Eating and cooking on the road?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by steve-in-kville, Feb 27, 2025.

  1. tarmadilo

    tarmadilo Road Train Member

    1,722
    4,738
    Dec 12, 2018
    0
    I’m mostly regional (sometimes OTR), so I’m usually home on the weekends. I cook my meals for the week on Sunday (omelets for breakfast, various savory dishes for dinner) and put them in plastic containers. I have a cheap Walmart refrigerator in my truck to store that food, plus cream for my coffee and sometimes things like celery and cream cheese or string cheese for snacks.

    I use a toaster oven to reheat, putting my food in an aluminum pie pan (I prefer radiant heat to microwaves). It’s also nice for toasting bagels when I want a change of pace from eggs.

    For my coffee, I use an electric kettle to heat the water, and a stainless steel French press.

    I avoid soft drinks, and I don’t like all the plastic trash of bottled water, so I throw ten Celestial Seasonings Wild Berry Zinger tea bags in a one gallon insulated jug, fill it up with ice, and add water to fill, and refill my travel cup from that as needed. Tasty and no calories.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. wonderkins

    wonderkins Light Load Member

    77
    343
    Jun 19, 2013
    0
    You might look into these...
    HOTLOGIC Portable Food Warmer

    It's a portable oven you can plug into the cigarette lighter. I currently own one. It's amazing. Basically a thermal lined lunch box with a heating plate at the bottom.

    It comes with a container for food, which you just throw in and zip up. But you can get other containers that will fit. Rubbermaid has some called take-alongs. Just plug in your food an hour or two before you want it, and keep driving. You can make basically anything that will fit in there. It doesn't cook meat from raw, or at least I never tried it, so we're talking premade meals.

    They make different sizes. Seriously, this is totally worth the purchase. I have the mini one. About $40.
     
  4. steve-in-kville

    steve-in-kville Light Load Member

    54
    99
    Feb 14, 2025
    0
    Thanks for the great replies. I'm getting all kinds of advice from the other drivers at my employer. They all tell me the same thing: plan and prepare ahead and limit truck stop and diner meals to maybe once a week.
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  5. otterinthewater

    otterinthewater Road Train Member

    5,576
    29,271
    May 10, 2018
    Santa Barbara, Ca
    0
    Don’t eat on the road. It’s gross. Use a plate or a bowl or something.
     
  6. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Vast majority of truck stops do not have diner restaurants. They have a Subway sandwich restaurant and or some fast food. Love's & Pilots & Flying Js have healthy food options like fruits, veggies, sandwiches, etc. It's easy to eat healthy and eat at the truckstop. You don't have to cook every meal in the truck or starve or get fat. Make good choices.
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  7. Walk Among Us

    Walk Among Us Heavy Load Member

    939
    5,171
    Mar 3, 2025
    Fort Worth, TX
    0
    You'll get a lot of food advice from drivers. I noticed that a long time ago!
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  8. Woobie

    Woobie Medium Load Member

    515
    1,018
    May 3, 2013
    RVA
    0
    Most Wendy's locations will sell plain 1/4lb patties if you're on a keto/carnivore type diet. My local Wendy's charges $1.50/patty. 4-6 patties should keep most folks satisfied for most of the day for less than $10.
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  9. A Bug

    A Bug Heavy Load Member

    921
    1,877
    Mar 15, 2014
    Sevierville TN
    0
    My truck comes with a 2000 watt inverter and a fridge. I paid $15 for a burner to fry up 4-8 eggs and a pound or two of beef everyday on the truck. You can get beef pretty cheap if you buy it in the ten pound logs of it they have at Walmart. If you get the fatty beef that is 73/27 ratio then you will have a lot of good beef tallow left over to fry up all sorts of stuff to go along with it. It is so much healthier than using any bottled oils to cook with.
    upload_2025-3-4_16-32-7.png
     
  10. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

    22,373
    153,914
    Apr 26, 2013
    Gettin' down westbound
    0
    Do u ever get problem with splatter when frying stuff?
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  11. A Bug

    A Bug Heavy Load Member

    921
    1,877
    Mar 15, 2014
    Sevierville TN
    0
    A drop or two will burn me once in a while, but nothing i am worried about. I will never again drive a truck that I cannot refrigerate and fry up some good beef ever again.
     
    Rideandrepair and D.Tibbitt Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.