Food is, for many people, one of the best parts of camping. But if you've never been before, or are just looking to spice things up a bit, then camping food ideas can help to put you on track for the kinds of things that you will want to pack with you when heading in to the outdoors.
Camping Food Ideas
Here are a few food ideas for your next camping trip.Breakfast
- Oatmeal - If you are willing to fire up the stove and get hot water going, then oatmeal is a great way to start the day when you are camping. Dried oats are lightweight, and provide you with plenty of energy. You can also throw in all kinds of things, like dried berries, that are also lightweight and will dramatically improve the flavor of the plain oatmeal. There are also plenty of premade oatmeal packets ideal for camping.
- Granola - If you just want something quick so that you can get going, granola is an ideal solution. It's high in energy, and goes well with something like powdered milk, which is also easy to pack along with you when you are camping or backpacking. You can even find premixed granola packages that just need water.
- Freeze Dried - There are also plenty of very tasty meals that can be cooked up from freeze dried packages. Scrambled eggs and bacon, for instance, can be easy as adding hot water.
Lunch
- Trail Mix - I rarely find the time for a full cooked lunch when I'm camping and backpacking, and prefer something quick like trail mix. By utilizing variations such as PB and J trail mix, however, you can spice things up a bit.
- Assorted Snacks - Assorted snacks are another good way to get a quick lunch in. Things like jerky, Clifbars and dried fruits are ideal.
- Freeze Dried - Of course if you want to stop and have something a little more proper, freeze-dried smoked salmon combined with a few crackers makes a great lunch, as does soup if you are willing to break out the stove for some hot water.
Dinner
- Pastas - Pasta dinners are a staple of backpacking and camping. They're ideal because pasta lightweight when dry, filling when eaten and you only need one pot to make it. Cook your pasta, drain and mix well with any variety of sauces and you have a great meal.
- Mix and Match - Something else I like to do when camping is to mix and match things. Combining spicy tomato soup mix with Mr. Noodles and a bit of pepperoni, for instance, is a great meal that can be made in one pot.
- Freeze Dried - Of course there are many excellent freeze dried meals out there that will cut down on the time and effort needed to make dinner. Beef stroganoff for two, for instance, makes a great meal, as does pasta primavera or even Santa Fe chicken. And don't forget about desert.
