Breakfast Ideas for Camping Holidays
When you’ve got a camping holiday booked, meal prepping is almost always one of the hardest bits of planning, especially if you’ve got a picky family to cater for and minimal access to the equipment you’d normally have at home.
But, with the right information and portable equipment, you can make morsels as tasty as you could possibly imagine them being, catered specifically to the tastes of everyone you’re bringing with you. Don’t believe it?
Rhyd y Galen can prove it.
Things to consider when preparing food for a camping trip
To start, we need to discuss all the things you’ll need to consider when planning your meals for your camping trip. As you won’t have access to any of the amenities you’re used to having at home, like an oven, fridge or dishwasher, you will need to work around these natural limitations.
Before looking at breakfast options, ask yourself:
1. Do you have access to a fridge?
Access to a fridge will naturally give you more options on your trip as you will be able to store chilled food. You’ll be able to store chilled milk, fruit mixes, breakfast meats like sausage and bacon, yoghurts and other foods that are perishable if left at room temperature.
If you don’t have access to a fridge, which will be the case unless you’re staying in a caravan or glamping hut, you could purchase a coolbox. Some coolboxes will need access to a charger which most common campsites provide. It is worth noting that if you’re not a regular camper, then the investment might not be worth it, but it’s definitely something that nomads and regular camping holiday goers should look into as an option.
If you don’t have access to a fridge, then you might need to get a bit creative.
2. Are you staying in a glamping hut or caravans with access to a stove?
If you’re glamping or caravanning then you will have access to both a fridge and a stove, which is a camping luxury. You can cook almost anything you desire.
If not, then it’s possible you could look into camping stoves.
You might even be on a campsite with access to a BBQ, which would greatly increase your options.
3. Will the campsite allow a camping stove?
If you’re camping the traditional way, with a tent, sleeping bag, and minimal amenities, then you may need a campaign stove. Camping stoves are very handy if you prefer hot food on holiday, or are cooking for a family as they are portable and can hold large pots and pans.
It’s important to check with the campsite if they’re allowed, because some owners aren’t comfortable with open flames on their site.
4. Is there anything to prep beforehand?
Meal planning is really important to make sure you have the right amount of food and don’t leave anything behind. Make a list of every meal you plan on having on every day you’re away for your convenience.
There is nothing worse than getting to a campsite and realising that, of all the things, you’ve forgotten the tea.
5. The weather
Whilst rain and windy weather won’t affect cooking in your kitchen, it will be very problematic if you’re trying to cook outside.
Make sure you check the weather before you go on your trip so you can plan accordingly. There may be days where the weather is not conducive to campfires and outdoor stoves, so having something that’s easy to grab or a reservation at a local cafe will make your holiday so much easier.
6. How you will clean up after
Some people don’t consider that cooking equipment and crockery will still need to be cleaned, even on holiday. Some campsites will have cleaning facilities on site so you can wash everything up, but it’s always worth checking.
You can also prepare for the wind by getting a windshield for your camping stove.
Things you need for a camping breakfast
You won’t be able to reach into a drawer and grab the perfect bit of equipment for your meal so you need to make sure you have everything you possibly need packed and ready to go for your holiday.
We recommend making sure you have:
- A camping stove and gas (site dependent)
- Cooking utensils (spatula, wooden spoon, and tongs)
- Camping crockery (plates, bowls, and mugs)
- Cutlery
- A washing sponge
- Pots and pans
- Prep bowls and equipment
- Portable/stove kettle
- Camping jerry can
Breakfast ideas
Overnight oats
Overnight oats do require a fridge but they don’t require an oven. They can be a really great breakfast for your first day away, because they are easy to make, and you can prepare them in advance so you’re not rushing around.
All you need to do is soak the oats in the milk of your choice for a couple of hours - stored in the fridge - and then eat them up.
Pancakes
If you have access to a stove then pancakes are a failsafe option for a camping breakfast. There are very few people who don’t like a stack of pancakes for breakfast, and as far as camping goes, there’s very little that can go wrong.
To start with, you can easily make pancakes without any refrigerated ingredients by substituting cow’s milk for plant based milk or cupboard milk, and keeping your butter in an airtight container. Butter is an ingredient that you can keep in a butter dish out of the fridge for days without it going off, so is actually fairly easy to take on a camping trip.
You can bring a number of toppings for pancakes to keep things different and cater for the different tastes of your camping crew:
- Fruit like berries and bananas
- Syrups
- Nut butters
- Lemon and sugar
Scrambled eggs on toast
A good breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast is irresistible to most on a camping holiday and easy to whip up, especially in bulk. Bring some dried herbs and pepper with you to sprinkle over the top and hey presto. You have an easy, energy packed, and filling breakfast to start your day of adventuring off the right way.
We recommend bringing condiments for your eggs on toast like ketchup, brown sauce, and vinegar in packets rather than bottles because they can be stored outside of the fridge and take up less space in your luggage.
Smashed avocado on toast
If a stove isn’t an option, or you want something a little bit healthier than egg on toast, smashed avocado on toast could be a real winner.
Get yourself a nice loaf of sourdough bread, smash some avocado straight from the skin, sprinkle over those herbs and pepper we mentioned earlier, and you’ve got a tasty, oven free breakfast.
You can even jazz it up by adding:
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Balsamic vinegar
- Pickled egg
- Herbs like fresh parsley
- Condiments
Pastries
Easy as pie, maybe even literally, pastries are a truly staple camping breakfast. You can buy them premade from a bakery and pop them on a plate and you have a quick grab and go breakfast option.
Consider croissants, pain au chocolat, cinnamon buns, danish pastries, babka, brioche buns, muffins, or anything else you fancy.
Cereal
Then we have the most obvious option: cereal. Once again, bring the milk of your choice (cupboard milk, oat milk, almond milk, soy milk), and throw it together in the morning for something fibre rich and energy boosting.
Breakfast burrito
A slight step up from the traditional fried breakfast, you could try making breakfast burritos on your camping trip.
A breakfast burrito requires very little cooking if you don’t feel like doing much, and can be made by filling a tortilla with scrambled eggs, hash browns, diced tomato, parsley, lime, avocado, some kidney beans or pepper if you desire.
The great thing about a breakfast burrito is you can have fun with it, mixing and matching ingredients to find the perfect combination that works for you.
Eat out
And, of course, there is always the option of eating out at a cafe, restaurant, or tea room. Camping doesn’t always mean isolating yourself from every comfort including a hot, tasty breakfast that you don’t have to prepare for yourself.
So don’t feel guilty if you want to go find a good fry up elsewhere.
At
Rhyd Y Galen Caravan Park, we have all the amenities you need to make tasty breakfast meals on your family holiday amongst the breathtaking Welsh mountains. Our
caravan park,
campsite and
glamping accommodation give you access to 16 amp hook up points, freezer block facilities, washbasins, and supermarkets nearby.
Book your getaway online today.
