on tin foil over the fire? If you have time, could you expound on that? Never heard of this technique. I love to go to roadside parks for picnics. Cookies on the fire?!?! My little one would think this is SO cool. I do too!! Thanks for the insight to your road meals
I have been managing my kitchen in sort-of a commercial mode for the past year or so — I pre-shred cheese, pre-cook meats, do as much “prep” work as I can ahead of time much like a restaurant would so the actually meal-making isn’t so labor intensive. It sounds like you do this, too, which makes so much sense when you are traveling and really don’t have a ton of time for that critical prep work. Thanks for this post! it sounds like your family is able to stay out of restaurants for the most part which is both healthier and less expensive!
Thank you for sharing, Anna. You have such an important role in the wonderful ministry of your family! Would you mind sharing your recipe for the tacos that you freeze ahead?
great travel menu. I’d also love to know what you eat at home…the full menu, not just the entree’.
and thanks for your answer to Cathie’s question, the listing does seems to lack fresh produce.
The menu is great!
My mom and I were loking forward to this post. We are enjoing it very much.
Please continue to post more ideas and recipes.
God Bless You, Anna
I would love it if you published a cookbook. Your meals seem to be both interesting and healthy.
Like this post for practical help! We are going to make the maple oat cookies. We are going to try whole wheat flour instead since that is what we have on hand. Looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing!
Alicia
That’s a cute skirt and apron you have, Ms. Anna. I’m looking forward to trying the maple cookies! 🙂
Alanna