Camping is all about being out and enjoying yourself in nature, so it makes perfect sense to adopt a plant-based lifestyle during this experience. However, that can be challenging given how traditional camping food recipes revolve around consuming animal food items.
Vegan Camping food ideas were hard to come by until now! This blog post is a one-stop-shop for ideas, tips, and tricks on what you need to take on your plant-based camping trip. We've collated the best vegan camping food ideas and their recipes, so you can start planning your vegan camping meals today!
Vegan Camping Food Prep
Before you start your vegan camping meal plan, there are several important aspects of your trip that you'll need to consider. This checklist will ensure that you are able to maximize your next camping trip by reducing stress - leaving you to enjoy your vegan camping experience!
We recommend producing a vegan meal plan guide that you can share with your fellow campers. Not only will this make sure that everyone is content with the camping food, but it will also help you to plan a more detailed grocery and food list, as you will be able to look over the specific recipes.
Research your campsite and cooking options
If it is necessary, planning ahead of your camping trip can also help you to make arrangements for refrigeration and storage too.
Must-have camping supplies
Making sure that you have the right cooking supplies and crockery for your trip is especially important, as this can make or break your vegan camping meals! If this is your first vegan camping trip, the required crockery used in recipes may be slightly different from what you usually would use, so make sure you read the recipes properly.
If you are making some of your vegan camping food prep ahead of your trip, or plan to reuse leftover food from your camping meals, we highly recommend bringing tinfoil to store and cook the food.
Cloth is also an incredibly useful camping supply for cleaning up any messes or storing softer foods, like bread and nut butter, such as almond butter.
Vegan Camping essential food list
For a successful vegan camping trip, having a list of essential vegan foods for meals can be incredibly helpful when planning a grocery trip. Most of the vegan foods in this list can double as snacks and even be ingredients in meals. Our vegan camping food essentials include:
- Oats
- Condiments
- Coffee and other beverages
- Canned beans
- Peanut butter
- Trail mix
- Boxed meals in case of bad weather
- Soy sauce and hot sauce
Furthermore, some camping vegan food items can be prepped or purchased beforehand. These items can be extremely useful when following a vegan diet whilst camping. Our top items include:
Hummus
Whether your hummus is homemade or store-bought, the chickpeas in hummus provide a ton of essential proteins!
Potato Salad
Potato salad is a tasty side dish that can complement any vegan meal.
Foil veggie packs
Foil packs are a no-brainer when it comes to camping! Make sure you stock up on tin foil for cooking and storing your vegan foods.
Cookies and snacks
We recommend healthy sweet treats that will help keep your energy levels high. We recommend banana muffins or apples and peanut butter.
Granola bars and trail mix
Specifically formulated for backpackers and campers, granola bars and trail mix are a fun way of incorporating essential macros into your diet.
Vegan Breakfast Food Ideas
1). Blueberry- Coconut French Toast
This vegan friendly morning meal is a staple camping breakfast to enjoy around the campfire. Needing just a handful of ingredients, blueberry and coconut french toast is a convenient way to enjoy a sweet breakfast without the need for dairy. With a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of only 15 minutes, this vegan camping recipe is both one of the simplest and most delectable of our vegan camping breakfast ideas!
2). Sweet/Savory Vegan Pancakes
Using just a few ingredients, these plant based pancakes can be adapted to suit either a sweet or savory preference. The pancake mix is made up of oats, water and bananas. We recommend serving this pancake mix with your favorite fruits and maple syrup!
3). Apple Seed Oatmeal
Oatmeal is such a staple of both the vegan and camping diet due to its slow-releasing energy properties. With a prep time of just 5 minutes, you can't go wrong with this apple seed oatmeal! By mixing oats with maple syrup, this flavorful oatmeal will taste just like granola bars for a fraction of the price.
Vegan Lunch Food ideas
4). Spicy Chickpea Burgers
5). Watermelon and Arugula Salad
This vegan recipe is one of our favorite vegan camping lunch ideas due to the lightness and summer feel of the dish! Making 4-6 servings in just 10 minutes, this salad is full of essential vitamins like iron and B12 to help replenish your body after camping adventures. Feel free to add chickpeas, sweet potatoes, or bell peppers to suit your taste!
6). Rainbow Veggie Hummus Sandwiches
This beautiful rainbow sandwich is definitely making a few appearances on your social media pages! The vibrant colors of the vegetables are a reflection of the nutritious goodness you're putting into your body, and the creamy hummus adds a welcomed sauce to complete the vegan dish. This recipe inspiration for rainbow veggie hummus sandwiches makes for a perfect vegan lunch or a convenient on-the-go snack.
7). Mushroom Quesadillas
This vegan delight will add a Mexican twist to the great outdoors. Vegan camping recipes do not get much better than this, as these mushroom quesadillas incorporate mushrooms, spinach, guacamole, and lime. Use your favorite vegan cheese alternative to achieve that wonderful queso flavor, and cook over the camp stove until the vegan cheese is beautifully melted.
Vegan Dinner Ideas
8). Beer-Glazed Cajun Vegetables
You can either prepare this vegan dish ahead of your camping trip by chopping the vegetables and popping them in a sealed container, or you can bring your vegetables to the campsite with you. You have the choice of which veggies you want to add, but we recommend red onion, sweet potato, and red peppers!
9). Peanut curry with mushrooms and chickpeas
This vegan curry is great for experimenting with delicious flavors whether you're car camping or in the great outdoors! Vegan camping doesn't mean you have to stick to basic recipes, as international recipes often cater for vegan diets exceptionally well.
This vegan peanut curry is filled with mushrooms and chickpeas to add essential protein back into your body, helping your muscles to recover quickly. After a long or busy day of camping, warm your bodies around the campfire and warm your appetite with this delicious vegan dinner.
10). Grilled Tofu Steaks
Tofu is a vegan camping food staple due to how versatile it is! These grilled tofu steaks combine the delicious flavors of sweet and savory, making them a mouth-watering vegan camping dinner dish.
Grilled tofu steaks are a low-calorie dinner recipe that can be prepped and cooked in around an hour. Add some smokiness by cooking them over the campfire for a true vegan camping experience.
11). Udon Noodle Salad
Any leftover tofu from the steaks can be used in this delectable vegan camping food recipe. Udon noodle salad uses a wealth of nutritious vegetables and protein-heavy tofu to make the ultimate camping salad. With a sesame marinade, these noodles will be bursting with flavor!
With a prep time of only 10 minutes and a cooking time of 5, you can relax knowing that your vegan dinner is going to make your campers very happy.
Vegan Dessert Ideas
12). Vegan S'more Brownies
Enjoying s'mores around a campfire is a staple of the traditional camping experience, so why should this change just because you're vegan? These vegan s'more brownies are layered with gooey fudge and vegan marshmallows in between crunchy graham crackers. Your friends and family are guaranteed to love these brownies, whether they follow a vegan diet or not!
13). Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
This sweet vegan dish can be served as a dessert, breakfast, or snack, making it a fantastically versatile vegan camping food! Oatmeal is a healthy source of carbohydrates that slowly release energy throughout the day, preventing you from experiencing the rise and fall of sugar spikes.
Using only 7 ingredients, this recipe can either be made ahead of your camping trip and frozen or cooked during your trip.
14). Campfire Apple Crisp
This campfire apple crisp recipe is a simple-to-follow recipe that is super quick to make. The warming nature of lightly spiced apples will help you to feel cozy on slightly cooler nights, and the beautiful contrast between the succulent apples and the crispy granola will remind you of home cooking.
This vegan camping food recipe creates a beautifully spiced dish that boasts those nostalgic autumnal flavors.
Conclusion
To summarize, vegan camping food doesn't have to be plain or boring! These vegan camping food recipes are not only incredibly delicious, but they are bursting with essential nutrients and proteins that will help to prepare your body for any strenuous camping activities.
If you want vegan-friendly meals that can instantly boost your protein levels, look no further than Proper Good. Proper Good offers affordable, ready-made lunch and dinner pouches that are extremely suited to camping trips due to their efficient packaging and quick cooking time.
It is so important that your vegan camping foods are nutritious enough to warm your body during cooler evenings and leave it with enough energy to thrive during the day. We hope these carefully selected favorite vegan camping recipes provide you with lots of inspiration for your next camping adventure!
