Easy and Nourishing Camping Food Ideas for Kids

Camping with kids? Here’s how to pack easy, nourishing, and fun camping meals and snacks the whole family will actually eat (and enjoy together).

Summer is fast approaching, and family camping trips are one of the best parts of the season! But let’s be real — it’s challenging enough to feed your family nourishing meals at home, let alone when you’re out in the woods with limited supplies.

Here are my dietitian-approved camping food ideas for kids, plus simple tips to help keep your family well-fed and fuelled while you make those summer memories.

Plan Ahead

Set aside a bit of time to plan your meals and snacks before you head out. A simple plan helps you pack enough food without feeling overwhelmed or overpacking.

• Gather camping must-haves: stove, utensils, plates, napkins, soap, wipes, containers for leftovers, and tinfoil for easy campfire cooking.
• Make a rough meal plan: breakfasts, lunches, suppers, and snacks.
• Prep what you can at home — homemade trail mix, muffins, or no-bake energy bites.

Easy, Nourishing Camping Meals for Kids

Keep it simple! Build each meal with three parts:

• Protein: fresh meat, poultry, fish, nitrate-free deli meats, eggs, beans, lentils, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, cheese, tofu.
• Veggies or Fruit: fresh raw veggies or fruit, pre-made salad mixes, unsweetened dried fruit. Ready-to-eat veggies (like stringless sugar snap peas) are perfect!
• Whole Grains: oats, whole grain bread, wraps, pita, brown rice, quinoa, corn, sweet potatoes.

When camping, I like to enjoy those classic camping treats (s’mores forever!) while balancing them with simple, nourishing foods that help everyone feel good. It’s not about perfection — it’s about enjoying food and time together.

Camping Breakfast Ideas

• Overnight oats in mason jars with Greek yogurt, berries, and almonds.
• Yogurt parfaits with almond slivers and fruit.
• Eggs cooked over the fire: breakfast burritos (you can make a modified version of this easy egg burrito bake), foil-pack omelets, or a campfire frittata.
• Fibre-rich cereal with milk and sliced bananas. Unsure which cereal to bring? Here are 20+ of my fave breakfast cereals for kids.
• Pre-made whole grain pancakes, waffles, or French toast: wrap in foil and warm over the fire.
• Breakfast sandwiches: English muffin with egg, cheese, and spinach — wrap in foil and warm on the grill.
• Bagels with nut or seed butter and sliced apples or bananas.

Camping Lunch Ideas

• Tuna or egg salad with whole grain crackers and veggies with dip or hummus.
• Wraps: whole grain wrap with turkey, cheese, and spinach + apple or pear.
• Snack box: hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes, almonds, crackers, snap peas, KIND Bar.
• Leftover BBQ: burgers or grilled chicken in a bun with veggie sticks.
• DIY pita pizzas: whole grain pita, tomato sauce, shredded cheese — grill on the campfire.
• Cold pasta salad: cooked pasta, veggies, cheese cubes, beans — tossed with olive oil and herbs.

Camping Dinner Ideas

• BBQ chicken or steak with a simple salad and whole grain buns.
• Homemade burgers: pre-make patties and freeze them to toss on the grill. These juicy turkey mushroom burgers definitely fit the bill.
• Foil-pack meals: salmon fillets or white fish with veggies and herbs cooked over the fire.
• Loaded baked potatoes: wrap sweet potatoes or yams in foil, cook in the fire, top with cheese, beans, salsa.
• Thawed casserole or chili: heat up on the camp stove, pair with raw veggies and dip.
• Grilled sausage or veggie skewers with a side of quinoa salad.
• Campfire quesadillas: tortillas with beans, cheese, and veggies, folded and heated in foil.
• Mini pizzas: English muffins with sauce and cheese — grill over the fire.

Tip: Freeze your meat (chicken, steak, hamburgers etc.), and seal in freezer bags, before you go, so that it keeps the cooler cool (along with the foods inside) and is ready to grill when you are.

Snacks to Keep Everyone Fuelled

Pair a protein food with fruit, veggies, or grains to keep kids energised:

• Homemade trail mix: almonds, unsweetened dried fruit, whole grain cereal.
• Greek yogurt cups with berries.
• Made With Local Bars or other bars you enjoy.
• Veggies + hummus or tzatziki.
• Fruit + cheese or nut/seed butter.
• Whole grain crackers + cheese.
• Hard-boiled eggs.

Pack sturdy fruits like apples, oranges, or melon you can cut up later. Fill your cooler with things like yogurt, cheese, and energy balls for easy grab-and-go options.

And don’t forget the fun stuff! Chips, marshmallows, chocolate — pick the treats your family loves and enjoy them together around the campfire.

Sarah Remmer, RD

Sarah Remmer, RD, is a registered dietitian and mom of three, specializing in family and pediatric nutrition. She’s the founder of Centred Nutrition Collective and has nearly 20 years of experience helping families feel confident about feeding their kids.