Meal ideas for children on a caravan holiday
28th January 2016
Traditionally, the last thing to think about on a caravan holiday is what you’re going to eat. Hook-up cables, bedding, the GPS and even dog food are usually a higher priority than actual meals, which sometimes leaves you with the only option of eating out every night. Not only is this expensive, it can also be inconvenient.
Caravan Meal Ideas
Image from Pexels
Eating in on the other hand, allows you to spend more time in your caravan and relax in the company of your family. Besides, you can go to the pub anytime when you’re at home, so why not embrace the caravan lifestyle as much as possible.
It’s always best to have a plan of action regarding meals, especially if you have smaller members of the family to feed. By being prepared and having some imaginative meals to cook, you have something quick and easy to make that will also keep their creative minds ticking over.
Some Things to Consider
- Try and do a healthy food shop before you set out, or if not, scope out the local supermarkets so you can get some ingredients in at short notice. Our on-site shop stocks a wide range of essential items from local producers for your convenience.
- Make sure you take a BBQ if you are going away in the summer months, as this will come in handy for many meals you create, and will allow you to cook outdoors on warm days. At the very least, consider picking up a few disposable barbecues from your local supermarket
- If all else fails have a backup plan – Cook a batch of meals (from the list below) and put them in tupperwares to freeze. In the caravan, use a cooler box or fridge to keep them cool and bring them out at a moment’s notice
Cooking Fresh
First off, try your best to fill them up with healthy food to balance what you might be eating on the barbecue or if you are eating out on any nights. This includes meals like a Healthy Pasta Salad for lunch with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, avocado and cucumber. Make sure to use your fresh ingredients efficiently though, and don’t buy too much, as you might not have as much space as your fridge at home to store them.
Back to basics
Next, make sure you can keep your meals nice and simple, but filling at the same time. If they are the type of kids who like to run around the site at break neck speed, they will need plenty of nutrition to keep going and having fun on holiday. Easy meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese, a simple Chicken Curry or even a Vegetable Stir Fry with Soy sauce and Noodles can satisfy their hunger without needing too much prep, meaning that they can replenish energy for the next day.
Get Imaginative
Most importantly, try to think about how to make those basic meals a bit more exciting with a little injection of creativity. You can be imaginative with even the simplest meals, just by arranging them the right way. Try a few of the suggestions below:
- Proper Caravan Breakfast – sausage, eggs, bacon, beans, tomato, black pudding (or any of their favourites) all cooked on the BBQ, stacked neatly on a plate with toast cut into caravan shapes
- Sausage and Sweet Potato Mash – cut the sausages so they look like small tree stumps and the mash in the middle as the campfire. For an extra bit of green, use Garden Peas as grass
- Chargrilled Chicken Club sandwich – stick the chicken and bacon on the BBQ, toast your bread and cut into triangles. Add lettuce, tomato and low-fat mayonnaise, assemble and use a cocktail stick to hold together – for an added touch put a flag on the stick (made of a coloured sticker) with your child’s name written on
Got any imaginative meal ideas of your own? Get in touch with us on our Facebook page and tell us all about it. Remember to check the availability of our plots before we open on 1st March to guarantee your spot.
Sources:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/camping
https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/929543-Simple-meals-to-cook-in-a-caravan