Meal Planning Tips for Your Next Camping Trip

Camping trips require a decent amount of planning when it comes to your food. You might want to assume that there will be no stores close by, in which case you’ll have to pack everything carefully so that food doesn’t spoil. And if you enjoy your food, you won’t want to have to get by on just trail mix.

If you’re camping with kids, be sure to check out our top essentials for camping with kids and our favourite toys and activities to take camping.

Here are some practical meal planning tips for your next camping trip so that you can eat well while having fun.

1. Get clear on the point of your camping trip. If your trip’s main objective is to lounge around the campsite and hang out around a campfire, you can plan meals that might require a bit more prep time. However, if you are planning on hiking all day or doing other activities, the last thing you’ll feel like doing is peeling lots of
   potatoes for dinner. You’ll therefore want to choose simpler meals.
2. Write up a meal plan. Make a meal plan for each day, including not only three meals per day but drinks, desserts, and snacks. Think about what each meal will require in terms of equipment, and don’t forget to consider the weather. Hot weather may mean you’ll be happy with cold food like sandwiches. In cold weather, though, everyone appreciates a hot meal, especially in the evening.
   Don’t forget the ingredients and equipment for your morning coffee, because you probably won’t be anywhere near a Starbucks! And choose meals that keep well and won’t wilt. For instance, cucumber, pasta, or potato salad holds up better than a green salad, which will wilt quickly in the heat. When you work out the order of your meals, prioritize the most perishable foods to eat first. For your snacks, choose easy options that you won’t have to prepare, such as cookies, grapes, potato chips, veggie sticks, hummus, etc.
3. Prioritise one-pot meals. One-pot meals are perfect for camping since they make food prep easy and cleanup a breeze. Get yourself a Camping Dutch Oven or similar to make soups, stews, and casseroles right over the fire. Alternatively, you could prepare some of these before you go and reheat them in the pot. And don’t forget the equipment that goes with these one-pot meals: oven mitts and aluminum foil are convenient when cooking over a fire. Kindling and wood are another consideration: don’t count on the campsite to have sufficient quantities of either.
4. Remember the classics! If you have children (and maybe even if you don’t), you’ll want to have at least one or two classic meals such as hot dogs or hamburgers. And don’t forget the s’mores for dessert! Pack a loaf of bread rather than buns so that the bread can serve for sandwiches, toast, and to hold burgers and hot dogs.
5. Have some foods that cook quickly. You never know what unexpected events can crop up, which could mean not much time to prepare food. Plan to have foods that can be cooked fast, such as thin slices of chicken or steak. Thick roasts might look nice, but they take a long time to cook, and if you have children, they are likely to want their food sooner rather than later. We have lots of ideas for camping meals for families.
6. Pack your cooler strategically. Some foods keep better than others, so put the most perishable foods directly on top of the ice in your cooler. Foods like meat or fish can be challenging to store safely, especially insummer. You may want to wrap your pieces of meat to prevent contamination in case there are leaks.
7. Prep what you can beforehand
   The more preparation you do at home, the easier things will be on your camping trip. Afterall, simple tasks such as chopping vegetables will take longer and be more complicated when camping. Look at your planned recipes and decide what you can prep ahead of time.Wash and precut veggies, precook rice or pasta, and pack canned goods. You’ll be glad you did once the tent is pitched, and it’s time to make food! Plus, you’ll be using any containers afterward for leftovers.
8. Remember all the extras
   When planning your recipes, write down every tool that you’ll need. It’s easy to leave behind things like mixing bowls, tongs, whisks, slotted spoons, knives, etc.
9. Don’t forget equipment for cleaning up such as dish towels, dish soap, a tub or bucket for washing dishes, and garbage bags. And remember that you’ll need plates, silverware, mugs, napkins, etc.

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Enjoy your camping trip, knowing that you’ll be well prepared!