Camping Meal Prep: How to Plan Food for Camping Like a Pro

Camping cooking tips & tricks to make outdoor meals simple and enjoyable!

If you’re wondering how to plan meals or food for camping or have found meal planning for camping stressful in the past, this blog post is for you! We will explore the 3 P’s – PLAN, PREP, and PACK. Keep reading to learn more about what to consider when planning your camping trip, go-to gear and tools to use, some camping meal prep ideas, as well as tips for keeping things organized when heading outdoors. 

Key Takeaways

• Consider things like weather, fire bans, and the activities you are planning on doing before deciding on your camping menu.  
• Keep it simple and build a balanced meal with a grain/starch, vegetable/fruit, and a protein source.  
• Save time and reduce stress by prepping whole meals or components of a meal ahead of time at home and store in your freezer until you’re ready to cook.  
• Stay organized while packing by utilizing a packing list, stackable bins for storage, and strategically packing your cooler to keep foods cool for longer. 

PLAN – How to Plan Food for Camping

Factors to Consider When Planning Food for Camping 

Cooking outdoors means we need to consider a few more things than when we’re cooking indoors. We may not have the same tools accessible, the same amount of space or time, and we may need to consider our surroundings a little more. Here are some things to think through while doing your camping meal planning:  

Weather – you are more exposed to the elements when cooking outdoors. Things like a rain shower or high winds can quickly foil your cooking plans by extinguishing your campfire or getting you completely drenched. Make sure to check your local weather forecast before heading out!  

Fire bans – depending on where you are located, you may be very familiar with this factor already. Fire bans are common in areas where there are current wildfires or areas where the weather is hot and dry, with little precipitation, and the chance of a wildfire is high. Make sure to check before heading out camping whether there is a fire ban in your area as this will dictate whether you can cook over the campfire or not. If there is a fire ban, using a propane stove is a great option for cooking. If you are located in Alberta, check out Albertafirebans.ca.  

Activities – when deciding on your meals, consider what type of activities you will be doing during your trip. Will you be taking it easy around camp and have time to cook, or will you be out hiking, at the lake, or doing activities where you will need food more portable and on-the-go?  

Packing Space & Gear Available – do you have a large trailer with ample space for carrying fancy tools or are you limited by the amount of space you have to pack with? What kind of cooking tools do you have access to? Do you want to keep it simple or try something more complex?  

Simple Go-To Gear for Cooking Outdoors 

There are seemingly endless gadgets and tools to use for cooking outdoors. If you’re new to camp cooking, don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming! Keeping it simple to start and then exploring new tools as you feel more confident is a great approach. Here are some of my go-to pieces of gear for cooking outdoors (starting from the simplest to more complex cooking):

• Tin foil: great for making tin foil packet meals right over the fire (no pots or pans needed!)  
• Hot dog skewers for roasting smokies, hotdogs, marshmallows, etc. over the fire. A small branch from a tree can do just fine as well.   
• Pie irons for making pudgy pies, sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc.  
• Cast iron pots and pans: able to withstand high heat (like cooking over the campfire) without warping. Be warned, the handle will get hot so make sure to have a good set of fire gloves too! 
• Fire grates: very useful for grilling foods directly over the fire or for placing pots/pans over the fire.  
• Propane camp stoves: extremely useful if there is a fire ban. It can be easier to regulate the temperature than when cooking over a campfire. 
• Cast iron Dutch-ovens: great for baking things like bread, buns, lasagna, cinnamon buns (a favourite of my family) over the campfire. If you’re curious, check out this Delicious Dutch Oven Lasagna  
• Tripod set ups for cooking over the fire: this is a more elaborate set up but if you’re serious about cooking over the fire, it can be a fantastic tool.  

How to Plan Meals for Camping

I often hear people say that all they eat when out camping is smokies or hotdogs (and nothing against these foods, I love a good smokey like everyone else!). But sometimes we may feel lost for ideas on what to cook outdoors and get stuck making the same thing every trip.  

I always come back to simplicity when thinking about meal planning for camping and refer to the balanced plate as a good starting point.  

At every meal, aim to have each of these components: 

Grain/Starch – things like bread, bagels, oatmeal, pancakes, crackers, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. These are our main sources of carbohydrates and carbs are our body’s go-to energy source! So, make sure to feed your brain and your muscles with some carbs in your meals. 

Vegetable/Fruit – I know I know, of course, a dietitian will tell you to bring veggies camping. Our veg and fruit are going to bring in lots of good vitamins, freshness, as well as fibre, which will help keep you feeling full for longer. Keep veggies and fruit simple by cutting up raw veg and packing it in your cooler to add as a side to simple meals and snacks or throw in a bagged salad to add on to the side of dinner. 

Protein – important for building our muscles and providing satiety. Some simple proteins for cooking outdoors are frozen shrimp (they can thaw slowly in your cooler and then cook very quickly), pre-marinated tofu, chicken, or beef for grilling, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, protein powder, cheese, and canned tuna.  

For more camping meal ideas, check out 34 Easy Camping Meals for a Weekend Camping Trip 

PREP – How to Prepare Food for Camping

Doing a little work at home before heading out on your camping trip can save you time and stress once you’re at your campsite. Here are some camping meal prep ideas to consider:  

• Consider cooking whole meals, such as chili, stews, spaghetti sauce, and meats (for dishes like burritos, tacos, sandwiches, wraps, etc.) ahead of time to freeze and store in your cooler during your trip. Then simply reheat and serve immediately.   

• Consider portioning liquids, like milk or cooking oil, into smaller containers unless you are using them for multiple recipes to save space in your cooler.  

• For meals like scrambled eggs or French toast, consider cracking the eggs into a mason jar or sturdy bottle ahead of time to avoid breaking delicate eggshells inside the cooler.   

• Chop up veggies and fruit and store them in sealed containers in the cooler for quick snacks or additions to meals.  

• Shred cheese and keep it in a sealed reusable bag or container. 

PACK – How to Pack Food for Camping

Tips to keep yourself organized while packing:

1. Make a list! If it’s helpful, think through different categories like:
   • Foods (dry and cold)
   • Cleaning supplies
   • Dishware (plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, etc.)
   • Cookware (pots, pans, tinfoil, tongs, etc.)
   • Stoves, fuel, and fire supplies
2. Keep food and gear in stackable bins vs bags. Stackable bins are much easier to store in a space-efficient way as well as to find things in once you’re at your campsite. Label the outside of the bins to make finding things much easier.
3. If possible, keep a separate cooler for drinks and food. The drinks cooler is likely going to be opened multiple times a day by several people, especially if it’s hot outside. Reduce the risk of your cooler warming up too quickly (more important if storing raw meats, eggs, milk, etc.) by keeping separate coolers for the drinks and food. Minimize opening the food cooler as much as possible.
4. When packing the cooler, keep frozen foods near the bottom to act as ice packs (e.g. pre-made frozen chili, frozen shrimp/meats, etc.). Then layer with the heavier, sturdier foods like sauces, corn on the cob, broccoli, food containers, etc. Pack ice between foods to keep them cool.
5. If possible, separate raw meats from fresh produce by inserting a thin cutting board down the middle of your cooler to create two sections.

Now that you’ve considered the different factors that go into cooking outdoors, outdoor cooking tools/gear, how to plan a balanced camping meal, and camping meal prep and packing tips, you are ready to head out on your next adventure!  

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