Caravan Life: Healthy Eating on the Go

How to Eat Healthy Meals While Travelling

Eating well while travelling doesn’t mean surviving on salads, refusing every meal you didn’t prepare yourself or searching every town for an organic supermarket. It does take some planning, particularly when travelling through remote parts of Australia, but limited space and equipment don’t have to mean living on processed food.

Health, fitness and nutrition have been a huge part of my life for decades. I have a diploma in nutrition and dietetics, have studied paleo nutrition, and previously created an online program that helps people reverse type 2 diabetes, predominantly through food, exercise, and mindset. I have also worked with naturopaths and other holistic health practitioners over the years, and all of that has shaped the way Chris and I eat.

For many years, we followed a strict ketogenic diet and kept our carbohydrate intake extremely low. Chris even followed a carnivore diet for a while. Looking back, we both felt our healthiest during those years. We lost all the excess body fat we had been carrying; our energy was far more stable, and our mental clarity was unbelievable. We were not constantly hungry, craving snacks or thinking about our next meal.

These days, we are less rigid and would describe our eating as low-carb, clean eating. We still avoid heavily processed foods and, wherever possible, choose foods without unnecessary additives, preservatives, artificial ingredients, or chemicals. I also prefer to eat gluten-free most of the time.

I have always believed that food affects far more than weight. From my own research and experience, I see a strong connection between gut health, mental wellbeing, inflammation, energy and physical health. The gut is often referred to as the body’s second brain, and I believe poor nutrition can contribute to many physical and emotional problems.

I am also a firm believer that, even with a good diet, it can be difficult to get everything our bodies need from food alone. Soil quality, modern food production, individual health conditions, stress, age and lifestyle can all affect our nutritional needs, which is why supplementation is an important part of our approach to health.

Rather than taking random products, I believe in looking at the whole person, identifying where the body may need extra support and working with a naturopath or other qualified practitioner where possible. For us, supplementation is about supporting overall health, energy, recovery, hormones, digestion, inflammation and the areas where our individual bodies need help.

We use Switch Nutrition, an Australian company whose products are made on the Sunshine Coast. I know the owners and the people behind the products, which gives me confidence in what we use and why each product was created. We have used their range as part of our own health routine for years. Our discount code ADUCREW can be used at switchnutrition.com.au.

Our 80/20 approach

We eat this way around 80 per cent of the time. When we go out, we enjoy ourselves. I am not going to refuse something simply because it isn’t low-carb, and we do not want our food choices to stop us from enjoying local cafes, restaurants or meals with friends.

Having said that, the longer we have eaten well, the more aware we have become of how different foods make us feel. Any junk food can leave us feeling ordinary the following day. Foods cooked in canola or vegetable oils can cause aches and pains in my back, while some types of wheat and gluten affect me in a similar way.

Because of that, we often still choose meals centred on quality meat, eggs, or vegetables when eating out. It is not because we feel deprived or believe we have to be perfect. We simply know we will feel better afterwards.

Adapting to Caravan Life

Before travelling full-time, I made almost everything I could from scratch. With my Thermomix, I made coconut milk, coconut cream, bone broth, flours, and other pantry staples. I also made sauerkraut and other fermented foods, but some are less practical in a caravan. A bubbling jar of cabbage is not the aroma you want filling a small space, and a fermenting jar being shaken along corrugated roads while pressure builds under the lid is not something I am willing to risk!

These days, I buy good-quality sauerkraut and concentrated bone broth instead. I still make sourdough bread and brew kombucha on the road, but full-time travel has taught me that eating well does not mean making absolutely everything myself.

Our caravan kitchen has plenty of storage because many of the ingredients we use are not always available. We prefer to support local businesses wherever possible, but we stock up on the things that are harder to find. My supermarket rule is that temptation mostly happens while you are shopping. Once you return to the caravan, you can only eat what you brought home, so decide how you want to eat before you start shopping.

Make dinner look even better with Barebones

Healthy eating on the go doesn’t have to feel rushed or ordinary. Whether you’re enjoying a fresh lunch outdoors, sharing dinner at the campsite or serving up something simple on a weekend adventure, Barebones dining sets bring style to every meal. Because good food deserves to look as delicious as it tastes.

Preparing for Remote Travel

Before heading into remote areas such as East Arnhem Land or crossing the Gibb River Road, we think about where we can next buy good-quality food. If meat is likely to be expensive, limited or questionable, we visit a trusted butcher and fill the freezer beforehand.

Grass-fed meat and free-range or organic eggs form a large part of our diet. Eggs store well and are versatile, while meat can be portioned and frozen for longer off-grid stays. Frozen fruit and vegetables are useful too because they last longer, reduce waste and can sometimes be better than fresh produce that has spent a long time in storage and transport.

The Appliances That Make It Possible

The way we eat has had a big influence on the way we design our caravan kitchens. We understand that not everyone can design their own layout, but once this became part of our work, I was determined to fix one of my biggest frustrations with traditional caravan kitchens.

Air fryers and multi-cookers are now incredibly popular, yet many caravans still have nowhere practical to store them. That often means shifting appliances from the back seat of the car to the caravan floor, then onto the couch or bed whenever you stop. Having dedicated storage makes a huge difference because the appliances are secure while travelling, easy to access and not constantly in the way.

We travel with a Thermomix, a Traeger Ranger pellet smoker and, from Kitchen Warehouse, a Wolstead Cookmaster 14-in-1 and a portable induction cooktop. The Cookmaster has multiple functions, including air frying, baking, deep frying and slow cooking, so it replaces several separate appliances.

These appliances can be used inside, outside on the slide-out kitchen or taken with us when we leave the van behind and explore in the truck.

The Wolstead Cookmaster has become one of our most useful pieces of equipment because it offers so many cooking options in a single unit. Our discount code ADUCREW gives $300 off the Cookmaster through Kitchen Warehouse.

Make dinner look even better with Primus

Eating well outdoors is about more than what’s on the menu—it’s about the whole experience. From quick lunches on the trail to relaxed dinners beneath the stars, Primus dining sets help you serve every meal with style. Wherever your adventures take you, make your food look every bit as good as it tastes.

Healthy eating on the road is not about perfection. It is about preparation, understanding how different foods make you feel and making the best choices available. Our way of eating has changed since moving into a caravan, but the principles behind it have not. We have simply learned how to adapt them to the life we now live.

Master the art of cooking with fire

There’s something special about preparing a meal over an open flame. Learn how to turn simple ingredients into unforgettable outdoor dishes with inspiring books such as Fire to Fork. Packed with ideas for flame-cooked food, they’ll help you build your confidence, try new techniques and make every fireside meal an adventure.