Camping breakfast ideas
While you are camping, you are probably enjoying some fun outdoor activities, so it is important to start your day with the proper fuel to give you the energy for a great day. These recipes are easy to make and you can modify them for your taste preferences.
Toast 2 ways – sweet and savory
Ingredients:
· Choice of bread (bagel, English muffin or two slices of bread)
· Coconut oil/butter for toasting (optional)
· Peanut butter, or any nut butter
· ½ banana
· ½ avocado
· Savory seasonings of your choice (I recommend salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes)
- First toast your bagel, english muffin or two pieces of bread, with a smear of vegan butter or coconut oil and put it face down on a warm pan on medium to high heat (if you don’t have oil/butter, the bread will still toast in the pan). Let the bread toast for five minutes in the pan, or until its lightly brown.
Peanut Butter toast
Peanut butter is a staple for camping and can be used for so many things!
2. Spread a thick layer of your favorite nut butter on one piece of toast and then top it with slices from half of a banana.
Avocado toast
3. Cut an avocado in half and scoop 1 half of the avocado onto your toast slice and mash it down.
4. Top it with whatever spices you like!
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a classic breakfast staple for a reason, it’s nutritious, delicious and SO easy! You can keep this meal super simple and basic, or go crazy with toppings. This recipe is a loose guide for you to use and customize it yourself.
Ingredients:
· ½ cup of oats
· 2/3 cup of milk (dairy, oat, almond etc.)
· Fresh fruit of choice (blueberries, strawberries, banana etc.) camping tip: dried fruit is a great substitute and lasts longer than fresh fruit
· 1 tablespoon of sweetener (maple syrup, honey, sugar, agave, jam)
· 1 handful of something crunchy (granola, almonds, peanuts)
· 1 tablespoon of a nut butter- this gives your oatmeal a kick of protein and makes it SO creamy and delicious
· Optional toppings: chocolate chips, coconut shreds, cinnamon, chia seeds
- Add your oats and milk to a small pot on medium heat.
- Stir consistently for three minutes or until your oats thicken.
- After two minutes add in your sweetener of choice and mix it in evenly
- Add your toppings and enjoy!
Camping Lunch ideas
While camping, lunch is a great way to break up your day full of fun and adventures! Some easy lunch ideas to take with you to go while out enjoying your day are sandwiches, crackers with cheese and hummus, or yogurt and fruit. If you have more time to enjoy a lunch at camp, these are two delicious lunch ideas that will keep you full.
Chickpea salad
This is just like chicken or egg salad, but is SO easy because it doesn’t require any cooking.
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas
- ½ yellow onion
- Mayonnaise/or vegan mayonnaise
- Dijon or yellow mustard
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Bell pepper
- Hot sauce
- Optional: green olives, bell pepper, celery.
- Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas and pour them into a bowl or tupperware container. Vanlife tip: prepare your food in tupperware instead of a bowl because it saves dishes and you can easily save anything you don’t finish by just putting on the lid.
- Use the back of a fork and mash the chickpeas for two minutes or until about half of them have been smashed.
- Add one heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise and one squirt of Dijon mustard.
- Optional: add chopped celery, olives, or bell pepper.
- Stir it up and season to taste with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
This is such an easy lunch and you can put it in a wrap, on a sandwich, or on salad greens with some tomatoes and extra salad dressing. Camping tip: Double this recipe and use two cans of chickpeas so you always have extra on hand. It makes a great snack to dip crackers into!
Burgers
Burgers are a camping classic and can be made over a fire, on a grill, or in a pan on the stove.
Ingredients:
- Burger patties
- Burger buns
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- Pickles
- 1 Tomato
- 1 Onion
- Cheese
- Salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon of oil (if cooking burgers in a pan)
- Turn on the stove and heat the oil in the pan on medium high heat for a few minutes.
- Season your burger patties on both sides with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
- Put your burger patties in the pan and cook on one side for four to five minutes, then flip and do the same on the other side.
- While your burgers are cooking, cut your tomatoes, onion and lettuce into slices.
- If you want cheese, add the cheese 2 minutes before finishing and put your lid on your pan so the cheese melts.
- Put the burger patty on the bun and top with your favorite condiments.
Camping Dinner Guide
Teriyaki Stir-fry
A yummy camp dinner after a long day of fun is the best way to end your evening. Take your time making dinner outside and enjoy the sunset and the slow transition of day into night. This recipe is so cozy and delicious; it can easily be made with any veggies you have on hand.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon oil of your choice (vegetable oil, sesame oil, olive oil)
- 1 cup rice of your choice (minute rice is great for camping because it only takes 5 minutes)
- 1/2 onion
- 1 handful of baby carrots
- 1 head of broccoli
- 2 handfuls of mushrooms
- Salt
- Soy sauce
- Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
- Teriyaki sauce
- 1 handful of chopped peanuts
- First start cooking the rice according to the specific cooking instructions. Camping tip: you can use microwave rice packets that are even easier than minute rice, but are a little more expensive.
- Chop your onion, carrot, broccoli, and mushrooms into bite size pieces.
- Heat the oil in your pan on medium high heat, and add onions. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes at medium or medium high heat, continuously stirring. Add salt to taste.
- Add in 5 big spoonful’s of teriyaki sauce to the vegetable mix. Then add your cooked rice into the veggie mix and stir. Turn up the heat up and crisp the rice on the bottom of the pan.
- Add in three big spoonful’s of soy sauce and a squeeze of sarachia and mix for 3-5 minuets. Serve in a bowl and top with the chopped peanuts.
Fajita tacos
Tacos are a great camping meal because you can customize them with whatever ingredients you have in the van. You can make tacos for breakfast lunch or dinner and they are so easy and quick!
Ingredients:
- Tortillas
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Mushrooms
- 2 cloves of minced garlic or garlic powder
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 packet of fajita seasoning (this is easy for camping so you don’t have to carry all of the spices with you)
- ½ tablespoon of oil of choice
- Guacamole or avocado
- Optional toppings: cilantro, lime, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, lettuce
- Thinly slice your onion, bell pepper, and mushroom. Heat the oil in your pan on medium-high heat.
- Add the peppers and onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
- Next add in the garlic and mushrooms and season with the fajita seasoning pack.
- Rinse and drain your black beans and add them to a small pot. Warm them up and add salt, pepper and any left-over fajita seasoning.
- Build your tacos and enjoy!
Camping tips:
- Plan out your meals ahead of time so you know what to buy and aren’t stuck with random ingredients.
- You can use dried vegetables and dried fruit in place of fresh ingredients.
- You can use dried spices like garlic powder instead of garlic, and you can buy premade packets of spice mixes (like fajita spice) instead of carrying around many different spices.
- Doubling recipes is a great way to make two meals at once and turn leftovers into another mal.
Buy your canned goods with the can opener built into the top of the lid so you don’t have to bring an extra can opener.
