When it comes to food to eat in the great outdoors, there are some absolutely clichéd staples, like trail mix, freshly foraged berries, and the favourite porridge you make on your camping stove. But when it comes to food to take camping on a trip, you want more than just some cold mush every day. You need portability, big flavour, and food that will last.
Halloumi
You might think this sheep’s cheese has the same texture as the mushrooms you may forage. But this low-moisture consistency is precisely what makes halloumi an amazing food to take camping! It has a high melting point and can hold its form in your cool bag or box. Cook this cheese in slices on top of your favourite crackers or bread, cut it into chunks, and have it on a campfire skewer, wrap, or salad!
Chorizo
Yes, you can actually bring meat with you! Chorizo is ready-cured, so it’s a great food to bring camping since you don’t have to worry about cooking it. Simply slice the tough, flavoursome sausage into coins to eat as a snack or soften it with eggs for breakfast. You can even put chorizo into an omelette or mix it with potatoes for a hash; it’s so versatile!
Eggs
Eggs are one of the most versatile foods in any cuisine. Did you know that, supposedly, the 100 pleats in a chef’s hat represent the 100 ways they know how to prepare eggs? Of course, when you’re camping, you don’t have the resources for fine dining. But whether you make a tasty omelette, scramble it, cook a frittata, or prepare a decadent breakfast of eggy French toast bread, eggs are an essential food to take camping. If there’s room in your cold box, you might like to crack your eggs into a jug or container to safely transport them to your camping base. Alternatively, an eggshell’s shape makes it surprisingly resilient in the tried-and-true packaging of an egg carton.
Sardines
Yes, they’re the food pantry staple that can always be found languishing at the back of everyone’s cupboard. But anything in a tin is a great food to take camping. Serve these chunky fillets with another tin of chickpeas for a protein-rich camping lunch, or try them with spaghetti. To be even more “canny”, you could pick up some of the modern, more flavourful tins of fish, like sardines in tomato sauce, or even a whole salad or pasta tinned meal option.
Pasta
Smaller options, like those in those handy lunchtime Cup-a-Soups, have loads of surface area and can cook quickly. Some pasta shapes need only to be brought to a boil! Instant pasta or noodle options are a starting point for your campsite meal. Alternatively, you can find small pasta types like anellini, mini conchiglie, or fusilli themselves. And couscous is actually basically just pasta that’s been bashed up into small, instant-cook pieces – the ultimate food to take camping!
Ready meals or tinned meals
Is this cheating? Though ready meals get a bad rap for being full of salt or preservatives, pre-made meals can be a good option for putting a quick, easy-cook meal together when you’re camping. And no one’s saying you have to bulk buy those pre-made sachets or tubs, either! You can also meal prep your pre-made meals to bring camping, just as usual. Of course, you don’t exactly have access to a microwave out in the wilderness. Not unless you have access to an American-style metal mailbox on a very sunny day to cook some heatwave lasagne! But you can easily boil some water with your camping stove to add to powdered cheese or milk or heat up some spaghetti or rice to go with bolognese, curry, or a stew. And when you’re staying in a holiday park with more amenities, you can upgrade your meals.
Sauces or dressings
Sauces are the backbone of any meal. You can’t make chilli or bolognese without your jar of sauce! A foraged salad is nothing without the flavour elevation of a jar of pesto, whether from the shop or homemade. At the same time, a curry sauce, complete with some pre-chopped vegetables ready to sizzle, can take your camping cooking to the next level.
Now that you know which foods to bring along on your camping adventures, you’re fully prepared to escape to the wilderness of the holiday park! If you can’t wait to go camping, find your local holiday park here and get out there!
