50+ Easy Camping Food for First Time Campers
Planning to go camping for the first time? Or maybe you’re looking for some new recipes to try out on your next camping trip. This blog post has a list of easy camping food ideas that are perfect for beginners and experienced campers alike!
You’ve just entered into a world of adventures and outdoor fun. Camping is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It can be so much fun for the whole family! I know it can be hard to figure out what you should bring with you when camping for the first time. I have some great ideas for easy food ideas for camping in this article.
As a beginner, it can be hard to know what kind of food to pack for your trip. You probably don’t want to be stuck eating hot dogs or macaroni and cheese every night while camping, do you?
No worries – we’ll show you how easy it is to make some tasty campfire food that will impress your friends and family. And if you want some camping foods ideas that don’t require cooking, I’ve got you covered there too.
Easy Camping Food
Camping (especially with kids) can be a lot of work, but once you find easy camping food ideas for beginners like these, you’ll never go back. One of the many reasons I love family camping is the food. Okay, let’s face it. I just really like food but there’s just something about camping food that just tastes so good!!
And easy camping food doesn’t have to mean you’re just eating hot dogs cooked over a fire for every meal. There are so many fun and easy camping food ideas out there for you to try your hand at!
I’m excited to share these fun and easy camping food ideas for first-time campers!
You have four choices for food preparation while camping:
- cook over a campfire
- cook on a cookstove or other propane stove
- prepare meals ahead of time
- eat meals that require no cooking
Easy Camping Breakfast Ideas
These quick and easy breakfasts will have you excited to chow down in the morning. The best camping breakfast meals are easy to make and they taste delicious.
- instant oatmeal packets
- instant grits
- omelette in a bag
- fried eggs
- French toast
- pancakes with blueberries
- breakfast burritos
- hash browns
- sausage and bacon
- hot chocolate packets
- coffee or tea
- Berry Muffin Pie Iron Recipe
No-cook options:
- fruit
- granola or granola bars
- cereal and milk
- yogurt
- dried fruit
Easy Camping Lunch Ideas
Here’s a list of easy ideas for camping lunches. You can pack sandwiches and fruits to take while hiking, or you can prepare something at your campsite. Let’s look at some more easy camping food ideas:
- hot dogs
- walking tacos
- Doritos taco salad
- camping haystacks
- chicken salad with crackers
- tuna salad sandwiches
- egg salad sandwiches
- hamburgers
- chips
- grilled cheese sandwiches
- quesadillas
No-cook options:
- sandwiches
- chips
- turkey wraps
- cowboy caviar
Easy Camping Supper Ideas
Here are some of my favorite recipes for camp dinners. They are easy and delicious.
- tin foil packets or hobo packets
- hot dogs
- hamburgers
- grilled corn on the cob
- baked potatoes over the fire
- baked sweet potatoes
- the campfire
- tacos or burritos
- salad
- beanies and weenies
- campfire nachos
- ready rice with canned black beans
- chips and salsa
- campfire potatoes
No-cook options:
- pasta salad (make ahead)
- sandwiches
- chips
- salad
- beanies and weenies (just eat cold)
Easy Camping Food for Kids
If you’re camping with children, here are some easy ideas they’ll love:
- roasting hot dogs over the fire
- corn on the cob
- grilled pizzas
- carrot sticks and dip
- chips
For even more camping ideas check out these posts:
- 25 of the Best Camping Recipes
- S’Mores: Five Different Recipes You’ll Love
- 18 of the Best Camping Dessert Recipes
- The Best Camping Snacks for Kids | Quick and Easy Ideas
Tips for Cooking Over a Campfire
When I go camping, one of the first things on my mind is cooking that first meal! Here are some of my best tips for cooking over a campfire that might help make your next camping trip more enjoyable.
1. Make sure there’s plenty of dry wood before starting anything else. The last thing you want is to have everything ready but not enough firewood. Ask me how I know. So unless you purchased heat-treated firewood for your campfire and brought enough with you, you’ll need to scour the woods for some deadwood. The lighter the deadwood the quicker it burns. But newer wood will not easily burn.
2. Use an appropriate pot or pan- preferably something with high sides so nothing spills out onto the ground while cooking your food on top of it. You can purchase camping pots and pans or use cast iron skillets and pots (my favorite for car camping).
3. Cooking over the campfire with food wrapped in heavy-duty tin foil is a super-easy way to cook over the campfire!
How to Pack Your Cooler
Packing a cooler for your camp out is as much art as science. Here are some tips for making the best use of space in your cooler.
- transfer all food to leak proof containers
- Baggies will leak and fill with water
- screw on lid containers work best
- fill all extra space in the cooler with ice
- pack your cooler just before you leave
- keep cooler in the shade
- don’t open the lid unless necessary
- don’t drain the melted ice water
With these simple and easy camping food ideas, you can be the master of your own campfire. Camping is a great way to get outside and enjoy nature with friends or family and you should have to worry about what’s for dinner – keep it simple!
I hope you’ve enjoyed our list of easy camping food for first-time campers. Happy Camping!
