Camping is an excellent way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Plus, it offers you a great chance to connect with family and friends. However, preparing for the long trip can be a little tedious–especially regarding food.
You wouldn’t want to bring something that requires cooking or something that’ll spoil quickly without a refrigerator. So, what’s the answer here? Apparently, it’s Camping food, no cooking, no refrigeration!
Today, we’ll share with you what kind of food you can take on the camping trip that’ll leave you feeling full and energized. And the best thing is, you don’t have to cook or worry about spoiling the food!
So, without further delay, let’s start!
9 Easy Camping Food Ideas
Just because you’re away from home doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a healthy meal. So, here are some of our favorite lazy food ideas:
1. Honey
As one of the few naturally edible products in the world that can survive most temperatures, honey is a must-have on your camping trip.
This amazing product can help you in more than one way. First, it’s an excellent source of power and energy. You only need a spoon or two to get yourself back up and running. Plus, it’ll help you feel full.
Moreover, it’s not just a food source; you can actually consider it a part of your first aid kit! Honey is known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
So you can use it to help promote wounds and burn to heal. Furthermore, if you happen to have a cough, it’ll help you suppress it.
2. Bread
What kind of bread do you like to eat? Is it sourdough, or baguette, or do you prefer rye bread? Well, whichever type of bread you like, you can take it with you on the camping trip for almost four days without worrying about it rotting!
Eating bread can help you feel incredibly full, especially if you use some of that honey we mentioned before to add flavor. Additionally, bread provides healthy dietary fiber that helps keep your digestive system happy.
And last but not least, if you’re worried it’s going to make you a little chubbier, don’t fret! An average medium slice of bread contains around 70 to 80 calories, which you can quickly burn on your trip.
3. Fruits
We all know that fruits are the best choice for a healthy snack. Sadly, you can’t just pick any fruit and take it with you for days without it rotting away.
So, here are just a few suggestions on what you can take and how long each one could last:
Apples
Because they’re so easy to pack and can last up to a week, apples won the first spot on our fruit list.
Just one apple can provide you with essential vitamins such as B1, B6, and E, which can help increase your energy levels and regulate your metabolism.
Plus, they’re a good source of fiber which can help lower your cholesterol levels and control your blood pressure.
Pomegranate
Not as easy to crack as an apple, but a pomegranate can stay with you for almost two weeks without rotting! All you’ll need to bring with you is a small knife to carve it open and a spoon to enjoy the seeds.
Because they’re full of polyphenols that help promote endurance, eating pomegranates can help you endure all the camping exhaustion.
As a matter of fact, a study shows that eating pomegranate extract less than an hour before exercising can help prolong your session by 12%. Hence, they’ll be handy when you’re tired from all the camping work!
Oranges
Did you know that you can leave oranges on the countertop for almost a week without them rotting or spoiling? Well, it’s true!
You can take a couple of ones with you on your camping trip as an excellent source of vitamins without worrying about them.
Also, because they’re full of vitamin C and natural sugar, eating an orange can help boost your energy tremendously.
And if you happen to get a scratch or another minor injury during your trip, they’ll help your body produce collagen, which aids in healing all your wounds.
4. Vegetables
Sadly, vegetables aren’t as loved as their sweeter counterpart, but they still offer you many good options to take wherever you want. For example, consider these options:
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are a must-have if you’re leaving for a long camp trip. This is because they can last up to two weeks unrefrigerated, so you don’t have to worry about storing them in a cool spot.
In addition, cucumbers are an excellent source of hydration, as they consist of almost 96% water. They can also help regulate your bowel movements and fight off any stomach problems during your travels.
Carrots
Though they don’t last as long as cucumber, carrots are another great choice for camping food. They can hold on for about five days and contain loads of fibers and vitamins that promote good health.
In addition, carrots are an excellent source of potassium, which helps regulate your blood pressure.
Bell Peppers
And finally, we have bell peppers. Again, it doesn’t matter which ones you prefer; red, green or yellow. All types of bell pepper are generally healthy and can last for up to five days without refrigeration.
Additionally, eating bell peppers provides a ton of vitamins, including vitamins C, B6, and E. So not only will you have a sweet-tasting snack, but a very healthy one at that!
5. Granola Bars
A mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, honey, and maybe some chocolate chips awaits you once you get your hands on a granola bar!
It’s the perfect snack to take with you on the camping journey because it’s tasty, healthy, and super easy to pack.
Moreover, because granola bars are typically made with durable ingredients, you can rest assured they’ll stay edible for up to six months.
Some people prefer to make granola bars at home. However, you can easily purchase yours online or from your local grocery store.
6. Canned Goods
There’s a reason why we always see people hoarding canned food during zombie apocalypse movies. Canned goods, such as soup, have an almost indefinite shelf life.
For example, if you buy a can of soup, you can expect it to last around two years– certainly longer than your camping trip!
Also, you don’t have to cook or heat anything; people usually do that to canned soup to enhance the flavor. You can open your can of soup and dig right in.
You aren’t limited to just a choice or two with canned goods. You can go with soup, tuna, fruit–whatever you feel like!
7. Cured Meat
Generally, cured meats are a type of meat that’s been preserved through the process of salting, air-drying, or smoking to help it last longer. The result is a delicious piece of meat that can last up to a month without refrigeration.
Some of the most loved options include pepperoni, salami, and chorizo. All of these options are full of essential vitamins and other minerals, such as B12 and B6, as well as iron and zinc.
With the bread we mentioned earlier and some of the honey, you could create a mean sandwich that’ll make your taste buds sing!
Just make sure when you’re purchasing meat that it’s not sold in refrigerators and that it’s low in sodium–to avoid getting too much salt. Also, if you feel like it, you can add some crackers to the mix!
8. Raisins
While raisins are originally made out of grapes, we couldn’t simply put them in the fruit category. These little guys are actually dried, which means they don’t just last a couple of days.
In fact, raisins can take almost six months to show any signs of decay. Moreover, they’re beneficial for stomach issues because they help aid the digestive system.
They also help keep your blood pressure under control and make you sleep better! So, make sure you pack a handful of them on your trip.
You can pack some dates or prunes to mix and match the dried fruit if you’d like.
9. Trail Mix
Even though trail mixes are similar to granola bars in content, they offer you a different snacking experience.
Unlike granola bars, you can eat this snack as it is or add it to a bowl of fruit or even your cured meat plate!
It adds an exciting new flavor, containing dried fruits, honey, nuts, seeds, and even granola. Most varieties of trail mix can last for almost a month, and, of course, they don’t require any refrigeration.
Eating it can help you feel extra full as it reduces your appetite. It also helps your digestive system and provides a good source of antioxidants and fiber.
Bottom Line
Now that you’ve reached the end of our camping food no cooking no refrigeration guide, you should have a pretty good idea of what to pack.
Some items on this list can last up to several weeks, like cured meats, while others can last for a few days, like fruits and veggies.
However, they all share one thing: you don’t need to keep them in a fridge, and you certainly don’t have to cook them!
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and pack your camping bags and let the adventure begin!
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