The last thing you want to do when you go camping is spend your entire time cooking meals. Here are some great camping trip meals for your next camping trip that are so simple and can be done easily over the camp fire or on the stove.
A great way to have a stress-free camping trip is to plan ahead for your meals. I put together some quick and easy ideas for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and snacks.
Make sure and download our free camping food list planner. This will help you organize your menu and know what you need to prepare ahead of time.
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Meal planning is key when camping because kids are always hungry and something about being outdoors and active makes you even hungrier.
Breakfast Camping Trip Food Ideas
If you have an outdoor griddle for the camp fire or packed a skillet or griddle, our favorite breakfast idea is pancakes. We use a pancake mix. You can add fresh fruit into the mix or sprinkles to make it fun. Simply add a little maple syrup to top it off.
My kids love bacon and sausage, and you can save time by buying the pre cooked or simply cook it in your travel trailer in your air fryer.
Another great idea is instant oatmeal. It comes in a variety of flavors and is easy to do. You simply add hot water I have also done overnight oats in the Crockpot or Instant Pot simply by adding oats and cold water and cooking overnight. Here’s a great recipe
You can also do some banana bread ahead of the camping trip and have that for breakfast. If you want super simple you can always do dry cereal, bagel with cream cheese or even pop tarts. These are always a great staple for breakfast since everyone has different tastes.
Quick Camping Trip Lunch Ideas
I keep lunch simple when we are camping. Usually, we are hiking, biking or fishing and may not even be near the travel trailer. A few easy ideas is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or an almond butter and jelly sandwich with either fresh fruit or potato chips. I order this pack from Amazon, so there is variety.
I have also done cheese sauce with tortilla chips and hot sauce and made-from-scratch nachos.
You can also pack a can of tuna. We love these tuna salad kits because everyone can make it the way they like it. I put spoons in a zip lock bag, so everyone has a spoon to mix their tuna salad.
Dinner Camping Trip Food Ideas
My kids love hot dogs on the campfire with their favorite potato chips or even some fresh fruit like watermelon. Watermelon is a great Summer treat that everyone loves!
We have also cooked fish with rice or green beans and instant potatoes. The more you can prep ahead, the less chaotic it will be in a small space. Fish drizzled with olive oil is so good.
Another good option is summer sausage with red potatoes or baked potatoes cooked over the camp fire. You can also do hard cheeses with dried fruits if it’s more adults on the trip.
I always pick up extra aluminum foil at the grocery store because we tend to use a lot of it while camping, especially while cooking outside.
A great way to end the night of any camping trip is, of course, with s’mores for everyone. If you have chocolate chips in the pantry, grab those and use those instead of the Hershey bar. The kids love s’mores. It’s their favorite memories camping, especially when it’s a cold night.
Great Snack Ideas
Are your kids like mine and they love snacks? If you are hiking or fishing or playing in the water, you will want easy snacks that require zero prep. A few of the favorite we pack for our camping trip include:
- Granola bars
- Trail mix
- Energy bars or other healthy snacks
- Protein Packs
- Sunflower seeds
- Protein bars
- Dried fruit
- Beef jerky
- Their favorite junk food
Other Things to Pack:
- Soft cheese for sandwiches or crackers
- Tea bags to make some sun tea
- Tomato sauce and instant noodles to make some spaghetti. Don’t forget the Parmesan cheese
Things to Purchase on Amazon for Your Camping Trip:
- Crockpot
- Instant pot
- Air fryer
- Griddle
- Marshmallow or hot dog holder
- Tuna salad kits
- Potato chips
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Jelly
- Graham crackers
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
- Granola bars
- Trail mix
- Energy bars
- Sunflower seeds
- Protein bars
- Dried fruit
- Beef jerky
If you are looking for the perfect travel trailer for your family, I highlighted the top ones for families HERE
Mama, they will remember the memories from the camping trip way more than the food they ate. So, when it comes to meal ideas, keep the food options simple. Spend time outside enjoying the great outdoors and your family time. After a long day, the last thing you will want to do is cook a big dinner.
