Many seasoned campers will tell you that prepping food on the spot can be challenging and downright stressful. Doing so lessens the time you could have spent enjoying the scenery and taking part in outdoor activities.
If you can’t dine in a restaurant or order food to be delivered to your camping site—especially if you will head to a remote location—the ideal solution is to learn recipes for camping food that you prepare ahead of time.
For today’s camping guide, let’s go over the three reasons travellers should consider meal planning and preparation. We also have three easy recipes for delicious meal options that you can try for your next nature trip on your own or with your family and friends.
3 Benefits to Preparing Camping Food in Advance
If you’re still on the fence about eating packed meals during your camping trip, three excellent reasons will convince you.
1) Fewer Things to Pack
Depending on your food preferences, you will likely need various kitchen tools and equipment. Imagine squeezing in your camping bags a cutting board, knives, utensils, pots, and pans. While glamping sites offer a kitchen or oven, there’s a bigger chance that you won’t have the resources to cook or bake out in the wild.
In addition, you also have to pack all the ingredients for whatever food you wish to eat. Yes, you can buy them near your camping site, but not all locations are accessible to supermarkets or supply stores.
On the other hand, preparing camping food in advance significantly reduces what you must bring along during the trip. Most meals can be reheated over or beside an open fire, while some can be eaten immediately.
2) More Time to Rest and Relax
Camping can be a physically intensive activity. After a day of hiking, trekking, or climbing, you probably won’t have the energy left to prepare food from scratch.
If you have not brought the ingredients with you, you will also have to try foraging if there are no nearby food sellers. However, it’s pretty risky if you don’t have significant knowledge of whether something is edible or not. Not everyone has the skills to hunt or go fishing, too.
Taking packed meals for the camping trip eliminates these worries and frees up more time for you to recover your energy. Though you would have to cook or bake in advance, you likely won’t feel rushed or exhausted as long as you follow a recipe for easy-to-prepare meals.
3) Less Clean-Up Effort Required
Even when at home, having a meal usually does not end with the last bite. You must wash the dishes and everything you have used in the kitchen. Then, you have to dry them before storing them away in their proper placements.
The same goes for cooking on the spot while camping. Aside from spending time and effort in whipping up the meal, you’d have to clean everything up to prevent attracting pests and wild animals to your location. That includes every soiled knife, cutting board, and crockery you used to prep the food.
In comparison, certain meals prepared in advance come in containers that you can dispose of quickly—for example, plastic bags, paper wrap, or aluminium foil. At most, you would have to wash some food containers, reheating pans, and cutleries as well.
Things you can do to plan food in advance
Preparation can lead to you saving a lot of money as you won’t end up purchasing a lot of things that you may not have needed. As previously mentioned, taking some lunch that you had already cooked the night before can be a great way to save a bit of money as you won’t need to go out of your way to purchase more things to cook at the campsite .
A few weeks prior, you can cook double the amounts and freeze some of the food you would like to take with you. This will end up saving you a lot of time cooking at the campsite in the process.
1) Invest in a vacuum sealer
Whilst it may not be helping your budget in the short term to purchase a vacuum sealer, it may end up saving you in the long-run by helping you prepare food ahead of time. The idea would be that if you were planning a camping trip some time in the future, you can set aside food that you are already cooking, vacuum seal it and then just chuck it in the freezer for later.
2) Stock up on food on sale
If you are at the supermarket on your normal weekly shop and you see a sale on long life food such as cheap tinned food or dried fruit, why not purchase a couple more for later. These items can end up being really handy. Not only will you not have to worry about the expiry date, they are also great to be used for when you go camping.
It will be like a little pantry with food that has been set aside ready to go for your next camping trip. The other great thing about this is that canned food and dry fruit will fill you up much more than small snacky bits like serial bars or crisps. They can keep you going for much longer if you choose to go for a relaxing hike during your trip.
3 quick and dirty camping recipes that you can prepare in advance
Check out these three recipes—one for each meal time of the day—that don’t require extensive cooking or baking skills. We added some helpful tips to make them more convenient for you.
1) For Breakfast: Overnight Oats
This nutritious breakfast option is portable, customizable, and incredibly filling. The classic version requires a mason jar, so you can just pop it into your cooler for the trip. To make it extra tasty, you may add whatever fruits, nuts, or sweeteners you prefer. Having it for breakfast won’t require you to reheat anything, and finishing a whole jar is typically enough to keep you going until lunchtime.
Estimated Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 120g rolled oats
- 40g Greek yogurt
- 60g fresh milk
- 10-20g chia seeds
- 15-30ml honey
- 5ml vanilla extract
- Any toppings of your choice (fruits, nuts, chocolate chunks, jam, etc.)
Servings: Good for 2 people
Steps:
- Mix all the ingredients except the toppings in a bowl.
- Transfer the mixture into each container.
- Add your selected toppings before sealing them.
- Store in the refrigerator overnight.
- Retrieve the containers and place them in your cooler when you’re ready to go.
Helpful tips:
- Since overnight oats can last for up to 5 days in a cooler, you can make several jars in advance. Avoid taste fatigue by throwing in various toppings for each day of your camping trip.
- Glass jars can be heavy and prone to accidents. Consider using plastic containers instead.
2) For Lunch: Hearty Tomato Soup
We love a steaming bowl of soup, especially if we’re camping somewhere rainy or cold. There’s a wide selection of soups that could be prepped in advance, but this quick recipe for tomato soup is one of our favorites. It requires simple ingredients only, but the savory-tart blend can warm us up like nothing else.
Estimated Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 240g tomato juice
- 40g butter
- 40g all-purpose flour
- 30g sugar
- 10g curry powder
- 10g onion powder
Servings: Good for 6 people
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a pot.
- Stir in the flour, curry powder, and onion powder until smooth.
- Add the sugar and tomato juice in gradual amounts.
- Simmer for 5 minutes or until the soup has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Let it cool before pouring the soup into a resealable plastic bag or airtight jar.
- Freeze overnight before packing in your cooler for the trip.
- Bring a small pan to reheat this meal over the campfire.
Helpful tips:
- Keep the soup in a chilled condition to make it last for 3 to 4 days.
- Soups are best enjoyed with some croutons, crackers, or bread.
3) For Dinner: Zesty Salmon and Vegetables
Here’s an idea for a light but delightful dish at the end of the day. If done right, you will have flaky salmon and crisp vegetables marinated and cooked in a refreshing lemon-butter sauce. Wrapped in individual foils, reheating this meal at the campsite is as easy as placing the foil over the fire.
Estimated Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces salmon fillets
- 400g asparagus
- 400g squash, sliced
- 400g zucchini, sliced
- 100g red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 100g butter, melted
- 4 pieces lemon wedge
- 20g lemon juice
- 10g lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
Servings: Good for 4 people
Steps:
- Place 1 salmon fillet on the center of a foil sheet. Repeat for the remaining fillets.
- Divide evenly and place the asparagus, squash, zucchini, and bell pepper on top of each fillet.
- Season each set with salt and pepper.
- Combine the melted butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Pour the mixture into each set.
- Add a lemon wedge on top before wrapping and sealing each set into a foil packet.
- Freeze overnight before storing in your camping cooler.
- To cook the fish and vegetables, place the foil packets over the fire for about 15 minutes.
Helpful tips:
- Use heavy-grade aluminium foil for your camp food. Thinner variants might break while packing or reheating the meals.
- Remember to consume this dish within 1 to 2 days to enjoy the meal at its best.
Which camping meal will you prepare?
Make the most of your camping trips through careful meal planning and preparation. You’re not going out there to peel, slice and chop after all. You also have limited space for your camping gear, so bringing bulky cooking tools and supplies is not ideal.
We suggest doing all the hard work while you are in the comforts of your kitchen. Skip all the stress and mess by packing your favourite dishes in foil packets or portable jars. By doing so, you will spend less time worrying about food and the clean-up.
Think of preparing your camping food in advance as a step towards your dream getaway. It’s not added work at all. Instead, this time-saving tip will give you the opportunity to live in the moment while you’re in the great outdoors.
Want some camping tips to go with your new tent? Go and check out our blog and also follow our Pinterest account to get you pumped for your next trip with some camping inspiration.