Want to cook in a semi truck? If you’re tired of greasy burgers, so-so tacos, fried chicken and all you can eat buffets, you’re not alone. A trucker’s diet can be hard on the body and morale. In fact, some truckers are so fed up with eating unhealthy and flavorless meals they devise ways truckers can cook home-style meals on the road.
If you’re tired of spending your hard-earned money on gas station food and fast food joints, change your ways and start cooking on the road. With a little bit of planning and the right truck driver cooking equipment, you can start cooking on the road in no time.
Invest in the Right Equipment
If your truck isn’t already equipped with a mini fridge, stove, microwave, coffee pot and crock pot, chances are you’re new to the industry. Take a look at any trucker’s rig and you’ll discover that the back of their cab resembles a mini studio. A 12-V cooler can keep your drinks cool on hot summer days, and a mini coffee pot can ensure that you always stay energized no matter the time of day.
Tools Every Truck Driver Needs On the Road
There are plenty of safe cooking appliances as well. Small microwaves, electric frying pans and grills and lunchbox ovens are all perfectly safe ways to prepare a homemade meal on the go. If you’re more of the outdoorsy type, get a small propane grill. However, make sure that you take it outside before you light it up, otherwise you risk carbon monoxide poisoning.
Before you go around buying all of the above listed appliances, make sure that your truck’s power supply can handle them all. You don’t want to sacrifice a load just because you decided to make a homemade pizza in your new mini pizza oven.
Stock Up on Easy-to-Prep Food Items
Steak, potatoes, chicken breast, asparagus, cheese, bread, carrots…there are plenty of foods out there that don’t require much prep work to make yet that still taste good going down. Those foods also happen to be good for you. Before you hit the road, make a list of the meals you’re going to want to eat and what you need for each. Then hit the grocery store. Remember, you’re working with limited space, so don’t treat your grocery shopping as you would when shopping for your home.
When shopping, remember that the point of making your own foods is two-fold: to save money and to eat healthier. While one meal a month of steak and potatoes is actually good for you, loading up on just steak and potatoes is both bad for your body and your wallet. Stick to cheap, bulk foods that still deliver a nutritional punch. Think chicken, fish, turkey, yogurt, fruits and veggies. Don’t forget the spices, as you probably want to enjoy more flavorful foods than your average Mickey D’s can deliver.
Meals for Every Meal
If you’re not much of a cook, it can be hard to come up with easy-to-prepare meals that are both tasty and healthy. It can also be difficult to come up with variety. If you need some inspiration, consider making the following meals:
Breakfast
- Omelets
- Waffles
- Oatmeal
- Pancakes
- Eggs
- Turkey bacon
Lunch
- Sandwiches
- Salad
- Leftovers
- Tuna
- Pizza
- Mac and cheese
- Grilled cheese
Dinner
- Stew
- Pot roast
- Burgers
- Hotdogs
- Steaks
- Chicken
- Soup
- BBQ pork
- Stroganoff
Of course, you don’t want to forget sides and snacks. Pastas, rice, fruits, veggies and salads make for tasty and healthy sides to any of the above. If you have a sweet tooth, pack a pint of ice-cream or freeze a candy bar or two for an after-dinner treat.
When in Doubt, Meal Prep
If cooking in a semi truck doesn’t sound appealing, or if you just don’t trust yourself to summon up the energy and willpower to prep your own meals come meal time, consider simple and delicious meal prep ideas for truck drivers. If you have a spouse, let him or her give you a hand. In fact, meal prepping could be your guys’ way of bonding while you’re out on the road, and it can even allow you two to “share a meal” even when you’re miles apart.
Bonding moments aside, meal prep only requires a few hours of your time but can yield amazing results. Some people have gotten so good at meal prepping that they can make a whole week’s worth of food in just a few hours’ time. Those meals are generally healthier than what many other people make fresh. Once your meals are made, you can store them in small, reusable containers, which you can easily stow in your mini fridge. Plus, by meal prepping, you can save space on appliances and allow you more room to sprawl out at night.
Just because you’re a trucker doesn’t mean that you have to eat poorly. With the above tips, cooking in a big rig can be easy and fun, and, if cooking on the job doesn’t appeal to you, you can always jump on board the meal-prep bandwagon.