The Feral Way

I burnt pasta. Not just overcooked it — actually burnt it. To the bottom of my pan. While it was still full of water.

Don’t ask me how that’s physically possible but let’s say its not good to get distracted. The smell lingered for three days.

That was year one of vanlife, when I thought I’d be cooking elaborate meals on my tiny stove like some sort of mobile Jamie Oliver. The reality? Most nights I ate beans on toast. Or just beans. Sometimes not even heated up.

Four years later, I’ve worked out how to actually cook decent food in a van without losing my mind, spending hours on prep, or setting anything on fire. This isn’t about Instagram-worthy meals. It’s about eating well, staying healthy, not bankrupting yourself, and doing it all in a space smaller than most people’s bathrooms.

Cooking And Eating on the Road can be an adventure, and I’ve learned to make it enjoyable.

The Reality of Cooking And Eating on the Road (Not What Instagram Shows)

Let’s start with honesty: cooking in a van is a pain in the arse. Your counter space is measured in inches. Your hob probably has one or two burners. Your fridge is the size of a shoebox. You’re doing washing up with a water container that holds 10 litres if you’re lucky.

Those Instagram photos of van dwellers making sourdough bread and three-course meals? They’re either parked up with full hookups, cooking outside with a full camping setup, or they’re lying. Probably all three.

Most of my meals take 15 minutes or less. Because:

I’ve got limited gas/power
I can’t be arsed spending my evening cooking
Washing up uses precious water
I’m usually cold, tired, or both

And you know what? That’s fine. You don’t need to be a chef. You need to not starve, not spend a fortune on takeaways, and ideally not eat utter shite every night.

Your Van Kitchen Setup: What You Actually Need

Before we get to recipes, let’s talk equipment. Because you can’t make anything if you haven’t got the basics sorted.

Essential Cooking Gear

Two-burner stove: This is your primary tool. I’ve got a basic Campingaz camping stove as a backup (about £45) but my go to is a two burner fitted gas hob. Two burners means you can boil pasta while heating sauce. Revolutionary.

Budget option: Single burner for £15-20, but you’ll hate your life when you want to cook two things at once.

Fancy option: Fitted LPG hob connected to an underslung tank. More permanent, looks nicer, costs £150-300 for the hob plus installation. I’ll probably do this on my next van. Probably.

Two good pans: One large (for pasta, stir-fries, anything bulky) and one small (for heating soup, making scrambled eggs). I’ve got cheap Tesco ones that cost £8 each and they’re fine. Non-stick is essential because scrubbing burnt food with limited water is miserable.

A decent kettle: Not for cooking, but because tea is life. I’ve got a basic stainless steel one from Wilko (£8) that works on the stove. Electric kettles use too much power unless you’re on hookup.

Sharp knife: One proper chef’s knife. Cutting veg with a blunt knife in a moving van is how you lose fingers. I spent £20 on a Victorinox one and it’s been brilliant.

Learning the art of Cooking And Eating on the Road has transformed my approach to meals.

Chopping board: Small, plastic, easy to clean. £3 from IKEA.

Can opener: Obvious, but you’ll forget until you can’t open your beans. Keep it in the cutlery drawer.

Wooden spoon and spatula: For stirring and flipping. Plastic spatulas melt. I learned this the expensive way.

Two bowls, two plates, two mugs, cutlery: Unless you’re living with someone, in which case double it. I bought a cheap camping set from Decathlon (£15) and it’s lasted three years.

Storage containers: For leftovers. I’ve got three Tupperware boxes that stack. Keeps the fridge organised and stops everything smelling of everything else.

Nice to Have (But Not Essential)

Collapsible colander: For draining pasta. Mine cost £6 from Amazon and folds flat.
Kettle toaster bags: Weird but brilliant. You can make toasties in boiling water. £4 for a pack of 100.
Small grater: For cheese. You can buy pre-grated but it’s more expensive and goes off faster.
Tin foil and cling film: For wrapping food or covering pans.
Herbs and spices: Make everything taste less depressing. I keep salt, pepper, mixed herbs, chilli flakes, and garlic powder. That’ll sort most meals.

Cooking Methods: What Works in a Van

Gas Stove (Most Common)

This is what most people use. Portable, reliable, doesn’t drain your electrics.

The good: Works everywhere, boils water fast, cheap to run (£5-8 for a gas canister that lasts 2-3 weeks of regular cooking).

The bad: Produces moisture and CO2, so you need ventilation. And if you run out of gas at 9pm in rural Scotland, you’re eating cold beans.

Pro tip: Always carry two gas canisters. One in use, one spare. Running out of gas is the van equivalent of forgetting to charge your phone, but worse because now you can’t even have a brew.

Diesel Heater + Cook Plate (Advanced)

Some people use a diesel-powered cooker. Haven’t tried this myself because I’m not that committed, but apparently they’re efficient and use the same fuel as your heater.

The good: One fuel source, works in cold weather, efficient.

The bad: More expensive (£200+), tricky to install, slower than gas.

Electric Induction Hob (Hookup Only)

If you’ve got solar and batteries, you can run an induction hob. I’ve used one when parked at campsites with hookup.

The good: Fast, precise, no naked flame, easy to clean.

The bad: Uses 1500-2000W, so forget it unless you’re plugged into mains. Even with big solar setups, that’s a huge power drain.

Camping Stove Outside

When weather permits, cooking outside is brilliant. More space, no condensation in the van, and you can use bigger pots.

I’ve got a fold-out table (£25 from Decathlon) that I set up next to the van. Cook outside, eat inside. Best of both worlds.

The catch: British weather. You’ll be cooking outside maybe 60-70 days a year if you’re optimistic.

Shopping & Meal Planning (Without Losing Your Mind)

I used to shop daily. Just grab whatever I fancied. This was stupid for three reasons:

Expensive
Time-consuming
Led to buying random stuff that didn’t work together

Now I plan loosely for 3-4 days at a time. Not a strict meal plan — more like “I’ll need pasta, tomatoes, some protein, veg, and breakfast stuff.”

Smart Shopping for Van Life

Buy from budget supermarkets. Aldi and Lidl are your friends. You’ll save £20-30 a week compared to shopping at Tesco or Sainsbury’s.

Focus on versatile ingredients. Things that work in multiple meals. Pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggs — the building blocks of loads of different dishes.

Don’t bulk buy fresh veg. Your fridge is tiny. Buy what you’ll eat in 2-3 days, then restock. I learned this after binning a bag of salad that turned to slime in 48 hours.

Tinned and dried is your friend. Tinned tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, tuna. Dried pasta, rice, lentils. They don’t go off, they’re cheap, and they’re light on fridge space.

Buy meat on the day you’ll cook it. Unless you’ve got a good fridge/freezer setup. Meat goes off fast in a small van fridge, especially in summer.

Meal overlap strategy: Cook things that can be repurposed. Make a big batch of rice — use it for stir-fry one night, fried rice the next, or in a burrito bowl the day after. Same with pasta, cooked chicken, roasted veg.

My Typical Weekly Shop (£30-40)

Pasta (500g) — £0.60
Rice (1kg) — £1.00
Tinned tomatoes (4 tins) — £1.60
Onions (bag) — £0.90
Garlic (bulb) — £0.30
Eggs (12) — £2.50
Cheese (400g block) — £2.50
Bread — £0.95
Butter — £1.75
Tinned beans (3 tins) — £1.50
Chicken breasts (2) — £3.50
Bacon (pack) — £2.00
Tinned tuna (2) — £1.80
Veg mix (peppers, courgette, mushrooms) — £4.00
Milk — £1.30
Tea bags — £1.00
Porridge oats — £1.20
Peanut butter — £1.80
Random snacks/fruit — £5.00

Total: £35.20

This feeds me well for about 4-5 days. Not fancy, but definitely not beans on toast every night.

Simple Recipes That Actually Work in a Van

Right, let’s get to the food. These are all meals I cook regularly. Nothing takes longer than 20 minutes. Nothing needs complicated techniques. Everything’s been tested in actual van conditions (i.e., with minimal space, dodgy lighting, and sometimes in the rain).

Breakfast Options

1. Porridge (The Boring Staple)

Time: 5 minutes
Cost per serving: £0.30

Dead simple. Works every day. Fills you up until lunch.

Ingredients:

50g porridge oats
200ml milk (or water if you’re out of milk)
Handful of raisins or a chopped banana
Spoonful of honey or sugar

Method: Put oats and milk in a pan. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally. When it’s thick and creamy (about 5 minutes), chuck in your toppings. Done.

I make this probably 5 days a week. It’s dull, but it’s cheap, filling, and you can make it without being fully awake.

2. Scrambled Eggs

Time: 5 minutes
Cost per serving: £0.70

Actual hot breakfast that feels like you’re making an effort.

Ingredients:

2-3 eggs
Splash of milk
Knob of butter
Salt and pepper
Optional: cheese, chopped tomatoes, spring onions

Method: Crack eggs into a bowl, add milk and seasoning, whisk with a fork. Melt butter in pan on medium-low heat. Pour in eggs. Stir gently with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as it cooks. Takes about 3-4 minutes. Don’t overcook — slightly runny is better than rubber.

Chuck it on toast. Add cheese if you’re feeling fancy.

3. Bacon Butty

Time: 10 minutes
Cost per serving: £1.20

For when you need comfort food or you’re hungover.

Ingredients:

3-4 rashers of bacon
2 slices of bread
Butter
Ketchup or brown sauce

Method: Fry bacon in a pan until crispy. Butter your bread. Bacon in the middle. Sauce on top. Eat immediately while questioning your life choices.

Works just as well with sausages if you prefer.

Lunch Ideas

Most days I just have a sandwich or leftovers from dinner. But here’s a couple of options that are quick:

4. Tuna Pasta Salad

Time: 10 minutes (if pasta’s already cooked)
Cost per serving: £1.50

Ingredients:

Cooked pasta (from last night’s dinner)
Tin of tuna, drained
Sweetcorn (handful, tinned or fresh)
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Mayo or salad cream
Salt and pepper

Method: Chuck everything in a bowl. Mix. Eat. If you want to feel healthy, add some lettuce or cucumber.

I make this when I’ve got leftover pasta. It’s better than eating plain cold pasta like a savage, which I’ve also done.

5. Cheese Toastie

Time: 10 minutes
Cost per serving: £0.80

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread
Grated cheese (or sliced)
Butter

Method: Butter the outside of both bread slices. Cheese in the middle. Fry in a pan on medium heat, pressing down with the spatula. Flip when golden brown. Other side golden? Done.

Add ham, tomato, or onion if you want to get creative.

Dinner Recipes (The Main Event)

6. One-Pot Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Time: 15 minutes
Cost per serving: £1.20

This is my go-to meal. One pot, minimal washing up, actually tastes good.

Ingredients:

100g pasta (spaghetti, penne, whatever)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (or squirt of garlic paste)
Dried mixed herbs
Salt, pepper, chilli flakes
Olive oil
Optional: grated cheese on top

Method: Fry onion in olive oil until soft (5 minutes). Add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Chuck in tinned tomatoes, herbs, and seasoning. Add pasta straight into the sauce with enough water to just cover it (about 250ml). Stir occasionally. Cook for 10-12 minutes until pasta’s done and sauce has thickened. Add more water if it gets too thick.

Grate cheese on top if you have it.

Variations:

Add tinned tuna for protein
Chuck in chopped courgette or mushrooms with the onions
Crumble in some cooked bacon
Use different pasta shapes to keep it interesting

7. Fried Rice

Time: 15 minutes
Cost per serving: £1.80

Perfect for using up leftover rice. Actually better with day-old rice than fresh.

Ingredients:

200g cooked rice (cold)
2 eggs
Handful of frozen peas (or any veg you have)
2 spring onions, chopped (or normal onion)
Soy sauce
Oil
Optional: cooked chicken, bacon, prawns

Method: Heat oil in pan on high heat. Scramble the eggs quickly, remove from pan. Add more oil if needed, chuck in veg, cook for 2 minutes. Add cold rice, break up any clumps, fry for 5 minutes until it’s starting to crisp up. Add eggs back in, pour over soy sauce, stir everything together. Cook for another 2 minutes.

This is probably my favourite van meal. Uses leftovers, tastes better than the sum of its parts, and feels like proper cooking even though it’s dead easy.

8. Chilli Con Carne

Time: 20 minutes
Cost per serving: £2.50

Makes enough for two meals, which is the whole point.

Ingredients:

400g beef mince (or turkey mince, cheaper)
1 onion, chopped
1 tin kidney beans, drained
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
Chilli powder (1-2 tsp, depending how brave you are)
Cumin (1 tsp)
Salt and pepper
Oil

Method: Brown the mince in a pan (8-10 minutes), breaking it up as it cooks. Remove mince, fry onion in the same pan until soft. Add garlic and spices, cook for 1 minute. Add mince back in with tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if it’s too thick.

Eat with rice, wrap it in a tortilla, or just eat it on its own with cheese on top. Keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, so make the full batch and reheat half tomorrow.

9. Stir-Fry Whatever’s in the Fridge

Time: 15 minutes
Cost per serving: £2.00

This isn’t really a recipe, more of a technique. But it’s how I use up random veg before it goes off.

Basic method: Heat oil in pan on high. Add protein (chicken, prawns, tofu, whatever — cut into small pieces). Cook until done, remove from pan. Add veg (onions, peppers, courgette, mushrooms, broccoli — whatever you’ve got). Fry hard for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add protein back in. Pour over soy sauce and a splash of water. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Eat with rice or noodles.

The key is high heat and keep everything moving. You’re not boiling veg, you’re frying it fast so it gets a bit of colour.

10. Jacket Potato with Toppings

Time: 60 minutes (but mostly hands-off)
Cost per serving: £1.50

Only really practical if you’ve got time to kill or you’re doing other stuff while it cooks.

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato
Butter
Toppings: cheese, beans, tuna mayo, coleslaw, whatever

Method: Wrap potato in foil. Bury it in the coals if you’ve got a campfire going. Or wrap it in foil and stick it on the stove on very low heat, turning every 15 minutes (this works but uses a lot of gas). Or if you’re on hookup, cook it in a portable oven or air fryer.

Honestly? Jacket potatoes are a faff in a van. But they’re filling and cheap, so I’m including them. I make them maybe once a month when I can’t be arsed to cook properly and I’m parked up for the day.

11. Sausage and Veg Traybake (Campfire/Outside Cooking)

Time: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: £2.50

This only works if you’re cooking outside with a campfire or on a BBQ grill. But it’s brilliant when you can do it.

Ingredients:

4 sausages
2 peppers, chopped
1 red onion, chopped into wedges
1 courgette, chopped
Cherry tomatoes
Olive oil, salt, pepper, mixed herbs

Method: Get a foil tray (or make a bowl out of foil). Chuck everything in, drizzle with oil, season well. Put it over the campfire or on a BBQ grill. Let it cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Everything should be charred and the sausages cooked through.

This tastes about 400% better than the same meal cooked inside. Something about the smoky flavour and being outside.

Quick Snacks & Extras

Hummus and veg sticks: Cheap, healthy, no cooking
Peanut butter on toast: High protein, high calories, tastes good
Instant noodles: For when you can’t be arsed. Add an egg and some frozen veg to make it less depressing
Beans on toast: The classic. Gets boring after a while but it’s quick and filling
Cheese and crackers: Not really a meal, but I’ve definitely eaten this for dinner before

Keeping Food Fresh (The Van Fridge Reality)

Your van fridge is not like a house fridge. It’s smaller, less efficient, and probably doesn’t maintain a consistent temperature.

Fridge Tips

Temperature matters. Aim for 0-5°C. Most 12V compressor fridges can do this, but check with a thermometer. If it’s running warmer, your food will go off faster.

Don’t overpack it. Cold air needs to circulate. A packed fridge works harder and struggles to stay cold.

Put meat at the bottom. If it leaks (which it sometimes does), you don’t want it dripping on everything else.

Use containers. Stops smells transferring between foods and makes things last longer.

Keep doors closed. Obviously. But when it’s hot and you’re in and out of the fridge, the temperature climbs fast.

What goes off fast:

Salad leaves (2-3 days)
Fresh meat/fish (1-2 days)
Milk (3-5 days in a van fridge)
Soft cheese (5-7 days)

What lasts ages:

Hard cheese (weeks)
Root veg (weeks)
Eggs (2-3 weeks)
Butter (weeks)
Tinned/jarred stuff once opened (check the label)

No-Fridge Alternatives

If you don’t have a fridge, you can still eat well. Just need to be smarter about it.

Shelf-stable proteins: Tinned tuna, beans, chickpeas, cured meats (salami, chorizo).

Veg that doesn’t need chilling: Potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, tinned tomatoes.

UHT milk: Tastes a bit different, but it doesn’t need a fridge until opened.

Buy daily: Fresh stuff like meat and salad, just buy what you need for that day’s meal.

I did six months without a fridge when my first one died. It’s doable, just less convenient.

Washing Up Without Losing Your Mind

This is the worst part of van cooking. The actual worst.

My System

Washing up bowl: I use a small plastic bowl (£3 from Wilko). Fill it with hot water and a squirt of washing up liquid.

Order matters: Glasses first, then plates, then cooking pots, then anything greasy like frying pans. This way the water stays clean longer.

Rinse with minimal water: I’ve got a spray bottle with clean water for rinsing. Uses way less water than pouring.

Dry immediately: Use a tea towel, get things dry and put away. Leaving stuff wet just encourages mould and attracts flies.

Water Conservation

I’ve got a 25-litre water tank. Washing up uses about 3-5 litres depending on how much cooking I’ve done. That’s not loads, but it adds up.

Ways to save water:

One-pot meals (less washing up)
Paper plates for messy stuff (not environmentally great, but sometimes practical)
Clean as you go (wipe pans immediately after cooking, before stuff’s stuck on)
Reuse pots (cook pasta, drain it, use same pot for sauce)

What About Eating Out?

I eat out more than I probably should. Breakfast at a cafe costs £6-8. Pub lunch costs £10-15. Takeaway costs £8-12.

That adds up fast if you’re doing it multiple times a week. But sometimes you need:

A break from cooking
To work somewhere with WiFi and heating
Proper human contact
A meal you didn’t make yourself

I budget about £40-50/week for eating out. That gets me 2-3 cafe breakfasts or one decent pub meal plus a few coffees. More than that and I’m spending too much.

Cheap eating out:

Greggs: Sausage roll and a coffee for £3
Wetherspoons: Full breakfast for £4-5, decent pub food for £6-8
Supermarket cafes: Morrisons and Asda do cheap cooked breakfasts
Fish and chips: £6-7 for a proper meal

Common Cooking Mistakes (I Made Them All)

Trying to cook complicated stuff. You’re in a van. You don’t have five different pots or unlimited counter space. Stick to simple meals.

Not securing stuff before driving. I once forgot to put the lid on my rice container. Drove over a speed bump. Rice everywhere. Still finding grains six months later.

Running out of gas mid-meal. Always have a spare canister. Always.

Leaving food out in summer. Things go off faster than you think in a hot van. Anything with mayo or dairy? In the fridge immediately.

Buying food you can’t store. I bought a watermelon once. It took up a quarter of my fridge. Stupid.

Not cleaning the hob. Built-up grease is a fire hazard and makes everything smell. Wipe it down after every cook.

Cooking without ventilation. Especially gas stoves — you’re producing moisture and CO2. Crack a window or turn on your roof vent.

Meal Prep Strategy

I don’t do proper meal prep like bodybuilders with their Tupperware boxes of chicken and rice. But I do cook things that make the next day easier.

Make extra rice/pasta. Takes the same time to cook 100g or 200g. Tomorrow you’ve got instant fried rice or cold pasta salad.

Batch cook chilli or curry. Make enough for 2-3 meals. Keeps well in the fridge, tastes better the next day anyway.

Prep veg in advance. Chop onions and peppers when you buy them. Store in a container. When you’re cooking later, half the work’s done.

Boiled eggs. Cook 4-6 at once. They keep for a week in the fridge and you can eat them as snacks or chuck them in salads.

What I Spend on Food (Monthly Reality)

This varies massively depending on where I’m parked and how often I eat out.

Budget month (mostly cooking):

Groceries: £120-150
Eating out: £40-60
Total: £160-210

Typical month:

Groceries: £150-180
Eating out: £80-120
Total: £230-300

Expensive month (travelling, eating out lots):

Groceries: £100-120
Eating out: £150-200
Total: £250-320

For comparison, I was spending £400/month on food when living at home. So van living actually saves me money on food, mostly because I’m forced to cook more and can’t just order Deliveroo every night.

Final Thoughts

Cooking in a van will never be as easy as cooking in a house. You’ve got less space, less equipment, and less patience because you’re probably cold and tired.

But it’s definitely doable. You can eat well without spending hours cooking or bankrupting yourself on takeaways. The trick is keeping it simple, using versatile ingredients, and not trying to be a Michelin-starred chef.

Most nights I’m eating some variation of pasta, rice, or stir-fried veg with protein. It’s not exciting. But it’s hot, it’s nutritious, and it doesn’t require 14 ingredients I’ll never use again.

Start with the recipes in this guide. Master those. Then branch out once you’ve got the basics down. And for God’s sake, keep a spare gas canister in the van.

Your stomach will thank you.