One of the stress points for PLANTSTRONG campers hitting the trails is:
How do I continue to fuel my body properly when so much of what traditionally constitutes “camping food” revolves around such things as beef jerky and hot dogs?
And many vegetarian and vegan camping snacks are rich in oil, sugar, and sodium. Sure, packing plant-based food for a one-day trip is simple enough, but what if you’re camping for a few days and nights?
Fear not: There are several ways to do it … easily, deliciously, and certifiably PLANTSTRONG.
First, we recommend a few camping-friendly essentials from Amazon.
- GSI Outdoors Fairshare Mug – Perfect for making Seven-Day Rescue bowls
- Light My Fire Original BPA-Free Tritan Spork with Full-Sized Spoon, Fork, and Serrated Knife Edge
- AOTU Portable Camping Stove
- MSR Alpine StowAway Pot – Perfect for boiling water or simmering oats, stew, and more
Next, you’ll want to order some dehydrated and freeze-dried ingredients from Harmony House Foods (order direct or find them on Amazon.com) – These light and portable ingredients are perfect for bowl and recipe building the PLANTSTRONG way. You can buy items individually or in a sampler pack. Sampler packs are fun because you get small packets of a variety of ingredients for plenty of tasty inventive combinations!
Once you’ve got your basic supplies, let’s head for the mountains and get cooking. Scroll to the bottom for some of our favorite recipes to prep and pack for your next camping trip!
Stew’s On! It doesn’t get much easier than a hearty bowl of ready-to-eat Engine 2 Firehouse Chili, Thai Carrot Chickpea Stew, Indian Lentil Stew, or Creamy White Bean Chili on your camp stove, or cooked in a pot right over the fire pit. (Don’t forget to use fire-proof cooking supplies.) No doubt, you’ll be the envy of the campground, especially if you toss these hearty stews and chilis over some leafy greens or rice.
No Fridge On The Trail? Don’t Fret. Try Cold Soaking. Cold soaking is a staple amongst many long-distance backpackers thanks to its simplicity and ease. It eschews cooking over a flame for the simple use of good old-fashioned water to hydrate and prepare your food. Want a quick example and recipe? Let’s say it’s 4 p.m. and you’re about an hour out from dinner. Grab your container (emptied and cleaned plastic Talenti ice cream containers or peanut butter jars are particularly popular and easy), toss in some couscous, pine nuts, dehydrated vegetables, and dried apricots … add some seasoning (coriander and cinnamon anyone?), fill it to the top with water, seal it up and let it sit for about an hour.
When dinner time comes around, voila! It’s ready to go … soft, filling, and flavorful. (If you do insist on it being warm, you can still heat it up over a flame, but be sure to spring for a titanium container, which can double as a pot if needed.)
PLANTSTRONG Pizza Night Under the Stars – How fun is it to cook up pizza right on the fire pit?! Our organic, whole grain, and oil-free PLANTSTRONG pizza crusts are made with whole wheat, naturally sweetened with a touch of maple syrup, and stone-baked for an authentic pizzeria taste – the perfect foundation for a PLANTSTRONG pizza. They are stored ambient so you can pack them in the camper and save the cooler space. Top with our Firehouse Chili, or even some of the dehydrated ingredients you brought and have heated up over boiling water. Onions, corn, tomatoes, spinach…the options are as numerous as the stars in the sky you’ll be admiring as you enjoy your piping hot creation.
Breakfast of Camping Champions – A perfect day in nature starts with a great breakfast. We, of course, love Rip’s Big Bowl cereal, along with the new Multigrain Flakes- Date & Raisin Cereal topped with fresh or dehydrated berries, seeds, bananas, and more. Our desert-inspired PLANTSTRONG granolas also provide hearty sustenance all day for your favorite camping activities – kayaking, bird-watching, mountain biking, hiking, or even relaxing in that hammock with a great book.
Heading to the mountains for a camping trip doesn’t have to mean ditching your PLANTSTRONG plan. With a little pre-planning and creativity, you can build tasty meals that don’t require refrigeration and keep you fully fueled for your adventures. Whether you are hiking or setting up camp in the woods or on the beach, convenient PLANTSTRONG meals make camp life a lot easier.
See a few of our other favorite recipes below!
You can create your own meal ideas by adding dehydrated ingredients and spices to a zipper storage bag. You could also make a large quantity of one type of meal and store it in a different container if you don’t mind eating the same meal during your trip. Add enough water to cover the ingredients that you are cooking or cold soaking – you can add more water later if you need it or want your recipe to be more like soup than stew.
Cheezy Potatoes
- 5 tablespoons dehydrated potatoes
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated carrots
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated spinach
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated celery
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated jalapeños (optional)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- dash of black pepper
Mango Oats or Multigrain Flakes
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or Multigrain Flake
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried mango
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 handful of walnuts
Rip’s Big Bowl with Berries & Bananas
- 1 cup Rip’s Big Bowl Cereal
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried raspberries
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried bananas
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 handful walnuts
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
Banana Nut Polenta
- 1/2 cup fine grain polenta (corn meal)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried bananas
- 1 handful of walnuts
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
All of these meals can be made in one of two ways: add the dry ingredients to your fairshare mug or bowl and add boiling water, stir, cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes – or – add dry ingredients to the pot of boiling water, reduce heat and simmer for 5 -8 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Then enjoy!
Make your outdoor camping adventure delicious, easy, and convenient. Check out our growing assortment of products in our PLANTSTRONG food line. We ship direct to your door and you can save 10% when you subscribe!
