20 Food Items Perfect for Camping

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Our family loves spending the weekend outdoors.  By pitching our tent at a state park we are able to have a mini vacation without the high price tag of traveling far.  From hiking and biking to fishing and canoeing – we love to explore nature.  The one challenge while camping is making sure you have plenty of meals without burning out on eating only sandwiches.  Below are 20 food items for camping that are easy to prepare.

20 Food Items Perfect for Camping

Just because you take a weekend camping trip, does not mean you have to rough it. Be prepared by packing some of the easiest meals items for your trip.

Food Items for Camping Breakfast:

  • Sausage Egg Tacos: Cook up some sausage and eggs, sprinkle a little cheese on top and roll your mixture into a flour or corn tortilla. You can use aluminum foil to wrap your taco in then lay on the fire for 10-15 minutes for a nice hot breakfast.
  • Bagels and Cream Cheese: Bagels won’t need to be stored in a cooler, and you can get individual packs of cream cheese that can easily be spread on your bagel. This makes a quick and simple breakfast.

Food Items for Camping Snacks:

  • Pretzels: It can get hot as you camp, so eating pretzels can help you maintain enough sodium to absorb the water you drink. Bring pretzels to help prevent dehydration throughout the day.
  • Granola Bars or Protein Bars: Granola bars and protein bars not only make great snacks throughout the day, but they also boost your energy while being active.
  • Bananas: Bananas are rich in nutrients, help sustain your appetite, and don’t need to be stored in a cooler.
  • Apples: Apples are another fruit that require no cooling and can easily be eaten on a trail. Cut them up and cook them over the fire with cinnamon for a nice treat.
  • Nuts: As you are active outdoors you can get low on energy.  Nuts of all kinds are the perfect snack to eat throughout the day for an extra boost of protein.
  • String Cheese: It may be tough to store everything in a cooler, but string cheese takes minimal room, and it can provide you with your serving of dairy.
  • Carrots: Don’t forget your veggies. Carrots are easy to store. It may be ideal to keep carrots in a cooler if you have them for a couple days, but you can essentially leave them out all day without needing to cool them.
  • Graham Crackers, Marshmallows, and Chocolate: You cannot camp without some s’mores or, at least, roasted marshmallows. Make sure to store your chocolate in the cooler so it does not melt!

Food Items for Camping Lunch:

  • Lettuce Wraps: I love using large leaf lettuce to make quick wraps to eat for lunch.  Add some deli meat and veggies to your wrap to hold you over until dinner time.
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly: If you have picky eaters like I do, PB&J is always an easy go-to meal for camping. Adding protein, carbs, and fruit all in one, it makes the perfect lunchtime snack.  You can also add PB&J to crackers or tortillas if you run low on bread.
  • Hot Dogs: Cook them over a grill or grab a stick and cook them over an open fire; hot dogs are a staple for campouts and kids love them.
  • Hamburgers: When camping I prefer to pre-make my burger patties or purchase patties that are already shaped for me.  This prevents too much of a mess when adding the meat to the grill.

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Food Items for Camping Dinner:

  • Chicken: Whether you use an open fire or a grill, it is always nice to bring along some chicken breasts or chicken legs for a nice fire sizzling meal. I also bring our slow-cooker to setup first thing in the morning to cook our chicken all day while we explore, then dinner is ready without hassle.  We use chicken from the slow-cooker to make shredded chicken tacos for dinner.  Just toss in some Rotel and seasoning.
  • Beans: Beans are great protein and can be served as a meal or as a side to almost any main dish. You can prepare beans before your camping trip or make them in a slow-cooker or over a campfire.
  • Pre-made Meals: Smoked meats or meats that are precooked can easily be reheated using tin foil and an open fire. Bring smoked meats to cook an easy meal.
  • Homemade Pico: Salsa or homemade pico is a simple way to add some flavoring or spice to any of your meals.  Makes for a great dip for snack time as well.
  • Potato Salad: Potato salad always comes in handy when camping. Grab a tub and eat it with sandwiches, or BBQ for a healthy alternative to chips.
  • Chili: If preparing canned chili, make sure it has a pop top so you don’t have to worry about a can opener. Canned chili is super easy to heat up right in its can on an open fire. It makes a great dinner for the whole family.

By being prepared for your meals and easy snacks, you can spend more time enjoying your camping trip!

6 Comments

  1. I really like the idea of bringing lettuce wraps with me camping! I’m going to go camping for the first time in a while this summer and I will have to make sure to stock up on a lot of these items!

  2. What a great and thorough list. String cheese is always one of our must haves when camping. It’s a great snack for the kids. I never thought about the individual packs of cream cheese, I know what we’re going to try next trip. Thanks so much!

  3. This is a great list and goes well beyond what you’d consider the standard camping stand-bys – Thanks for sharing! (Stopping by from the Show & Tell Link Party)

    ~Taylor-Made Homestead~
    Texas

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