How Do You Eat Normal Meals On The Road!?

Hey All, As I go into school, I'm already looking forward to the day I have my own truck. However, I don't like the health risks I'm taking on if I eat fast/gas station food for every meal, every day, although I do love greasy junk. Are there any truckers out there that can tell me what equipment or methods you use to eat semi-normal until you get some home time? I was thinking instead of a Microwave I may get a toaster oven, since anything microwaved can be put in a toaster oven, but not vice versa. Also, I thought about getting a little camping stove of some sort that is big enough to cook a decent meal but small enough to be stored out of my way. Appreciate any and all input!

Best, Jason E.

Hey Jason, I just had to respond to this tonight because I'm sitting in my favorite little Sports Bar (The Gipper) in Milford Connecticut enjoying one of the best bowls of French Onion soup, (while watching the Broncos put one on the Chargers) that you'll find anywhere in the country. I enjoy cooking in my truck, but I also have little favorite eating spots all across the country. It's funny how the whole country gets to be as familiar to you as your own backyard once you've been out here doing this for a while. Four days ago I was down in San Benito TX (the southern tip of Texas on the border of Mexico) enjoying a delicious boiled shrimp dinner at a place I like to go to when in that area. Tonight I'm at "The Gipper"

My point in sharing this is that you don't have to settle for truck stop food all the time. Many of them are strategically positioned so you just about have to eat there if you are planning on eating out, but once you get to know your way around the country you can develop your own little places that you like to stay at so that you can eat well.

I use a crock pot in my truck - it works well for me and the style of cooking I enjoy. I'll throw the ingredients together in the morning for a nice soup or a Jambalaya, or maybe even some smothered pork chops and let it simmer and fill my truck with it's wonderful aroma as I'm turning the miles of scenery into money. I'm considering getting a small electric skillet so that I can cook a quick meal at the end of the day when I feel like it, or maybe even for cooking some eggs and bacon in the morning.

You may want to wait until you get in a truck before investing money into electric appliances just so that you will be aware of what type of power source you've got available to you. I've seen quite a few people out here using a small Coleman cook stove, and some folks with a "hot plate" for a cooker. My wife will sometimes save portions of meals that she has prepared at home for me in the freezer. I recently had some really good purple hull peas with deer sausage cooked in with them that she had prepared and saved for me to take with me on the road.

You can save yourself a lot of money by carefully planning and preparing your own meals, and you can also eat more healthy that way also.

I have a crock pot also, and George Foreman grill, sandwich maker, microwave, hot pot for boiling water, and a coffee maker. I like to eat a sit down meal in a restaurant once a week also. Although I do still eat to much truckstop gut rot, guess I'm lazy sometimes.

I'm looking forward to figuring out a good nutritional balance, but living in hotels and working regionally has taught me that the Pilots around here all seem to have very filling salads that are good with very little dressing in a pinch.

Hey Jason, I just had to respond to this tonight because I'm sitting in my favorite little Sports Bar (The Gipper) in Milford Connecticut enjoying one of the best bowls of French Onion soup, (while watching the Broncos put one on the Chargers) that you'll find anywhere in the country. I enjoy cooking in my truck, but I also have little favorite eating spots all across the country. It's funny how the whole country gets to be as familiar to you as your own backyard once you've been out here doing this for a while. Four days ago I was down in San Benito TX (the southern tip of Texas on the border of Mexico) enjoying a delicious boiled shrimp dinner at a place I like to go to when in that area. Tonight I'm at "The Gipper"

My point in sharing this is that you don't have to settle for truck stop food all the time. Many of them are strategically positioned so you just about have to eat there if you are planning on eating out, but once you get to know your way around the country you can develop your own little places that you like to stay at so that you can eat well.

I use a crock pot in my truck - it works well for me and the style of cooking I enjoy. I'll throw the ingredients together in the morning for a nice soup or a Jambalaya, or maybe even some smothered pork chops and let it simmer and fill my truck with it's wonderful aroma as I'm turning the miles of scenery into money. I'm considering getting a small electric skillet so that I can cook a quick meal at the end of the day when I feel like it, or maybe even for cooking some eggs and bacon in the morning.

You may want to wait until you get in a truck before investing money into electric appliances just so that you will be aware of what type of power source you've got available to you. I've seen quite a few people out here using a small Coleman cook stove, and some folks with a "hot plate" for a cooker. My wife will sometimes save portions of meals that she has prepared at home for me in the freezer. I recently had some really good purple hull peas with deer sausage cooked in with them that she had prepared and saved for me to take with me on the road.

You can save yourself a lot of money by carefully planning and preparing your own meals, and you can also eat more healthy that way also.

All excellent ideas! I'm not sure if I could deal, or would want, the crockpot making my truck smell like my next meal all day. I think I'd prefer the truck to smell like, well..truck, or air freshener. I like the other ideas though. How do you go about doing your dishes? Of course you can use plastics for the eating and what not, but what about the crock pot, skillet, etc?