My Go-To Weekend Camping Meal Plan
My Easy Peasy Weekend Camping Meal Plan
One of the worst parts of camping is trying to decide what to eat. Well, friends I have got you covered. Today I will be sharing my go-to weekend camping meal plan + grocery shopping list. It has everything you need for a fun weekend of camping with your family, without all the work!
While some people like to eat fancy on vacation, I am all about making it easy. Below you will find my suggestions on how to make this meal plan work for you and your family so you can have a nice relaxing vacation.
Who is this Camping Meal Plan For?
This meal plan is perfect for a family of four but if you have a larger or smaller family it is easy to adjust the food amounts.
What does it include?
Each day includes meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This menu also includes one dessert for each night of camping. If you feel like that will be dessert overload for your family then feel free to cross some off. Just remember to remove the ingredients from the grocery shopping list.
What does it NOT include?
The menu does not include beverages or snacks since everyone’s preferences are so different; so be sure to add your beverages of choice and favorite camping snacks and treats to the grocery shopping list.
Here is a list of some of our favorite camping snacks if you are looking for some ideas:
- GORP (Good Ol’ Rasins and Peanuts)
- Protein Bar (Larabars, Clif Kid Zbar, Kind Bar)
- Applesauce Pouch + Peanut Butter Toast
- Cheese Stick + Crackers + Kielbasa Sausage
- Yogurt + Granola
- Dried Mango + Pistachios
- Triscuits + Hummus + Veggies
- Camp Trail Mix (M&Ms, Almonds, and Craisins)
How to Use the Meal Plan?
This meal plan has been toddler tested and is chock-full of kid approved food options. However, given that each kid is different I would highly recommend you print out the meal plan. That way you can go through it and cross off anything you think your family may not like. Just be sure to remove the ingredients from the shopping list so you don’t end up overbuying on food.
NOTE: Some of the menu items are meant to be cooked over a campfire. Be sure to check if there are any fire restrictions where you will be camping before you go and adjust accordingly. You can do this by either planning to cook the items over your camp stove or planning something else to eat.
The Secret to making this easy
To make it easier I have picked meals that have little to no prep or can be easily prepared prior to the trip. This means you do the bulk of your food prep and cooking at home and then simply reheat the food on your trip. There are a couple of benefits of doing this:
- You are able to relax more on your camping trip and can delegate out the “cooking” (aka reheating) assignments.
- The chance for cross-contamination is removed by not having to bring raw meat on your trip.
- You don’t have to bring as much cooking equipment on the trip.
In the menu, I have indicated which items should be cooked or prepped prior to the trip and which items you will want to wait to prep until you are on the trip.
Tips for Pre-cooking your meals
Once you have pre-cooked your meals you will need to decide whether you will freeze the meals or simply refrigerate them. To make this decision you will want to take a couple of things into consideration.
- How hot will the temperature be on your camping trip? If it is going to be fairly warm (90+ degrees Fahrenheit or above) you will want to freeze your meals.
- What is the quality of your cooler? If your cooler struggles with ice retention under normal circumstances then you will want to freeze your meals.
- How far will you be driving? If you will be driving 4+ hours to get to your campsite you will want to freeze your meals.
If you end up freezing your meals keep the following things in mind:
First: Let the food fully cool in the fridge before putting it in the freezer. This reduces excess condensation from freezing on your food.
Second: Be sure to NOT freeze any meals that you will be eating on the first day of camping.
Third: It takes time for food to freeze so if possible make the food at least a day or two in advance.
Fourth: Be sure to always look one day ahead so that you can pull the food out of your cooler and give it enough time to thaw.
For more tips be sure to check out my post 10 Hacks to Make Cooking While Camping a Breeze for suggestions on how to reduce the work of cooking while camping.
How is the meal plan structured?
Given the timeline of a traditional camping trip, you will see that Day One of the meal plan only includes dinner. Day Two includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Day Three only includes breakfast. This is perfect for a 2-night weekend camping trip where you arrive after lunch on the first day and pack up and leave after breakfast on the third day.
Now comes the fun part!
Get your copy of my go-to weekend camping meal plan below!
I know this meal plan makes it easy for you and your family to get out and explore!
