No-Cook Camping Meals

What to eat for dinner is the eternal question for people—especially those with large families. When you’re camping, you can’t get away from the fact that everyone needs to eat, so how can you feed your group without your usual kitchen amenities?

Prepping ahead of time is key. Make a list that includes each meal, then a shopping list that includes every ingredient. Once you have everything, pack it up. Refrigerated items can go in a cooler with ice (and should be used within the first day or so) and dry goods in sealed containers. (Keep the animals out!)

Some easy go-to meals are: 

Snack board: 

Four to five main ingredients can include a protein, vegetables, dip, and bread/chips. Protein ideas: leftover chicken pieces, chicken salad, hard-boiled eggs, roasted chickpeas, deli meat or pepperoni. Vegetables can be anything you want—cut up carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers are easy favorites. What do you dip the vegetables in? Try bean dip, hummus, salsa or pesto sauce. Small pieces of bread, chips, or crackers can round up the plate. If you eat dairy, top it all off with some cheese slices or soft cheese such as brie. What a fancy plate for a camping trip! And it’s all filling too!

Sandwiches and wraps: 

Think outside the box if you’re tired of PB&J. How about chicken caesar wraps or chicken salad using leftover chicken? Or try nut butter or sunflower butter instead or peanut butter, or blueberry jam instead of grape. Perhaps use a different type of bread than you usually buy. Sandwiches don’t have to be boring.

Salads and lettuce cups: 

You can put pretty much anything in a salad. Make them ahead of time in this order: dressing at the bottom, then cut up veggies, then meats/cheeses/etc. and lastly, lettuce or other leafy greens. (You don’t want the lettuce to wilt before you’ve even finished setting up camp!) Lettuce cups can hold tuna salad, chicken salad, or whatever other “salad’ you like. Make sure the cups are either stored separately until it’s time to eat, or at least make sure they’re very dry before packing them up.

Lastly, don’t forget the hot dogs! It’s not completely “cook free” but if you have an outdoor grill or fire pit (which most campsites do) all you have to do is throw the hot dogs over the fire. Remember to bring the buns, fixings, and of course—marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate for smores!

Do you have a go-to camping meal? Leave a comment and let us know!