How to eat well on the road. On a budget.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by joseph1135, Jan 26, 2015.

  1. joseph1135

    joseph1135 Papa Murphy

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    Nov 8, 2009
    The Highway To Hell.
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    There's a now locked thread about $57 A week. Someone was bringing that home. Ouch. Lot of guys spend a ton of cash out here. Why?? Especially for food!!! Notice that the truck stops are lacking in quality these days? Let's face it. Truck stops ain't what they used to be. No longer do you get a decent meal at a decent price with service. Now it's whenever the hell the server feels like getting to you, smaller portions, less quality and you're really paying a premium. I decided a while ago that I would only occasionally eat out if it was worthwhile. Good bbq, restaurants that have something to actually offer, usually off the beaten path. Can't rule out the occasional In-N-Out Burger or Chipolte burrito. Now I eat what I what, when I want, and it cost me a whole lot less. I'm going to mix it up between cooler meals and if you can have an actual fridge.

    Cooler meals- salads- the old standby of lettuce, cheese, meat and dressing. One salad totally prepared will cost you less than $1.50.

    Beef brisket: yup!!! Sadler's makes refrigerated packaged beef brisket. A package will cost between $5-12 depending on size. Squeeze some Sweet Baby Ray's on there, and you've got some tasty brisket at a fraction of what it'll cost you at a restaurant. Sadler's makes a pulled beef brisket in bbq sauce that you can make great sandwiches out of. It's $5 for a pound and it is really tasty and hits the spot every time.

    Sweet peppers- what a snack! Healthy too!! About 3-5 dollars for a package and it'll last 2-3 days, very healthy, no mess either

    Deli trays- pepperoni and cheese, turkey and cheese, veggie trays, fruit trays, all cheap, easy and ready when you are. Healthy and tasty too.

    Cereal! A box of your favorite cereal will cost you around $3-4 and last a week or two. Throw a half gallon/gallon of milk in there, you're up to $7, but you have breakfast everyday on the cheap.

    Sandwich meats and cheeses. Why are you paying Subway anywhere from $5-8 for a sub, that's not that good, when you can spend $8 and make yourself a better sandwich? Without being charged an extra $2 for extra meat?? No standing in line either.

    String cheese is $3.50 a package. Great snack food with no clean up and not that bad for you.

    Summer sausage is good for us carnivores who get a little hungry and don't have time to stop. Cut a piece off and you're good to go.

    Other suggestions? Add them! All prices are round a bout from Walmart.
     
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  3. joseph1135

    joseph1135 Papa Murphy

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    Nov 8, 2009
    The Highway To Hell.
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    If you have an inverter, your food options open up greatly. I haves fridge with a freezer, microwave and an Oster single burner. Tonight I had shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta. Buy cooked peeled shrimp, sauteè it in garlic and butter, cook the pasta, lay the scampi over the noodles and voila! You have the best meal in the flying j parking lot, for less than you would have paid for the ultra greasy Denny's.

    The Oster single burner is $20 and uses very little power. Get a pot and a pan and you're in business. You can make anything you could make at home. Anything. Omelette, steak, etc. all on the cheap too. But let's say you're not that good with cooking. The freezer aisle shall be your friend here!

    Steamable veggies and rice are yummy and healthy. And CHEAP. like anywhere from a dollar to $1.36. And they fill you up. Soft pretzels are a good snack too, Red Baron French bread pizzas aren't the healthiest thing, but they aren't bad and at $3 for two, you can't beat it.

    Having a microwave is like heaven (no religious connotation there) and a decent one will cost $50-90 and save you $$$$ a week.

    Back to the Oster single burner. I love grilled cheese. I do. But you can't really get them, and if you do, they charge an obscene amount of money for two pieces of bread and some cheese. I can make them whenever I want and not be charged $8 for it (The old Flying J restaurant.).

    Pierogies. Do you know what they are? Most restaurants don't. But you can sautteè up some of them and have some sour cream handy and eat up.

    I eat very well, and I do so for under $75 a week. I love food, but I'm out here to make money. TA forgets that trucking is 24 hours and pilot forgets that Subway, McD's and Denny's is getting old, and don't get me started on Love's! You can be a parking lot chef and eat good food and not go broke doing so by doing it yourself. Besides, ever been at a shipper or receiver that takes forever? Or spent thr night at a rest area? I don't do the Vending Machine Buffet anymore. And neither should you! Any suggestions? Add them!!!
     
  4. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

    17,737
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    Apr 10, 2009
    Copied in Hell
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    For me, it's normally a time thing. Up by 0500 and run until sundown, then stop and eat. Sometimes, I get one of those loads from hell that take all day to load, and tarp. And the guts start screaming for food when I don't have time to stop and eat. SlimFast! It will hold me until my day ends. I carry it for those emergency situations where it feels I am running out of fuel and have to feed the machine to keep going.

    BTW, you can't blame the truckstop food on $57 paycheck. Even if you spent $400/week in food, the average driver running average miles at the average bottom feeder would make more. That's running less than 200 miles in 7 days. Impossible to justify keeping the truck on the road for that few a miles. Cash advances, possibly...but not for food alone. You have to add in cigarettes and booze to wipe out an entire paycheck.

    I saw one of those slumlord outfits at the TA in Lodi,OH. had two drivers running team. The truck owner had the truck leased on to a mega. Both drivers split $350!!!!!! It was summer, hot and muggy, and both drivers were staying in the TV room because the owners wife had the fuel micromanaged so tightly that if they idled the truck, they wouldn't have enough fuel to make it to the destination. And this is why we protect our driving record, and work history...so we don't have to work for a slumlord. Personally, I would find something else to do.
     
  5. thelushlarry

    thelushlarry Road Train Member

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    glasgow ky
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    Have you ever heard of the saying "you gotta eat"?:biggrin_25516:
     
  6. rpad139

    rpad139 Heavy Load Member

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    -Yoplait yogurt costs 60 cents each...lots of protein there
    -Dozen eggs about $2or 3 bucks...use microwave cook
    -Can soup....about $2or 3 bucks each.....microwave
    -1/2 gallon of milk costs about $2or 3 bucks...protein
    -Can tuna or sardines costs $1 each....protein

    McDonald's is not a bad option as well, just cut out the soda and drinks lots of water.

    Don't be lazy and go to walmart.
     
  7. macmanboomer

    macmanboomer Light Load Member

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    Oct 19, 2014
    TN
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    I have fridge with freezer, George Foreman grill, and a microwave so I try to eat in the truck most of the time but sometimes you just need a break to go in and sit down for a meal.

    microwaveable flavored rice or pasta and add in a can of cooked chunk chicken (or tuna),
    Frozen boneless chicken tenderloins on the grill along with can of green beans or salad (make extras for 2-3 days while you have the grill out & keep in fridge, saves on # of times you have to clean grill),
    frozen turkey burgers,
    pizza rolls in microwave (not the healthiest but quick and easy),
    frozen fully cooked chicken breast (throw in microwave for when in a hurry & no time to grill),
    frozen chicken nuggets, chunks, or strips and some Jack Daniels Original BBQ sauce!
     
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  8. Campitor

    Campitor Light Load Member

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    Dec 30, 2014
    Pittsburgh, PA
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    tons of microwave veggies , long wild rice. 1.00 a bag or box. Use hot water, make oatmeal for breakfast, fruit, granola bars. Lunch box cookers, crock pots. I will be cooking enough to feed myself days at a time. Cold cereal. Mix a protein shake for a late night tide me over.
     
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  9. jason6541

    jason6541 Road Train Member

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    Omaha, NE
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    I use a small crock pot with the liners and cook tenderloins ect in it. start it in the morning and let it cook until lunch slice it up and make some good sandwiches, can even throw in some rice, frozen veggies ect. in the winter make some homemade soup,buy some beef,chicken broth and a roast and potatoes ect. when done grab the liner and toss it, not much clean up. I havn't bought anything in a truck stop in so long other than fuel. not even truck supplies, wiper fluid, oil, grease ect. I buy it all at home and keep truck well stocked. screw them high priced travel centers. Then again I'm home on the weekends and spend about $50.00 a week on food. Here something else no one has brought up yet. My wife bought me the ninja system for the trk. and I keep the single serve cups with me. I but the frozen fruit, throw in some carrots, spinach(fresh), leeks or what ever. some greek vanilla yogurt and skim milk and make fruit smoothies. quick easy and easy clean up. get you going in the morning.
     
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  10. DenaliDad

    DenaliDad Retired Wheel Dog

    Believe it or not, I get most of my meals at Subway. 12" veggie, no lettuce, extra spinach, and some tasty dressing, makes two meals. I also drink a lot of water -- a lot of water. I drink much more than I eat. I drink coffee and carry nuts or grapes as snacks.

    I don't eat processed meat or canned soup because they're both very high in sodium. I'm also not a vegetarian, which to me is a philosophical statement, and I don't eat red meat because of the taste. When I eat at restaurants, I try to get food that must be prepared...no all-you-can-eat buffets of any kind because they encourage overeating larger portions. And I don't eat anything that comes in a bag; no chips, pretzels, cookies, or fake donuts. Those things are killers.

    Last year, I lost 35 pounds on that tasty diet...while driving OTR.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2015
  11. gokiddogo

    gokiddogo Road Train Member

    8,775
    14,727
    Mar 5, 2012
    Ontario Canada
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    I don't have a fridge in my truck, but I eat pretty decent most of the time. I do have an inverter.

    I have cereal and will buy milk for it when I want that.
    Boil water in a kettle and have oat meal.
    Those bowls of soup that cost about 0.25 and all you do is pour hot water in it and wait.
    Don't forget good old peanut butter and bread!
    I keep a case of water and diet pepsi in here too.

    When I want to buy food it is mainly subway, 6" subs/flatbread ONLY .. no footlong anymore. The idea of storing half for later never worked for me because I would think that in the store, get done eating the first half then think the second half will be soggy and not very good later. The funny part is, if I eat 1/2 or a full sub, I am hungry again the same amount of time later ... funny how that works ... On occasion I also get their salads.
     
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