Food - Preparation and storage.

Because correct food preparation and storage is so important, we are including hints and suggestions on how food should be handled, in the hope you stay healthy on your travels.

Food_–_What_sort_of_things_to_take
Understand_how_to_use_your_equipment
Other_handy_items
General_Tips
Recipes
Safe_water_supply
Food_Safety_Information_Council
If_all_else_fails_here_is_an_Emergency_Food_poisoning_treatment

Food – What sort of things to take, and tips on how to prepare and store them:

A little planning before you leave can make a big difference at meal times. You can eat gourmet style if you want to, even when your food preparation area is tiny and your ingredients are limited.

Consider what sort of food you would like to eat while travelling, and put together a list of basic ingredients. We have some suggestions further down the page to help you out. Other things to consider are:-

• How much space do you have to store food?
• Do you have much space for cold or frozen items?
• How long will they stay fresh?
• When will you be able to get more fresh supplies?
• What are you cooking on? Is it a Stove, in the oven, or on a BBQ etc.
• What sort of equipment will you need? Pots, fry pans etc (see packing list).

Understand how to use all your equipment, and practice before you go.

Must have food items:- Tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, milk (fresh &/or long life), spices, stock cubes, flour, rice, pasta, cereal, eggs, jam, vegemite, instant meals, bread, fruit + vegetables + meat (fresh, canned or dried), biscuits and drinks. See our detailed list for more suggestions.

Plan your meals and buy fresh, but only what you will need until your next shopping opportunity. This will save you money and time, and will minimising waste later on. Deciding what to cook can be the hardest part of a meal. If you are organized at meal time it won’t be a chore. We have some suggestions for you, but feel free to adjust according to your own tastes.

Click here for a blank planning chart you can print as many as you need, which includes space for a shopping list  so you can start planning your own meals, or for a fully editable version, just contact us - click here and change the "at" to @ this is to help prevent spam and request one. Also download a Conversion Chart and for instructions on the bottom of Budgeting page, if you need them.

Other handy items:-But see our packing list for more details

• Have plenty of containers with good seals & easily stackable, and/or plenty of zip lock bags on hand to store packets once they are open.
• Bag clips are good to reseal open packets - available from most supermarkets.
• Film wrap, foil and garbage bags are essential.
• Bottle openers and bottle stoppers (especially a good vacuum seal type used for Wine)
• Can opener, tongs, spatula, oven mitts, kettle, and toasting forks
• Torch, matches and lighter
• Various pots & frying pan
• Potato peeler & masher
• Oven cleaning spray – great for dirty pans only spray this outside van to avoid fumes
• Dishwashing machine powder/tablets are also great for dirty pans (dissolve in very hot water, & soak pans)
• Bubble wrap to keep things from clanging together
• Paper towels & tea towels
• Disposable foil trays in various sizes for cooking and serving

General Tips

• Oven cleaning spray is great for easy cleaning of really dirty pots but make sure you spray outside in the open, and follow instructions on the pack.  An alternative is “dishwashing machine powder or tablets” which can just be dissolve in very hot water, then soak the pot, pan or tray, to soften and remove baked on food and soot from BBQ items etc.
• Foil trays can be good, especially when cooking messy food, which save lots of time when washing up. If possible place cold foods in an insulated bag or box when transporting back to your campsite. Hot weather can cause spoilage before you can get the items refrigerated. Also helps keep fridge from overworking when the new items are added, as they will retain their lower temperature.
• Refrigerate or freeze items as quickly as possible, they should be stored below 5°C to help prevent harmful bacteria from growing.
• Keep items refrigerated until it is time to cook them, and make sure you cook the food to above 60°C to kill off any bacteria.
• All areas of food preparation and utensils should be kept as clean as possible, to help reduce risk of cross contamination.
• Raw meat should never be in contact with other food. You might consider using a special cutting board for raw meat, to minimis cross contamination.
• Refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible. Cool it again to below 5°C as soon as it stops steaming if possible, to help minimis contamination.
  Freeze as many items as possible before you depart to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
• Don’t buy more cold items than you can store safely.
• It may be better to buy foods that can be stored without refrigeration, such as canned foods or even dried foods. You can buy food preservation systems, like vacuum sealing, smoking or even drying.
• Meats will keep much longer if well vacuum packed. Talk to your butcher about doing this for you, and ask how long they will last – label them with their use-by date.

Most foods are available in a canned variety, and these can be vegetables and meats, or even dairy foods.  Dried foods e.g. peas, lentils, pastas and powdered milk, all take up less space and weight, and can be stored easier than fresh foods. Just be sure the water you use to re-hydrate them is not contaminated.

See packing list for food preparation items etc.  If you would like an “editable” version of the list, please just  contact us - click here and change the "at" to @ this is to help prevent spam and request one.  By having your own copy, you can add and subtract your own special items.

Be sure to take suitable medications with you, to treat simple food poisoning, but always seek help if symptoms persist. You can very quickly become dehydrated, which can be very dangerous if in a remote area. If you are in any doubt at all about symptoms, see a health professional, or Call 000 if it is an emergency. Be sure you have adequate health cover, as it can be very expensive if you have to be air-lifted out to a Hospital.

For more information on food standards see Food Standards  Australia and NZ or see their advice in these two pamphlets: Cooling and heating foods safely and Transporting food safely

Be very careful when preparing food, also where you eat, and what you drink while travelling or dining out.

It is not always possible to detect foods that are at risk.  Sure if some things smell off, or looks dodgy you know to avoid it, but that is not always the case. How can you tell before you eat or drink it? The truth is there is no sure-fire test, but with vigilance you may avoid most of the pitfalls of outback travel. First and foremost, water is one of the worst culprits.

It could even be the water you have in the tank of your van. Filling up at a place you think has "safe" water, is no guarantee it is right for you. The locals may tolerate a high mineral content because they are used to it, but you may not be. So the water does not have to be polluted to make you sick, it can just be different to what you are used to. Boiling will not remove the minerals, so you can still have nasty side effects.

^ top of page

Safe water supply
For the full article the following comes from

If you are using an un-serviced site, remember, water, even in remote and pristine wilderness is not necessarily safe. It might look absolutely pristine, but can be contaminated by animal faeces and naturally occurring parasites, such as Giardia. If the water tank in your motorhome or caravan is unsealed, or if the water has not been regularly changed, it may have picked up contaminants and should be treated, if used for drinking or washing ready to eat food.

What you can do

• You can use bottled water.
• You can boil water for at least one minute (a little longer if you are at high altitudes). Boiling water is the most efficient method of disinfection. Chemical methods may not kill some parasitic organisms.
• You can use chlorine and iodine water disinfecting tablets.
• You can use a portable water filter. Follow manufacturer's instructions on appropriate use.

Following this advice will help you to enjoy your trip and maximise the chance that your memories will not be marred by bouts of avoidable food borne illness. For safety's sake and to make sure that you do have a great holiday always remember the 6 key tips:

• Keep hot food steaming hot
• Keep cold food refrigerated
• Cook food properly
• Separate raw and ready to eat foods
• Keep kitchen and utensils clean
• Wash hands with soap and dry thoroughly

Food Safety Information Council
The Food Safety Information Council is a non-profit group with representatives of State and Federal governments, food industry and professional associations. Membership is open to any organisation with an interest in promoting safe food handling practices for consumers.

We aim to reduce the over five million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year by educating consumers to handle food safely from the time it leaves the retailer until it appears on the plate. We organise Food Safety Week each November as part of our campaign to pass on simple messages to improve consumers’ knowledge of how to handle, store and cook food safely. For more information

Email: info@foodsafety.asn.au Website: www.foodsafety.asn.au

This website name and shames Restaurants in NSW if you wish to check them out, before actually trying them out, just copy paste into your browser http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/penalty-notices/

If in doubt don't, is always good advise, but failing that and you do get sick, the following may help.

If all else fails here is an Emergency Food poisoning treatment:
To know how to prepare a simple food poisoning treatment is a good skill for all outback travellers. If you aren’t careful, it's very easy to get sick anywhere when travelling. Food poisoning occurs when we consume food or water contaminated with certain viruses or bacteria.

Note: that this is not medical advice, for that you should alway consult a Doctor or Health Professional
Food poisoning usually causes sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is one of nature's own defence systems to help the body get rid of toxins and poisons as quickly as possible.

Drink plenty of clear fluids
It's important to drink plenty of fluids when you have a bout of diarrhoea. You have to replace the fluid lost by your body to keep from becoming dehydrated. The result of dehydration is a depletion of energy and fitness. To get weak and sick in the bush has the potential to put you in a critical emergency situation.

Food poisoning treatment
As a general recommendation let the diarrhoea run its course for 6-12 hours to rid the body of the toxins. If your problems continue past that time, you should treat your stomach. Anti-diarrhoea medication should be included in your first aid kit. But if for some reason it's not or you have run out, in an emergency you can make your own.

A good food poisoning treatment is charcoal powder mixed with water. A small amount of charcoal slurry will settle the stomach. Charcoal powder can easily be produced when required, at least it can if you have a fire.

Prepare your charcoal slurry
Take charcoal from a cold fire. Grind it to a powder. Mix it with clean water. A suitable mix for diarrhoea is about 1 tablespoon of charcoal to a cup of pure water (Boiled & cooled).

Charcoal will stop the diarrhoea quickly by adsorbing the toxins that are causing the problem. Drink 1-3 glasses per day, until the desired results are achieved.

Yes, charcoal slurry tastes awful, but the alternative is not so pleasant either.

^ top of page