Camping food (especially no-cook food!)

[Biscuits & Gravy]

We are doing our first family camping trip next weekend. It will be a festival, so we'll have the option of fest food a few times, but for diet and budget needs we'll be bringing mostly our own. As of right now we do not have a cook stove, and I don't think we'll be doing camp fires. I've started a list of ideas, but could use some extra inspiration. We are limited a bit by dairy and peanut allergies.

Here is my list so far:
Crackers, sausage, cheese (for DH), sunbutter
Hummus, pitas, carrots
Bagels
Hot dogs
muffins
fruit

[annethcz]

If you'll have a fire (is that how you'll be cooking the hot dogs?) you'll have more options.

If you have a way to suspend a pot over the fire, your options are huge- pasta, soups, stews, etc. You can also make aluminum foil packets that sit right in the fire- add a meat (humburgers, steaks, pork chops, etc), some veggies (potatoes, carrots) and some seasoning (even just salt and pepper)- wrap them up in foil, set them in a fire, and in an hour or two they'll be done!

When camping we do a lot of easy foods- sandwiches (PB&J, or lunchmeat if we have a cooler), granola bars for breakfast, bagels, cracker packs.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

No fire. We will be busy watching music and really only at the site for meal breaks and sleeping. Tending to a fire would make us miss out on valuable bluegrass time! We don't have a camp stove, and it really isn't in our budget to get one this week. The boys actually prefer cold hot dogs, so that isn't even an issue. Weirdos!

[kavamamakava]

That sounds so fun! I went to the Magnolia Festival in Florida last year. We had a fire though.
You can make some pasta salads or other types of salad? They'll keep at least a day or two. We brought an edamame salad that had corn and was seasoned with lemon juice, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. It lasted in the cooler with ice until the last day. Do you at least have a hot pot you can boil water in for coffee or tea? You can make oatmeal or soups if you bring something like that. Bring some hardboiled eggs. How about some tortillas or wraps and a can of beans and some avocados? You can make cold wraps with beans and avocados and jarred salsa that you open the day you make the burrito/wraps.
Granola, string cheese, baby bel cheeses, nuts, chocolate...

[mysticmomma]

We always made a layered taco dip type thingy to take. You can scoop with pita chips or soemthing else.

[Artichokie]

will you have some sort of refrigeration? Here is our favorite camp fire meal:

precook (bake or boil) some boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts. Parboil some diced potato chunks.

lay out a two or three layers of aluminum foil. Put in a piece of chicken, a couple spoonfuls of potato, some frozen corn kernels, and some bbq sauce. fold the edges together to form a packet. Refrigerate. Throw into hot coals for a bit until heated through. SOOOOOO good and very easy once you are camping. Easy clean up, too.

[rhiOrion]

B&G- if you're interested in borrowing either of our camp stoves I can look and see if I can find them (all of our stuff is a bit disheveled from moving, but I can try to find it before wednesday). We have a two burner coleman type deal and a little itsy bitsy backpacking stove that uses crazy fuel (i'd recommend the coleman )

We can call it a temporary trade... if you bring me some fuzzibunz to try you can hold my stove hostage until I return them! (though I'd lend it to you either way, of course).

As far as food- When I go to festivals I usually pack stuff like homemade granola bars, plus a lot of the stuff you already mentioned. And your chocolate oat things

And if you'll have a cooler I'm a big fan of Taco Roll-ups

And muffins that are full of good for you things like oats and nut butter and such. Here are a few of my favorites. ABC Muffins (after The Rockford's ABC sandwich).

Turkey and cheese muffins

Carhootel's chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

B&G- if you're interested in borrowing either of our camp stoves I can look and see if I can find them (all of our stuff is a bit disheveled from moving, but I can try to find it before wednesday). We have a two burner coleman type deal and a little itsy bitsy backpacking stove that uses crazy fuel (i'd recommend the coleman )

We can call it a temporary trade... if you bring me some fuzzibunz to try you can hold my stove hostage until I return them! (though I'd lend it to you either way, of course).

As far as food- When I go to festivals I usually pack stuff like homemade granola bars, plus a lot of the stuff you already mentioned. And your chocolate oat things

And if you'll have a cooler I'm a big fan of Taco Roll-ups

And muffins that are full of good for you things like oats and nut butter and such. Here are a few of my favorites. ABC Muffins (after The Rockford's ABC sandwich).

Turkey and cheese muffins

Carhootel's chocolate chip pumpkin muffins

Let me talk to DH about borrowing a stove. You rock! But, unfortunately I do not have any teeny FBs to lend. You could borrow a couple of BGs if you want, but they have all been converted to snaps (which is better IMO!) ETA: Do you think your granola bars would work with sunbutter?? I haven't tried to boil it. I baked with it once and it made my muffins turn green. I love the tortilla roll up idea though. Might have to come up with something involving beans and tofutti cream cheese!

We will have coolers. Beans, tortillas, and some kind of dip are great ideas. I have plenty of them in my stockpile and a couple of refried bean obsessed kids. A dip would send them over the edge! I'll have to come up with something. Yum!

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by Biscuits & Gravy

Let me talk to DH about borrowing a stove. You rock! But, unfortunately I do not have any teeny FBs to lend. You could borrow a couple of BGs if you want, but they have all been converted to snaps (which is better IMO!)

We will have coolers. Beans, tortillas, and some kind of dip are great ideas. I have plenty of them in my stockpile and a couple of refried bean obsessed kids. A dip would send them over the edge! I'll have to come up with something. Yum!

Ahh, okay, somebody had FBs. But if you want to borrow the stove I guuuuuueeessss I'll let you

Here's my favorite dip recipe... though it does need to be hot.

[Magelet]

I definitely second cold salads. My fave is french green lentil salad with a home made vinegrette (just make it extra vinegary and extra salty) and fresh veggies. We put cheese, but you don't have to.) Pasta salad? Rice salad.

Sliced meat/cheese and fixin's for sandwhiches? Maybe with some coleslaw and fruit? Or even green salad with pre-mixed dressing on the side.

Definitely hummus.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Pasta salad! Yes! Great idea.

[BetsyS]

Chicken salad
Boiled eggs (or even better, deviled eggs!)
tuna
pasta salad
3 bean salad
black bean/corn salad (can eat on a plate, add chicken if you like, add avocado if you like, put it in a tortilla, eat it with chips...very versatile, and it's something we don't get tired of)

We like sausage balls (sausage, cheese, bisquik), but with a dairy allergy, those might be out.

Spiced pecans or walnuts
Trail mix
brownies (cause brownies are always good )

[aprons_and_acorns]

Lots of yummy ideas so far . . . When we would camp with no fire (for festivals) when I was a little girl my mom used to grill a bunch of chicken the day before and pack it in the cooler with potato salad and other fixins. Cold chicken still reminds me of happy family summmers

[mumkimum]

Bulgur wheat can get soaked with water for an hour or so and mixed with veggies/spices/canned beans for a savory salad or soak it with juice and mix with can fruit for a hearty fruit salad.

Canned beans (esp garbanzos) can get added to lots of quick, no cook camping meals. Canned refried beans can get used on sandwiches or wraps (with cheese, veggies, meats). Canned beets are a nice, easy salad with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Avocados are a good idea. And personally, I always end up eating mostly fruit when camping for some reason, so tons of that.