Sick and tired of just eating porridge/oatmeal and pasta on your camping trip? I hear you! But, don’t worry! This vegan camping food guide & recipe index is jam-packed with delicious, easy camping meals that you can whip up for yourself and your camping mates!
No matter, if you’re just on a short trip or if you actually live in a car or van and you’re basically limited every day, this vegan camping food guide’s got you covered!
For the past few years, I have been travelling and living in different countries, as in climates, and different cars. From driving around in a cute little hatchback and sleeping in a tent, to actually converting a hatchback into a camper and now I have a small SUV, a Toyota RAV4.
In the beginning, I had no kitchen, no equipment, no nothing! Then I got a camp stove but still didn’t have a fridge. And now I’ve got a fully equipped camping kitchen, with a car fridge and solar power! So, yes, I’ve been through pretty much everything and know all the challenges that you may encounter during your camping trip!
Why cooking plant-based food is great for the outdoors!
You may or may not be vegan. And that’s totally fine. I’m not a plant-based diet either. Most of the time, that’s how I eat though.
When it comes to food storage, animal products always require a cooler or a fridge (except maybe for eggs) and they perish much quicker and more easily than plant foods. Especially, when you don’t have a fridge (and/or a stove), storing and preparing animal products can become an issue.
Another very good reason to go vegan on your camping trip or while car camping: You. Save. MONEY!
Well, unless, you buy fancy plant-based meals from the supermarket, like soy dogs or burgers. With my recipes, however, you do NOT have to do buy these products!
I’m gonna show you yummy, quick & easy recipes that you can make from scratch, with or without special equipment and most importantly: without any fancy ingredients!
What about the nutritional value? Is eating vegan food healthy??
First of all, when you’re on a short camping trip, you won’t die because you only ate your veggies. Like, obviously…
But at the same time, I also wouldn’t say vegan food is necessarily healthy. You know, chips/fries are, most of the time, vegan and would you consider them healthy? Nah, don’t think so.
You need to find the perfect and balanced mix for your body. And only then, you can actually say, yes, vegan food is healthy.
Now, our body needs nutrients in order to function properly and thus to survive, right? These essential nutrients are carbohydrates, dietary fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.
As we all know, veggies and fruit are high in vitamins and minerals: so, check! And—most people don’t know this—but they also contain protein. Yes, you heard me! They do.
Legumes like chick peas, and grains (rice, quinoa, wheat, etc.) are high in carbs and protein too: check! And cooking oils (olive and coconut oil), and nuts and seeds provide fats: check!
You see, even if you don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy, you’ll get everything your body needs (yes, except for vitamin B12).
My recipes are mostly designed to provide your body with everything it needs. Because that’s how I eat as well and I always make sure they are well balanced.
And of course, I make sure to always include variations and ideas for substitutes so you can adjust these vegan camping meals to your needs and liking.
Before You Leave – Talking Meal Prep
Make your food ahead! It’ll save you time, money and gas. Use the comfort of your kitchen at home and bake bikkies/cookies, granola bars, banana bread, cook pasta and rice (if you have a fridge to store it in), etc.
You could also make your pantry staples from scratch and take them with you. That’s what I do (and that’s also why I’m a nutter and travel with 2 blenders 😁). I simply prefer making most of my pantry staples myself.
One reason for that is, all those convenient and processed foods often contain high amounts of nasty additives like preservatives, supplements (not necessarily nasty, but you really don’t need them!), too much salt and/or sugar, trans fats, and all those highly processed E-numbers etc.
The other reasons are that making things from scratch saves you money as well as packaging (#zero waste, peeps: you can buy most ingredients in bulk or in bulk shops)!
Vegan Camping Food: Meals
Alright, let’s get into it! These vegan camping food recipes are designed with simplicity in mind which means they are super easy to make, don’t need special equipment and use simple ingredients (yes, I do have options for fancy eaters (because I am one of them, lol)!
Trust me, everyone else on the camp ground will be jealous and gather around you, begging you for a bite to try ;).
Vegan Camping Breakfast recipe ideas
Wakey, wakey! It’s brekkie time! Not sure about you, but I totally have a sweet tooth, especially in the morning! And I cannot start my day without a piece of fruit!
But sometimes, you know, something savoury is nice too. Here are my favourite vegan camping breakfasts, whether sweet or savoury:
Sweet vegan breakfast ideas
My absolute favourite breakfast—no matter if I’m camping or not—is pancakes! Top them with fresh, seasonal fruit and maple syrup, done! YUM!
They are so easy to whip up or you could even make or bring a pancake mix with you. Are you wondering how to make pancakes vegan? Like, without the eggs and milk?
Let me tell you: it’s ridiculously simple. I dare say, even easier than regular pancakes. Plus, no fancy ingredients needed (not even plant milk!!) and you can make them with almost every flour (including gluten-free)!! And YES, they are fluffy!
Or, toasted banana bread with maple syrup and fruit is probably my second favourite. You have to make banana bread ahead, at home, or if you’re travelling long-term and don’t have an oven, use the oven on a camp site for example.
My banana bread keeps in the fridge for quite a while (at least a week). Simply slice it, heat oil in a pan or skillet and fry from both sides. Serve hot with maple syrup, fruit and maybe even some vegan yoghurt!
More breakfast ideas
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Vegan Camping Food: Lunch & Dinner Ideas
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