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Figuring out what to eat while camping doesn’t have to be complicated. Look no further than this round-up of easy camping food ideas that will have you enjoying a meal at camp, stress-free!

When I was a kid, my family went camping at Lake George in upstate New York. One of the things I remember the most is how prepared and creative my mom was when it came to the camp food.

One time, she baked me a birthday cake at camp in a tin foil dutch oven that she made! Camp cooking seemed like a fun and creative challenge for her, and she always impressed everyone with the food she managed to put together while camping.

Turns out, I think it’s a fun and creative challenge too! In this post, I’m going to share some easy camping food ideas for a stress-free trip.

Easy Camping Food Ideas

Camping Breakfast Ideas

There’s something so special and relaxing when you can wake up outside with the sunshine and sit with a hot cup of coffee and a beautiful view.

These are some easy breakfast ideas for car camping:

• Scrambled Eggs with Veggies or Bacon – simple classic breakfast that’s easy to make with just a cast iron pan and camp stove
• Breakfast Burritos – there are endless ways to customize burritos
• Pancakes – I love Kodiak Cakes pancake mix because it has a little extra protein to keep you full longer.
• Yogurt with fresh berries and granola – You can make homemade granola at home before your trip, or just buy some from the store. Either way, this is a great no-cook camping breakfast.
• French Toast – Another breakfast classic that’s easy to cook in a cast-iron pan.
• Breakfast Quesadillas – try these Bacon and Pepper Breakfast Quesadillas
• Oatmeal with fresh fruit and nuts/seeds – I eat oatmeal all the time at home and it makes a perfect camping breakfast too.

MORE IDEAS >> 11 Easy Car Camping Breakfast Ideas

Camping Lunch Ideas

• Sandwiches and Wraps – For lunch, I love to pack a bunch of sandwich stuff like lunch meats, cheese, a loaf of bread (or flour tortillas for wraps), lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard. Put it all in the cooler, and you have lunch that’s quick and crowd-pleasing.
• Peanut Butter and Jelly – A classic combo that doesn’t require any refrigeration. Switch it up by adding some bananas, honey, or cinnamon!
• Hummus with Carrots and Pita – This is a great healthy snack or light lunch option. I wash and chop carrots at home and store them in a Stasher bag in the cooler so they’re ready to eat right away at camp.
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – If you don’t mind cooking at lunch, grilled cheese is always a good idea. This recipe for pesto grilled cheese is definitely a grown-up version of the classic and it’s delicious.
• BLT Sandwiches – Oh the delicious and often forgotten BLT sandwich. This is a great no-cook camping lunch because you can cook the bacon at home before your trip and store it in the cooler. At camp, all you have to do is assemble the mayo, lettuce, tomato, and bacon!

CAMPING TIP >> Try using reusable bags for camping and hiking snacks. These are my top picks:

Easy Camping Dinner Ideas

• Foil Packet Meals (aka Hobo Packets) – This is hands-down the car camping dinner that I make the most. Check out my complete guide to foil packets with everything you need to know including some recipes. These are some of the easiest camping dinners you can make and they’re really hard to mess up. If you don’t like to cook, I would give foil packet meals a try!
• Quesadillas – a simple camp stove meal! Try these Steak and Pepper Quesadillas.
• Ramen – Ramen is a quick camping dinner that can easily be made on a camp stove!
• Pre-made Salads – Another healthy camp dinner idea that I make a lot is a salad. Sometimes when you’re camping and eating lots of packaged foods and snacks, it’s nice to have some fresh veggies. I pack chopped and cleaned lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and any other salad toppings in the cooler with some dressing. At camp, all you have to do is chop some veggies and assemble them. If you have a fire, you can even grill some chicken and throw that on the salad for a complete meal. Sometimes, I bring pre-cooked chicken sausages, fry them in a pan at camp, and add them to my salad for some quick protein. With this option, you don’t have to deal with any raw meat at camp.
• Tacos – I make tacos at least once a week at home! Turns out, they’re very easy to make while you’re camping too. Try this camp taco recipe.
• Dutch Oven Nachos – If you have a dutch oven, these nachos are one of the easiest things to make, and they’re also one of the most delicious! Check out my dutch oven nacho recipe here!
• Burgers and Hotdogs – Classic grilling food right here! If you want to take it up a notch, check out this recipe for “everything” burgers from Fresh Off the Grid!
• Mac and Cheese – I always have a couple of boxes of mac and cheese in my camping food bin for easy dinners.
• Indian Food Packets with Rice – Buy pre-made Indian food packets for a super flavorful and quick camping dinner. Paired with pre-cooked rice packets and all you have to do at camp is heat this meal up and enjoy!

Easy Camping Dessert Ideas

• S’mores – is any camping trip complete without s’mores? Below are a few s’more recipes that are a twist on the classic:

  • Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel S’mores
  • Cinnamon Caramel S’mores Recipe
  • Toasted Coconut S’mores
  • Banana Boats – Banana boats are a delicious camping dessert that’s fun to customize. Check out these easy campfire banana boats for some inspiration!
  • Campfire Baked Apples – these Caramel Pecan Baked Apples are on of my favorites!
  • Dutch Oven Blackberry Peach Crisp – If you have a dutch oven, this dutch oven fruit crisp is the perfect way to use up some fresh summer fruit in a delicious but simple camp dessert!
  • Find even more easy camping dessert ideas here!

Camp Kitchen Gear Spotlight

Most of the camping meal ideas on this list can be made with a small camping kitchen. Mainly, you’ll need a camp stove, a cast iron pan, and a pot.

Of course, you’re going to need other things like utensils, bowls, and plates… but the main gear you need to cook is your camp stove with fuel and pots and pans. A few of the other recipes on this list require a dutch oven.

Propane Camp Stove

I have the Camp Chef Everest Stove and love it! It’s such a well-designed stove that will last you for years.

Cast Iron Pan

I use an antique Griswold cast iron pan, but a Camp Chef cast iron pan is a great option too if you’re not into the whole antique thing. The Camp Chef pans come pre-seasoned and ready to use, and they’re at a great price point.

Dutch Oven

Dutch oven cooking at camp is so much fun! With this one piece of camp cooking gear, you can make so many easy camping meals. The Camp Chef 10-inch dutch oven is a great size for baking and making meals for 2-4 people.

Enjoy these easy camping food ideas for your next adventure!

Check out the video below to see all of the camping meals I made on one of my recent trips to the desert:

Out of all the experiences I was lucky to have as a child, it’s the ones outdoors that I seem to remember the most.

I hope you have fun getting creative with your camp food and enjoying time outdoors with friends and family.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.