When it comes to cooking meals while camping, it can be time-consuming and challenging. You first need to light a fire and wait for it to heat up, then you’ve got to put your meat, eggs, beans, etc. into a pan or pot and wait for it to cook. Once it’s cooked, you then have the job of washing all the dishes and greasy pans can be a pain to wash, especially on a camp site.

Why would you go through all of that trouble when there are so many great alternatives that involve no cooking at all? You can save a lot of time and energy by leaving your stove behind and preparing straightforward and quick cold meals.

Not sure what type of meals you can make that don’t involve cooking? We’ve put together a list of some brilliant no cook camping meal ideas.

Cooking Equipment: Your Essentials

When you go camping, you don’t need to take your entire kitchen with you. Keep it to a minimum, and only bring the essentials. You won’t be needing pots and pans for these no-cook camping meals.

• Utensils
• Scissors
• Can Opener
• Cooler
• Ice
• Sealable Bags
• Tin Foil
• Chopping Board

Snacks 

There are loads of snacks that you can bring with you camping that require no cooking at all such as:

Chips – They’re filling and also easy and light to pack. You can throw a packet into your bag when you’re out on a hike, and once you’re done eating them, the packaging scrunches down nice and small so it won’t take up any room.

Cereal Bars – Very convenient for you on-the-go folk. They’re also healthier snacks that you can eat between meals.

Chocolate & Cookies – Who doesn’t love a tasty treat once in a while?

Energy Bars – With a reasonable amount of nutrition, energy bars will give you that bit of extra power that you need between meals. They’re also compact to carry around when you’re on the move.

Dried Fruit & Nuts – These are an ideal snack for campers, especially those going hiking. They’re lightweight, nutritional and healthy.

Cheese & Crackers – Eat them together or eat them on their own, either way, they’re a filling little snack.

Jerky – A great balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. It’s easy to store while camping and if you’ve got the time, you can even make your own beef jerky in advance.

Canned Fruit – When you’re going camping, bring canned fruit instead of fresh fruit. It may not be the healthiest option, but it doesn’t need to be kept refrigerated, and you don’t need to worry about it getting crushed by heavier items.

Sausages – Tinned hot dogs and salami can be eaten cold for a great snack. You can also add them to bigger meals for example, into a salad or sandwich.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and just because you’re camping, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a good, healthy and hearty breakfast to start off your day:

Cereal and Milk – Bring along some of your favorite cereal to eat with milk in the morning. You could even throw on some dried fruit or mix your cereal with yogurt instead.

Jelly Sandwich – Start off your day with a sweet jelly sandwich in some soft bread or a roll.

Banana Sandwich – What’s great about bananas is that they don’t need to be kept refrigerated and they’re full of potassium. Bring along a bunch and indulge in a nice banana sandwich for breakfast. You could also add some peanut butter and get a great kick start to your day.

Fruit Salad – Bring along some tins of fruit and have them for breakfast with some yogurt or with your favorite cereal.

Pancakes – Eat ready-made pancakes with some fruit and yogurt for a filling breakfast.

Lunch

You’ll most likely be out and about during lunch time, so pack up some food and take it with you. Have a nice little picnic or eat on the go with our easy lunchtime ideas:

Sandwiches – Simple and easy to make and carry around. Bring your favorite fillings and some soft rolls to create a sandwich that will hit the spot. Tinned tuna, corned beef, and spam are some great and tasty fillings that are perfect for your camping trip. Alternatively, you could make your sandwich in a bagel or tortilla wrap.

Salads – Whip up a salad that’s full of all your favorite veggies. Add a can of tuna; some cut up cheese or even some beans to make it make it more filling.

Dinner

Instead of trying to cook over the fire, sit back and enjoy its warmth while eating these delicious no-cook dinner meals:

Pasta – Before you come camping, cook a batch of pasta and bring it with you. Mix whatever you like with it, tuna and lemon juice, tomatoes, and salami, whatever tickles your fancy.

Cheese Board – Lay out a range of cheeses for you and you fellow campers to pick at. You could also put out some crackers and a jar of chutney to create a much more filling dinner.

Mexican Spread – With some tortilla chips, wraps, bean dip, guacamole, salsa, sliced veggies and shredded lettuce, you can enjoy a tasty Mexican spread for your dinner.

 

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