5 Camping Food Hacks!

IT IS SUMMERTIME!!!! I am packing up to leave for camping and I have 5 camping food hacks to tell you about! Here at Pennies into Pearls, I like to save you time and money so you can focus on what matters the most! So, let me help you make camping easier!

Let’s Talk Snacks- Hack #1

I have a heavy duty plastic tote that is two drawers. In the top drawer I like to put all the pre-packaged snacks and chips so that it is easy for my kids to just go grab what they need to pack a lunch for a hike or a lunch down at the beach. In the bottom drawer, I have all my miscellaneous cooking needs and ingredients. I also put a large box on top of the drawer system, that houses our breads, bagels, and chips!

Dont Forget! – Hack #2

I have came up with a list of things you might not think or remember to bring!

Pan Spray
Handheld Mixer
All the condiments
Protein filled snacks (Keep those tummies full, longer!)
Frozen gallons of ice water (Keeps your cooler cold and gives you ice cold water to drink)

Make a detailed list and list out EVERYTHING you will need for a meal!

Pre-Cook Everything! – Hack #3

If you can pre-cook something, do yourself a favor and DO IT! You are on vacation, the last thing you want to do is worry about cooking all day! I have pre cooked the following:

Bacon
Chicken salad
Noodles for pasta salad
Oliver’s Birthday Cake
Waffles

Now, all I have to do is heat up over the camp stove and VOILA! Done!

Prep Everything!- Hack #4

If there is something you cant cook ahead of time, at least prep it! Make sure you do everything you can now, to ensure an easy meal time. I even prepped individual baggies of the protein hot chocolate me and hubby drink every morning. Also, try to portion large condiments and sauces into smaller containers to help save room in the cooler.

Packing the Cooler- Hack #5

Talk about a puzzle, huh? Make sure you put your food strategically in the cooler so it will last until you need it. Take for example, the cool whip I need for Oliver’s birthday cake. I made sure to freeze that and pack it frozen because, I will not need that until night 3 of camping. It will have time to defrost without going bad. I will need ground beef patties for dinner one night so I made sure to pack those with LOTS of ice around them to keep them good to eat!

Phew! Its a lot of work to prep all the food correctly! I hope that these 5 camping food hacks can help you feed your family with less stress! But, as long as you have a plan and a detailed list, YOU CAN DO IT!