Healthy Camping Meals, Snacks, and Recipes

When planning healthy camping meals, there’s no need to get too elaborate. Just focus on eating mostly whole foods, such as lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber carbs. These foods help keep you energized, which is what you need whether your plans include hiking, fishing, swimming, or just enjoying games around the campsite. 

Aim to keep meals balanced, meaning that you combine a variety of foods at once to maximize nutrition. For example, if you cook up some chicken, veggies, and sweet potatoes in a foil packet over the fire, you’ll get protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals all in one meal. You’ll also not only feel satisfied when the easy-to-clean-up meal is done, you’ll also feel energized for hours. Grilling fish (especially if you just caught it!) along with some veggies and pre-cooked rice is another healthy camping dinner that will keep you going strong.

Lunch is often eaten on the go, so some good ideas are sandwiches or wraps filled with lean turkey or roast beef along with hummus and greens. You can also warm up some chili made from home that’s been kept in a cooler and pack it in a thermos to take with you while you explore. Or fill divided food storage containers with a variety of healthy finger foods, including hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes, nuts, veggies, and fruit, for a fun meal you can pick at when you’re hungry.

Breakfasts can be as simple as whole grain cereal or you can make some overnight oats at home that store well in a cooler. Want a traditional camping breakfast? Cook up some eggs over the fire along with turkey bacon or Canadian bacon and pair with fresh fruit.

Check out our healthy camping recipes for more easy-to-make meals to enjoy when you’re dining under the sun or stars.

Whether you’re out exploring or hanging by the campsite, healthy snacks keep your energy up between meals. If you’re on the go, you’ll want to bring snacks that don’t need refrigeration. If you’re snacking at the campground and have a cooler nearby, you can also enjoy foods that need to be kept cool. Some easy-to-pack healthy snacks for camping include:

• Trail mix 
• Roasted chickpeas 
• Fresh fruit 
• Nut butter packets with whole grain crackers
• Veggie sticks with hummus
• Beef or turkey jerky (but check the ingredient list)
• Homemade energy bites or granola bars

If you're following a special diet, such as if you’re gluten-free or following low sodium dietary guidelines, select snacks that fit into your dietary plan, just as you would at home. Some of our gluten free camping recipes and snacks that travel well include peanut butter protein balls, apple chips, and pecan date nut bites. 

Here are some deliciously healthy camping meals that are easy to make ahead or make on site if you do some prep work before you leave home. We’ve also included a few healthy camping snacks that will keep you fueled while you’re on the go all day long.

The key to eating healthy while camping is to plan ahead. Chop fruits and veggies, marinate proteins, and portion out snacks before you go. Some recipes can also be made ahead and stored in the cooler to either be eaten cold at a later time or heated over the fire. Just be sure that food is kept cold enough to keep it safe to eat and separate raw meat from any foods that are already cooked or ready to eat. 

When you spend some time preparing, you’ll find that it’s just as easy to pack healthy camping meals and snacks in your cooler and backpack as it is to bring less healthy options.

For other portable meal and snack ideas, check out these blogs:

• Pack These Tasty Foods for a Healthy Summer Picnic
• Tasty Healthy Summer Snacks When You’re on the Go
• Budget Friendly Grilling Ideas
• Healthy Meal Prep Lunch Ideas