road trip camping food

The 10 Easiest Car Camping Meals for Families on the Go

By Author Tara Schatz

Posted on Published: March 6, 2024

Categories Get Outside , camping , camping meals , Family Travel , Get Outside With Kids , Planning , Travel Tips

Camping has always been one of my favorite ways to go on vacation, and over the years, we have done some serious compromising when it comes to our car camping meals.

At home, our food is mostly whole food, often fresh from the garden, and fairly time-consuming to prepare. At camp, our kids want hot dogs on a stick, mac and cheese from a box, and gooey s’mores every single night.

We indulge in these treats occasionally, but it doesn’t take long for a crappy camp diet to put a damper on things, even for the kids.

Instead, we try to create or source easy car camping recipes that are simple enough for the kids to prepare themselves (I don’t want to do ALL the cooking) and yummy enough to feel special (most of the time).

The easy car camping meals listed below are relatively healthy and mostly meat-free.

If you’re looking for the perfect grilled burger or chicken kabobs, you won’t find them here. Fortunately, the internet is full of great resources for those types of meals!

Table of Contents

What to Look for When Sourcing Easy Car Camping Meals

We spend a huge portion of our summers on camping road trips, so we’ve had to figure out a way to make packing, cooking, and eating on the road easy.

I’m always tweaking and experimenting with different camping recipes at home so that they’re easy to prepare when I finally make them at camp.

Here’s what we look for when figuring out our car camping meals:

• Nutritiously balanced meals (we’re not saints, but we try to provide a bit of nutrition).
• Ingredients that are available at most supermarkets across the country.
• Recipes that use only small amounts of perishable ingredients. For the most part, we stay away from meat, dairy, and leafy greens when camping because we don’t want to deal with constantly buying ice for the cooler. Our exceptions are hard cheeses, yogurt, pepperoni, and other dried meats, which can take short periods of less-than-ideal temperatures.
• Recipes that use one or two pans are easy to clean up.

Create a Car Camping Kitchen for Easy Meals

Cooking over an open fire is lots of fun, but if you’re camping long-term, cooking over a fire quickly becomes a hassle, and it takes time to get the fire going, let it burn down to coals, and get the camp meals going.

For that reason, we almost always use a Coleman 2-burner propane stove for most meals.

Using a propane stove means that you can have morning coffee in a flash, not to mention simple foods like soup and pasta. So much easier than starting a fire.

Propane is also available at just about every good-size grocery store, which is always a plus.

Our car camping kitchen is a big duffle bag that holds everything we need for awesome meals on the road.

Want to read about how we organize and pack our car camping kitchen?

Check out: Your Amazing Car Camping Kitchen

We keep our camping kitchen packed and ready to go during the camping season, so when the time comes, we just have to add our recipe ingredients and hit the road. 

Here’s a quick overview of what we bring on a car camping trip:

• A 12-inch fry pan with a removable handle – Our frying pan is 5.9 ounces and light enough to take backpacking. Made by MSR, it nestles perfectly with the saucepans mentioned above. This pan is fantastic for camping pancakes , which everyone needs!

• Camping mugs – We switch up our camping mugs based on where we’re camping and what we’re doing. Mostly, we use these incredibly lightweight mugs from TOAKS because it’s simple and easy to clean, but you can read about some of our other favorite camping mugs too.
• A 12-egg plastic carton – There is nothing worse than finding a carton full of broken eggs when camping. Everyone who car camps needs this egg carton . It is guaranteed to be spillproof and leakproof, and it keeps your eggs safe no matter where you venture.
• A small plastic cutting board – Plastic cutting boards are available just about everywhere, including your local grocery store. These colorful cutting boards are incredibly lightweight and small. Perfect for camping!

• A chef’s knife – Sure we could just steal a knife from our kitchen, but we find it easier to have a dedicated camping knife. This affordable knife from Primus is incredibly light. We’ve had ours for almost 3 years, and it is still the sharpest knife we own.
• A whisk, rubber spatula, wooden spoons, big serving spoons, and a bench scraper – Stolen from our kitchen, but someday I’ll buy dedicated camp utensils.
• A plastic liquid and dry measuring cup
• Fuel for the stove, a lighter, and matches
• A roll of tinfoil, plastic Ziploc bags, and grocery bags for clean-up
• A cooler – I could go on forever about the pros and cons of different coolers, but the bottom line is that you want a cooler that will hold and keep your food cold for many days. It’s worth paying more for this luxury because who wants to be constantly buying ice? I won’t proclaim to be an expert, but I will share our favorite – The Rovr RollR 45. It has the most rugged wheels, and it’s 100% worth the (high) price!

Do you bring a spice kit with you when you go camping with your family?  Our super awesome homemade spice kit comes with us on all of our camping road trips.

Now for the Super Easy Car Camping Meals for Your Family

We have tried to find a balance between car camping meals that taste good, fuel our bodies, and are easy to make. Here are our favorite easy camping meals for our family. We use these for just about every road trip or camping adventure so they’re always on rotation.

Easy Car Camping Meals: Dinner

Dinner is the most time-consuming meal of the day, but it’s also the meal that we’re most likely to enjoy together while relaxing after a long day.

These car camping dinner ideas come together pretty quickly, so you can maximize your family time.

Loaded Baked Potatoes for Camping

Potatoes are the perfect camping staple. They are both easy and filling, require very little prep time, and they taste awesome over a campfire.

Our kids love having crispy loaded baked potatoes at least once during every camping trip. As a bonus, there’s very little clean-up with this one. Here’s how to make this easy camping dinner.

• Make a hot fire and let it burn down to glowing coals. They will take about 45 minutes to cook thoroughly, so give yourself plenty of time. Now is the time to pull out a deck of cards.
• Wrap big russet potatoes in two layers of aluminum foil and place them over the coals.
• Chop a head or two of broccoli and mix with some olive oil and salt/pepper. Wrap in foil and add to the fire.
• Chop some cheddar cheese into bite-sized pieces.
• When the potatoes are ready, cut them into them on your plate and add top them with broccoli and cheddar.
• If we can’t have a fire for some reason and have to use a camp stove, we make mashed potatoes and stir-fry the broccoli, but it definitely doesn’t taste as good as the fire-roasted potatoes.
• Optional: Add chopped pepperoni, tuna fish, or another protein for a well-rounded dinner.

Spicy Peanut Noodles for Camping

This is our go-to peanut sauce recipe for camping . Make it at home before you leave for your camping trip. You can keep it at room temperature, and it is the perfect amount for a pound of pasta.

When you get to camp and start cooking, you can thin out the sauce as needed with the pasta cooking water.

Here’s how to make peanut noodles using a camping stove:

• Get a pot of water boiling in your 4-quart pot to cook the pasta.
• In your frying pan, stir-fry either broccoli, asparagus, or snap peas (our favorite when we can find them) in a bit of olive oil.
• . When the pasta and veggies are cooked, drain the pasta, leaving a bit of the cooking water behind with the noodles.
• Add the peanut sauce and the veggies to your pot of pasta.
• Enjoy! This is one of the easiest car camping meals for your first night at camp.

Pizza Quesadillas for Camping

I think if you asked my kids what their favorite camping meal is they would say pizza quesadillas.

We make them in a frying pan on our camp stove, but you could probably wrap them in foil and put them over the fire as well. Here’s the easiest way to make them:

• Spread flour tortillas with canned tomato sauce.
• Top with grated or chopped cheddar, which keeps better than mozzarella outside of a cooler.
• Add chopped onions, peppers, and sliced pepperoni.
• Fold in half and fry in a bit of olive oil.
• Serve with a green salad or sturdy chopped vegetables.

Little Quinoa Patties for Camping

Quinoa is a great grain for camping because it is very high in protein – perfect for vegetarians among us. These patties do require eggs, which actually keep really well in our camping pantry or cooler. You’ll want this egg carton .

We use this recipe for quinoa patties.

The recipe is really versatile, and in the past, we’ve omitted the onions, used powdered garlic, and made them with parmesan instead of cheddar.

They always come out amazing, especially when served over a salad with honey-mustard dipping sauce. I still consider this an easy car camping meal, but it’s more difficult than the other camping recipes on this list.

This is my favorite way to eat quinoa, so even if you’re not a fan, give it a try! It’s a favorite vegetarian camping meal that even meat-eaters love!

White Bean Tomato Soup for Camping

We make some version of this white bean and tomato soup fairly often when we go camping, but of course, we make our own loose version using whatever veggies we have on hand, usually potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onions.

We love using fresh greens in this soup when we can, but we only add kale if we’ve been to the store that day. Otherwise, we either skip the greens, or we forage for wild greens like dandelion, violet leaves, or plantain. 

This soup is a one-pot camping meal and it’s such a versatile recipe that as long as you’ve got the beans in your camp pantry, you can add whatever else you have on hand and it will still taste delicious.

Panzanella: A No-Cook Camping Meal (Vegetarian Too!)

At the height of summer (camping season), nothing beats this Panzanella , which is a spin-off from one we found on Smitten Kitchen years ago. I could eat this every day of the week in August. It’s perfect for those hot days at camp when you dread the idea of cooking.

Panzanella is especially awesome on a camping road trip, after stopping at a side-of-the-road farm stand. Pick up tomatoes, cukes, peppers, and red onion, and whip up this colorful, but simple one-pot meal to go with burgers over the fire. It’s heavenly!

Easy Camping Breakfasts for Families

Our car camping breakfasts don’t change much on the road. We have four standard meals that we love to cook, and for really hot, rainy, or busy days, we make do with PB&Js, granola bars, and fresh fruit.

Here are the four basic breakfast meals that we rotate throughout our camping road trips.

Camping Oatmea l

Before leaving home, I mix up my own instant oatmeal mix consisting of:

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup dried milk powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt

This oatmeal recipe can be easily doubled or tripled depending on your needs.

At home, I whirl this in a food processor for just a few seconds so it cooks faster when we’re camping.  At camp, I add 1/2 cup of whatever dried fruit and nuts I have on hand. I mix our camping oatmeal mix with water in a pot, cook for a few minutes, and serve. Easy-peasy.

Read Next: Tent Camping Tips for Women

Camping Pancakes

We’re Vermonters, so if we have room, we always have a few jugs of real maple syrup on hand. Not only do we use this in coffee and on pancakes, but we’ve also traded syrup for car repairs in a pinch.

Once you’re out of the north country, the stuff is in demand!

Anyway, pancakes are really versatile and perfect for camp cooking. I try to make a fairly nutritious mix before leaving home:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour,
• 1 cup almond flour
• ½ cup of dried milk powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• a pinch of salt

If I don’t have time to whip up the mix above, I make do with Kodiak High-Protein Pancake Mix , which is the best pancake mix I’ve ever tried. At camp, we add eggs if we have them (they’re not necessary), a tablespoon of oil, and enough water to make a loose batter.

If we’re feeling adventurous, we like to create some of these incredible pancake variations . We eat them fried and smothered in syrup.

Cheesy Egg Quesadillas for camping

These egg quesadillas are so good after a night under the stars!

Scramble a bunch of eggs in your frying pan (over the camping stove or a campfire), and add chopped cheese, salsa, and drained black beans (optional). Fry in a pan and serve on tortillas. This is one of the easiest and most delicious car camping meals. This a great pre-hike meal because it keeps you full for a long time and provides you with extra protein.

Yogurt and Granola

One of our favorite quick car camping meals in the morning is a simple bowl of yogurt and granola.

For the most part, we try to stay away from dairy products while traveling, but a quart of yogurt will keep in a cooler without ice for several days as long as nobody eats from the container (then it spoils quickly).

We make granola before our trip or buy it on the road, making this a super easy camping breakfast.

So there you have it, our best car camping meals for the whole family – the recipes we use over and over again when we don’t have time to experiment.

Lunch and desserts are usually fend-for-yourself affairs, but we try to keep a well-stocked pantry (plastic storage bin) with munchy-type foods, bread, jam, Fig Newtons, and peanut butter.

We shop every few days when we’re traveling and less frequently if we’re staying put in a campground.

Do you have any favorite easy camping meals for your family?

We’d love to experiment with new car camping meals before our next camping trip, which is just over the horizon.

Want to read more about how we prepare car camping meals? Check out these posts:

• Our Favorite Hot Drink Recipes for Camping
• Planning a Picnic for Your Next Road Trip
• Your Amazing Car Camping Kitchen
• How to Wash Dishes When Camping

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Tara is a freelance writer and travel blogger with a passion for outdoor adventures. She is the co-author of AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Vermont and currently blogs at Back Road Ramblers and Vermont Explored , where she shares travel tips, adventure destinations, and vacation ideas for the wanderer in everyone.

105+ Easy Road Trip Meals & Snacks: Best Road Trip Food

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Road trips are exciting adventures to take with your friends, family or solo. However coming up with a list of the best road trip food & easy road trip meals and snacks can be hard.

Which is where our ultimate list of the best food for road trips comes in handy. To help you avoid hangry companions, outrageous food costs, and unhealthy gas station food stops.

We’ve taken our share of cross country & multi-day road trips over the years, both as adults, and with kids from months old to teenagers. So we know quite a few tricks when it comes to road trip meal planning.

Our list includes easy ideas for healthy snacks, breakfasts, lunches & dinners, for all ages we love. As well as gluten-free, and vegetarian options too.

Plus we provide essential packing tips and a list of non-food items to bring along, at the end of this post. Hop in the car, & let’s go!

Table of Contents

ULTIMATE HEALTHY ROAD TRIP MEALS LIST

If you plan ahead and pre-make some yummy snacks and meals, your family will be well fed on the road. Whether you are heading on a Southwest USA road trip or a coastal road trip from Boston to Acadia National Park or elsewhere.

Healthy road trip food & easy meals the whole family will love.

Why Bring Make Ahead Meals For Road Trips?

Before I get into our epic food list, I’ll quickly go over a few reasons why we bring our own make-ahead road trip meals and snacks. And why you should too:

• Road trip meal planning is a great way to reduce fast food temptation, junk food and save money for your family road trip .
• Bringing good food for road trips frees up some of your hard earned cash to splurge on meals you will actually look forward to . 
• We find our own make-ahead meals & road trip food tends to be healthier.
• If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, creating a road trip meal plan will allow you to have safe meal options on the road.
• Have fun picnics at rest stops, parks, or in your hotel room along your long drive.
• Avoid hungry kidlets with healthy road trip snacks , so they can focus on road trip activities , not driving you crazy with whining. I know you feel me on this one!

Bringing your own food is well worth the time and money you can save on your adventure. Use our road trip planner to help organize your trip.

I love how make ahead easy travel meals are great for cutting down on the mess, stress and time it takes to prepare and clean up on the road. Because as a parent anything I can do to make my life easier is golden.

Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

We’ve found it’s easy to take these road trip breakfast ideas to go, or quickly eat hot in the morning.

As long as we’ve made them ahead of time, and brought them in our cooler. Or if we have access to hot water or basic kitchen facilities or a microwave.

Grab tasty breakfast recipes .

Cold, Non-Perishable Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

• Granola 
• Cereal Bars & Granola Bars
• Breakfast Bars
• Fruit & Veggie Pouches 

⭐️ PRO TIP : Bring a reusable coffee mug and water bottles for each family member. They’re a great option for filling up with hot water, tea, coffee and water on the go. We’ve found they’re less likely to spill in the car if you use a spill-proof refillable cup and snack cup for the littles.

Cold Breakfast Ideas for Road Trips

• Yogurt – Tubes, Drinks
• Fresh Fruit
• Rye Crisp Breads & Goat Cheese
• Chia Pudding – Make the night before
• Granola & Overnight Oats – Make the night before
• Muffins & Peanut Butter (or other nut or seed butters)
• Egg Muffins or Mini Quiches (To heat or not to heat. That is the question)
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Breakfast Cookies 
• Vegan Blueberry Muffins
• Bagels and Cream Cheese
• Peanut Butter and Banana Wrap
• No Bake Oat Bites 
• Apple Pie Oat Bliss Balls
• Croissant, ham, cheese
• Croissant, jam & cream cheese
• Pancake Sandwiches – nut butter / jam between two mini pancakes (make ahead)

Hot & Quick Breakfast Ideas

• Instant Oatmeal 
• Cup of Soup or canned soup
• Pre-made Mini Quiche (just heat up)
• Egg, Cheese, & avocado tortilla wrap
• Haloumi Cheese and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
• One Pan Chickpea Hash (fried chickpeas, veggies, herbs) & Fried eggs

More kid friendly breakfast ideas here .

Road Trip Lunch Ideas

Road trip lunch ideas are probably the easiest for most people to come up with, when it comes to thinking of meal planning for road trips . We like to think of them as picnic lunches.

What is the first thing that comes to mind, but sandwiches. Sandwiches are such a staple we’ve given them their own section below. 

To be honest, I often just prepare and pack foods I would usually take for lunch at work, for the first day or two.

Then I add easy road trip lunches to grab and prep along the way, like sandwich fixings. Or cheese, meat  and cracker plates for a longer trip.

Easy Non-Refrigerated Road Trip Lunch Ideas

• Canned Tuna & crackers – The mini pull tab tins come in many flavours
• Protein Bars , Energy Bars
• Sardines or Mackerel canned with avocado, crackers or bread
• Snacks for lunch: Beef Jerky, Trail Mix, Smoothie Pouches, Nut Butter Pouches
• Peanut Butter (or other nut & seed butter) & Jam Wraps
• Canned grape leaf rolls

Cold Road Trip Lunches

• Sushi / nori rolls – sweet potato, cucumber and avocado,  smoked salmon, cucumber and avocado, smoked salmon & cream cheese
• Sandwiches (see Road Trip Sandwiches below for ideas) 
• Tortilla Pinwheels
• Meat Kabobs
• Pasta Salad
• Corn & Zucchini Fritters
• Fruit (apple slices, cantaloupe, grapes), cheese and bread or crackers
• Charcuterie plate – cheese, deli meats, olives, dried fruit
• Chickpea or Bean Salads
• Quinoa Salad
• Mason Jar Salad – keep the dressing separate
• Pre-made Quesadillas – Refried beans and cheese. Keep salsa & sour cream separate in small leak-proof containers

Sides to Add to Lunch Ideas

• Cut up veggie sticks and hummus
• Fruit – apple, berries, melon, grapes
• Homemade cookies or energy balls
• Cucumber, cherry tomatos & peppers salad

Road Trip Sandwiches

What’s a road trip, without a sandwich or two. In fact sandwiches are so iconic, portable, easy to make and ideal for lunch and family vacation dinners they deserve a section, all on its own.

For easy,  awesome sandwiches we’ve found you will only need a few things to mix and match:

• Bread: First you’ll need some kind of hearty bread (kaiser bun, wraps, pita, baguette, ciabatta)
• Protein: Pair with protein such as deli meat, sliced chicken or beef, bacon, eggs, tofu, nut butters
• Extras: Add on the extras such as cheese, lettuce, pickles, fruit 
• Condiments: mayo, mustard, olive tapenade, other sauces

Tasty Sandwich Ideas for Traveling:

• Cheddar and Jam
• Egg Salad 
• Cream cheese and cucumber
• Spicy Tuna and Cucumber – leave out the spice if it’s not your thing
• Pesto Egg Salad Baguette
• Ham & Cheese Baguette or Wrap
• Turkey and Cheese Baguette or Wrap
• Turkey Club Sandwich
• Turkey, Pear, Feta Wrap
• Apple, Cheddar and Mustard Sandwich
• Roasted Red Pepper & Hummus Sandwich
• Curry Chicken or Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Tips for Packing Sandwiches on Road Trips

• Start with heartier bread or toast it first . Put a layer of mayo, or mustard on each side. It actually helps prevent soggy sandwiches.
• I often toast the bread, and then wait until it’s completely cooled before making and storing the sandwiches.
• Keep wet sandwich ingredients separate like tomatoes. We add them right before eating.
• Pack each ingredient separately . Then everyone can assemble their sandwich how they like, on-the-go. We’ve found this helpful with our pickiest eater.
• Pack sandwiches in a hard sided container . Either use reusable individual sandwich containers or larger leak-proof containers for multiple sandwiches. We also love silicone sandwich bags to cut down on plastic.
• Keep the sandwiches on top of the cooler for easy to grab meals on the road.

You may also like 50+ Easy to make, healthy road trip snack recipes

Easy Road Trip Meals Dinner Ideas

Dinner is the one meal we often splurge on, and choose to eat out at a local restaurant, instead of on the road when possible. 

I like to do a bit of research and see what the area is known for, or if there are special meals we can’t get at home. Also after a few days of packed road trip meals, it’s nice to sit down at a restaurant and have someone else clean up and organize.

However, there are times I find when you need a few dinner in the car ideas on hand. You can always re-use the lunch or even the travel breakfast ideas , because they are all tasty anytime of day. 

Check out our favourite easy vacation dinner recipes .

Cold Road Trip Dinner Ideas

• Pasta Salad & Greek Salad
• Cobb Salad 
• Other Cold salads – Potato, bean, egg, chickpea, salmon, tofu, quinoa, rice and bean
• Sandwiches – check out ideas in sandwich section
• Chicken salad / caesar wrap
• Falafel Wrap
• Rice Paper Rolls & Peanut Sauce
• Chicken wings & pre roasted veggies
• Grilled or roast chicken, rice and veggies
• Tortilla Chips, Bean Dip and Salsa
• Egg roll pinwheels with spinach, and cheese 
• Mason Jar grain + protein + roast veggies (pre-made)

Salad Tips – Keep the ingredients & dressing separate. That way each person can assemble to their liking, and the lettuce doesn’t get soggy from swimming in the dressing all day.  

KOA has 10 fun on-the go recipes to try.

Mason Jar Meal tips

Mason Jars are a fun and easy way to store pre-made meals.

They are fairly sturdy (I’ve dropped them many times without breaking them) and come in different sizes. The 500ml and 250 ml are perfect for individual meals.

Choose a grain + a protein + roasted, steamed or stir fried veggies and you have a delicious meal to go.

• Pre-cook a grain: brown rice, basmati rice, white rice, quinoa,
• Choose a protein : roast chicken or beef, curried chickpeas, tofu
• Cooked veggies: stir fries, steamed broccoli, curries, stew,

Hot Road Trip Dinner Ideas

One pan or pot dinner ideas are perfect for travel, camping and road trips. Especially if you ‘ve been entertaining the kids with road trip conversations all day.

As long as you remember the hot plate, or cook stove. I’ve been there, done that, forgetting the stove. Another option is to choose motels, or places to stay that have basic kitchen facilities. 

I’ve also gone the route of meal prepping ahead of time and putting individual meals in separate containers that are easy to reheat and clean up. 

If you are a camping family, what you plan for pre-made camping meals is similar.

Think easy camping type meals:

• Baked Beans
• Cup of Soup or Canned Soup
• Frozen Homemade Soup (use the first day or two after it defrosts. Bonus it helps keep the cooler cold)
• Bacon or Sausages and Eggs
• Quesadillas
• Rice and beans or ground beef for tacos or wraps
• Chickpea Curry and Rice (pre-make and heat up)
• Spaghetti 

ROAD TRIP SNACK & DRINKS LIST

We have a full article on our favorite road trip snacks to bring that both adults and kids will love. Good food for long journeys.

Here are a few snack ideas to get you started:

• Energy Balls
• Baby Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Snap Peas, Celery Sticks & Dip 
• Cheese and Crackers
• Apple Pear Muffins
• Jerky, Beef Sticks
• Potato Chips
• Plantain Chips
• Moon Cheese
• Cheese Crisps
• Seaweed Snacks
• String cheese
• Sunflower seeds
• Gluten-Free Bars –  We like these mini Gluten-Free Bars  

Who doesn’t drink too much on the road because they are avoiding using restrooms at pull-outs or gas stations?  

I’m guilty of this too, but this often leads me to crankiness and wicked headaches, sooo…… Do as I say, not as I do (said Parents everywhere).

Staying hydrated is super important. While water should be the number one choice, sometimes you need a little something different like:

• Coconut water
• Water with crushed berries, or cucumber slices, or lemon
• No sugar added fruit juices 
• Flavoured Sparkling water 
• Almond / Oat / Soy Milk

🚙 More road trip ideas 7 day Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon itinerary

Road Trip Food & Meal Planning Tips

Meal Planning Tips

When meal planning healthy road trip foods, I think it’s important to consider a few key important things:

• What road trip meals you want to bring, and which one’s you’d like to buy.
• If travelling with kids, which foods do they already like. They aren’t going to magically start liking raw broccoli and raisins on your long trip. Adapt your food for road trips with kids.
• Road trip meal ideas – Make a list of food ideas for breakfast , lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks. Make sure they’re easy food to travel with.
• Creating a road trip grocery list is a good idea, so important items don’t get forgotten. But don’t stress, as usually you’ll be able to pick up ingredients along the way if needed.
• How to pack food for your road trip, so it doesn’t get squished, and stays cool longer.

With so much to do when planning a road trip, it’s sometimes hard to be prepared when it comes to traveling food.

Road Trip Food Tips

Beyond throwing a bunch of items into the cooler and food bag and hoping for the best. Let’s give you a few of my top tips to make packing a bit easier:

• Bread: Bring wraps, pitas and flatbreads – we find they take up less room, and won’t get squished like bread loaves
• Perishables: Eat your perishables and more fragile fruits first (bananas, raspberries, pre-cut fruit like melons, pineapple, mango etc.)
• Freeze Water bottles: When hot out, freeze a couple of the water bottles the night before. They’ll keep your cooler cold, and we love that they give us cold water to drink as they melt.
• Pre-Make Meals & Portion Out: Pre-make meals, and portion them out in mason jars or reusable plastic or glass containers.
• Place your cooler somewhere cool the night before, or pre-chill the cooler for up to 12 hours with ice / ice packs you won’t be using on your trip. 
• Lay solid blocks of ice or reusable ice packs on the bottom, plus put a layer of ice on the top
• Pack the cooler full – too much space helps the inside heat up faster
• Freeze food you won’t need for a couple of days, and use frozen water bottles to help keep the inside colder, longer
• Try to limit the number of times you open the cooler in the day.
• Pack your food in order of when you want to eat it, leaving the next day or two’s meals on top. 
• Garbage Bag for the car: We always have a designated garbage bag for the car. It helps to keep the garbage contained, and the car organized.
• Clean-Up Kit :  Bring a clean up kit. Kids, adults, toddlers all on occasion make messes. Having a clean-up kit handy just in case is good practice. Include wipes, paper towel, extra water, and an easily accessible change of clothes.
• Storage: To keep things organized, we usually use small stackable Rubbermaid containers to pack our non-perishables.

🚙 More Road Trip Ideas: 4 Day family friendly itinerary in Acadia National Park

Road Trip Essentials

Now that we’ve got the meals all planned out, and the best road trip SNACKS organized  let’s move on to the non-food items you’ll need to add to your road trip packing list. 

Reusable Items

Our goal is to reduce our impact on the earth whatever mode of travel. Bringing reusable items on our trips to cut down on waste is one simple way to do this. If you make it part of your routine, you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it becomes.

Here are some other reusable items to pack for your road trip:

• Plastic, glass or stainless steel containers – Can be used for leftovers, as dishes, hold snack packs, or even small toys, art supplies
• Cutlery – knives, forks, spoons, 
• Dishes – Cups, plates, bowls
• Coffee Mugs – Our favs are Yeti Mugs or the Klean Kanteen  
• Reusable Straws
• Water bottles for the kids
• Water bottles for the adults
• Cloth fruit bags 
• Bento Boxes
• Garbage bags – reuse grocery bags

Storage & Cleaning Supplies

• Reusable Ice Packs 
• Hand sanitizer
• Paper Towels & Wet Wipes 
• Biodegradable Soap

Travel Backpacks

You will definitely want to make sure you and your kids have their own travel backpack for the trip.

A good travel backpack can be multipurpose, for hiking, storing road trip activities and entertainment, plus give easy access to a couple of snacks, and a handy change of clothes.

There’s been numerous times my “safety first” approach & extra clothes has saved us on long trips. From puking children, to epic diaper blow outs, and unexpected spills, with kids it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Best Road Trip Coolers

Coolers provide more flexibility with the types of meals and snacks  you can bring on your trips. We think they are a road trip essential, without a doubt. Before choosing one, there are a few things to consider:

• How long is your trip?
• Which meals will you be packing from home?
• How often will you have access to a grocery store?
• How much space do you have in your vehicle? Where do you want to put the cooler?

Answers to these questions will give you an idea of the size and cooling ability needed from your cooler. We’ve put together a list of the best coolers to try, that are easily available on Amazon.

Best Overall Cooler – Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler

The Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler is narrow, so it easily fits behind the seat, is well insulated, which holds the cold, and is lighter than previous versions.

It can also be transformed into a stool if you buy the cushion. It’s a bit of an invesment, so a good buy if you are planning on using it a lot.

Best Afforable Family Cooler – Coleman 316

The Coleman 316 Cooler is a top pick for size, flexibility and price. It can hold a lot of food and ice, which can be kept cool at higher temps for 2-3 days.

Perfect for shorter trips, or if you plan on replenishing your food / ice every few days.

Best Soft Sided Cooler – TOURIT Leak-Proof Backpack

The Tourit Leak Proof soft-sided backpack is an excellent option for shorter road trips or if you are planning a picnic or day at the beach. This leak-proof high-density insulated backpack can keep food cold for up to 3 days. It also has side pockets for extra storage.

Tips to Prepare For Your Next Road Trip

Anything you can do the day or two beforehand to prep your food, and pack your non-perishables, do it. This will save rushing around at the last minute, and forgetting important things like your water bottles.

We recommend doing the following ahead of time:

• Make a Shopping list and meal plan.
• Check off the items as you pack them. 
• Wash and cut veggies and fruit
• Prepare sandwiches, meat slices, cheese slices
• Freeze meals and water bottles the night or two before
• Prepare the snack bags or snack tote 
• Prepare your Clean up kit
• Pack non-perishable foods in small totes or bags
• Pack your perishable foods in the cooler, & an airtight container, right before you leave.

PRO TIP: Pack your car the night before you leave, to make sure everything fits. Make sure your cooler and essential road trip snacks are easily accessible. 

Conclusion: Ultimate Easy Road Trip Meals & Snacks List

With over 100 delicious and easy road trip meal ideas, you will find a party in your cooler for all taste buds or your next long journey.

 Plus don’t forget that a little pre-trip planning can go a long way towards a stress free vacation.

Grab a great road trip snack or two and head on out on the open road. I hope this helps you have an epic road trip.

Related travel tips and destination articles:

• Easy ways to take a frugal road trip
• Epic RV Gift Ideas: Gifts RV Owners will love and use
• Epic Gifts for Beach Lovers – prep for your beach vacation
• Best Walkie Talkies For Road Trips
• Complete Road Trip Packing List For Families

Donna Garrison is the founder of Packed for Life, an ever curious traveler with a passion for making memories with her family. With a unique perspective on travelling on a budget gathered over 30 years, 20 countries and 5 continents she gives families the tools & resources they need to experience the joys of travelling more for less through practical solutions. She helps over 20,000 families a month plan & take the family travel, camping and road trip adventures of their dreams in Canada, the USA and around the world. Contact her at: Donna [at] packedforlife.com

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30 Easy Camping Meals to Make Campfire Cooking a Breeze

Camping is the perfect getaway when you're looking to escape into the great outdoors, relax with the sounds of nature, and kick back at your campsite without a single bar of cellphone signal. So don't let complicated cooking get in the way of your vacation. Instead, use one of these easy camping recipes. Try roasting up chicken and veggies in Campfire Foil Packets, get creative with Campfire Pepperoni Pizza, or just boil water to enjoy Backpackers' Thai Noodles. Pack up your cooler, and maybe a Dutch oven or grill, and hit the road!

Camp Breakfast

Great for breakfast or a fun dinner, this hearty skillet meal has everything you need for a fueled-up day: crispy bacon, tender potatoes, and fluffy eggs.

Summer Corn Chowder

This dish is hard to beat when fresh corn is in season. It cooks up in the Dutch oven along with potatoes and peppers to create a rich and creamy chowder.

Camping Pasta with Clam Sauce

Everything that goes into this decadent pasta recipe is shelf-stable, so you won't have to worry about overpacking your cooler. Cooked linguine is tossed with an Old Bay-infused sauce, sliced mushrooms, and chopped clams.

This recipe is stick-to-your-ribs filling after a day of hiking. Ground beef and a variety of vegetables all simmer together in a tomato-y sauce. To make it a one-pot meal, simply sauté the beef in the pot instead of a separate skillet.

• Dutch Oven Recipes for Your Next Camping Adventure

Grilled Sausage with Potatoes and Green Beans

Fire up the grill for this flavorful dinner the whole family will love. "My husband and I loved this — we licked the plate clean," says reviewer GINAH1 . "It's important to spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the food doesn't stick."

Backpackers' Thai Noodles

Step aside, ramen! All you need is boiling water to enjoy these instant Thai noodles. Rice noodles and freeze-dried veggies cook up in a creamy and spicy peanut sauce.

Campfire Pepperoni Pizza

Recipe creator gonefishn says, "The smokey flavor from the wood fire puts a great twist on an old favorite and with the help of a pizza stone, doing this over an open fire is easier than you may think." Bring a few of your favorite toppings, like pepperoni, veggies, and red pepper flakes, along for campers to customize their pies.

Tin Foil Stew

Who knew you could make stew without a pot? These easy foil packets are tucked into campfire coals to cook. "Friends loved this when I made it camping," says reviewer RAVENSKYLAR . "Only thing is that I made them up at home, and stuck them in the cooler so they were ready to pop in the coals after a long day fishing, and used multiple sheets of foil for each one so they didn't leak. "

• No-Mess Foil Packet Dinners

Killer Bacon-Cheese Dogs

Hot dogs may be standard camping fare, but this recipe takes it up a notch. Savory bacon is paired up with creamy Swiss cheese and sweet barbecue sauce to create a trifecta of flavor.

Campfire Foil Packs

"These are easy to make for camping, my husband loves them," says recipe creator Natural Chef Michelle . "We prepare them at home and then leave them in the cooler until we are ready to cook."

• Delicious Dutch Oven Dinners

Cowboy Casserole

Made with hearty bacon, beef, and beans, you'll feel like a true cowboy stirring up this meal under the stars. Canned biscuits are layered on top of the beans and beef mixture, baking the flaky golden perfection in the Dutch oven.

Chicken and Chorizo Chili

With a kick from chorizo and chili powder, this ground chicken chili is equal parts delicious and easy to make. Just set up your Dutch oven over the fire and you'll have a filling meal in about an hour.

• Browse Our Entire Collection of Camping Recipes

Beef Shish Kebabs for Freezer Cooking

This meal is perfect for camping, as you can prepare, marinate, and freeze all the ingredients in advance in a resealable plastic bag. When you're ready to go, dinner is ready for the grill.

Earth, Sea, and Fire Salmon

Here's another one of the foil packet recipes for camping that we just love. It's the ultimate quick campfire meal: salmon, potatoes, and veggies all cooked in an aluminum foil packet.

Big Ray's Kielbasa Cabbage Skillet for a Crowd

Cabbage, sausage, and potato all simmer together in a smoky tomato sauce. This is camping food at its best. Instead of bringing large jars of spices, store what you need in an empty Tic Tac box.

Omelet in a Bag

You'll wonder why you didn't think of this before. Cook your bagged omelet in a saucepan of boiling water for super quick cleanup.

Flaming Burritos

This tried-and-true Girl Scouts inspired recipe is quick to make, and requires minimal cleanup. Serve with salsa and some sour cream on the side.

Campfire Breakfast Sandwich

Wake up on the right side of the tent with this simple, four-ingredient breakfast sandwich (made with just bread, an egg, a slice of Cheddar cheese, and butter).

Lori's Campfire Potatoes

"These 'taters are delicious and perfect for a camping trip," says recipe creator Loripowell. "Don't forget to dress them up with sour cream, chives, and crumbled bacon. Be sure to use small potatoes, which cook through over an open fire better than larger ones."

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast

This hearty breakfast is the perfect filling meal to make over an open fire. Fair warning: The recipe makes a lot, so be prepared to share with your fellow campers.

Campfire Chicken Pot Pie

Make this easy and filling campfire recipe with just five ingredients: refrigerated biscuit dough, a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and chicken breasts.

Papa Funk's Campfire Chili

This one-pot chili works in a Dutch oven or in a slow cooker. The easy recipe is "great on a cold night," according to recipe creator Cynthia C O'Connor .

Mom's Campfire Stew

Here's a tip from recipe creator Joe Benecasa : "When we make this for a camping trip, I brown the onions, mushrooms, and meat at home and transport it in gallon-size storage bag."

Over the Fire Scalloped Potatoes

These cheesy potatoes can serve as a side dish or, if you top them with crispy bacon, an easy campfire meal.

Hobo's Delight

This four-ingredient meal (made with ground beef, an onion, baby carrots, and potatoes) cooks in individual foil packets, so cleanup is a breeze.

Grilled Chicken and Potato Foil Packs

Here's another quick, easy, and delicious foil pack dinner. "I made this camping," says reviewer Pharmcook . "It was a hit with everyone including the little ones and cleanup was so nice!'

Meal in Foil

Recipe creator WALLEN says this quick outdoor recipe is a great way to let kids make their own meals while camping.

Poor Man's Beer Batter Fish

Use your freshly caught fish to make this incredibly easy and fast dinner. What's the secret ingredient? Shake and pour buttermilk pancake mix!

Hobo Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup

Make this slow cooker stew in a Dutch oven over a campfire or in a slow cooker. According to recipe creator Cindy , you can use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead of canned veggies.

Kerr Lake Catfish Stew

"When my children were young, we camped most weekends in the summer," says recipe creator LPK . "Saturday night was usually 'catfish night' with fish straight from the lake into the pot or pan. This was a real quickie favorite."

More Inspiration

Try one of our favorite Camping Desserts to Sweeten Your Trip and explore our entire collection of Camping Recipes .

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Join our Adventure: Get all my insider tips for motorhoming & road trips

25 Easy Make-Ahead Road Trip Meal Ideas they’ll love!

Planning a road trip? Looking for easy, make-ahead meal ideas, whether for a weekend break or a longer trip? Or maybe you want some easy recipes for meals on the road? Here are 25 great ideas for you!

*We work hard to make this the best motorhome travel blog and road trip website possible, full of helpful content for you. The website is supported by our readers, so if you buy through links on this site we may earn a commission- at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own .

If you find this post useful, you can also treat us to a coffee – we promise to enjoy it while creating more useful content like this- we might even indulge in a biscuit (or two!)

JUMP AHEAD TO...

Easy Make-Ahead Road Trip Meals

I’ll be honest- planning meals for a road trip is one of the things I dislike most.

Don’t get me wrong- I like cooking and I DEFINITELY like eating … but I am not good at creating a meal plan.

I also have a daughter who has gone from eating whatever we give her to being more and more particular about what she likes- and she’d rather not eat at all than eat something she doesn’t love. At home, it’s pretty easy to cook separate meals, but in the van, it becomes a whole different issue- and it makes the process of meal planning a lot harder.

Why plan meals on a road trip at all??

Oh, I hear you. In an ideal world, we’d just head off into the unknown and see what we find. One of the things we enjoy most about travelling is sampling local foods and dishes and enjoying discovering new things.

Both Mr WB and myself are fairly easy to please and can make do with all sorts, but anyone with kids knows that it’s just not that easy. I also don’t want to spend my time on the road worrying about whether she’ll eat anything- so it makes MY life easier if I plan it out a little in advance.

Make planning your next road trip EASY (& fun!)

When you’re planning a road trip, keeping track & organising all your ideas is often the hardest part. Fix that TODAY with our printable pdf road trip planner. Grab yours FREE now

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Road Trip Meal Planning

So, where do you even start with planning meals for a road trip??

For me, I break it down into 2/3 day intervals. Generally, we like to pop into a shop and buy fresh bread, fruit and other bits every 2/3 days. We don’t do MASSIVE week long shops when we travel- our fridge is nowhere near big enough to deal with that and there’s the worry about what happens if you lose power or gas? All that food will go to waste.

Of course, if you’re only going to a weekend, you can easily make-ahead several dishes and just heat them up- much easier.

TOP TIP for picky eaters- Make them choose some meals

One way I tackle our favourite picky eater is to get her to pick 5-7 dinners she will eat. (Annoyingly, this seems to change every week or so!) I also make her come shopping with me- I find if she chooses it, there’s a higher chance she’ll eat it.

While we’re on the subject of kids, here are some posts you might find useful:

• 21 EPIC Children’s car games & road trip activities
• 14 quiet time activities for kids, tweens and teenagers

Our Normal Road Trip Food shopping method

On a ‘normal’ two-week road trip to mainland Europe, this is my tried and trusted routine:

• Buy stuff in UK which we struggle to get overseas (see below)
• Make-ahead meals for first night or two
• Buy things as you travel (at local markets, supermarkets or Lidl)
• Do this every couple of days so we can buy fresh bread, fruit and croissants! Yum!!
• Try to ignore jeans not doing up….!! 
• Remember that people eat EVERYWHERE and try not to overbuy before you leave the UK.

This system has worked fairly well for us. It’s allowed us to discover new things, let Jade choose what she fancies and my stress levels don’t get too high trying to plan out a whole weeks worth of meals.

What about perishable foods?

We have a fridge which works both whilst we’re driving (battery) and when we’re parked up (gas). So we bring a small amount of perishable food with us- milk, cheese, ham, meat, yogurt, fruit, bacon.

We don’t buy too much in case there is a problem and the fridge breaks- it’s always been a little tempermental and is the part of the motorhome I trust the least!!

Easy Road Trip Recipes

When I’m on a road trip, especially if it’s a holiday, I don’t want to spend hours of my time in the galley, prepping, washing, chopping, cooking and washing up!

Here are a few easy recipes we use and love. Most only use one pot and many can be made in advance if you prefer.

5 easy road trip Breakfast ideas

• Greek Yogurt and fresh fruit
• Muesli/ cereal
• Scrambled eggs in a wrap or on toast (toast is HARD to cook on a gas hob though!)
• Bacon/ sausage sandwich (bring your own bacon from the UK. Alternatively, look in European supermarkets- but it won’t look the same. It’s usually much thinner and cooks MUCH faster.)
• One Pan English Breakfast 

Note how those went from fairly healthy to full-on delicious! I’m making myself hungry!

10 easy Lunch ideas for a road trip

We tend to do lunch as we travel- or if we’re exploring we’ll treat ourselves to a cheeky lunch out. Just don’t do that at Neuschwanstein Castle ! ( Jeez- you thought Norway was expensive!!!! )

• Fresh crusty bread and… anything. Cheese, ham, tuna, butter, garlic cheese, crisps, chicken, leftover beef, fish fingers…
• Salad. We try and add some fruit or salad in where possible- we’ll pretend to be healthy every once in a while! If we’re parked up I love to fry up some chicken and pop it onto a quick salad with avocado, tomatoes and peppers. Or try these delicious healthy salad recipes . TOP TIP- WASH your salad. Even the ones in bags. They don’t always wash it in Europe. It also doesn’t seem to last as long (that might be the heat) so don’t over buy.
• Grilled Cheese (see below for recipe)
• Couscous (see below)

I have still not found a decent way to make toast in the van. It’s an ongoing process that I will continue to work at! Still, Grilled Cheese sandwiches are a perfect snack:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

• Sliced Bread
• Cheese (Cheddar and Mozzarella work well)

Butter bread thinly and put butter side down into hot frying pan (not too hot and use butter, not oil.) Add slices of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Add other slice of bread on top, butter side up. After a couple of minutes (when bottom slice is brown but not burnt), flip sandwich over. Grill for a couple of minutes. For an extra touch, transfer sandwich to oven tray and bake in oven at 170’c for 5-7 minutes until cheese is totally melted.

Burritos are basically large wraps, with beans and/ or rice added into the wrap. One of the easiest ones is the bean and cheese burrito, but you can easily add in meat, sauces and any leftovers you might have.

Ingredients: 

• 1 whole-grain tortilla wrap
• 1 medium-sized can of black beans (cook in advance if needed)
• Cheese- sliced or grated

Simply spread ingredients over wrap, fold in all ends tightly and enjoy!

5 Easy Road Trip Sandwich ideas

Sometimes, simple is best. Here are some easy road trip sandwich ideas:

• Sausage or Bacon Sandwich – great for breakfast or lunch!
• Ham/Chicken/ Salami Sandwich – with or without cheese
• Jam or Peanut Butter Sandwich
• Egg Mayo Sandwich
• Tuna sandwich

Couscous is magical. Lighter than rice and so versatile. I make a big helping of this and it lasts for lunch and dinner quite happily.

The trick is to double the amount of liquid to cous cous. One cup couscous= 2 cups stock. I love to use chicken or vegetable stock. Nothing fancy; those little cubes in some boiling water are just fine. Stir until the cube disolves, then pour it over the couscous. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. The beauty of this is you can add whatever you like to it. We like lemon, mint, feta, avocado, red peppers, spring onions, celery… the list is endless. I generally make a bowl of plain couscous and we each add different fillings to it.

10 easy or make-ahead road trip meals for dinner

Ahhhh… now this is the fun part. Everyone’s been driving in the exact same motorhome for several hours… and as soon as you arrive somewhere and the van is parked up for the night, they all turn to you and ask ‘what’s for dinner?’…!

All of these recipes take no more than 30 minutes or you can make many of them ahead for the first few days of the trip.

TOP TIP- Be kind to yourself. Many people dislike ‘pre-made’ sauces, feeling that they’re ‘cheating’ if they don’t cook everything from scratch. But it’s your trip too, so don’t be judgemental about sauces from a jar. Yes, there might be a bit more sugar or salt- but it’s a heck of a lot better than a pizza or McDonalds. So be kind to yourself and make things easy.

Some easy or make-ahead meal ideas for dinners on the road:

• 3-way mince (Bolognaise, Chilli, Savoury)- can be made in the slow cooker

Spanish Omelette

• Easy make-ahead taco Bowl

Chicken Quinoa

• Pea/ Pesto Pasta

Cheats Pizza

3-way mince: bolognese, chilli or savoury.

Here’s the recipe for 3 way mince bulk cooking. You can get savoury mince, bolognese and chilli from 1 pack of mince. It’s the perfect ‘make-ahead’ recipe and is very easy to heat up on the road.

1 pack of 500g mince makes 5 meals: 2 x savoury mince 2 x chilli 1 x bolognese

Start with chopped onion, pepper, garlic and grated carrot all in one large pan with a little oil (or butter) until softened.

Split the mix between 3 pans & add the mince. Cut it long ways in the packet before adding so it’s easier to break up in the pan.

You can add any vegetables at this point. Previously I’ve used courgette, mushrooms and aubergine, all finely chopped. You can get 6/7/8 kinds of vegetables in there!

Brown the mince on a low to medium heat so it doesn’t clump together, break it up with a spoon as it cooks.  Add the seasoning to the chilli pan (cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic powder and paprika) and garlic powder to the savoury mince & bolognese pans. 

Once browned, strain peas & sweetcorn (one small can of corn & 1 small can of peas and add to savoury mince pan.

Add one can of chopped tomatoes to the chilli pan & 1 to the bolognese, stir through. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and add to the chilli. I used half a can of beans, I’ll save the rest for a salad.

Rinse the tomato cans out with a little water & add to the savoury mince pan. Stir in Bisto granules (or beef stock & maybe cornflour or thickener as needed). Add a little Worcestershire sauce & pepper to taste.

Taste & adjust seasonings if necessary.

Divide & eat, or store in the fridge until ready.

Many thanks to Phillippa from PhilyaBelly for the recipe – follow her on Instagram

Serve with:

• Spaghetti, rice or potatoes.
• Garlic or crusty bread
• Grated cheese
• Side salad if your family will eat it.

I LOVE this Spanish Omelette. It’s so easy to make and only uses one pan.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped

Heat the oil in large frying pan. Peel potatoes and slice thinly. Put the slices in the pan with the onion & garlic. Cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are tender, turning them occasionally. Beat the eggs.

When the potato and onion mixture is cooked, add it to the eggs and mix together. Heat another spoon of oil in the pan, and turn the heat down as low as it will go. Pour the egg, onion & potato mixture into the pan.

The essence of this dish is slow cooking and it should take about 20 minutes. When there is no liquid left turn omelette over for 2 minutes. It’s now ready to serve and eat! Delicious- perfect with salad or french loaf.

Lamb Kebabs

Take 500g (4 people) of lean lamb mince and add spices (salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika… whatever you like!) Mould into balls or around a skewer and cook on BBQ or in oven until browned.

If using BBQ and wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes first.

Serve with Tzatziki- Greek yogurt, mint, lemon and cucumber

Easy make-ahead Taco bowl

• 1 can of beef
• ½ of a small jar of salsa
• Bag of tortilla chips
• 1 can of beans
• 1 avocado/ guacamole

Warm beef and cook beans as directed on label. Mix and add on top of chips (can be warmed in oven) Add Salsa, avocado/ guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese as desired (we pop the whole thing in the oven to melt the cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp. herb de Provence (or any herbs)
• 1 cup. quinoa
• 1/4 cup. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup. olive oil
• 2 green onions
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 cup. rocket/ lettuce/ salad
• 2/3 cup. olives, quartered
• 12 oz. tomatoes, halved
• Season chicken breasts with herbs, salt and pepper. Grill 3 minutes per side on medium-high or until cooked through.
• Cook quinoa as label directs.
• Mix vinegar, olive oil, green onions, Dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss half of the vinaigrette with cooked quinoa, salad/ rocket, tomatoes and olives. Serve chicken over quinoa with remaining vinaigrette.

Pea / Pesto Pasta

• Pasta  
• fresh or frozen peas
• Chopped chives, for serving
• Cook pasta. Drain and return pasta to pot. 
• While pasta is cooking, roughly chop 1 cup peas. Add ricotta and lemon zest and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Add ricotta mixture, remaining 1/2 cup peas, and pasta water; toss to combine. Sprinkle with chopped chives, if desired.

Alternatively, cook pasta, add several large spoons of pesto and some grated cheese and mix well.

Salmon with rice and vegetables

We eat salmon a lot- it’s very good for you.

Grill (or use a low-wattage air fryer ) and serve with rice, couscous (see above) and vegetables.

Sure, you can make your own dough and add toppings- and if that works for you, then go for it. However, we cheat.

• Grab 2 pitta breads per person and pop them under the grill
• You want them warm, but not ‘crispy’
• Turn over, and spread with pesto (green or red)
• Add mozzarella cheese, ham, salami, mushrooms… whatever you like!
• Grill until bubbling

If you’d like more inspiration, here are a couple of our favourite camping cookbooks:

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

We’ve done an entire post on 15 quick & healthy road trip snacks (many of them Keto friendly) but here are a couple more ideas for you:

• 1 large can of tuna
• ½ cup of cranberries
• A packet of whole-grain crackers

First, take the tuna out from the can and empty it into a bowl. Next, mash a whole avocado and add it with the cranberries into the tuna. Use whole-grain crackers to dip into your tuna.

Apple Cookies

• 2 green apples
• Peanut butter
• Dark chocolate chips
• Almond slices

Cut an apple into slices that resemble a cookie, then layer the rest of the ingredients in between two slices to make the snack look like an apple sandwich. The snack will stay fresh in an ice cooler for two days.

Barabrith – great snack for afternoon tea!

Other things:

Whilst we’re on the subject, don’t forget to bring:

• Washing up liquid
• Big scrubbing pad for BBQ if using
• cleaning supplies
• Kitchen roll
• Bottle/ can opener
• Mugs and glasses
• Tea/ coffee/ sugar

How else can I help you today??

• See the BEST Road Trip Journal to record your adventures!
• Show me essential Road Trip Accessories
• Get 100+ essential road trip songs (+ playlist)
• Help me plan my road trip
• See gift ideas for road trippers

Kat never planned to buy a motorhome. She also never planned to quit her job as an air traffic controller, go touring around Europe in said motorhome, start one of the UK’s largest motorhome travel websites… or get a cocker spaniel.

Find out how she went from stuck in the rat race to being a digital nomad and inspiring thousands of people to have their own epic adventures here.

If you’d like to connect with Kat, send her an email or follow her adventures on social media.

Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Hi Kat I’ve not tried these yet but they get a good review on Amazon. As I’ve bought the barbecue you recommended in your blogs I thought I would try to keep my new BBQ clean as I absolutely hate scrubbing it after use. Just bought a pack to try on our trip to France in September BBQ Grill Mat, Set of 5 Beeway® Non Stick Barbecue Baking Mats for Charcoal, Gas or Electric Grill – Heat Resistant, Reusable and Easy to Clean, FDA Aproved – Bonus 12″ Just thought you may also find these useful

They look amazing- let me know how you find them 🙂

The https://wandering-bird.com website is one of the best we have found, and the 15 Easy Road Trip Meal Ideas article is very well written and useful! Thanks and kisses! 🙂

I recommend a ridge monkey for camper van cooking. You can cook chicken breasts, steaks, poach eggs, bake a cake, make an omelette, and it also makes great toast!

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52 Incredibly Delicious Camping Food Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links.

Camping food doesn’t need to be complicated or boring! Include some of these tasty camping food ideas on your camping menu and you will look forward to every meal.

Jump to: Camp cooking tips | Camping breakfasts | Camp dinners | Sides and salads | Camping desserts

Top camp cooking tips

Pack a good camping stove. You can cook just about anything on a two-burner camping stove that you could cook on your stovetop at home. The trick is making sure that your stove offers decent wind protection and simmer control. We recommend this camping stove , or check out our full review on the best camping stoves here!

Prep what you can ahead of time. Make your life easier once you are at the campsite by doing some of the work ahead of time. Chop vegetables, pre-cut meat for kabobs, make your marinades and sauces. You’ll thank yourself when you have a little extra time to relax in camp before you have to start cooking!

Start with meals and techniques you’re familiar with. If you are new to camp cooking, set yourself up for success by choosing camp meals and cooking techniques that you already use at home. Remember, there’s no ordering take out for plan B, so this might not be the time to attempt a souffle for the first time 😉 Luckily, most of the meals we’re sharing with you are easy enough to try on your next camping trip!

Brush up on some of your camp skills. Learn about how to pack a cooler properly, how to wash dishes at a campsite , and how to use a camping Dutch oven .

Camping breakfast ideas

A great day outdoors starts with a great breakfast. Here are a few of our favorite camping breakfast ideas. Oh, and don’t forget about the camp coffee !!

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1. Apple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

2. Banana Bread Pancakes

3. Cast Iron Frittata

4. Halloumi Breakfast Sandwich

5. French Toast

6. Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

7. Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash

8. French Toast Sticks

9. Super Seed Apple Oatmeal

10. Chilaquiles

11. Stuffed French Toast

12. Chickpea Breakfast Hash

13. Shakshuka

14. Vegan Coconut French Toast

Camping dinner ideas.

After a day full of hiking and outdoor adventure, nothing beats returning to camp and enjoying a great meal while relaxing around the campfire.

15. Dutch Oven Chili

16. Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

17. Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

18. Brats with Peppers and Onions

19. Dutch Oven Enchiladas

20. Lentil Sloppy Joes

21. Campfire Grilled Fish Tacos

22. Grilled Gyro Kebabs

23. Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers

24. Halloumi Tacos

25. Grilled Ratatouille Kebabs

26. Campfire Paella

27. One Pot Protein Pasta

28. BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

29. One Pot Beef Stroganoff

30. Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos

31. Dutch Oven Lasagna

32. Sweet Potato Peanut Stew

33. Chili Mac

34. Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Tacos

35. Campfire Pizza

36. Dutch Oven Red Beans and Rice

37. Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

38. Veggie Dutch Oven Stew

39. Blackened Shrimp Tacos

40. White Bean Chili

Grilled Sweet Potato Fajitas

42. Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella

Camping sides and salads.

43. Grilled Asparagus Bundles

44. Dutch Oven Cornbread

45. Grilled Mexican Street Corn

46. Panzanella Salad with Peaches and Tomatoes

47. Campfire Popcorn

48. Campfire Nachos

49. Skillet Cornbread

Camping desserts.

What better way to end a meal than with a campfire dessert? Try one of these recipes out on your next camping trip.

50. Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler

51. Banana Boats

52. Quick and Easy Apple Crisp

We hope that you and your family enjoy these camping recipes ! If you’re hungry for more, check out these easy camping meals , best camping breakfasts , favorite campfire desserts , or our collection of Dutch oven recipes !

This post was first published on February 13, 2018 and updated in 2020 with new recipes.

Megan & Michael are the creators of Fresh Off The Grid, a blog dedicated to helping you fuel your adventures by sharing camp cooking recipes, backpacking meals, and outdoor travel guides. Their recipes and outdoor cooking expertise have been featured in Backpacker Magazine, Outside, REI Co-Op Journal, Food & Wine, and New York Times Cooking.

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26 Comments

i’m glad I’ll be able to take my fridge with me /s

Exactly my thought, dan.

Next level glamping

There’s a revolutionary product you should check out. It’s called a “cooler”. Go look it up, it’s going to blow your mind!

Great list of camping foods. Loved the photos most. These are so delicious.

You guys should try winter camping. Refrigerator provided.

I found so many great recipes to try. And look so tasty for camping meals. Thanks for your suggestions. Can’t wait to try some.

Really a great list. Thank you so much.

Great food for camping!!

Good lists of camping food list, surely it will help me in my next trip. Image are really Good and look ????

These recipes are only missing with a good wine! haha ha

yessssss!!!!

I was dreading our upcoming camping trip until I found this list – thank you!

Hope you find a new favorite meal! Have a great trip 🙂

Sometimes finding a good and simple cast iron recipe can be overwhelming at times. I’m glad I found this list. Can’t wait to find my new favorites.

What a great website! Can’t wait to try some of your recipes when we go camping this summer.

I love to camp and travel. Thanks for sharing such an amazing list of camping recipes. It is truly a great and useful piece of info.

Years of camping and cooking and Finally found a down to earth camping site that reflects the ultimate ideas of easy cooking and preparation. Along with all the gear and so many ideas that are 100% practcal. I am five years in funding you since you kicked off your website. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the support! We’re so glad you have been enjoying the site!

So many yummy sounding and unique ideas!

Great list of camping foods. Loved the photos most. These are so delicious. Very tasty, simple breakfast recipe.

Confirming test!

This site is AMAZING. Takes camping to a new level – – gourmet level! Sharing it with my camping friends.

I’m getting back into camping to get hiking again and walk and lose a few lbs. This is NOT helping!!!!

Camping? I think these recipes will be in my home kitchen too! YUM!

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20 no-cook camping meals & road trip lunch ideas.

Take the hassle out of camping meal prep with these easy to serve no-cook camping meals

Don’t just think of boring old sandwiches when it comes to quick and easy camping lunches and making roadside stops. These no-cook meals vary from salads and wraps to easy soups that can all be served straight from your cooler without the need for a stove or a campfire – a total win for when there’s no time to set up camp or perhaps you’re camping with a complete fire ban and no open flames are allowed.

This post is part of our camping & outdoor adventures series – pop on over for advice from best camping gear to how to hike with kids!

Let’s get a taste of what’s to come on your next family adventure!

No-cook camping meals

No camp fire allowed or can't set up a stove? Doesn't mean you can't enjoy some fun and tasty outdoor meals, ready packed and easy to serve outdoors - why not give these no-cook meals a try - breakfasts, lunches and healthy snacks on the go that can keep for hours and still taste great!

Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad (No cool whip, No cream cheese)

Start the day the right way with this Healthy Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad where fresh summer fruits are served with vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt that is mildly sweetened with monk fruit.

Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

Cookie Dough Overnight Oats are a fun, prep ahead breakfast made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Simply grab one for a quick and easy breakfast or camping meal.

Overnight Mango Coconut Oats

Make these Overnight Coconut Mango Oats with tropical flavours ahead of time for a quick camping breakfast

Mixed Berry Smoothie With Almond Milk (Vegan, Whole30)

Try this 4 ingredient mixed berry smoothie made with almond milk, which is naturally sweet and refreshing for on-the-go breakfast or mid-day snack.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

A wonderful warm weather dish, these crispy chicken ceasar wraps are ideal for your road side picnic stops. Only a little prep required in advance then minutes to make ready for eating, a delicious healthy lunch on the move!

Easy Halloumi Wraps [Vegetarian]

Delicious hallomi and avocado wraps are an ideal make ahead lunch for your camping trip. A wonderful mix of flavours and textures they stay chewy and crisp hours later, even prep them ready the night before.

Pressed Italian Sandwiches with Olive Tapenade

Need an easy no-cook meal for camping? Prep these sandwiches in 20 minutes and stick them in the fridge (or your cooler) to "press" until you're ready to slice & eat. They make a simple lunch or dinner but are jam-packed with savory ingredients & plenty of protein to keep everyone full.

Easy Fish Wraps

These quick sardine fish wraps are an easy, healthy lunch on the go! They’re perfect as a packed lunch for work, and are ideal for road trips and camping.

Rainbow Hummus Veggie Wrap - Tortilla Wrap

This quick, easy and healthy Rainbow Vegetable and Hummus Tortilla Wrap is packed full of colour veggies, can be made ahead, is portable and will be loved by the whole family.

Hummus Mashed Chickpea Sandwiches - The Roasted Root

Mashed chickpea sandwiches with hummus spread, avocado, red onion, mixed greens, and tomato make for a delicious well-balanced plant-based lunch.

Delicious and Filling Romano Bean Salad Recipe

This nutritious and simple make-ahead romano bean salad recipe gets better the longer it marinates! Pack a dish for the whole family to enjoy.

Cucumber Dill Avocado Tuna Salad

Fresh and easy mayo-free tuna salad with avocado, cucumber, dill, carrots, and bell pepper. The perfect go-to for a healthy no-cook lunch, snack or dinner!

Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad

This delicious Mediterranean bean salad requires just a handful of ingredients, a few minutes to whip up, and tastes better the longer it sits. Serve with bread for mopping up the delicious dressing!

Ultimate Non-Creamy Pasta Salad Recipe

Filled with brocolli, cucumbers and carrots, this non-creamy pasta salad recipe can be made ahead of time, or assembled at the campsite.

Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

Who says salads need be boring? This vibrant take along salad is easy to prepare in minutes and can keep for hours making it an ideal take along dish for camping and road trips.

Chickpea Salad Recipe

Simple ingredients but big on flavor! Prepare ahead and it keeps well at room temperature for several hours, itits the ideal budget take along dish for a family!

Strawberry Cucumber Salsa

This fresh and vibrant homemade strawberry cucumber salsa is easy to make and prepared with just six ingredients. In the summer, serve it with grilled recipes like paneer, fish, salmon, chicken, or tacos or as a side.

Creamy Vegan Potato Salad (Easy & Healthy)

Our vegan potato salad is a satisfying and filling main dish or can be used as a side dish when meal prepping or bringing with you on a trip! Enjoy it as a cold lunch with the family, it keeps well for 3-4 days when cooled.

Cold Cucumber Soup With Greek Yogurt

Cold cucumber soup with greek yogurt, crunchy veggies, and herbs is the perfect answer for the hot summer. Try this no-cook cold soup recipe that gets ready in just 10 minutes

Easy Vietnamese Spring Rolls

These finger-licking delicious Vietnamese fresh spring rolls deliver not only a colourful rainbow of fresh veggies they are easy to pepare in advance and serve chilled, just pack some tubs of delicious dipping sauce!

Further tips for camping meals

The key to many good make-ahead meals is to make sure it doesn’t go soggy; nobody likes a limp sandwich from the cooler! This doesn’t mean no dressing and flavour, you may just need to take along the dressing sepearately and apply last minute before you serve.

If you are lucky enough to have a campfire for or stover for dinner but don’t want the hassle of preparing a full family meal – especially arrival day when you’ve just set up camp – make sure you check out our collection of pre-made camping meals over here.

Found this helpful? Bookmark this page or pin it for later

Further family camping inspiration

Ready to hit the road and head out on an outdoor adventure this summer? You may also like to check out:

• Babies first camping trip – the essentials we always pack when camping with infants
• Hiking with toddlers – how to make it fun! Get little ones motivated to hit the trails, here’s how we set out with beginner hikers
• 25 Awesome Healthy Hiking Snacks – keep your little ones full of energy during hikes and outdoor adventures with these easy take along snacks for the perfect power hit!
• Camping tips & hacks for toddlers – keeping your toddler safe and practical items you need for a more enjoyable camping tri with little kids
• Perfect gifts to buy for your outsoorsy kids – a life long love of nature and the outdoors

Never been camping before and no idea what to pack?

Start here with our advice on beach camping with kids (yes, it involves sand!) or head right on over and sign up to be a part of the Globetrotters community and you can access our library of travel checklists straightaway, including our family camping checklist, even a complete set of road trip printables!

Disclosures: We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

© Our Globetrotters | Images are copyright to their respective contributors

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THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP FOOD LIST: 50 Scrumptious Travel Snacks

Post Summary: The definitive road trip food list with 50 snack ideas and meals to keep you happy the entire car ride. Plus, tips for what else to bring and recommendations for the best road trip coolers.

Road trips are the classic adventure that everyone needs to do at least once in their life, whether you’re traveling solo, with your best buds, or packing in the whole family. What’s the secret to a great road trip? Besides having your maps already downloaded to your phone (travel must #1), it’s to have a collection of the best road trip food at your disposal. Being prepared with good travel food will ensure you don’t:

• Kill your travel mates because you’re hangry.
• Get killed by your travel mates because they’re hangry.
• Get lured in by every gasoline stop and somehow end up with bright orange Cheetos and Slim Jims.
• Waste your travel budget dining on Subway and Wendys road trip meals.

After road tripping with a toddler for half a year around the US, we’ve figured out the ultimate road trip food list so we can enjoy the journey together feeling nourished and happy. Our list includes road trip food ideas for adults and kids as well as healthy car snacks.

After the road trip food list, we’ve included non-food items you’ll want to bring and some tips on choosing the best road trip cooler.

Need More Road Trip Tips? Check out our other articles below:

The Ultimate Road Trip Packing List: 41 Essentials For The Road 160 Fun, Deep, and Sometimes Silly Road Trip Questions 41 Fun and Challenging Road Trip Trivia Questions 17+ Fun Things To Do On A Road Trip How To Survive A Road Trip With A Toddler 40 Must Have Items To Have In Your Camper

*This road trip food list post may contain affiliate links, which means we might earn a small commission if you purchase from them. This is at no extra cost to you! We only recommend products and services we genuinely think are helpful.

The Ultimate Road Trip Food List

Healthy snacks for a road trip

We’ll start with healthy snacks for the road. I don’t know about you, but when we go on road trips, we tend to fall back on fast food and junk food. In an effort to have a quasi healthy road trip we make sure to include some healthy options so we can at least feel like we’ve balanced out all our snickers bars and Wendy’s frosties. Here’s our list of the best road trip foods that won’t leave you feeling sluggish at the end of the day. We also added in a few recommendations of some of our favorite brands.

Healthy Snacks For Car Rides 1. Fruit: Bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, oranges 2. Sliced veggies: carrots, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, pickles, radishes 3. Cherry tomatoes 4. Olives (buy the pitted kinds) 5. Salsa 6. Deli sandwiches or wraps (already made from home or pre-purchased) 7. A simple charcuterie spread (summer sausage, pepperoni, sliced cheese, dried apricots, olives, crackers, etc.) 8. Popcorn 9. Yellow corn chips, blue corn chips, kale chips 10. Granola Bars and Energy Bars ( Munk Bars are our favorite! ) 11. Dried Fruit 12. Crackers (cheese crackers, saltines, whole wheat crackers, these almond crackers are my favorite!) 13. Pretzels 14. Nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamia, walnuts, pecans) 15. Trail mix 16. Tuna (Get the kind that doesn’t need to be refrigerated! It can become a snack on crackers, a sandwich, or added to a salad) 17. Coconut chips ( Dang chips are our favorite. ) 18. Dark chocolate 19. Wasabi peas 20. Fruit leather 21. Whole-grain muffins 22. Bread (pretzel rolls, pita bread) 23. Water (Preferably in a water bottle like a Hydro Flask that will keep your water cold for hours.) *The following are all still healthy snacks for a road trip but will require a cooler. Skip them if you are going sans cooler. Further down, we’ll talk about the best road trip coolers. 23. Hard-boiled eggs 24. Small yogurt containers or drinkable yogurts 25. Humus 26. Guacamole 27. Pasta salad 28. Lentil salad 29. Grocery store salad kits (Can be eaten out of the bag! Just cut the top, pour in the salad dressing, and shake it away. You can also opt to do salads in a jar) 30. Cheese

Essential Road Trip Snacks

These road trip snacks might not be the healthiest, but look…you can’t always be perfect!

Road Trip Snack List 32. Beef Jerky 33. Chips 34. Fun candy (Any kind of candy that brings you joy for your road trip. Gummy bears, reeses pieces, airheads) 35. Ranch dip to go with your healthy veggies 36. Fun drinks (Just make sure the drink is able to be resealed or small enough that you’ll drink it all quickly. My favorite road trip drink is coconut water!) 37. Cookies

Road Trip Snacks For Kids And Toddlers

While we don’t put a distinction between road trip food for the adults and road trip food for kids, here are some fun ideas you can add in addition to the travel food listed above. We found that allowing for leniency with what we let our kid snack on will mean a more fun time for everyone in the car.

Road Trip Snacks For Toddlers and Kids 38. String Cheese or Babybels 39. Peanut butter pretzels 40. Clementines 41. Squeezable applesauce 42. Squeezable nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter) 43. Graham crackers 44. Goldfish 45. Fruit snacks 46. Fruit roll ups 47. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich 48. Dry cereal 49. Nutella 50. Snap pea crisps ( I love the wasabi ones from Harvest Snaps . I can only get them online because my grocery store never has them!)

Essential Non Food Items

Now that you’ve got your travel food and made your road trip food list, let’s talk about non food items to have on your road trip packing list. We are both advocates for minimal waste living so we do advise using reusable items like real utensils, glass containers, and reusable straws rather than single-use items. I know it can feel like a nuisance, but once you get used to doing it, it’s easy to integrate it into your habits. We’ve provided links to different products, so you can check out some good options.

-Trash bags (old shopping bags work well) – Stackable glass or plastic containers (While glass may feel like a hazard, I find that most of them are built for endurance and would require some extreme throwing around to actually break. Either way, bringing containers rather than an entire bag of snacks is a great space saver.) -Reusable straws (we like this multipack option here ) -Bento boxes (another option is to make individual bento boxes with everyone’s preferred snacks put in. It’s essentially a healthier version of a Lunchable. Great option if you’re traveling with kids.) Check out these cute bento boxes here . -Utensils -Plates -Paper towels -Hand sanitizer -Ziplock bags -Wipes -Cups if you want to share drinks -Ice packs for the cooler (We prefer to use reusable ice packs like these , but frozen water bottles or ice cubes in a ziplock back will do the job as well.) -Reusable grocery bag to carry your non-perishable stuff -Plastic tub (If you’re going on a long road trip and will have lots of snacks, a good option is to pack all your non-perishable items in a tub like this .) -Cooler

Related : A Comprehensive Guide To the Best Toddler Carriers For Traveling

Best Road Trip Coolers

If you’re going on a long road trip, you’ll definitely want to bring a cooler so you can have more options for the journey. Things to consider when deciding what kind of road trip cooler to bring.

• How much space will you have in your car?
• How many days will you be driving and subsequently how much food will you need?
• Cost of the cooler
• If you road trip or camp a lot and will use a cooler several times a year.

Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler

Our choice for the best road trip cooler is the Yeti Roadi 24 Cooler . It’s a mid-sized cooler that can fit a bottle of wine standing upright. We like its lightweight design and that its compact size can fit on the ground behind the passenger seat.

It has a mid-range price point, so if you are wanting something more economical, you’ll probably want our next pick.

Igloo MaxCold Cooler

If all you need is a no-frills cooler to keep your food cold, the Igloo Maxcold Cooler is a great option. The thin design also makes it a great choice for someone wanting to save room in the car.

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze

If you like a soft cooler, the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze consistently offers the best bang for your buck.

Yeti Tundra 45

Lastly, if you are wanting a high-end cooler that will be great for camping and can take the wear and tear of consistent use, the Yeti Tundra 45 is your best bet. Yeti is the reigning champion of coolers and you can’t go wrong with anything you purchase from them.

Before you head out on your epic road trip, we suggest packing the night before. Alleviating as much stress as possible on the day you leave, especially when you’re doing a road trip with a toddler , is key to enjoying the road trip journey. We find that the night before, it’s best to:

• Wash, cut, and peel all vegetables and fruit.
• Pack up all non perishable food and supplies.
• Prepare any road trip sandwiches you plan to eat.

Lastly, don’t forget to make sure all your tasty road trip snacks are within reaching distance in the car.

We hope you enjoyed our complete road trip food list. Happy road tripping!

** For more road trip inspiration follow us on Instagram . We travel… a lot.

NEED SOME TRAVEL INSPIRATION? A Complete Guide To A Utah National Parks Road Trip How To Plan A Cross Country Road Trip + Fun Routes To Take 10 National Parks To Visit In The East 50 Family Bucket List Experiences In The US

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Hi, we’re Christina and Brad, Idaho based writers and photographers who live to explore. We did a short stint of traveling full time with our two year old and discovered we're much happier as part time nomads. What does that mean? We travel a lot! And then we go home. We love helping fellow parents and everyday adventurers discover new places and experiences.

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The Ultimate Camping Food List with Recipes + Free Printable

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase using one of my affiliate links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Table of Contents

As a seasoned camper of thirty years and a glorified foodie, I am here to help you with my trusty camping food list to help you plan meals for your next trip! Meal planning and packing food are my favorite parts of prepping for a camping trip. I LOVE food, so that’s a given.

I also know that creating the perfect camping meal plan can feel daunting, especially when juggling other trip preparations. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be especially since I’ve streamlined the process for you!

So, I have compiled a comprehensive list of camping food ideas for you from my outdoor adventures over the last 30 years that are easy to use and make, and are delicious and nutritious.

Whether you’re a camping veteran or a first-timer setting up your tent, you’ll find everything you need to plan your meals like a pro. This post includes my family’s favorite camping meal ideas and printable grocery lists for both omnivores and vegetarians.

💡 In a hurry? Jump to my Camping Grocery List Printables HERE !

My Trusty Camping Food List

This list will cover all needs from hearty breakfast meals to easy snacks like trail mix that will sustain you throughout the day. So, pack up your camping gear and get ready to enjoy some delicious eats surrounded by nature!

This post shares food ideas for basic car camping, RV camping , van camping, or tent camping. Car camping is when you drive up to or park near your campsite and have access to a cooler and a lot of space for your essentials.

1. Pancake Mix

Pancakes are the quintessential camping breakfast. Make your own pancake mix to bring along with you or use a straightforward purchased mix that ONLY requires adding water.

Our family’s favorite pancake mix is Birch Bender’s! Each bag makes about 25 average-size pancakes. In addition, they have offerings for different dietary needs such as keto, paleo, or gluten-free. We have tried all of these and recommend them highly.

Alternatively, King Arthur also has a Buttermilk Pancake Mix to which you only need to add water. There are also plenty of others that only require water.

Don’t forget to pack the maple syrup!

LEVEL UP : Dip slices of banana into your pancake batter and proceed to cook like you would a pancake. Pancake batter-dipped banana slices are super delicious, too!

2. Oatmeal, Granola, or Instant Hot Cereal

A classic such as oatmeal should not be overlooked. It’s easy, warm, and fast. I recommend using a quick oatmeal mix rather than one that takes ten minutes. This saves you fuel and time.

Our family uses instant oatmeal packets when camping. Everyone can pick their desired flavor from the variety offered.

If you need a gluten-free option, instant grits can be a welcome warm breakfast, especially with a fried egg and butter.

I like to whisk in an egg into grits and add a pat of butter or a bit of shredded cheese. Even if you would not typically choose instant grits to eat at home, camping allows for such simple replacements.

LEVEL UP: Top your oatmeal or granola with a handful of your trail mix, chia seeds, flax seeds, sliced almonds or cashews sliced banana/ apple / strawberries /blueberries/ raspberries , and a pat of butter for a gourmet breakfast.

3. Eggs or Scrambled Tofu

Packing eggs for camping is tricky unless you have plenty of space in your cooler to rest the egg carton on top or you have one of these egg containers .

Hard-boiled eggs are also a great make-ahead option and far easier to pack! Otherwise, you can try this effortless and delicious omelette recipe too. 

If I am car camping for a short period I also like to whisk the raw eggs prior to arrival, storing them in a mason jar, for less mess at the campsite.

Scrambled tofu is delightful and a great source of protein. Bring your favorite add-ins such as garlic or onion, spices, mushrooms, spinach, etc.

Serve with breakfast potatoes (try my camping breakfast recipe for the Best Homefries Ever ) for a well-balanced breakfast alongside a cup of morning coffee!

4. Breakfast Sausage (Meat or Plant-Based)

Added protein in the morning is super helpful when hiking, swimming, and such activities. With the luxury of a cooler, any breakfast sausage is easy to include in your breakfast.

✔️ Try my Healthy Breakfast Hash recipe with breakfast sausage, apple, and kale! It’s a family favorite!

5. Potatoes

Potatoes can be scrubbed, chopped, or even cooked prior to your camping trip. A comfort food for many, potatoes are especially warming when they arrive on a plate in the form of delicious, simultaneously crusty and soft, well-seasoned home fries.

If you want to serve a delicious camping breakfast recipe try the Best Diner Style Home Fries Ever ! Make them beforehand and simply warm them up in a cast-iron pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Fresh Fruit

If bananas are brought along they must be eaten on day one and kept outside of the cooler, resting on top of anything else. Apples and oranges (mandarins, tangerines) are the easiest and least likely to get damaged while camping.

Grapes tend to get mushy pretty quickly but can survive one day if kept dry. Melons are great to slice at camp and eat fresh. Dried fruit in a trail mix is good to have on hand as well.

If you eat dairy products, cheese is a must. Right? Don’t leave home without it! Cheese is satisfying, delicious, and happens to keep really well. If you go on a hike from your campsite, packing cheese for backpacking is a great snack option.

Moreover, it also adds a lot of flavor to many dishes: eggs, burritos, sandwiches, soups , chili, etc. Parmesan cheese keeps well and is a nice alternative to cheddar cheese.

In addition, cheese is an easy and filling snack when served with fruit, cured meats and/or crackers. Buy a bag of shredded cheese to make your life easier if you intend to sprinkle it on or mix it with foods.

8. Bread or Tortillas

This is a staple for many. Use bread with breakfast, to dip into soups or make sandwiches. Tortillas are a personal favorite because they can be used for breakfast burritos, quesadillas, bean burritos, wraps, and flatbread.

In addition, if your bread becomes stale you can tear it into pieces and toss a handful onto your soup!

💡 When you think of classic camping recipes, don’t forget this stick bread recipe for camping !

9. Boxed, homemade or canned soups

When the temperature drops and you need an easy meal you really can’t beat a bowl of soup for camping . Bring your favorite pre-made soups or if you have space in your cooler, fill a mason jar with your favorite homemade soup to indulge in.

Soups are an excellent vehicle for added vegetables while camping. Bring packets of ramen and add egg, spinach, or beef jerky for added bulk.

You can use dairy or vegan butter. Butter is superior to oil because it’s simply not as messy to pack, especially if you keep it in a container with a lid. On the other hand, oil tends to spill or leak. Keep butter in a cooler in hot weather so it doesn’t melt.

If you are camping in colder weather , butter is an excellent additive to all meals because the extra calories will keep your energy and warmth up when the temperature drops. Most importantly, butter is delicious!

Refried pinto beans or whole black beans are great for bean burritos or on the side with eggs and are definitely an ideal food for camping. Refried beans can also be heated in a pan with butter, cheese, and salsa to create an appetizing dip to be eaten with tortilla chips. Make a pot of baked beans in advance and warm them over the campfire!

Even if you don’t plan a meal using pasta, bring some along anyway. It’s always a good idea to have extra food on hand in case your trip home gets delayed due to any unforeseen issues.

Regardless, pasta rules! As long as you have access to good water, make any favorite pasta meal just as easily over a campfire as you would at home.

Gluten-free or grain-free pasta is also easy to cook.

The best options are chickpea pasta, rice, quinoa, and lentil pasta. My personal favorite is red lentil pasta.

LEVEL UP : Red sauce is a given but think outside the box and maybe use bacon, eggs, peas, lemon, butter, and parmesan cheese for a simple camp-style pasta carbonara ! Simply bring a container of already thawed frozen peas and the other ingredients along with you. My tip is to toss your cooked pasta with a couple of tablespoons of butter after draining. Follow the recipe I linked to but also squeeze fresh lemon onto your pasta upon serving.

13. Vegetables

Carrots are the perfect peel-slice-and-eat vegetable for camping. They store well and can be eaten plain or dipped in anything like hummus , pesto, or a creamy dip for added flavor.

I like to bring a cucumber for the first day of camping for a fresh addition to meals. They don’t last otherwise in a cooler with ice. They get too cold and mushy.

Grilled vegetables with dinner are always delicious. Corn, summer squash, eggplant, and sweet potatoes all cook beautifully over a campfire!

14. Hot Sauce and/or Salsa

There is no condiment loved more in my family than good ‘ol hot sauce to add flavor to something simple, camping food included. Hot sauce can honestly be added to anything savory (think back to your breakfast grits or eggs).

In addition, salsa can be used for burritos and stirred into bean soup or chili for extra oomph.

15. Peanut Butter or other Nut Butter

It can be spread on bread, crackers, pancakes, mixed into Asian noodles, or made into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Peanut butter has remained a staple on our camping trips for years.

If allergies are an issue, choose sunflower butter or any other alternative that works for you and your family. Peanut butter can also be eaten straight out of the jar with a spoon! I am not the only one who does this right?

16. Beef, Chicken, Kielbasa or Veggie Patties

Steaks are incredibly satisfying cooked over a campfire as are marinated chicken parts. Remember, you can also cook these in advance and toss them over the flames for a quick warm-up or to add a char-broiled flavor. Kielbasa is absolutely delicious.

Alternative : Don’t eat meat or want something lighter?

Try making these amazing veggie burgers in advance and searing them right over the campfire!

17. Shelf-Stable Milk

Boxed shelf-stable milk (dairy or nut) is definitely an ideal camping grocery item that works as an alternative to fresh milk. They have screw-tops and can be sealed and stored in your cooler as long as you have ice.

Using them right away, however, is easy because they are typically 8oz each or one serving. Add milk to any soups or stews for extra creaminess, use for cereals, breakfast bread pudding , french toast, pancake batter, or simply enjoy as a beverage.

Yellow onions, red onions, and white onions are all great to have on hand when camping. The number of times you might wish you had an onion to add flavor to a dish is endless unless you start packing some for your trip! They also last a long time. Just store them away from moisture.

Red onions are delicious raw, thinly sliced, atop most savory dishes. All types of sauté beautifully and caramelize well for addition to any stews, sautés or for a flavorful garnish.

If you are comfortable cooking rice from scratch over a campfire or a camp stove there are endless uses for it. If you don’t have good results cooking your own rice don’t be afraid to buy pre-made rice packets!

You can also bring along pre-cooked rice from home for amazing fried rice or to use it however, you wish. Fried rice is easy to whip up while camping and with the addition of fresh vegetables, chicken, egg, or tofu, it is a complete meal.

Rice is great served underneath chili, in stir fry dishes, or to add to soup.

FAQS: Camping Food Essentials

Let’s review some of the common questions and helpful answers related to camping food ideas.

What kind of food should I bring for camping?

The answer, of course, depends on your personal dietary choices or needs and if you have any restrictions, such as grain-free, vegetarian, vegan, or if you have food allergies. However, the best camp food packing list contains simple-to-prepare, DELICIOUS, nutritious, filling, and well-packaged meals. Whatever you do, don’t forget to pack those marshmallows!

What food should I bring for 3 days camping?

Below is a helpful list of camping meal plan ideas that you can use as a guide or follow exactly to prepare for your trip. Pack ingredients based on the number of people you are cooking for and adjust for dietary needs. As a result, you will have less waste. Keep to simple meals so you can relax!

Efficiency and simplicity are key when three days of the outdoors are to be enjoyed without worrying about what the next camping meal is. Include some healthier options but also a sweet treat to keep everyone happy.

I am a big fan of preparing some foods in advance for delicious meals that can be used cold or warmed up over a camp stove or campfire for a hearty meal.

Camping Food for 3 Days

Are you planning a camping getaway? This comprehensive camping meal plan has got you covered! While it’s crucial to have your dinner recipes in place, this list offers much more.

This list can easily be adjusted using some of the other ideas in my post to create your list of camping food for 5 days. Have fun adjusting your camping meal plan to suit your own tastes!

Enjoy our family’s go-to camping food ideas and who knows, they might just become your new outdoor favorites!

Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast Burritos and Home Fries : scrambled eggs (or tofu), tortillas, cheese, and salsa.

Pancakes and Breakfast Sausage : bring a container of pre-cooked sliced apples sauteed in butter with cinnamon to add on top of your pancakes!

Oatmeal with toppings such as dried fruit or seeds, nuts, and butter for added protein and fat.

Lunch Ideas

Sandwiches or wraps using bread, tortillas, or lettuce. Fillings can be lunchmeat, cheese and/or hummus with added extras (lettuce, avocado) as you would make at home. We always bring a bag of chips and a jar of pickles to have on the side. Carrots are great for a crunchy side too.

Chicken salad or Bean Salad with Avocado and Corn served on top of salad greens or in a wrap. Fruit , such as sliced apple or citrus, can be served on the side.

Tuna Pasta Salad OR Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad served with sliced avocado and melon wedges. The tuna pasta salad I linked to is grain-free and fantastic! We make it often in my family and enjoy the satisfying chew of the lentil pasta, plus it doesn’t get too soggy.

Dinner Ideas

Chili: This can be premade at home and brought with you to camp or easily cooked on the spot over a campfire in a Dutch oven . Keep in mind you can freeze your pre-made chili and add the frozen container to your cooler to use as an ice pack. Let it thaw naturally as needed.

Below is a one-pot chili recipe for you that is easy and so tasty. It’s a great hearty meal! Use plant-based ground beef for a vegetarian version.

If you really want to keep things simple, Amy’s brand makes all kinds of canned meat-free chilis that are actually delicious. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread (brought from home) on the side.

🥄 Easy One Pot Campfire Chili

Ideal food for camping, especially on a cooler evening at the campsite! One-pot meals make cleaning up a whole lot easier.

Add 1 tbs oil to the Dutch oven . Sauté one chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic in oil until softened. Add 1 pound ground beef , turkey , or Impossible™ Burger . Cook until no pink remains.

Add 3 cans of diced tomatoes with added cilantro or chili (Muir Glen or Rotel are good choices). Add two cans of beans , whatever you would like (I enjoy classic mixed beans for chili).

Add ground pepper, 2 tsp cumin and 2 tbs chili powder. Salt to taste – depending on whether you use sea salt or kosher, taste as you add!

Cook covered for 15 minutes. Serve and add toppings: lime , scallions, cheese, sour cream, cilantro . Enjoy this one pot meal!

Pad Thai or Ramen : If it’s going to be cool outside bring some packets of your favorite ramen, some additions (meat, hard or soft-boiled eggs, veggies, seaweed), and use your own homemade broth or boxed broth for added flavor instead of water. Additionally, it’s really fun to customize ramen and everyone can choose their own flavor.

Pad Thai Instructions

Pad Thai for camping is easy to make with a bit of planning. I recommend cooking the rice noodles al dente beforehand at home, cooling them with water, and mixing them with sesame oil after draining. Otherwise, they can honestly be a tad tricky to get right and you may end up with over-cooked noodles.

Typically Pad Thai noodles have a basic recipe to follow right on the box or bag. Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Sauce makes this dish a breeze to whip up.

You can use any or all of the following for add-ins: eggs, tofu, sliced chicken, pre-cooked shrimp, and vegetables (spinach is great).

Bring chile garlic sauce (for spice), soy sauce, peanuts, lemon/lime wedges, scallions and cilantro for added toppings. We often have sliced cucumber tossed with dulse or kelp flakes for a fresh side as well as pea greens, microgreen,s or sprouts to top our noodles with.

Sloppy Joes (Meat or Vegetarian) : My kids love sloppy joes! Grab your favorite buns (we love brioche) and pack them up for your camping trip.

Use a good sloppy joes recipe a couple of times and you can cook the mix more intuitively, trying various add-ins or spices. Small chopped carrots and celery are great to add in for extra veggies.

Try this delicious recipe for lentil sloppy joes if you want to avoid meat! Served with either Coleslaw, Potato Salad, or Green Salad.

• Granola Bars  or  Peanut Butter-Almond Energy Bars  – these are great while hiking or out for a paddle.
• Tortilla Chips
• Veggies and Hummus
• Rice cakes  or  crackers  with peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
• Cured Meat,  Olives , and Cheese
• Bag of Popcorn
• Brownies or Cookies
• Cream, Milk or Half n’ Half for hot drinks
• Jam ( Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam or Blueberry Lime Jam !)
• Hot Chocolate
• Seltzer Water for a refreshing lunch beverage

Make Ahead Camping Meal Ideas

Tackling meal prep before your camping trip is extremely rewarding yet time-consuming. It’s a trade-off for more time spent relaxing while camping. If you find you have a few hours to prepare any food in advance, consider making a few things to enjoy on the fly at your campsite.

• Make your pancakes ahead of time and warm them up over the fire at breakfast.
• Prepare a shredded meat filling (BBQ or Mexican) for burritos, sandwiches, or to top a salad.
• Make some sandwiches or wraps beforehand for lunch on day one, wrap well, and enjoy upon arrival.
• Homemade soup is heavenly on a cool day at the campground and can be made at home.
• Consider dehydrating food and making your own custom meals that you only need to add water to!
• Salads are easy to make in advance and transport well. This broccoli salad is a favorite and this potato salad goes well with grilled items beautifully.

🍪 Make Ahead Desserts for Camping and Make Ahead Breakfast Recipes for Camping cannot be overlooked! They will make your crew very happy!

Fried Chicken

Make your favorite fried chicken recipe, chill it, pack it up, and devour it with glee when camping. Fried chicken is a huge undertaking but it is SO worth the work. Without a doubt, this might be the highlight of the camping spread.

The fried chicken pictured below uses the recipe from Samin Nosrat’s fantastic cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat . It’s my personal favorite dinner recipe I tried! I highly recommend her book.

Summer Potato Salad

This potato salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes. In addition, it stores really well in a container for transporting. It goes well with anything. Simply halve the recipe if you don’t need as many servings.

Marinated Salmon

Pick up some salmon for grilling and serve it with a delicious cilantro lime sauce and veggie kabobs! It is a really special meal and everyone will be quite pleased with such a treat while camping.

Freeze your guacamole and pack it in a cooler to defrost when needed. You can buy pre-made guacamole and freeze it or if you make your own, be sure to add lemon or lime juice, and pack to the top of the container to avoid oxidation.

A quiche made in advance can be a welcome addition to any meal. Furthermore, it’s easy to cut into for snacking for those extra-hungry campers.

Fruit Salad

Escape the fuss of chopping your fruit on site. Pack up a big fruit salad beforehand and dress with some citrus to keep the fruit fresh. Add in chopped mint for flare.

Muffins can go along with breakfast, be used as a snack, or be considered dessert after dinner. I love Smitten Kitchen’s Perfect Blueberry Muffins recipe!

Printable Camping Food Grocery List For Vegetarians

There are many alternatives throughout this post for meat-free options while on a camping trip.

In addition, this is a very basic printable camping food checklist specifically for vegetarians to use for inspiration while you plan camping meals.

You will need to add specific ingredients and condiments in the blank spaces for certain meals that you plan to make.

Remember, if you’re looking to cook up some tasty meat-free camping meals while out on your next adventure, be sure to bring all your favorite easy prep foods as well.

Many of them will be perfect to pack up already prepared to simply reheat once at your campsite.

For a more expansive grocery list for a camping trip, reference the list below and you can simply cross out the meat products on it.

The Ultimate Camping Food Grocery List Printable

This is a copy of my own list that I refer to each time we go camping! I have added items to it over the year so I can pick and choose what I would like to use on every trip. I don’t bring everything each time but rather, this is a customizable list.

This printable camping grocery list is for 3-season car camping, excluding the colder winter months.

Please print, using the link, and use it at your convenience! Simply cross out what you don’t need and add items you would like to the list. Enjoy!

I keep my own ongoing handwritten lists of easy camping meal ideas, grocery items that worked or didn’t work, as well as fun new snack ideas in a journal.

Years of practice will bring you to a new level of planning with ease as you complete more trips. Include your family in planning, they often have ideas you may not!

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Conclusion: The Ultimate Camping Food List

By using these camping food ideas you are sure to have happy, full bellies while relaxing in the outdoors.

Most importantly, less stress within the planning and while cooking at camp allows for a better experience all around.

Organizing everything beforehand will bring peace of mind so you can truly be on vacation on your next camping trip. “Wow” your friends and family by sharing some new ideas and tasty meals with them!

Also, If you adventure out and hit the trails while camping be sure to check out our day hike food post for some great ideas: The Ultimate Day Hike Food List for 2022: Best Hiking Snacks and Lunch Ideas …… For planning and packing for an extended backpacking trip check out our 5 Day Backpacking Gear List !

Read More…

• The Best Camping Soup Recipes for Cozy Dinners
• The Best Canned Food and Canned Food Recipes for Camping
• Best Portable Smokers for Camping
• Dutch Oven Desserts for Camping
• Camping Safety Tips for Your Next Adventure
• The Best Korean Recipes for Camping
• Campfire Dutch Oven Chicken
• The Best Camping Sinks for on the Go Dishwashing
• The Ultimate Guide to the Best Snacks for Skiing

Heather Kasvinsky is an accomplished food enthusiast and outdoor adventurist, known for her expertise in all things culinary, including camping and backpacking food. As the founder of This Noshtalgic Life, she has gained a loyal following of readers from around the world who look to her for inspiration and guidance in their own food and travel journeys. Heather's love for exploring the great outdoors with her family is evident in their regular trips to an off-grid cabin in Alaska, while Vermont serves as their home base.

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40 Easy RV Camping Meals for Your Next RV Trip

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Are you looking for easy and delicious meals to make while on your next camping trip? Whether you’re in an RV, a tent, or just at a campsite, we have the perfect meal ideas for you! From hearty breakfasts to easy dinners, check out our list of RV camping meals that will be sure to satisfy any appetite.

When it comes to camping in an RV, meal planning can be a bit of a challenge. But with a little bit of preparation and creativity, you can enjoy delicious meals while on the road. Before you embark on your RV journey, take some time to plan out your meals. Think about what food you’ll need to bring and how you’ll be cooking it. If you’re able to bring along a slow cooker or Instant Pot, that can be a great way to cook up some delicious meals without having to do too much work. For more tips on RV cooking you can subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media.

Can I use a crockpot or instant pot in my RV

Yes, you can! Using a crockpot or instant pot in your RV is a great way to make delicious meals with minimal effort and clean up.( I personally think it’s the best way) This type of kitchen appliance is ideal for RV trips as it allows you to cook without taking up too much counter space and without having to use a large number of pots and pans. Especially if you don’t have a full kitchen in your RV. You can use it to make anything from hearty stews to quick and easy one-pot meals that require minimal preparation and cooking time. With an Instant Pot, you can even make meals like rice, soup, oatmeal, and more with just the press of a button! And since both appliances can be used while camping, they are perfect for RV trips – no matter how long or short. This is such a good idea for not having to heat up your RV’s oven in the hot summer months. Don’t forget to also take advantage of the outdoor grill at your campsite where you can grill up some hamburgers and hot dogs and eat on the picnic table.

How do I plan a meal for an RV trip?

Planning a delicious meal for an RV trip doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the pantry. Dry goods, canned foods, grains, beans, starches like bread, potatoes, and pasta all travel well and withstand a variety of temperatures. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, boil in the bag meals like omelets and rotisserie chicken ranch wraps are easy to prepare in an RV kitchen. Make homemade pita “chips”, crackers or tortilla crisps with hummus for snacking. For quick snacks, pack nuts and fruits that don’t need to be refrigerated. Also, bring plenty of water for drinking and cooking. With a little planning, you can create delicious meals for your RV trip that are both healthy and satisfying. The last thing you want to to have to do is run to a local grocery store after setting up camp.

I recommend doing a meal plan so you can see what coupons you have before you go. If you are not sure how to meal plan, we have an awesome solution for you. We have already created 6 days worth of meals in our printable camping meal plan . It’s on sale for a limited time! The meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas, as well as a few snacks. You’ll also get a printable grocery list as well to help you shop. If you have picky eaters you won’t have to follow our meal plan to an exact T, feel free to substitute anything you need to, but this will give you a good start. We also have some links to some our favorite easy RV meals below. Which one is your favorite easy RV dinner idea?

What food should I bring on an RV trip?

When planning a trip in an RV, it’s important to think ahead and plan meals that are easy to prepare and won’t take up too much space. Homemade pita chips, crackers, or tortilla crisps with hummus are a great way to start off any meal, while Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a delicious and nutritious main course. Biltong and Jerky make for delicious snacks, while country-style barbecue can be cooked up quickly at the campsite. Pre-prepping purees in advance will help save time and space. With some careful planning, you can enjoy delicious meals during your RV adventure! If you plan on cooking on an open flame make sure you bring a cast iron pan or dutch oven for the hot coals.

We also like to prep our veggies ahead of time. Ones we know will use like green onion, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes. You can even prep your ground beef ahead of time, or purchase a rotisserie chicken and pre shred it. Check out our Camping Hack: Reuse Old Creamer Bottles . While we love to eat a good meal, we don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking, but spend more time enjoying our vacation. So we try to meal prep and plan easy delicious meals with simple simple ingredients. I also try to keep things like peanut butter, cans of black beans and tomato sauce that are sorta shelf stable and can be used for a lot of things.

We also like to keep the following in our RV:

• Homemade taco seasoning
• Homemade dry onion soup mix
• Homemade ranch seasoning mix
• Garlic Powder
• Minced Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• Homemade Pulled Pork Rub
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Tortilla Chips

What can you cook on at a campsite?

Cooking outdoors at a campsite can be an enjoyable and delicious experience. RVers have many options for preparing meals when camping, such as cooking on a portable stove, grilling on a barbecue, using a pressure cooker or slow cooker, and Dutch oven cooking. With these methods, you can create a variety of easy and delicious meals such as Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, Egg and Sausage Breakfast Roll-ups, and Country-Style Barbecue. Planning ahead is important to ensure that you have all the ingredients and supplies needed. And don’t forget to bring along some healthy snacks like trail mix or fresh fruit to munch on throughout your trip!

How do you eat healthy when camping in an RV?

When camping in an RV, it’s important to make sure you’re eating healthy. You can still enjoy delicious and nutritious meals while on the road. To ensure you get all the nutrients and vitamins you need, try to incorporate plenty of fresh produce and lean proteins into your meals. You can also opt for one-skillet meals to help save on time and washing up. Other easy, healthy options include yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, tacos, cheese, whole grain crackers, slow-cooker one-pot meals, and grilled meats and vegetables. Muesli is also a great breakfast on the go as you can make your own combination of grains, seeds, nuts and dried fruit before setting off. Don’t forget breakfast is the most important meal of the day . Finally, don’t forget to pack plenty of healthy snacks for when hunger strikes. With a little planning and creativity, you can easily eat healthy during your RV camping trip.

Check out these 45 Easy Camping Meals for Your Next RV Trip. Cooking in small spaces on the go can be delicious! (Yes we have updated this post to include 45)

My husband and I love to road trip. We recently got to experience what it was like to vacation in an RV after purchasing a pop up camper which we soon upgraded to a travel trailer. One of the best things about vacationing in an RV is you can save money by cooking your own meals. Plus you are getting the benefits of a home cooked meal and fresh ingredients.

I thought I’d put together some easy meal ideas for you, to make planning a little easier. Don’t forget you can even bring your slow cooker or instant pot along. My favorite is the Ninja Foodi because it’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker and air fryer all in one. It will totally save space. I also love to bring my cast iron skillet . Trust me, you CAN eat GOOD when you are camping in an RV. We hope you enjoy these easy recipes.

45 Easy Camping Meals for Your Next RV Trip. Save Time with RV Meal Planning:

You can also check out our instant pot recipes, slow cooker recipes and air fryer recipes for easy RV recipes.

• Grilled Chicken and Roasted Potatoes (We used the Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb seasoning)
• THE BEST CAMPFIRE CHEESY POTATOES ( this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser and can be made for large groups)
• SMOKED CAMPFIRE QUESO FRESCO ( this one is a family favorite)
• Pie Iron Pizza Pockets Perfect for Camping
• Cast Iron Mac and Cheese
• Easy Campfire Fajitas
• Dutch Oven Chicken
• Homemade Cheese Stuffed Garlic Rolls

Campfire Pizza Recipe in Foil

• Bacon Jam Recipe: Bacon Apple Onion Jam
• Campfire Potato Nachos Recipe & Oven Recipe
• Camping Hack: Muffin Mix Pancakes
• Shish Kabob Recipe
• Best Dutch Oven for Bread Recipe
• Cowboy Queso Dip
• Easy Philly Steak Sandwiches
• Skinny Chicken Salad Sandwiches
• Spaghetti Boats
• Easy Homemade Goulash
• Hearty Chili Chicken and Rice Skillet Meal
• Rosemary Lemon Porkchops
• Buffalo Chicken Wraps
• 300 Calorie Quesadilla
• Grilled Pizza
• Slow Cooker Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin
• Slow Cooker Chicken Street Tacos
• Easy Crockpot Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
• Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork ( or BBQ Chicken)
• Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
• Easy Homemade Chili ( simple meal)
• 10 Simple Slow Cooker Recipes  
• Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
• Make up a fruit salad ahead of time.

RV Camping Breakfast Meals

• Camping Pancakes
• Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
• Campfire Breakfast potatoes
• French Toast is also an easy delicious breakfast idea.
• Breakfast sandwiches with canned biscuits

Campfire Desserts

• Easy Grilled Blueberry Pie
• Cast Iron Skillet Blueberry Cobbler
• CAMPFIRE ORANGE CINNAMON ROLLS
• CAMPFIRE DESSERTS: S’MORES CAMPFIRE CONES

In conclusion, planning ahead is essential for RV camping meals. Not only will this help you stay organized and save money, but RV meals don’t need to be complicated. A slow cooker can be a great way to make meals that last for days. Additionally, better food buying choices, like avoiding produce in wasteful plastic containers, can help ensure you are eating healthy and responsibly. Finally, keeping it simple with yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, tacos, wraps, and cheese can be quick and easy meals on the go. With these tips in mind, you can plan delicious RV camping meals that your whole family will enjoy.

Have you had any experience cooking in an RV? What is your favorite meal idea? We would love to hear about them! If you are viewing this check out our blog as we’ve added a ton of new recipes since we’ve written this. JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP !

If you are thinking about  RVing with Your Pets , Georgia is a very pet friendly state. Check out all of our tips.

Take Our Camping & RVing Like a Boss Course

Looking to get the most out of your camping or RVing experience? Then this course is for you! Camping & Rving Like a Boss offers tips and tricks that will help you save time and money, so that you can enjoy your trip to the fullest. Join our Course .

My Favorite camping Supplies

• First Aid Kit
• Coleman Camping Cot
• Waterproof Solar Charger
• Portable Fire Pits
• Expandable Smore’s Sticks
• Cast Iron Camping Tripod
• Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• Solar Lanterns
• Solar Generator

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12 comments.

My favorite meal to cook while RVing is grilled cedar plank lemon pepper salmon, rice pilaf, and grilled asparagus and zucchini.

Thanks for sharing Shanna!

Our family loves when we make camp fire breakfast burritos, which you can just as easily do in the RV, scrambled eggs with bacon and heated refried beans on a flour tortilla shells, topped with diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and sour cream. Any thing else you might like to add. Yummy there so very good.

We like chorizo and eggs scrambled together on a tortilla. Also slices of ham cupped in muffin pan drop in an egg and some cheese and bake til egg is done

Thanks Sandy – sounds yummy!

Anything in my instant pot…my go to way to cook …in a fraction of the time.. Forget to defrost meat for dinner?? Toss it in frozen…no take out for us.

Planing to buy an rv,supper nervous about meals.thank you for sharing hope me the best .

You’re quite welcome! 🙂

We bring packaged mini-pizza crusts, pizza sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for one night; Mahi-mahi steaks for tacos along tortillas, salsa, and all the fixings; Pasta and bottled sauce, use the cheese for the pizza; Quesadillas with the taco cheeses and salsa; Grilled cheese (mozzarella, Parmesan, and Mexican mix) and veggie sandwiches (olive oil sautéed tomato and red onion slices, and avocado) on sandwich thins; Veggie and turkey burgers on sandwich thins;

Great ideas Miriam – thanks for sharing!

We are full-timers… and the best invention EVER is the “Power Air Fryer Oven Plus! It is small , Fast, and easy to clean up! You can make anything from fried eggs to cakes and everything in between! It has a rotisserie,and makes the crispiest French fries ever! All the meats cook quickly and are moist and delicious! There are several racks ,so you are able to cook several items at once! And the best feature is no Fat, just good flavor!

Peanut butter and bread. That’s my menu and I’m sticking with it.

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10+ Insanely Easy Camping Meals To Make (Cooking Tools and Simple Recipes)

Post Summary: Ideas for easy camping meals and snacks to make on any road trip.

This post was originally published on June 4th, 2018

No matter where you go in the world, every single trip will have this one thing in common – FOOD.

It’s delicious, it’s fun, it’s energizing…but it can be expensive at times.

Berty and I are on the road a lot, and we’ve run into times where we eat out and buy gas station snacks, but these habits can really take a toll on our health AND our wallet.

Through some good old trial and error, we’ve come up with a list of easy camping meals that are cheap and healthy…ish.

Yes, Berty and I like to make quick camping meals that are simple and to the point so we have plenty of time to explore the world around us. Therefore, in this post, we’re sharing easy camping meals that we’ve made and loved!

These are quick enough to take on any road trip and fit into any kind of journey. Happy eating!

10+ Easy Camping Meals To Make On A Road Trip

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COOKING TOOLS FOR SIMPLE CAMPING MEALS

Let's first start by talking about camping cooking tools. Camp cooking gear can be expensive, but worth the investment if you will be using it a lot. Read our tips for finding discounted outdoor gear if you want to save some money here!

These can be very customizable depending on your space, length of trip, desire to cook, etc.

Read through this list and figure out what fits for your journey! Whether you are looking for eco-friendly travel products like straws, utensils, and food storage, or lightweight tools for backpacking, what adventure you are taking depends on what kind of gear will fit your trip style.

Here are some examples below of the tools we've used for easy camping meals:

As you read this post, you’ll find a lot of the meals we suggest are “instant” or the “just add water” type. This being said, having enough water is an essential part of making quick and easy camping meals. Water is also part of our essential camping hygiene toolkit – it’s important to stay healthy on the road!

One of the best purchases we ever did was buy this really affordable collapsible 5-gallon water jug from GSI . It folds down flat when you aren’t using it, and you can refill it over and over again.

We frequently found water fountains, sinks, or gas station water taps and filled up on the road – completely free!

We not only saved money not buying water but kept disposable plastics out of our trip. Sustainability!

This is our most used cooking tool for making easy camping meals. The Jet Boil is a 1-liter carbon cup that can boil water in 2 minutes.

This little guy is ideal for morning coffee, adding water to freeze-dried meals, and heating up a soup. It’s compact, safe, and easy to use for minimal hassle and maximum time outside.

Best for: backpacking trips, ultra-light packing, meals that require simply heating up or just adding water.

A Camping Stove  In An Easy Way To Prepare Easy Camping Meals

If you want to cook a full-size meal like a pasta dish or soup for friends, a single-burner camping stove is portable and easy to pack.

It’s a little bigger than a jet boil, so it’s not suited for backpacking, but can be ideal for road trips and car camping .

Best for:  car camping, traditional campsite cooking , cooking for 3-4 people (or two very hungry ones!).

Reusable Mess Kits

There are tons of options for reusable mess kits to eat your easy camping meals! And if you don’t know what ‘mess kit’ means, it’s basically a set of bowls, utensils, cups – things you make a mess of! It’s also a fancy term for “camping dishes”.

From super-light backpacking sets for one to eco-friendly sets for two  to a mess kit for four , you can find nearly any combination that fits your trip.

Just make sure to dispose of your gray water (waste-water) in a designated area or follow the LNT principle #3 .

Pro Camping Food Tip: We lots many utensils in the abyss of the car, accidentally throwing them out, and just straight up losing them! We highly suggest getting an all-purpose spork like this one from Snow Peak in a BRIGHT color so you don’t lose it.

Best for:  any and all trips. Everyone needs to eat food with something!

Read More: What It Was Like Taking A VW Westfalia On An Alaskan Road Trip

A Place To Sit + Be Cozy

Eating meals on a trip is one way to kick back, relax, and enjoy the moment. Make sure your mealtime is cozy, and that you are too.

Here are some of our favorite items to get cozy for our camping meal:

• Therm-A-Rest Z Mat : This foldable accordion-style lightweight mat is perfect for laying out and getting cozy on any surface!
• REI Trail Chair : A Foldable cushion for back support. It doubles as an extra comfy sitting pad when you don’t want to use the back part!
• Rumpl Down-Filled Camping Blanket:  This ultra-light blanket keeps you toasty warm on those chilly mornings or evenings.

Easy Camping Meals: BREAKFAST

Here are some camping breakfast ideas to kickstart your mornings the right way!

Coming from Seattle, coffee is an absolute essential for us on the road!

We’ve pretty much packed and used everything from instant coffee to a complex Chemex setup (yes, scale and all!). For simple use and storage, we suggest a drip cone like this drip cone from GSI .

For the coffee lovers, we suggest a camping French press like this big Stanley French Press   or this easy-clean steel one!

Can’t stand the mess of coffee grounds? Try this instant coffee packet with creamer already in it!

Read More: How We Prepare Coffee On The Road

Veggies That Can Be Cut

Easy and healthy snacking foods like carrots, celery, and bell peppers can be eaten fresh. 

Make sure to eat them fairly quickly so they don’t spoil. You can always find a grocery store and replenish on the way. Buying whole veggies instead of pre-cut ones can save money too.

There are also plenty of vegetarian camping recipes that include fresh veggies, for a more balanced and well-rounded diet on the road!

Bring this portable GSI cutting board/cook set on your next trip!

Egg Scrambles

During our two-week adventure in Alaska , we spent a lot of time cooking in the kitchen set up of a vintage VW Westfalia van .

Our favorite quick meal to make was scrambled eggs with any leftover veggies, and pre-cooked + cut sausage.

It was easy, filling, and fit into one pan. If you want to be extra fancy, you can add a tortilla to make a breakfast burrito!

Instant Oatmeal Packets

All you need is hot water and you’ve got a nutritious breakfast in these instant oatmeal packets !

You can also throw in a few berries and some peanut butter for an extra energy boost. Use a Jet Boil to heat up the water in no time to fuel up and get on with your adventures!

Pack some easy “just-add-water” pancake mix like this kind from Krusteaz for a mess-free breakfast.

Store dry mix in a container with a squeeze lid, and add water when you’re ready! Top with berries, syrup or peanut butter for some quick and easy camping meals.

Easy Camping Meals: LUNCH

Berty and I realized that while a camping lunch can easily be skipped, it was ESSENTIAL that we stopped and ate something during this time.

After a few days of passing over this meal, we ended up hangry and tired because of the lack of fuel. To save our bodies ( and our marriage, LOL ) we came up with some quick and easy lunchtime meals to give us that afternoon boost.

Hear are some crazy simple camping lunch ideas to get you back out and exploring!

PB&J Tortillas

This meal can be for those days you just want to eat and get on with your next adventure.

S wap out the bread for tortillas for easy packing and fewer chances of your carbs getting squished in the car. You can get creative with different recipes too – flavored jams and crunchy peanut butter is just the start of it!

Self-Cased Fruit (Oranges, Apples, Bananas..)

Fruit with its own casing (like oranges, bananas, etc) will last longer than soft-sided fruit like berries. It’s also easily packable if you’re planning a mid-day hike!

You can also pack some yogurt cups and cut fruits into them for a fancy dirt-bagging parfait. Ooh la la!

Home-Made Trail Mix

 Trail mix is the perfect energy-boosting snack mid-hike, or even as a snack around a crackling campfire. Be creative and add your favorite nuts, chocolate (lots and lots of it), dried fruit, and whatever else you want.

It’s your trail mix! These kinds of snacks are perfect to pack in a day pack for a pick me up on the trails as well. Click this link for a super healthy and easy recipe idea from Neighbor Food Blog!

Protein Bars

Make your own protein bars (like these delicious homemade ones from Fresh Off The Grid) ahead of time or buy them on the road, but these easy meal/snacks will keep your energy up mid-adventure. 

Here are some of our favorite brands of protein bars:

• Go Macro Bars: They come in tons of flavors, and we find them incredibly tasty and filling!
• RXBAR Protein Bars: Simple ingredients, delicious flavors!

Beef Jerky can get a little pricey so we only picked up a few packets on our trip. Great for snacking or adding to a trail mix (weird, but actually super good).

Other super easy camping meals (and snacks!) to pack for mess-free eating:

• Nachos or Quesadillas
• Scones or Cornbread in a cast-iron pan
• These incredibly easy English muffin breakfast recipes for camping !
• Sandwiches and wraps
• Dried Fruit and Nuts

Easy Camping Meals: DINNER

One of our favorites meals to make while camping is dinner.

This is the time of day that we’re usually back at our “home base” (our favorite base is anywhere that has free camping! ) so we can sit an enjoy a meal while relaxing for the evening.

Here are some of our favorite quick and easy camping dinners to make!

Mountain House Freeze-Dried Meals

Mountain House makes really good backpacking food, but who says it just has to be for backpacking?

We’ve been packing a few of these on adventures that require us to make quick food when sleeping in our car , especially when we’re backcountry camping in the wilderness.

Mountain House can get a little pricey, so if you’re not willing to empty your wallet on a whole box of meals (we don’t blame you) consider getting just a single packet or two of dinner and dessert for a special occasion.

Cup of Noodles

Can it get any easier than whipping up noodles in a cup?

When you’re finished, you can use the styrofoam cup as a cup/bowl for other foods too! Just rinse it out and re-use!

Pre-Packaged Meals

We used Pasta Roni boxes to make some meals because we had a working stove and a little bit more time on our hands.

I also found some from the same brand, but the easier “just add water” type if you want a simpler option. These cups can also stack together once you’re finished to minimize space waste.

Tin Foil Dinners

The pinnacle of easy camping meals is this simple food hack!

If you have a campfire for cooking, consider this easy and delicious trick. Wrap all ingredients in tin foil and throw it on a grill top over the campfire.

Easy ingredients are things like potatoes, peppers, cheese, steak, and onions. After about 30 minutes (when the potatoes and meat are fully cooked), pull it out of the fire, grab a fork and enjoy!

Going Tradition Camping? Read this camping checklist and bring a cast iron pan to cook!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON PREPARING EASY CAMPING MEALS

There are so many ways to eat meals on the road. Whether you’re finding free camping spots in the middle of the woods , or camping in a van for two weeks , you can easily create camping meals that work for you.

We hope our suggestions have given you a few ideas and inspired you to cook what you love!

What are some of your favorite easy camping meals to make on a trip/on the road? We’d love to hear more recipe suggestions in the comments below!

More road trip/camping posts.

10 Insanely Useful Road Trip Planner Tools and Apps

30 Road Trip Essentials You Need To Be Packing

101 Road Trip Questions To Ask Your Friends

The Greatest Pacific Coast Road Trip Route

9 Questions You Need To Ask Before A Road Trip

How We Prepare Coffee On The Road

20 Brilliant Car Camping Hacks For Your Best Trip Yet

Car Camping 101: The Complete Guide To Sleeping In Your Car

Want some more easy camping meals to make on the road? Follow our Camping Board on Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration!

Our staple car-camping breakfast for about twenty years now has been a recipe that I found in a recipe book published by a ranger in Oregon. We call it a scone. It’s basically equal parts oatmeal, whole wheat flour and dry milk. For us, it’s three heaping spoons of the three ingredients along with some raisins, dried cranberries or any other fruit, put into plastic storage bags prior to the trip. Ten mornings, ten bags. In the morning, just grab a scone bag, dump the contents onto a skillet, add water and a little olive oil, and mix well. Add a powdering of cinnamon and flax. Then cook on low heat under a cover, flipping once. Presto — an easy-to-make nourishing breakfast that will get you up the hill and down again.

This is amazing Don! I never thought about preparing pre-mixed bags before the trip. I’m definitely going to see how this works for our next adventure! Thanks so much for taking the time to write to us, I really appreciate it!

Enjoy, it’s a winner. It’s nutritious, quick and easy, which is nice when we’re “out there.” And, I’ve only learned recently, first putting a light coating of oil on the pan before dumping the mix prevents sticking. Depends on the pan surface I suppose. (This is the only cooking I ever do.)

We’re getting on in years so we don’t backpack much any more. But when we did, after some initial stove problems, we “went cold.” It was dehydrated food with some spices, and coffee added to a breakfast drink in the morning. It was fine, I guess because it’s so wonderful to be out there in nature the little things don’t matter so much. . . . Live like the locals do! . . .And save a little weight and hassle.

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Road Trip Food List: Easy to Pack Meals & Snacks

This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy .

Are you looking for a road trip food list that includes the best road trip snacks and other food to bring on a road trip?

Road trips can range from being budget-friendly to out-of-this-world expensive if you do not plan ahead, especially when it comes to eating food.

The temptation to grab a snack at every gas station, as well as to eat out at restaurants or gorge on fast food, can really start to add up in terms of money and wasted time.

One way to save money and time while road tripping, however, is to bring your own food!

By making a road trip food list and packing fun road trip snacks, you’ll avoid having to stop and spend as much.

Our road trip food list includes easy road trip snacks, as well as portable breakfast, lunch, and dinner options – plus, a FREE Road Trip Food List printable to take with you to the grocery store.

The links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Road Trip Food List: Breakfast

One of our absolute best family road trip tips is to leave bright and early in the morning when starting a long road trip.

As the most important meal of the day, luckily, having breakfast on the road is the easiest meal to eat cold and on the go.

If you decide to hit the road early, or if your hotel en route doesn’t offer a free breakfast, plan ahead by bringing along these simple road trip breakfast foods.

Our tried-and-true road trip food list awaits!

Road Trip Breakfast Ideas

• Yogurt tubes and granola bars
• Muffins, donuts, and scones
• Bagels and cream cheese
• Squeezable applesauce
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Peanut butter, banana, and granola wrapped up in a tortilla
• Make-Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

Additional planning tip: For added morning fun, use the category “breakfast foods”, “brands or cereal”, or “types of fruit” while you play a road trip word game .

Road Trip Food List: Lunch

When it comes to planning for lunch and beyond, your road trip packing list should always include a reliable portable cooler .

Whether you chill made-ahead sandwiches, salami & cheese, fruits, or veggies, there are so many awesome road trip food ideas when it comes to having lunch on the go.

What we love about these road tip lunch ideas is that they keep us out of congested cities and fast-food drive-thrus during the busy noon hour.

Road Trip Lunch Ideas

• Premade sandwiches with deli meat and cheese (make them extra fun by using shaped sandwich cutters !)
• Peanut butter sandwiches (skip the jelly to avoid sogginess)
• Pita pocket with mozzarella, tomato, basil, turkey, cheese, hummus, cucumber, and/or tuna salad
• Home-ade Lunchables with summer sausage, cheese, and crackers
• Tortilla with cream cheese, sliced olives, and pepperoni
• Veggies and single-serve packs of ranch dressing, hummus, or guacamole
• Pre-assembled Salad In A Jar

Road Trip Food List: Dinner

If there is one meal that you choose to splurge on, I recommend stopping to have dinner at a roadside restaurant or cafe.

Though this may not be your final destination, experiencing another city in this way will help you check more places off of your family travel bucket list !

If you’re not keen on stopping, however, here are the road trip foods we enjoy that are tasty and hearty enough to serve as dinner.

Road Trip Dinner Ideas

• Cold rotisserie chicken, chunked and served with a garden salad (package in a disposable salad container )
• Pre-made pasta salad, such as Pizza Pasta Salad
• StarKist ready-to-eat tuna salad in an avocado half or on a bun
• Chicken and pickled veggies in pitas
• Hummus veggie wrap

Additional planning tip: If you’re road tripping in the winter when driving conditions are much more unpredictable, packing extra road trip food is an essential component of your winter road trip packing list .

Road Trip Food List: Snacks

In my opinion, snacks   are the No. 1 way to keep everyone (including you!) happy on a family road trip.

Homemade snack mixes and individual pre-purchased snacks are also a great way to help cut costs associated with buying food on the road.

For this reason, I suggest assembling an entire tub filled with fun and appetizing snacks and surprises that you know your kids will love.

We use these  16-quart storage tubs from Sterilite  that are the perfect size, price, and durability!

Road Trip Snacks Ideas

• Chips and pretzels
• Animal crackers (Suprise them with Barnum’s Originals !)
• Filled crackers (peanut butter, cheese)
• Nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts)
• String cheese, Babybel, Laughing Cow cheese wedges
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Healthy no-bake cookies
• Candy and gummy candy

Be extra organized for your family road trip by clicking the following image to get your FREE family vacation packing list that is both customizable and printable!

Travel Snacks for Toddlers

Road tripping with toddlers presents its own set of challenges and requires additional thought when it comes to toddler-friendly road trip activities and food.

(It’s much harder to keep a close eye on them when they’re in the backseat, and you’re in the front.)

When considering toddler road trip foods, the most important thing is to avoid giving them anything to eat that could be deemed a choking hazard.

In addition, opt for healthy versus overly sweet options that may give them a tummy ache.

Our favorite healthy toddler car snacks and road trip foods include:

• Graham crackers
• Snap pea crisps
• Applesauce and/or yogurt pouches
• Cheese sticks
• Soft mini muffins
• Whole-grain crackers
• Bananas and/or this apple slices

9 Essential Tips For Traveling With Food

As seasoned travelers, we’ve assembled a list of tips for traveling with road trip foods and make-ahead hotel room meals.

• Use up your most delicate fruit first when on long-haul road trips.

In other words, start by eating bananas and berries, then move on to more sturdy produce such as apples and oranges that don’t spoil as easily.

2. Every family needs an organized packing strategy !

When it comes to road trip food, tortillas, pitas, or other sturdy flatbreads work better to bring along than do loaves of bread. They take up a lot less room and do not risk getting smashed.

3. When packing a cooler with items that need to stay chilled, be sure to lay the ice on the top, versus the bottom of the cooler.

This is because cold air sinks and will, therefore, disperse itself more evenly if laid on top of the food.

4. Aim to open the cooler only 1 or 2 times a day in order to maintain its refrigeration and keep the ice from thawing.

5. Also, make all food, including snacks, easily accessible throughout the duration of your family road trip.

This prevents someone (likely mom or dad!) from having to constantly bend over the back seat or stop to open the trunk every time hunger or boredom hits.

6. Avoid bringing anything made of glass on your road trip, including glass food containers. Glass is heavy, bulky, and very dangerous when broken within the confines of your family vehicle.

7. Assemble and bring along a road trip kit with the following road trip essentials for spills, clean-ups, and car sickness:

• Anti-bacterial wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Garbage bags
• Ziplock bags
• Napkins/paper towels
• Saltine crackers and motion sickness medicine

8. Each time you stop while on a road trip, don’t forget to pitch any garbage that has accumulated.

This prevents build-up and smelliness.

9. Head to the grocery store with our FREE printable checklist and purchase all of your road trip food in one shopping trip!

If you enjoyed reading our best Road Trip Food List , click here to check out our Related Posts:

• Top 10 Tips for Planning a Family Road Trip (And Enjoying it Too!)
• 7 Road Trip Word Games to Play in the Car With Kids
• 18 Amazing “Are We There Yet” Road Trip Activity Bags
• Top 16 Tips for Flying With Kids & Ways to Keep them Calm
• The Ultimate Guide for International Travel with Kids
• 8 (Unexpected) Benefits of Traveling With Kids

*Before leaving, be sure to check our  Travel Resources Page  to find our exclusive travel discounts and to book hotels, rental cars, and guided tours.*

Jen Brommer is a family travel expert. She has been featured as an authority on several notable travel websites and is a member of the Family Travel Association (FTA), Midwest Travel Network, and TravMedia global media network.

A prominent content creator and influencer on Instagram, Jen has over 150K unique monthly blog readers from countries all over the world. She has spent the last 16 years planning fun, and hassle-free family vacations for her family of 5.

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Thank you for the road trip food list and travel tips.

You’re welcome! Was there something you saw that you hadn’t thought of before? Happy travels!!

This is a great list as we also big in road trip. Snacks is so important especially to keep them from asking are we there yet. Haha… I myself like peanuts to keep me awake when it’s my turn to drive.

Thanks for reading and for sharing your favorite road trip snack!!

This is such a comprehensive list and it is so helpful as I predict a lot of us will be going on more road trips once we can. Prepping these meals will definitely save some money and help the kids feel less bored. I know that my kids are usually pleased munching stuffs during road trips. I also like that it is more likely for the road trip snack to be more healthier than what you’ll buy elsewhere.

Thank you! Yes, the health factor of pre-packing is a big one, as is the enormous cost savings 🙂

I like to have a good mix of healthy (kids like apples, those are easy to eat) and snacky/salty. I am also very particular. about road trip drinks. Big coffees, la croix, iced tea!

I like your ideas! We’d be good road trip buddies!

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J'adore - Camping Gear

C amping is one of the best ways to get out and enjoy nature, but it's important to be prepared. There are camping essentials you'll always need for your trip: a tent, sleeping bag, camping stove, first-aid kit, flashlight, etc. But there are also the things that just make the whole trip better!

Camping is all about relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors, so make sure you have everything you need to make the most of your trip. Of course, you'll also need food and water. It's always a good idea to pack plenty of snacks and have a backup plan for food in case you get stranded.

This list of camping gear is all stuff we use. Tried and tested!

Clothes for Camping & Hiking

Featured brand.

The outdoor apparel brand that Mr. Misadventures and I wear the most is Stio. Not only do we wear it for all our outdoor adventures, but also in our daily lives. They have exceptional quality, sustainable practices, and great-looking clothing and outerwear!

Coalatree Eco-Minded Goods | Outdoor Apparel & Accessories

Coalatree is an outdoor brand based in Utah and knows how to make solid gear for hiking, trails, and camping. Their clothing is organic and sustainable. The Misadventures household has lots of outdoor gear from Coalatree that we wear hiking, camping, road-tripping, etc. The same goes for their gear.

Coalatree Trailhead Pants and Shorts

[Gifted] Both Mr. Misadventures and I have Trailhead Pants and Shorts from Coalatree. The pants and shorts are waterproof and environmentally friendly. They use recycled materials and renewable energy too!

More Clothing Gear for Camping & Hiking

Compression Socks

I wear these traveling, on road trips, and most definitely while hiking and camping. Long says can be tough on your legs and these babies definitely increase my comfort level.

Wallaroo Sun Hat

I have this Wallaroo Breton hat in blue and red. It has UPF 50+ sun protection. It is lightweight, comfortable, breathable, and rolls up for easy packing. Wallaroo has other styles as well.

Osprey Backpack

No outdoor adventure is complete without my trusty Osprey backpack. My first one lasted nearly 14 years and was replaced for free. Even when I don't hike it is my constant companion.

Halle Pant II

My Halle Pant II from Prana is what I wear for hiking and camping. They are durable and sturdy. For warmer weather, they are great, for cold weather camping add a base layer.

Other Essential or Unique Camping and Road Trip Gear

Pakmule hitch rack cargo carriers.

We are preparing for a big southwest road trip. It will include a cross-country trip to get to Arizona-Utah and then some back-country camping at White Pocket , etc. We have our Tepui tent on the top of the truck, and the truck bed has a slider to keep gear, but our PAKMULE hitch rack cargo carrier is a bonus as it is giving us extra storage capacity!

During the trip from North Carolina to Arizona, we can keep the things we need most accessible on the rack. This is super convenient for quick overnight stays. Then once we hit camping mode, we will use it to hold our cooler and other gear (a) off the ground and (b) in reach for easy access.

It is tough and durable and will be able to handle off-road driving, but only ways 42 pounds! 100% aluminum and doesn't rust – great for snow and rain conditions as well. It is also 100% made in America!

Generark Solar Generator

[Gifted] This baby only weighs 23 pounds so it is easy to lift and carry around. The solar panels come in a case that keeps all the cables together. We use it to recharge devices, small appliances (like your tire compressor), coolers, etc. It is the perfect power station for camping and long road trips.

I wrote more about this awesome solar generator that I think everyone should have !

More Gear to Consider:

Coalatree Kachula Adventure Blanket

This is the ONLY blanket you will ever need for camping, beach, or otherwise! It stuffs into itself making a great pillow. There is a snap-on hood that you can use to make it a wearable poncho. It is spill-resistant too!

Coalatree Eco-Packable Hammock

The perfect hammock to pack for your campsite no matter where it is! In a campground or off the beaten track (or heck even a hostel) this little hammock is compact and awesome! It's very light so bring it everywhere!

Petzl ACTIK CORE Headlamp

For walking to a photo spot before sunrise or after sunset. For getting to that at stargazing spot. For going pee at night without killing yourself! Rechargeable so you don't have to worry about batteries!

BioLite, Alpenglow 500 Lantern

This light has been in our camping gear for a few years and every time we camp I remark on how awesome it is! We hook it in our tent at night and use it on our “dining table” for meals. It has a USB-A charge-out port.

Pull Start Fire Firestarter

No matches, lighters, or flames required. Simply pull the string and witness your fire roar to life in seconds! Burns for an impressive 30 minutes. Perfect for outdoor campfires, provides effortless fire-starting for fire pits, and is designed to withstand wind and rain.

UTTY Portable Gear Hanger

Drying rack, hanging and organizing rack, one for “he” and one for “she” rack. Would probably work for kids too, with each one getting their own spot to hang their stuff. We get so many uses out of this portable rack that can hang from our tent, or truck, etc, it is a lifesaver!

Sage Canyon Sun Shelter Deluxe

We are not sun worshippers in the Misadventures household so when we are at camp (or at the beach) we need a sun shelter and depending on the spot, protection from the wind also. This line from Big Agnes is lightweight and easy to assemble which is also a big bonus.

REI Co-op Skyward Chair

What I want most in a camp chair is for it to be travel-friendly (lightweight) and comfortable. At the end of a long day out adventuring, I want to sit and relax and enjoy a drink (drink-holder, yay!) before my evening meal. This REI Skyward Chair hits on all the marks and I love mine!

What You Need to Sleep

Do you enjoy camping but want to make sure your slumber is just as restful and comfortable as at home? Having all the right gear makes a big difference when you sleep outdoors, so let's explore what you need for a cozy night of sleeping under the stars. Get ready to enjoy nature without sacrificing comfort!

Sea to Summit Compression Sack

The Sea to Summit Ultra-SIL Compression Dry Sack, Ultralight Dry Bag will help you compress your sleeping bag into a teeny tiny ball. It really saves a lot of space when you are packing!

Sea to Summit Aeros Down Inflatable Pillow

I do not skimp on our pillows. Usually, I bring the ones right from my bed. But for a cross-country trip where space is limited then I turn to this inflatable pillow which is very comfortable!

Large Waterproof Camping Tarp

This tarp from REDCAMP sits outside the tent to keep your sleeping area clean. Of course, it's a tarp so it has a million uses while camping. We like this one because it is very compact.

Eye Mask & Earplugs to Sleep!

There are a lot of strange noises (could be other campers nearby too) and light-walled tents. Plus the sun or moon can be bright! I ALWAYS have these essentials with me to get a good night's sleep.

Stuff to Keep You Clean

There's nothing worse than getting all dirty and grimy while trying to enjoy nature. It may seem like a nearly impossible task to stay clean while out running wild in nature’s playground for days on end – but fear not! Fortunately, there are lots of great products available on the market today that make it easy for campers to keep themselves clean without sacrificing comfort.

FEATURED BRAND

Wash Yo Self

These Post-Workout Face & Body Wipes are also perfect for camping. After a hike when you aren't ready for a shower, or first thing in the morning when you wake up and want to refresh yourself, or if there is no shower at all, Wash Yo Self has you covered! Each pre-moistened towelette has aloe vera and witch hazel extract so they are okay for sensitive skin. I think these are great after a long flight too! Small-woman owned business too!

More Clean-Up Gear:

PackTowl Microfiber Towel

We use these super quick-drying towels daily on our walks and they are fantastic for long hikes in warm weather. The larger format ones are great for quick drying after camp showers.

BAR-D Biodegradable Body Wipes

Sometimes you can't shower so these extra large and thick biodegradable body wipes are what you need! Wipe down your entire body. Face, armpits, down there. They smell great too!

On-the-Go Biodegradable TP Kits

I have been using these for years and love them! They are ever present in my gear. Each kit includes both tissues five 2-ply tissues and two wet wipes) in a single resealable package. 10 kits per box.

Sea to Summit Water Storage/Dispenser

The Sea to Summit Watercell X Lightweight Camping Water Storage/Dispenser can also be used for a primitive shower. We also use it for holding fresh water for cooking.

Battling those Insects

Nature isn't just something you look forward to – it's a battleground that requires an arsenal of bug sprays and insect repellents! Sure, those bugs can be annoying (and sometimes even scary!), but with a game plan and plenty of skills to combat them, there's no reason why insects should keep you from enjoying your time spent in nature.

The Lemon Citronella Line from Broken Top Brands

[Gifted] Hello bugs, sorry to say, I hate you. I know you are good for the planet and all, but I am just not a fan! The most important item in my Osprey backpack , packed with my camping gear, or heck, sitting on the coffee table on my back patio, is bug repellent!

Don't let bugs invade your outdoor fun! Broken Top Brands has the perfect defense against annoying critters with their Lemon Citronella line including the Lemon Citronella Repellent Stick, an easy-to-apply stick that gives you full protection when enjoying nature.

You can keep the insects away by putting on key pulse points like wrists, neck & knees. Make sure to pack one before any of your future hikes or patio hangs – it'll repel those buggers in no time!

And P.S., they smell great!

I tried the entire line which includes:

• Lemon Citronella Soy Candle
• Lemon Citronella Repellent Spray
• Lemon Citronella Incense Cones
• Lemon Citronella Repellent Stick

More Insect Controlling Gear:

Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net

Since my crazy mosquito misadventures in Crater Lake Oregon, I never go anywhere without this baby! Packs up into a tiny bag.

Cliganic Mosquito Repellent Stickers

We do spray our clothes for ticks (during the season) and have mosquito sprays and lotions, but I also like these patches )and bracelets ).

Bug Soother Spray & Candle

This natural bug repellent has a blend of vanilla and lemongrass which I like but mosquitoes hate! The candle has the same scent as well.

Thermacell Mosquito Repellent

This repeller creates a 20-foot zone of protection against mosquitoes. Perfect for mealtime and near the tent at night for bug-free sleep!

Camp Kitchen + Dining

Eating in the great outdoors is a timeless pastime and one that can be spiced up with some creative ingredients, kitchen gadgets, accessories, and outdoor gear. Whether you're an experienced camper or just getting started, set your sights on incredible meals while hanging out in nature.

UCO stands for Utility, Comfort, and Originality. With everything from UCO Ware to lighting and fire pits, this Washington state gear company has a wide variety of products that you can find in the Misadventures family list of gear for camping!

UCO Camping Gear for Eating

Mr. Misadventures and I have been using UCO camping plates, bowls, cups, and silverware for a million years. Their products are made with 100% recover recycled materials and have a LIFETIME guarantee. We take them in our suitcase even for travel and throw them in the car for road trips. They clean up easily and are very durable.

UCO 6 Piece Mess Kit

Mr. Misadventures and I prefer to use reusable dishware. We use glass containers for our food and mess kits like the UCO 6 Piece Mess Kit to eat on rather than paper plates, etc. The kit is designed to make your camp life a little bit easier. It includes 6 pieces, including the spork and collapsible cup so you can enjoy any meal on-the-go.

Flatpack Grill and Fire Pit

I LOVE this product so much! This Flatpack Grill and Fire Pit from UCO Gear is tiny! Who knew you could have a fold-up grill??!! This baby fits in its own canvas case and practically disappears, yet it is durable enough to hold your firewood and food if you cook on it.

More Camp Kitchen + Dining Gear:

OXO 3 Piece Silicone Measuring Cups

We bring these to measure water for our dehydrated meals. They collapse into nothing and don't break if the heat dries them out.

Waterproof, Oil-Proof Vinyl Tablecloth

Even when we don't actually have a table we use this as a picnic blanket or across the back of our truck for dining.

Hydro Flask Insulated Food Jar

Fantastic for food prep! Insulated food jars keep food fresh (hot or cold!0, no matter where the day takes you.

YETI Reusable Cooler Ice Packs

We have several of the YETI Thin ICE Refreezable Reusable Cooler Ice Pack for our OtterBox cooler a must-have!

Dreamroo Travel Utensil Set

• Great for camping, travel, and road trips
• The metal utensils are easier to clean than plastic (think oil and grease – so hard to get off plastic!)
• Minority-owned, Veteran-owned, eco-conscious brand
• 100% food grade silicone that's freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe
• This compact sets in your backpack, mess kit, or glove compartment

Camping Food: Eats and Treats

Expand your culinary horizons beyond just s'mores and hot dogs when you go camping. Check out these amazing eats and treats that will make your next outdoor adventure one of the best meals you've had all year! Whether it's a classic campfire dinner or something a little more exotic, everyone can find something new here to indulge in once they hit the trail.

Our Picks for Dehydrated Meals:

When it comes to camping, Mr. Misadventures and I prefer to focus more on how we are spending our time outdoors without messing around with a lot of cooking. We prepare food ahead of time, do lots of healthy snacking, and bring dehydrated food. The dehydrated food industry has come a LONG way since my Dad was eating MREs and you do NOT have to give up your gourmet ways to enjoy these meals!

Peak Refuel Camping Food

Is it weird that I now look forward to camping so I can eat meals like Peak Refuel's Beef Stroganoff? These meals are fairly low carb as I would like, and are full of protein. When I am out hiking I doubt mind the extra carbs or calories as I know I am going to burn through them. They have a full line of meals from breakfast to lunch – all delicious!

Stowaway Gournet

Another boutique pouch meal brand that makes incredible meals! Oh my goodness is it hard to choose. I LOVE their Lamb Bourguinon, Comrade Doeganoff (venison stroganoff), and Las Pollos Hermanas chicken stew. The only downside to this brand is they have a very long lead time to fulfill orders, more than the 2 weeks they usually claim they are behind, so buy them early!

More Camping Food Ideas:

We have been eating REI's Good to Go dehydrated meals for years. While I prefer a little more gourmet, they are still a really good choice for a hot meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Nomad Nutrition

Plant-based, protein-packed dehydrated meals that are also pretty low carb. I like Nomad Nutrition for their Hungarian Goulash and Irish shepherd’s pie meals. Very filling and great flavor.

NuTrail Nut Granola

This is our go-to breakfast most of the time. We mainly eat the Cocoa and Blueberry ones but also have tried their Honey Nut. Makes a great base for trail mix too, just add low-carb chocolate chips.

The Wild Zora line of instant grain-free hot cereal is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts! Packed with organic flaxseed and almond-based goodness, they are loaded with fiber and protein.

IQBAR Brain and Body Keto Protein Bars

We love low-carb protein bars in the Misadventures family and keep a wide variety of them on hand. I am a HUGE fan of banana and QBAR makes an excellent one! Lots of other good flavors as well. Great for the trail or just a good, healthy snack.

Duke's Smoked Shorty Sausages

We have been big fans of Duke's for quite a while. They are a great low-carb snack when you need to fight the munchies between meals. Perfect for hiking. My favorite is the Hatch Chile version, Mr. Misadventures loves the new Chorizo & Lime!

Pop Art Popcorn with Olive Oil

Not your average popcorn! The foodie in your life will love ALL the flavors! Popcorn is fun for camping! We eat it as an apéro with a bottle of low-carb beer after setting up camp the first night. Some versions are with avocado oil. All yummy!

S'mores Bark Luxe Milk Chocolate Bark

S'mores are too messy! Instead, if I want the same flavor profile without all the fuss, I am going for the S'mores Bark Luxe Milk Chocolate Bark by Chuao Chocolatier. With crushed honey goodness, fluffy mini marshmallows, and creamy milk chocolate.

Camping Drinks: AM to PM

Let's explore all the delicious drinks from the morning until the night that will help fuel your adventures! Here is something for every discerning camper – no matter how early or late you rise out of their tents! So pour yourself a cup and let’s dive in as we explore some awesome camping drinks perfect for an AM (or PM!) adventure.

Steeped Instant Coffee Bags

Easy and convenient eco-friendly single-serve packages of delicious coffee. These are perfect for camping, just add hot water and you are set!

Mosi Tea Infuser + Cold Brew Infuser

We use a tea infuser and cold brew infuser from Mosi, a local company in the Raleigh-Durham area (woot), and have fresh caffeine to fuel our days.

Nuun Sport: Electrolyte Tablets

These low-carb electrolyte drink tablets provide improved hydration. We add them to water during the day, for our walks, hikes, and more.

LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes

This is my favorite electrolyte drink mix. I love the flavors and the salty flavor doesn't bother me at all, in fact, the opposite! Perfect electrolytes ratio.

Get in [ edit ]

By boat [ edit ].

During summer there are boats from Kazan , Samara and other destinations on the Volga River.

By train [ edit ]

The train takes you here from Moscow (from Kazanskaya train station) in approximately 16 hours or from Volgograd in about 20 hours. Ulyanovsk Main Station is located 6 km from the city center.

Get around [ edit ]

Ulyanovsk has an extensive public transportation network that includes buses, trolleys, and trams. It is very affordable, but congested and may be quite confusing. You won't find any route maps or schedules, neither at bus stops nor in buses. Fee collectors usually don't speak English. Express buses and semi-private van routes are more comfortable and more expensive. Taxis are not expensive, and that's your best bet if you want to get somewhere (relatively) quickly, in (relative) comfort (almost all cars are old Russian ladas or over 10 year old non-Russian cars), and without much hassle. They are also most likely to have English speaking drivers (one in 1000) and superloud Russian pop music.

Getting between the banks of the Volga is a problem. There is a two lane bridge connecting the banks and it's nearly always congested, so if you're unlucky, it can take a couple of hours. Most locals avoid going over the bridge if they can. A four-lane bridge was planned to relieve these problems.

See [ edit ]

As the home town of Lenin, it's worth visiting the Lenin Memorial Centre and Gardens and museums based in his former houses. There is also a museum dedicated to the poet 'Goncharov' and the war memorial at the end of the main street 'Ulitsa Goncharova' offers breathtaking views over the Volga.

Do [ edit ]

In winter, try cross-country skiing along the Sviaga river, in summer take a boat ride over the reservoir.

Buy [ edit ]

The city's main shopping centre 'Tsum' is basic to say the least but does offer some basic shopping.

Eat [ edit ]

• Shpinat , Ulitsa Kirova, 79 ( in Rakurs Hotel ), ☏ +7 842 258-53-41 . An upscale restaurant with small portions but big on presentation if that appeals to you. ( updated Feb 2021 )
• Gonzo , Ulitsa Goncharova, 48+7 842 244-44-22 ( across from Hilton Garden Inn ), ☏ +7 842 244-44-22 . Lots of tasty Russian dishes, particularly heavy on meat. ( updated Feb 2021 )
• Veprevo Koleno , Ulitsa Federatsii, 11 , ☏ +7 951 094-51-15 . featuring Czech food and beer. ( updated Feb 2021 )
• Gallery Restaurant , Ulitsa Goncharova, 25 ( inside Radisson Hotel ), ☏ +7 8422 41-74-71 . 09:30-02:00 . Buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring Russian and international items.  
• Lobby Bar , ul. Goncharova 25, ground floor ( inside Radisson Hotel ). 09:30-02:00 . Quick bites.  

Go next [ edit ]

The capital of Tatarstan , Kazan , is a stunning city just 7 hours train ride from Ulyanovsk.

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