We recently talked about using auxiliary power units (APU’s) to power up small appliances on board your truck. Now, what should you buy to fill up your mini-refrigerator or zap in your microwave so eating on the go is not only convenient, but also inexpensive and tasty?

Even if you have an APU-powered microwave in your cab, it’s simply not practical to whip up a multi-course meal just like momma would make, is it? So it’s probably a good idea to stock up on easy-to-fix grocery supplies before you embark on your next long road trip.

Since you’ll be storing your groceries in your truck for several days, don’t buy anything perishable; buy items that have an expiration date of at least longer than one week.

For breakfast, stock up on boxes of instant oatmeal, grits, or cereal (choose whole grain, fiber-filled, low-sugar varieties). Keep some nuts, raisins, apples, or pears (which tend to stay fresh longer than bananas or other fruits) in your cab too for some extra nutrition.

For lunch, bread can be kept fresh for up to a week or more ¾ even longer if your mini-fridge is equipped with a freezer compartment. To make a quick and healthy sandwich, stash a small bottle of mustard or light mayonnaise in your fridge, and load up on some canned tuna or chicken and deli meats (buy those that are low in sodium and fat and are nitrate-free). Tomatoes and spinach (instead of iceberg lettuce, which goes bad quickly) are good sandwich toppers to have on hand.

Convenience stores located at truck rest stops are still useful, but needless to say it’s not where you want to do the bulk of your grocery shopping. Uses c-stores mostly for your daily snack and beverage needs, and seek out the healthy stuff, like low-sugar juices, teas, and water. For snacks, lean towards the fruits, trail mixes, granola bars, and yogurt. If you absolutely must have chips for lunch, go for the baked variety. As always, read labels, because some so-called healthy snacks are better than others.

Canned foods like low-sodium soups and vegetables are good selections for dinner. Frozen foods can also be appetizing, and many are low in saturated fat and preservative-free. Another option is to prepare your meals a day or two ahead of your trip, seal them in tupperware, and then heat them up days later on the road.

You may also want to stock up on paper plates and cups as well as plastic eating utensils, but given the amount of paper products we consume, try to buy eco-friendly dinnerware if you can.

Share with us some of your on-board trucking “recipes”! What do you make on the road that’s quick, easy, and good to eat?