One-Week Camping Meal Plan and Food Packing List

Fact: everything simply tastes better when you're camping. From the first cup of piping hot coffee to the highly anticipated gathering around an open fire for dinner, camping food is a joy to prepare and a delight to devour. Planning meals for longer camping trips can feel daunting without the usual conveniences of home, like a refrigerator or oven.

The key? Start simple!

We put together a basic 7-day camping food list and meal plan so you can head into the wild for your next camping trip ready to explore and with more time to savor the adventure!

7-Day Camping Meal Menu Planning

Planning your meals for a camping trip has never been easier! This 7-day camping meal planner helps keep you fueled with real, delicious foods for a stress-free and energizing outdoor adventure.

Mountain House meals are a great addition to any camping menu. They’re lightweight, easy to pack, and only require water (preferably hot), making them ideal for delicious meals and minimal cleanup during a week outdoors.

7-Day Camping Breakfast Meal Plan

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, whether you’re in the city or the backwoods. There are two types of camp breakfasts: slow and hearty or quick and easy. You'll likely want to plan for a combination of both, as some days will be filled with activities from the moment the sun breaks over the horizon until it settles into the crooks of the hillsides in the evening. And some days will be slow-going, when you can kick up your feet on a comfy stump and enjoy the home away from home that your campsite offers.

This sample week-long breakfast menu is designed to give you a mix of both styles.

Day 1: If you're traveling to your campsite in the morning, breakfast will likely be on the road. Keep it simple with something quick and packable like a granola bar, a breakfast sandwich, or some fruit. If you’re an early riser and plan to arrive at camp in the morning, you could also do something easy like eggs and toast once you get there.

Day 2: Eggs and bacon over the fire, cut fruit on the side

Day 3: Mountain House Biscuits & Gravy

Day 4: Assortment of cereal and bagels

Day 5: Sausage, egg, and cheese bagel breakfast sandwiches

Day 6: Pancakes on the griddle

Day 7: Mountain House Breakfast Skillet

If you want to swap some things out with other easy camping meals, consider simple staples like oatmeal, store-bought cinnamon rolls, French toast, pre-made hash browns, or tortillas for quick breakfast burritos. Pack granola, avocados, and English muffins for even more variety.

And don’t forget the coffee! Instant coffee is the easiest and lightest thing to pack to get your coffee fix, but if that won’t cut it, consider a basic pour-over stand, French press (a sturdy camping-specific version is best), or an AeroPress. Disposable single-serving pour-overs are a new popular way to bring coffee on a camping trip, too. And coffee-in-a-bag is another popular option. It’s basically coffee in a teabag!

7-Day Camping Lunch Meal Plan

Lunch can be the easiest and also the hardest meal to plan. Unlike breakfast and dinner, lunch often has to be prepared hours before it happens. If you’ve planned a hike, horseback ride, or day on the lake, you’ll need to pack a lunch ahead of time to prevent any unhappy hunger-related meltdowns. One popular option is to have snacks like trail mix and snack bars ready to go and easy to grab for portable adventures, but if you'll be enjoying higher exertion activities like backpacking, you're going to want a calorie-dense lunch to keep you going!

Here’s our sample 7-day camping menu for lunch:

Day 1: Mountain House Chicken Fajita Bowl

Day 2: PB&J, granola bar, watermelon

Day 3: Turkey (ham or veggie) sandwiches, potato chips, pickles, and potato salad

Day 4: Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef

Day 5: PB&J, carrots and hummus, pretzels

Day 6: Beef Stroganoff (leftovers from dinner)

Day 7: Sandwiches for the road and leftover snacks from the week

For some easy alternative options, consider peanut butter and banana wraps, grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, deli wraps, and quesadillas. Veggies like corn, peas, and peppers are great to have on hand, and sausage and pepper foil packets make a tasty, no-fuss lunch—just don’t forget the olive oil! Fresh fruits like bananas and apples are good sides to accompany a lunch meal too. You can also bring soup in a can or pre-made soup in a thermos to heat up on the pot and eat with crackers. And if you cook up some extra bacon for breakfast, you can save some for BLTs later in the day.

7-Day Camping Dinner Meal Plan

Dinner may be the best part of camping. Everyone jumps in to help, and there’s a symphony of cutting, chopping, boiling, and, of course, taste-testing. Camp cooking is the reward after a long day on the trails, water-skiing behind the boat, or playing cards with the family.

There are many different ways to cook dinner at the campground, with long-held favorites being tin-foil dinners, browning meat in cast-iron skillets on the fire grate, or roasting food on sticks over the fire.

For the first day, you’ll want to keep it simple. You’ll have just arrived at camp, and in the process of organizing your gear, laying out the welcome mat in front of the tent, and shaking out the tarp. The last thing you’ll want to deal with is a complicated camp dinner.

Day 1: Mountain House Beef Stroganoff - #10 can, 10 servings (save leftovers for later in the week)

Day 2: BBQ hot dogs over the fire

Day 3: Tin foil dinner: baked potatoes, onions, zucchini, and fresh-caught trout

Day 4: Mountain House Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bowl (pizza night!)

Day 5: Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki

Day 6: Customizable Kebabs (check out these camping recipes from Fresh Off the Grid)

Day 7: Pre-made sandwiches or wraps with chips and fruit (easy to pack and enjoy on the drive home)

For some alternative meal ideas, you might enjoy tacos (use taco shells, toss the filling into a bag of chips, or throw it on top of some chips for nachos), our Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl, chili dogs, hamburgers (pre-formed patties are the easiest), sloppy joes, or a one-pan skillet with sausage and sweet potatoes. And with a Dutch oven, there are tons of amazing Dutch oven camp food recipes you can make.

Dessert

For a great dessert, campers love banana boats! There are lots of recipe ideas and roundups for banana boats, but the process is simple. Slice a banana down the middle while still in the peel and fill with toppings like marshmallows, Nutella, strawberries, crumbled graham crackers, granola, and chocolate chips. Wrap it loosely in aluminum foil and roast it on the fire for a few minutes.

Of course, no camping trip is complete without s’mores. All you need are graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows for this classic fireside treat. Feel free to mix it up with peanut butter cups, flavored marshmallows, or cookies instead of graham crackers.

Camping Food Shopping List for a Week

Before you hit the trail, a solid packing list is key to easy campsite cooking. Whether you're grabbing supplies from your local grocery store or ordering online, this simple camping food list will make sure you're prepped for delicious meals all week long. Be sure to include your favorite condiments!

• Mountain House Meals: Biscuits & Gravy, Breakfast Skillet, Chicken Fajita Bowl, Chili Mac with Beef, Beef Stroganoff, Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Bowl, Chicken Teriyaki

• Proteins: Eggs, bacon, sausage links, deli meat, canned tuna or #10 can of chicken, hot dogs

• Carbs and grains: Bagels, bread, tortillas (flour or corn), pancake mix, cereal, granola, pretzels, crackers, chips, hamburger/hot dog buns

• Dairy and alternatives: Cheese (shredded and sliced), butter, milk (shelf-stable or powdered)

• Fruits and veggies: Apples, bananas, watermelon, strawberries, avocados, potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers 

• Snacks: Granola bars, trail mix, hummus, potato chips, potato salad, cookies

• Condiments: Peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard, mayo, hot sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper, pickles

• Desserts: Marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars, Nutella, granola

• Beverages and coffee: Instant coffee, tea, powdered drink mixes

How to Pack Groceries for Your Trip

Packing food for a weeklong camping trip is all about staying organized and maximizing freshness. Start by dividing your food into three categories: cooler essentials, dry goods, and grab-and-go items. Use airtight containers and zip bags to pre-portion ingredients or full meals.

A cooler with ice packs or block ice will keep perishable items like eggs, meats, and dairy fresh longer. Pack it tightly to reduce air gaps, and try to limit how often you open it. For longer trips, consider bringing two coolers: one for food you’ll need in the first few days and another for later in the week. Dry goods like bread, crackers, cereal, Mountain House meals, and snacks should be stored in a weatherproof bin to keep critters and moisture out.

Label everything clearly and keep commonly used items (like coffee, seasonings, or condiments) in an easy-to-access tote or bin near your cooking station. If you're hiking in or have limited space, focus on lightweight, shelf-stable meals like freeze-dried meals from Mountain House, which simply require water to prepare.

Plan a Delicious Week of Camping Meals with Mountain House

Camping meals don’t have to be complicated to be memorable. With a little prep and a solid plan, you can enjoy tasty, satisfying food every day. From hot breakfasts and hearty lunches to fire-grilled dinners and gooey desserts, this 7-day camping meal planner has you covered from your first morning coffee to your last bite of s’mores. 

Mountain House meals provide delicious, convenient, no-fuss options that are perfect for fueling your adventure. Also, check out this huge list of camping food ideas if you're looking for more recipes to try!