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Food is an extremely significant part of a camping trip. Especially if you want it to be successful and memorable. In other words, it is not enough just to pack everything you find in your fridge on the morning of the camping trip. It is necessary to prepare in advance. So, where to start?
Plan your meals
It is very important to plan what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on a camping trip in advance. Decide how much and what products you will need on the trip.
If you cook for more than just your family, find out if they have special needs? Do they tolerate gluten, lactose? Do they eat meat? Otherwise, a vegetarian or vegan will not be very happy having steak for dinner.
Eat perishable products first
When planning meals, try to consume more perishable products first. These may be eggs, dairy products, meat, and fish as well as other products that are not preserved.
Furthermore, try to put off foods with longer expiry dates (such as pasta, potatoes, canned products, etc.) for later use.
Planning a camping trip? Here are some tips for making a game plan so your cooking while camping goes as smoothly as possible.Click To TweetTake advantage of condiment packets
People often have various condiment packets at home: salt, pepper, sugar, infusions for soups, etc. We do not usually use them until we finally throw them away. However, they can be great to use on a camping trip.
Most importantly, they are very compact, so you save a lot of space this way.
It is also handy if you’re only traveling with a backpack. Hiking with it on your shoulders, every gram matters. So, you will be happy to have the bag as light as possible indeed.
Make a soup or stew
Do not forget to take a camping pot. Using it, you will easily make dishes that do not take much time or effort to prepare. Therefore, it is highly recommended to make a soup or stew.
Furthermore, they are also really hearty and keep you warm for a long time. Plus, they fed a crowd if necessary.
Tell us, what can be better than Mexican chili stew with meat, beans, and corn? Or old-fashioned beef stew?
Marinate in advance
If you plan to cook meat or tofu, marinate it at home. This will keep you from needing additional tools or spices on the camping trip, that have a short-lived use.
If you do not have enough time for it, you can buy some meat or tofu that are already marinated. Simple as that!
Pack Plan B Food
Think about what you will do if your food spoils or becomes unusable? If you forget some products at home?
You can face various unforeseen problems on a camping trip that can cause a lot of stress. Especially if you did not expect them, and the worst part – you do not have a plan B.
Therefore, it is beneficial to have foods that do not spoil. For example, you can take canned tuna, meat, vegetables, and so on. Who knows, maybe these stocks will end up saving your camping trip?
What meals do you cook on a camping trip?
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.