What We Actually Eat on Camping Trips (No Complicated Recipes)

Meal planning is one of those things that can either make a camping trip feel easy or turn into a bit of a headache.

And after travelling with hungry teens, I learned pretty quickly that keeping things simple is the way to go.

Over the years, we have built up a list of meals that we keep coming back to. These are not complicated recipes or anything fancy.

They are just meals that work. They are easy to prep, easy to cook, and everyone will eat them without complaints.

This is what we actually eat when we go camping.

What to eat while camping

Camping meals do not need to be fancy (unless, of course, that’s what you want).

Because we are mainly weekend warriors, I used to think I had to plan something different for every trip.

But at the end of the day, that just made things harder than they needed to be.

Presquile Provincial Park - Family at dinner in our campsite

Now, I focus on simple meals that are easy to prep, easy to cook, and use ingredients we already have on hand at home.

The goal is to spend less time worrying about food and more time enjoying the trip.

Here are the meals we keep coming back to.

What We Eat While Camping - YouTube Thumbnail — Click the photo to check out our YouTube short!

Breakfast

Mornings at camp tend to be a bit slower for us (ummm… think LAZY teens!!).

We are not rushing out the door, so breakfast is usually simple but still something that feels like a proper start to the day.

Coffee

This is something that John can’t live without.

And I have to admit, I love waking up to the smell of coffee brewing while camping.

Who needs an actual alarm?

French Toast

This is one of those breakfasts that is a bit more fun but still easy to make.

We cook it on our camp stove and serve it with whatever we have on hand. That usually means bacon, fruit and plenty of whipped cream and maple syrup.

Pancakes or waffles (using a mix)

This is one of our easiest breakfasts.

We just bring pancake mix and add water at the campsite.

Pancakes are quick on a griddle, and waffles work well if we bring our waffle maker.

It is simple, filling, and always a good option for feeding a group.

Bacon and eggs

We make this a lot. It is quick, filling, and you really cannot go wrong with it.

While we used to toast our bread in the frying pan, we have since purchased a small toaster to make things easier.

Muffins and Fruit

This is our easiest option. We usually bring muffins from home and pair them with fruit for something quick and no effort.

Sharbot Lake Provincial Park - Breakfast at the Beach

We also like making muffins right at the campsite using a mix and baking them fresh in our Omnia Oven.

Avocado Toast

This is our kids’ favourite breakfast!

We usually add eggs, bacon, and greens to make it more filling.

Scrambled Eggs or Omelets

Simple and reliable. It is also one of the easiest ways to feed everyone at once.

It’s also a great way to use up veggies from the night before.

Add some leftover potatoes, and you can easily turn it into a breakfast hash.

Cinnamon Buns

This is always a hit at our campsite. Baked fresh in our trailer’s kitchen, we find it’s a great way to get the kids out of bed!

We pair our cinnamon buns with bacon and fruit.

Overnight Oats or Chia Pudding

This is one of our easiest make-ahead options.

We prep it the night before and keep it in the fridge. Then just add fruit in the morning.

What We Eat While Camping - Chia pudding with muffin and fruit

It is a good choice when we want something quick with no cooking.

Lunch

Lunch is usually something we keep quick so we can get back to whatever we are doing.

Some days we cook, but most of the time we are just putting something together.

What We Eat While Camping - Fried zucchini flowers — Fried zucchini flowers from our garden for lunch! YUM!

This is especially true if we have a long drive to get to our campsite.

Once we arrive, we usually just want to put a meal together fast.

Charcuterie Boards

This is one of our favourite camping lunches.

We just put out meat, cheese, crackers, pickled veggies, olives, and fruit and let everyone grab what they want.

Most of the time, I cut everything up at home, so it’s just a matter of arranging it on my board when we are ready.

Sandwiches

You really cannot go wrong here. They are easy to make and easy to change up depending on what you have.

Salads

We keep these basic. They are a good way to balance out some of the heavier meals.

John and I also pick up store-bought salads that are ready-to-go for more variety.

Soups

Another go-to when the weather is not great. Easy to heat up and filling.

Algonquin Park - Hot lunch on a chilly day

While we often make it at home, we also have several cans of soup in our pantry as back-up!

Mac and Cheese

This is a great option if we want something hot but still quick, especially on cooler days when the kids are with us.

Leftovers from Dinner

We do this a lot. It saves time and makes planning easier.

Dinner

Dinner is usually our main meal of the day at the campsite.

This is when we are willing to put a little more thought and effort into our meal preparation.

What We Eat While Camping - Lobster for Father's Day Weekend — Lobster dinner for Father’s Day weekend

If we are going to get fancy, it’s definitely going to be for dinner.

Steak

We usually do this on the first night or when we want something a bit more special. It cooks quickly and does not need much.

Paired with potatoes and vegetables (and a nice glass of wine), it’s a great splurge meal.

Burgers

These are always in our meal plan. We prep them ahead of time and cook them at camp.

Kids love them, and they are pretty inexpensive to make and freeze ahead of time.

Canisbay-Lake-Campground-Kids-at-picnic-table-for-dinner

Plus, you can always get fancy with the toppings! We love sauteed onions and mushrooms, a fried egg, avocado slices, as well as the usual lettuce and tomato.

Hot dogs

This is our easiest dinner. Perfect for a busy day or when we do not feel like cooking much.

Of course, hot dogs work well for lunch, as a snack, and apparently, for breakfast too (see above 🤣🤣).

Salmon

We love salmon. And because it cooks pretty quickly, it’s great for an easy, yet elevated dinner.

Fajitas

We like this because everything cooks in one pan. If we prep the ingredients at home, it is even easier.

We usually marinate our meat at home and pre-chop all the veggies.

What We Eat While Camping - Fajitas dinner at sunset in the campground

This is a quick and tasty meal that is perfect for all seasons.

Spiedini or Kebabs

These are easy to prep at home and cook quickly at camp. It is a nice change from the usual meals.

What We Eat While Camping - Greek chicken kebab and Greek salad on a plate

For the kebabs, just pre-chop all your veggies and meat cubes at home, and put them together at camp.

We usually buy our spiedini from the butcher, so they are pre-made and ready to go.

Seafood packets

When we are looking for something extra special, seafood packets are our go-to camp meal!

These are great over the fire, and there is almost no cleanup.

What We Eat While Camping - Seafood Foil pack on a plate

We fill foil packets with corn, potatoes, sausage, shrimp, lobster, scallops, and basa fillets. Add a ton of butter and Old Bay seasoning, and voila!

Grab some crusty bread or fresh rolls, and you have a fantastic meal!

Stew

We usually make this ahead of time and just reheat it. It is perfect for cooler nights.

We use our Omnia Oven to bake up homemade bread, or in a pinch, we will use Pillsbury rolls

Chilli

Same idea as stew. Easy, filling, and great to have ready to go, especially on a crisp fall evening.

Pizza

This is one of our more fun dinners. We make ours in our Omnia Oven (so it’s more like deep dish pizza), but it’s also possible to use a pizza stone on your grill.

Veggies and salad

We almost always add these as a side. It helps balance everything out.

Rice

Buying microwaveable rice pouches is a great time-saver for us.

While it’s not something that we usually use at home, they are pretty darn convenient while camping.

Pasta

Another simple option that works every time. We keep it basic.

What We Eat While Camping - Ravioli in brown butter sauce with lamb spiedini

Thanksgiving dinner

We have done this at camp, and it is always memorable.

This DEFINITELY takes more planning, but it is totally worth it.

We prefer making the majority of the dishes right at the campsite. But I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t for the faint of heart!

Thanksgiving Dinner inside our Teardrop Trailer

Doing some of the prep work at home is recommended, especially if this is your first time.

Of course, this really depends on your setup and what kind of kitchen/gear you have.

Omnia Oven Review - Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving

Treats

Camping would not be the same without a few treats, especially in the evening.

Cake

We bake up boxed mixes for birthdays or special trips. It always goes over well!

Brownies

These also bake up really quickly from a boxed mix. If we have room, we usually try to pack some ice cream to serve along with the brownies. Yum!

What We Eat While Camping - Chocolate brownie with ice cream

Toasted marshmallows

A classic. We do this on almost every trip.

What We Eat While Camping - Kids roasting marshmallows at the campsite

S’mores

Another must-have around the fire. And because we have a ton of variations that we like to rotate through, this dessert never gets old.

Cobbler

Peach cobbler was actually one of the first desserts we made while camping.

Cobblers are great to make over the fire, and again, taste even better with a scoop of ice cream!

How We Keep Camping Meals Simple

I used to overthink camping meals. Now I try to keep our meals as simple as possible.

Plan Ahead

We plan everything before we leave. It makes shopping easier and avoids that “what are we eating tonight” moment.

What We Eat While Camping - Steak dinner

I even post our meal plan on the fridge. This way, even the kids don’t have to ask what’s for dinner.

Prep at Home

We prep what we can before we go.

Even small things like cutting veggies, marinating meat, or pre-cooking part of a meal make a big difference once we get to camp.

Reuse Ingredients

One of my favourite hacks for keeping camping meal prep simple is to reuse ingredients across meals.

What We Eat While Camping - Lunch set up while driveway camping — Charcuterie items can be made into sandwiches for lunch the next day

It keeps packing under control and helps cut down on waste.

Stick to What You Know

Our biggest suggestion, however, is to stick to meals that you already know.

Camping is not the time to try something complicated.

Keep Cleanup in Mind

Lastly, you will want to think about cleanup.

What We Eat While Camping - Brown butter sage rolls for Thanksgiving — Fresh rolls – Dough made at home, did the rising in the car ride, baked at the campsite for lunch. No mess!

If a meal uses one pan or foil, it is usually a win.

Our Basic Camping Food Packing List

While we build our food packing list around our meal plan, there are a few staples we always keep in our trailer.

Cooler basics

These are items that are totally dependent on our meal plan:

Meat (prepped if possible)
Cheese
Eggs
Milk or cream
Butter
Cut fruit and veggies
Bread and buns
Drinks & water

What We Eat While Camping - Large charcuterie board for the whole gang

Pantry items

These items are always in our trailer’s pantry cupboard:

Pasta
Crackers
Canned soup
Boxed Mac & Cheese
Cooking oil
Coffee & tea
Snacks
Sugar
Hot chocolate
Pancake mix

Extras

Condiments
Maple Syrup
Spices
Foil and zip-top bags

Final Thoughts

There you have it!

These are the meals we keep coming back to on our camping trips.

They are simple, reliable, and easy to make at the campsite.

Of course, we will keep adding to this list as we try new meals over time. Especially when we start venturing out on longer trips!

If you have go-to camping meals, I would love to hear them.