Meal Planning For Your Camping Trip

Preparing for a camping trip can be a lot of work, especially when you are only going for a long weekend, because you will still need to pack all of the basics.  Meal prepping for your time at camp can help you save time and give you more energy to enjoy the outdoors once you set up camp.

Be Prepared

Luckily staying in a camper gives you all of the luxuries of having a full kitchen including a stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator and freezer.  Some rentals even have an additional outdoor kitchen which gives you even more options of what meals you can make.  All of the rental units through The Camper Connection also come with fully stocked kitchens; including plates, bowls, silverware, utensils, pots/pans, toaster and coffee pot.

Here are some items that aren’t included that can be helpful for your trip:

• spices
• grill
• crockpot/instant pot
• air fryer
• cast iron cookware
• foil

Create A Plan

In order to make the most of my hectic week, I like to plan my meals for the time at the campground with a meal planning menu.  I decide what the meals will be for each day.  Then create of list of ingredients and figure out what items I need to bring from my pantry and which ones I need to shop for at the grocery store.

If we are leaving on a Friday, this is the schedule I use for the week to prep for our trip.

• Monday – Plan out meals and write a list of ingredients
• Tuesday – Gather items from home
• Wednesday – Grocery Shop
• Thursday – Meal prep items, like chopping fruits and vegetables and prepare premade dishes like pasta salad, egg muffins, trail mix, etc.

If you are in a rush it is a great option to shop on your way to camp or have groceries delivered to your campsite.  Advantages of shopping at a store near camp is you can get fresher ingredients.  I love to check out farmers markets in the area to shop and support the local region.

Make the Most of What You Have

To maximize the space you have try to use the same items and ingredients throughout multiple meals.  For example I may cook bacon for breakfast and then use leftover bacon to make BLT’s or a Turkey Club for lunch.  I also love to make pork loin in the crockpot one night to make BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.  Leftovers can be used to make pulled pork nachos, quesadillas or pulled pork mac & cheese, yum!  Another option is make grilled potatoes for dinner and fry them up the next morning for hashbrowns or grilled chicken from dinner can be used to make a chicken salad for lunch the next day or cobb salad.  Also hardboiled eggs can be used for deviled eggs, egg salad, or cobb salad – really the possibilities are endless.

Plan to Deviate From the Meal Plan

The point of meal planning is to make your trip easier and allow you more time to enjoy your time at the campground.  But there may be times when you don’t have time to plan and prep ahead and that’s ok.  Many RV resorts have restaurants, food trucks, or delivery options that you can take advantage of on the days you aren’t able to cook.  I especially like to take advantage of takeout options on the day we arrive at the campground, because after the drive and setting up, I usually don’t feel like cooking.

I hope these meal planning tips help you plan for your RV trip.  Check out some of our favorite camping cooking recipes from our previous blog posts Favorite Fall Camping Recipes and Crockpot Camping Meals.  Happy Camping!