Grilling a gourmet meal at your campsite can be a great deal of fun, not to mention delicious. However, often we are restricted by time, cash or space for transporting our gear. That is where inexpensive and simple car camping meals come in convenient.
You don't necessarily need to give up a warm, cooked meal to cheap food that is easy to prepare. With a portable gas burner, you can still have your hot coffee when you wake up, cook warm morning meals, make hearty stews and lots more.
A mobile gas burner can cost you less than twenty bucks plus a mini propane tank will cost a couple of dollars. Besides being cheaper than a barbecue, camping stove or grill - this cooking method uses up minimal cargo area in your car. They are also ideal for backpacking trips.
Presuming that you don't want to bring food that you have to refrigerate, below are some ideas for camping meals that are simple, economical and healthy.
Noodles
Get yourself a large stew pot, and you can heat water for all types of noodles. Pasta is cheap, uses up virtually no cargo area and does not have to be stored in a cooler. Add a container of pasta sauce, and you have a warm, filling meal. Leftovers also make a fantastic, easy lunch.
Chili
Get a few cans of chili and heat them in your kettle. Lots of products already have spices added, so this means less work for you without having to forgo taste. Once again, no refrigeration needed, and naturally canned food keeps for a long period of time. You can even include your chili to your pasta meal above.
Oatmeal
There is nothing like a warm meal in the morning when you are camping, and oatmeal costs virtually nothing and takes up really little space. You can use the exact same pot you utilized for the pasta and the chili and cook some oats for a couple of minutes with some cinnamon or brown sugar. For a more substantial meal, you could even include some trail mix or dried fruit, which are terrific snacks to bring on a camping trip anyway.
Rice
Although it takes longer to prepare than pasta, rice is a good option, considering that it is compact, economical and it does not have to be cooled in its dry state. Rice matches any sort of meat, fish or veggie, but I even enjoy it plain with some pizza seasoning.
Canned Tuna
Canned tuna is a low-cost, simple and a fast source of healthy protein. Add it to rice, sandwiches, tortilla chips or eat it plain out of the can. Little serving containers are also a nice advantage.
Potatoes
This veggie might take up more space, but it is simple to transport, doesn't require refrigeration and is a low-cost healthy carbohydrate. You might like baked potatoes or those prepared in a skillet vs boiled potatoes, however, no matter what type of food preparation equipment you have, know that you have meal options.
Peanut Butter
Don't forget peanut butter. It is quick and easy and a great source of protein as well. If you are trying to find an option to sandwich bread, why not get whole wheat crackers or rice cakes?
There are plenty more food options to create camping meals, however, these staples are really flexible and help you develop a wide variety of dishes just by switching up your spices or sauce.
You don't necessarily need to give up a warm, cooked meal to cheap food that is easy to prepare. With a portable gas burner, you can still have your hot coffee when you wake up, cook warm morning meals, make hearty stews and lots more.
A mobile gas burner can cost you less than twenty bucks plus a mini propane tank will cost a couple of dollars. Besides being cheaper than a barbecue, camping stove or grill - this cooking method uses up minimal cargo area in your car. They are also ideal for backpacking trips.
Presuming that you don't want to bring food that you have to refrigerate, below are some ideas for camping meals that are simple, economical and healthy.
Noodles
Get yourself a large stew pot, and you can heat water for all types of noodles. Pasta is cheap, uses up virtually no cargo area and does not have to be stored in a cooler. Add a container of pasta sauce, and you have a warm, filling meal. Leftovers also make a fantastic, easy lunch.
Chili
Get a few cans of chili and heat them in your kettle. Lots of products already have spices added, so this means less work for you without having to forgo taste. Once again, no refrigeration needed, and naturally canned food keeps for a long period of time. You can even include your chili to your pasta meal above.
Oatmeal
There is nothing like a warm meal in the morning when you are camping, and oatmeal costs virtually nothing and takes up really little space. You can use the exact same pot you utilized for the pasta and the chili and cook some oats for a couple of minutes with some cinnamon or brown sugar. For a more substantial meal, you could even include some trail mix or dried fruit, which are terrific snacks to bring on a camping trip anyway.
Rice
Although it takes longer to prepare than pasta, rice is a good option, considering that it is compact, economical and it does not have to be cooled in its dry state. Rice matches any sort of meat, fish or veggie, but I even enjoy it plain with some pizza seasoning.
Canned Tuna
Canned tuna is a low-cost, simple and a fast source of healthy protein. Add it to rice, sandwiches, tortilla chips or eat it plain out of the can. Little serving containers are also a nice advantage.
Potatoes
This veggie might take up more space, but it is simple to transport, doesn't require refrigeration and is a low-cost healthy carbohydrate. You might like baked potatoes or those prepared in a skillet vs boiled potatoes, however, no matter what type of food preparation equipment you have, know that you have meal options.
Peanut Butter
Don't forget peanut butter. It is quick and easy and a great source of protein as well. If you are trying to find an option to sandwich bread, why not get whole wheat crackers or rice cakes?
There are plenty more food options to create camping meals, however, these staples are really flexible and help you develop a wide variety of dishes just by switching up your spices or sauce.
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If you are considering taking a camping trip, check out this page on camp cooking ideas.
