Camping Meals

[oblio]

We're heading out for our 2 week road trip in a few weeks, we'll be in a van and have a portable propane cooktop and some (very) basic cookware. We are trying to eat low calorie these days and realize that easy travel food may not = low calorie for these two weeks, and that is ok, but plan to do the best we can. I am not much of a cook (though I do try sometimes) so I really have no idea what to try to make out there. In the past I just got instant meals that just need to be boiled and prepackaged food. The BF is a much more experienced and confident cook. We'll have stuff for sandwiches, etc, but if anyone has any recommendations for meals we can keep/cook from a van we'd like to give something a try.

[Run Amok]

I hate dealing with dishes so I stick to heat & eat options.  That said, we're planning to do some car camping out of the forester this summer so I'll be following along. 

Will you have a fridge? How often will you resupply /what pantry staples will you plan to have on hand?

[Natasha]

This is an incredible resource: https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/

I made one of their veggie taco recipes years ago and it was really good, also some other recipes. I haven't followed them in a while because I'm just not cooking that way, but they do seem very knowledgeable.

These are the tacos I made: https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/drunken-cauliflower-tacos-with-quick-pickled-red-onions/

Also, I think vegetarian makes life easier because you don't have to worry about keeping meats cold, and you don't have as much grease to clean up.

[oblio]

I hate dealing with dishes so I stick to heat & eat options.  That said, we're planning to do some car camping out of the forester this summer so I'll be following along. 

Will you have a fridge? How often will you resupply /what pantry staples will you plan to have on hand?

We will have an electric cooler that will be powered by the car battery, so not the coldest thing ever but if we supplement with some ice I think it will work well enough. I don't think we'll have much issue getting supplies whenever we need until maybe the last few days so we'll probably try to keep enough on hand for 2-3 days (with some meals out). I figured we'd get some tortilla wraps/bread, eggs, peanut butter, fruit/veggies, salsa, nuts, salad kits, maybe some pasta... still building a list.

Thanks Natasha!! With the calorie cutting the BF has cut out most meat, so I think we could probably stick to mostly vegetarian. (I know it won't last forever but I'm enjoying it while it lasts!) We will probably end up getting some deli meat and canned tuna for some easy meat though.

[picote]

Most of my best and easy camping meals are meats on the grill, so I’m no help. But if you have grill access, it’s so great while camping. Minimal cleanup and you can easily make an entire dinner that’s fantastic. We do kabobs, lamb chops, steak, burgers and sausages, fish etc. with a veggie/sweet potato on the side. I pre-marinade the meats, so everything is super easy.

[caribougrrl]

frozen meals will also help keep a cooler cold... soup/chili/curry/etc. can be made ahead, frozen, then packed in the freezer for the later parts of the trip... it can thaw out and still be good for a few days if you can keep it cool... generally, the more water content, the longer it will stay frozen/partially frozen... so plan to eat curry before soup

I do the same trick with meat... anything for days 1-3 can be packed fresh, other stuff packed frozen to slowly thaw. We almost always plan for fish on day one, just because it's best super fresh and it's a bit of fun cooking fish on a fire. Whatever fish is fresh + some kind of leafy green with garlic, lemon slices and a bit of oil or butter, wrapped in aluminium foil (fold it like an envelope, and leave space for steam)... and even if you overcook it by accident it will stay moist.

[diablita]

I do the same thing - pack veggie proteins and dish frozen so they thaw slowly. Also pre-made chili is great and good for several meals. Frittata is another good one. TJs has bagged veg meal kits like stir fry miso veggies with rice I just made here (glamping) last night.

[oblio]

Great ideas! We are flying to CA and renting the van from there, so we cant do much prepping, but fish is always easy and I'm sure there will be a TJ's (or equivalent) somewhere for frozen meals.

I'm thinking we will have a grill at most campsites, so that is a good option for the nights we aren't too tired/do s good job of planning ahead for wood and groceries.

[caribougrrl]

another camping meal favourite, maybe because we never ever eat hotdogs unless we're camping, is banh mi hot dogs... if you have vinegar and salt, you can easily quick pickle carrots and radish (thin slices or julienned) in a bowl... cilantro, sliced hot pepper, pate or mayonnaise, all on a bun with a campfire cooked hot dog... it's pretty fun, but definitely not low sodium or low calorie...

[caribougrrl]

the talk of shakshuka and salsa in the tomato thread has reminded me that the last time I went camping with my parents, dad made eggs cooked in salsa... as in, he emptied a jar of salsa into a pan, brought it to a simmer, and poached eggs in the salsa

[diablita]

I bet it was good. Like chilaquiles without the beans and fried tortillas?

[caribougrrl]

I bet it was good. Like chilaquiles without the beans and fried tortillas?

ha, yes.

I never thought of it that way, I was all, cool, it's like fusion shakshuka!

[Run Amok]

That does sound good! When dd was little we camped together a lot (just the two of us) and she loved doing hot dogs over the fire or pie iron pizzas. I would make egg sandwiches for breakfast and pack something like spanakopita and a couscous salad that are not too much of a risk of going off and good cold or room temp. Easy, satisfying & no mess.

One that I eat at home a lot and is our one night camping meal is fire roasted sweet potato, canned black beans, a spicy veggie sausage, and avocado. Not too bad on the calories. You could pre chop or even cook the sweet potatoes and sausages and just reheat in a foil pouch to make it super simple.

There are also several decent Indian style meals you can get in pouches. Couscous rehydrated with just hot water or you can also by precooked rice that can be reheated in a pot.

Like D says, there are pretty easy meal kits from Trader Joe's. Or, I make my own little stirfry kit. I like the nona lim rice noodles with tofu & veggies. Super easy 1 pot meal and a lot of food for around 450 cals each (much less if you share one packet of noodles).

Tacos are also great/easy car camping food & you can keep them lowish calories with some preplanning. I will often bring tortillas as our bread. They work with Indian food, with tacos, a little hummus, feta and chopped veggies & you have lunch, egg & cheese for breakfast, etc. Heck, you can even wrap a burger in one. The carb balance ones are ok and 70 cals each.

Trader Joe's has a good fried rice that I like to precook and just heat up in camp but I think that wouldn't work that well either for you.

[radial]

the talk of shakshuka and salsa in the tomato thread has reminded me that the last time I went camping with my parents, dad made eggs cooked in salsa... as in, he emptied a jar of salsa into a pan, brought it to a simmer, and poached eggs in the salsa

Stud move.  It's an actual thing.  You can google multiple recipes. 

[caribougrrl]

Stud move.  It's an actual thing.  You can google multiple recipes. 

well, dad's cooking was mostly stuff he learned to make as a kid (eggs cooked in toast, fried bologna sandwich, cucumbers and onions in vinegar), stuff mom prepped and he cooked on the grill, or later in life, recipes he learned from America's Test Kitchen

[BonitaApplebum]

Pie irons are great. You can make fancy grilled cheese or something else savory for dinner (pizza as RA suggested), and then for dessert you can make something sweet (canned apple pie filling works great, or some combo of pb/banana/Nutella/marshmallow).

[witchypoo]

Pie irons are great. You can make fancy grilled cheese or something else savory for dinner (pizza as RA suggested), and then for dessert you can make something sweet (canned apple pie filling works great, or some combo of pb/banana/Nutella/marshmallow).

1. 


and if you're car camping, you can bring a big dutch oven - and then you can basically make anything you want.

[Rejaneration]

1. 


and if you're car camping, you can bring a big dutch oven - and then you can basically make anything you want.

This was going to be my contribution!  I guess you can carry it on the plane!    We have a lodge dutch oven with feet that is fab.
I love camp cooking - one of my favorite aspects of camping.
I always do egg cups.  Using a cupcake tin, crack an egg in it, add whatever seasoning/other stuff you want ie ham, cheese, slices of tomato etc and pop it on the grill.



First time I went camping, my guy wanted to make me chocolate chip pancakes because it was 'tradition'. Ummm....no.  That is your tradition - with your kids (and ex).  Plus, I am not a pancake girl. I took control of the food - and upped his game.

[BonitaApplebum]

Camp cooking really is the best part of camping. I have an annual camping trip with a couple foodie friends and we love the challenge of cooking outdoors.

[oblio]

So, I did some research and planned for some recipes and our grand plans were all for naught! We were really busy, trying to pack a lot in, so there was not much time sitting around camp like we would if we went to one place specifically for camping. So, the next time we do that, I'll be ready but yeah, it was just spaghetti and hotdogs this time.