Unjunk Your Camping Trip: Real Food for Real Adventures
Camping brings out the best in us: fresh air, family time, and of course, food cooked over an open flame. But camping doesn’t have to mean grabbing a stack of packaged, processed foods from the store. With a little planning, you can enjoy real, delicious meals around the campfire that fuel your adventure and keep everyone feeling great.
The typical camp diet includes hot dogs, canned chili, sugary granola bars, and boxed snacks. While convenient, these are often high in sodium, preservatives, and artificial flavors.
One mom put it perfectly:
“We love camping, but I always feel like our cooler is full of junk food. It’s easy, sure, but by day two, the kids are bouncing off the walls or crashing hard. There has to be a better way, right?”
Yes, there is a better way.
At Unjunk America, we believe food should be just as nourishing around the campfire as it is at your kitchen table. In fact, camping is the perfect time to slow down and reconnect, not only with nature but also with how we prepare and enjoy our meals.
Picture this…
You’ve just set up camp. The tent is up (after some teamwork and a few giggles), the kids are exploring, and the firewood is stacked and ready. As the sun begins to set, everyone starts asking the big question:
“What’s for dinner?”
Instead of reaching for wrapped mystery meat or a bag of marshmallows, imagine pulling out a container of pre-marinated chicken to throw on the grill, alongside skewers of colorful veggies. Or maybe you’ve got DIY foil packs with potatoes, peppers, and lean ground turkey, already seasoned and ready to go. Breakfast the next morning? How about banana oat pancakes on the griddle or egg muffins you made ahead of time and just need to reheat over the fire?
Sound too good to be true? It’s not :)
Here Are a Few Unjunked Camping Tips & Ideas:
1. Make-Ahead Magic:
Prep meals at home before your trip. Chop veggies, marinate proteins, and pre-cook items like rice or pasta. Store them in reusable containers or zip-top bags.
2. Swap the Snacks:
Instead of chips and sugary granola bars, pack trail mix with real nuts and dried fruit, whole fruit (apples, oranges, bananas), and even homemade energy bites. Kids won’t miss the junk if the options taste good!
3. Upgrade the Classics:
Instead of canned chili ➜ Try homemade chili frozen ahead of time, it’ll keep the cooler cold and reheat beautifully over the fire.
Instead of boxed pancake mix ➜ Pre-mix your dry ingredients at home and just add water or milk when you're ready to cook.
Instead of sugary drink pouches ➜ Bring fruit-infused water in mason jars or reusable bottles.
4. Pack a Plan:
Winging it at the campsite often leads to emergency convenience food. Take the guesswork out by downloading my Unjunked Camping Meals guide. A printable resource filled with kid-approved, easy-to-prep recipes that taste amazing outdoors.
Michelle Walker
a mom, former educator, and the founder of Unjunk America - a movement dedicated to helping families ditch processed foods, decode food labels, and reconnect with real food. With a warm, no-judgment approach, Michelle empowers parents to make simple, sustainable changes in their kitchens, one meal at a time.
Learn more or join the movement at UnjunkAmerica.com.
