Healthy Eating in Small Spaces

Challenges Faced in an RV or Boat
Whether living or vacationing in a boat or RV, there are several challenges and abstacles to overcome when it comes to food preparation. Limited storage, small fridges, limited resources such as water and power all affect what you plan to bring. Not to mention fewer and smaller appliances, limited counter space and variable access to grocery stores. Throw in some people's tendency for irregular activity, increased consumption of alcohol and higher fat snacks and you have a health breakdown.

Space Saving Strategies
Fruit and Vegetables: After grocery shopping cut off ends from your carrots, cut up the pineapple and melon to reduce storage space requirements. Cut up all the vegetables you will need for a few dinners such as stir fry or pasta sauce. Consider making a big fruit salad and think of creative ways to store the food you won't be using right away. Some fruit and vegetables such as root vegetables, onions, apples, bananas and pears can be stored on the counter, in a cupboard or a vegetable cooler.

Grain Products: Get rid of the boxes and store your grains in airtight containers to keep out pests and reduce waste. Buy storage containers to fit your cupboards. Buy muffin mix and bake muffins as needed instead of buying ready to eat muffins and storing them all. Make cookie dough at home and freeze until ready to bake in RV, this way you can leave the flour and other baking ingredients at home. Be creative, store tortillas under the cushions of the seats.

Milk Products: Buy yogurt in large containers and re-use container for storage. Use skim milk powder and add water as needed, consider freezing a jug of milk as use it as ice for a cooler for the first day away.

Meats and Alternatives: Remove meats from packaging and store in freezer bags in portions you will use. Buy tinned or dried beans, lentils, chickpeas and keep nuts and seeds in small containers or bags.

Energy and Water Saving Tips: Pre-cook and freeze protein in small cut portions for use in sandwiches, wraps or pizza toppings. Hard boil several eggs at once (keep cool), steam vegetables on top of pasta water, save water for soups, make one pot meals and soups to reduce cleaning and cook once and eat twice with “planovers”. Even cooking fish and vegetables in foil packets on the BBQ or fire can make life easier and reduce energy requirements.

Quick and Easy Meal Ideas

Breakfast Ideas

• Oatmeal, raisins, apples, walnuts and cinnamon
• Scrambled egg in a toasted whole wheat English muffin with tomato and spinach
• Fruit Parfait: Granola, fruit salad and yogurt
• Breakfast smoothies (use a Braun mixer)
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• French toast (with your stale bread), topped with fruit
• Muffin, milk and fruit

Easy Lunches

• Whole wheat wrap filled with chicken, red grapes, plain yogurt and curry powder
• Salmon wrap with yogurt and dill, shredded cabbage and cucumber
• Leftovers from dinner
• Sandwich with meat and cheese and a vegetable soup
• Greek pasta salad with chickpeas

Tasty Dinners

• One pot chili (reheat on the fire)
• Stir fry one night, in a wrap the next day
• Bean and vegetable soup (toss in leftover pasta, vegetables, beans etc.)
• Pizza with leftover chicken, spinach, peppers, pine nuts and tomato sauce (try tortilla crust)
• Fish and vegetable foil packets
• Roast meat and root vegetables (use for soups or on salads for another meal)

Food Safety Tips

• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold
• Use a separate cooler for drinks
• Use a meat thermometer
• Use 2 cutting boards (raw meats and produce)
• Don't reuse the same plate for cooked and raw meats
• Don't pierce meat before cooking
• Avoid cross-contamination
• Sanitize your counters with a bleach solution
• Change dish cloth daily

Safe Food Handling

• Wash your hands before you cook and eat
• Thaw raw meats on the bottom shelf of fridge
• Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees
• Cook raw steaks and roast within 2-3 days of purchasing
• Cook fish and poultry same day or next day
• Refrigerate leftovers within 1-2 hours of cooking
• Only keep leftovers for 3-4 days