EASY CAMPING MEALS: SIMPLE CAPSULE MEAL PLANNING

Hey Foodies and outdoor adventurists! It’s high time we throw out that detailed Google Doc and the camping mile-long grocery list you found on Pinterest and start enjoying the great outdoors with this easy camping meals simple capsule meal planning to make camp cooking a breeze. Whether you’re a seasoned camper or pitching your tent for the first time, we’ve got you covered with practical, tasty solutions to keep you fueled and smiling under the stars.

No gourmet chef skills are required—just good vibes and a hunger for easy outdoor camping meals. Let’s explore how to turn basic ingredients and a little prep into delicious campfire feasts without breaking a sweat! So, fire up those camp stoves because who says roughing it has to mean rough eating!?

A new perspective was needed…

We decided to try a new meal planning method on a recent week-long semi-remote camping trip. And, after waiting until the last minute to plan our meals, THIS idea was born. WHAT can we quickly Instacart in that will give us the most bang for our buck!? The goal of this next camping adventure was to spend LESS TIME planning, shopping, and overthinking the whole food part. instead, I wanted different options from the same basic ingredients to fix an easy camping meal. Peanut butter and jelly anyone!? 

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So, just like the concept of a capsule wardrobe where every piece can be interchangeable creating a gazillion different options, I wanted to apply the same thought process to accommodate all our meals for a week. The results!? GAME CHANGING! Listen, we didn’t reinvent the wheel, we simply just quit overthinking and came up with a BRILLIANT plan. 

What is a capsule meal plan!?

By definition, a Capsule meal plan is a collection of food basics that are easily interchangeable to maximize the number of meals you can create. Much like a capsule wardrobe, you can achieve various meals with a small selection of ingredients. Fewer ingredients + more space = I could pack more shoes!! JUST kidding! 

Benefits of easy camping meals simple capsule meal planning .

We discovered that there are so many FANTASTIC benefits to creating a camping capsule meal plan. Here are some upsides we experienced first-hand.

PRO TIP: GRAB WHAT YOU CAN FROM A SAM’S CLUB OR COSTCO. WE LOVE THE LARGER PACKAGES SO IT ELIMINATES MULTIPLE CHIP AND BUN BAGS.

No decision or meal planning fatigue.

Fewer options, fewer decisions! Creating your menu packing list is easy and enjoyable when you have a small group of staples you love, know how to cook without much effort, and make clean-up a breeze. I’m guilty of OVER planning individual, sometimes labor-intense meals. What inevitably happens is constantly digging through the storage bins and cooler to find EVERYTHING needed for ONE meal! Ya’ll, it’s exhausting! With this concept, all that is required is grabbing a basic from each category. 

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Our Absolute Best Campfire Food To Cook

Saves a ton of money.

​How often do we hit Pinterest and Instagram for camping recipes and meal plan ideas that lead us to need to take out a second mortgage at the grocery store!? GUILTY.  It’s all those gorgeous pictures around the campfire that get me every time!

The additional cost adds up! So, turning your camp meal plan into a capsule, your grocery store bill will be considerably less because your staple pieces will be versatile, easy to grab, and things you love. You’ll shop more quickly and buy fewer food items you don’t truly need. I promise you’ll get your swoon worthy Instagrammable shot!

More time.

​Think about the time you spend shopping, online hunting, packing, locating where you packed THAT item, cooking, putting IT ALL BACK, organizing, and THEN having to decide what to cook because you’re exhausted from a long day out kayaking and your brain is fried. When you have minimalist capsule meals you spend considerably less time and energy on all these things, which you can then spend on more important things like hiking out to see the fireflies. GLORIOUS!

Essential easy capsule meal planning.

​Before I dive into our method, here are a few tips to help you choose the basics that will work best for you.

Keep a primary basic food palette when planning out your easy camping meals and simple capsule meal planning.

​Keep it simple. Basics can include hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, pancakes —or anything in between. The idea is to keep it SUPER SIMPLE. 

If you LOVE salsas as much as we do, grab two that you love and that work with different meals. Not only will they pair nicely with your Mexican-themed meal ideas, but they’ll add interest and personality to your capsule.

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Pick delicious, versatile, easy to prepare ingredients for easy camping meals & simple capsule meal planning.

When planning your menu capsule for your next camping trip, you’ll also want to focus on how delicious, easy to prepare, and versatile each ingredient is. 

• Delicious food is classic and will never go out of style. Think of meals like, a classic burger cooked on an open-flame, pancakes, and campfire breakfast tacos. YUMMM…(Grab THIS campfire breakfast taco recipe for an INCREDIBLE meal!)
• Functional camp food to fit your camping lifestyle. When choosing your capsule ingredients, consider factors like, do you need to feed a lot of people, picky eaters, a vegetarian option, young children, ease of preparation, and clean up. Are there bears and do I have room to keep it locked up?
• Does my food play well with others!? Can you create what you have chosen in different ways and eat them in various ways?

Before selecting a food staple for your capsule, ask yourself these questions:

• Is this item easy to fix and practical?
• Will I have easy access to this item and does it require a cooler? 
• Will it pair easily with the other items? 
• Can it be fixed in different ways? Can I use it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!?
• Can I prepare this meal on an open fire, use foil packs, my camp stove, or a small grill!?
• Are you camping for a night, a couple of days or weeks?

Focus on your camping lifestyle.

​Over the last couple of years, our camp menus have evolved. Lately, we find ourselves craving the simple. And that’s ok. It gives us plenty of time to dream up more delicious recipes!

Think of this as a rough draft for your easy camping meals.

We’re not going for the Julia Child of perfectly curated EASY camping capsule meals. We’re here to relax and get some fresh air! This is a ROUGH DRAFT. Start with a few basics and your favorite camping meals. As you hone your camp cooking skills and find your favorite camp meals, your easy camping meals simple capsule meal planning will evolve and get better over time. 

Let’s build these EASY capsule meals to make camp cooking a breeze.

The Pantry: The idea is to pick food you love that can be mix and matched like an outfit. Hot dog buns can be “sub rolls”, pre-cooked Bacon can be used on EVERYTHING! You get the idea!

On our recent trip out, we knew we would need to keep ALL food on lockdown due to high bear activity. So, we grabbed a laundry basket, A.K.A. “pantry”, and quickly decided on these items:

•  large tortillas
•  small tortillas
•  tortilla chips
•  kettle chips
•  refried beans
• salsas
• pickled jalapenos
• bread
• hot dog/hamburger buns
• dry pancake mix
• pe-cooked bacon
• onions
• limes
• watermelon
• 2 small potatoes
• coffee stuff
• taco seasoning, salt, pepper, & garlic
• oil

The cooler: We have since upgraded to this Dometic CFX3 75-Liter Dual Zone Portable Refrigerator and Freezer and it has been awesome! However, most campers use a regular cooler. So, keeping with the theme of packing light, even if using a cooler, the GOAL is to ONLY pack what can be used for ALL meals. This reduces overloading, saves on ice, and inevitably rooting around hunting the one item on the bottom! Here is what we packed:

• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• cillantro
• sliced cheese
• avocado packs
• lunch meat
• hot dogs
• ground beef
• eggs
• shred lettuce
• Duke’s Mayonnaise
• ketchup
• fresh Georgia peaches
• mustard
• cinnamon rolls
• breakfast sausage
• orange juice
• tub butter

That’s it! Easy capsule ingredients for 7 days worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. ALL our pantry fit in a medium laundry basket we kept in the back seat of the truck and our cold items fit with plenty of room in the fridge.

So, what did we fix!?

Glad you asked! By now, you can tell we LOVE Mexican cuisine! Philip believes that it’s a food group along with bbq, pizza, and hamburgers! It’s honestly no surprise THIS is the basics we chose. here we go:

• Breakfast included: tacos, burritos, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes & bacon, quesadillas, eggs, toast, and bacon
• Lunch included: sandwiches with pre-cooked bacon and you guessed it…tacos, burritos, quesadillas, hot dogs, grilled cheeses
• Dinner included: burgers, hot dogs, camp nachos, taco salads, quesadillas, tacos, and burritos
• Snacks: peaches, watermelon, chips and salsa, cinnamon rolls

Substitutions for a capsule camp meal plan.

• For ALL our Keto Friends out there, sub in your “Keto Friendly” food items to stay compliant on your diet.
• You can easily make this vegetarian or vegan by swapping out the meat for “meatless” crumbles, Impossible Burger patties THAT can also be crumbled and cooked like ground beef. Grab an egg sub like Just Eggs, tofu, and/or use canned beans, and your favorite dairy free cheese.
• Camping in the Fall/Winter!? Chilli goes with EVERYTHING! Including a breakfast hash! Go CRAZY!
• Grab quick cooking rice & make a large batch. Scoop out what you need for each meal & flavor with cilantro & lime, make a spanishish rice with salsa, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro, or go Asian with adding coconut milk.
• You could easily do an Italian or Asian staple base.

So what’s the verdict!?

We LOVED this concept so much for camping, we implemented back at home! Life is FAST & SUPER busy for everyone, so give yourself some grace and on your next outdoor adventure rock SUPER easy capsule meals to make camp cooking a breeze! We would love to hear what your camping capsule looked like. Drop us a comment and a pic below! For more easy camping meals, check out our Friends over at Fresh Off The Grid.

As you embark on your next camping adventure, armed with these easy capsule meal ideas, you’re not just simplifying camp cooking — you’re enhancing every moment spent outdoors. With these recipes, every mealtime becomes a chance to savor the simplicity and joy of nature, without sacrificing on flavor or nutrition. So, gather around the campfire, share stories, and enjoy the delicious ease of these capsule meals. Here’s to more memorable camping experiences filled with good food and great company! Happy Wandering!