Easy Camping Meals And Food Ideas For Families

It's important to keep up your energy when camping and, while that means eating right, it also means having heaps of fun while you do it. With a huge range of purpose-designed camping cookware and appliances to choose from, you've got no excuse not to stretch your cooking skills in new ways while camping and enjoy 'cooking in the elements' in the process.

First things first: investing in a camp fridge or freezer will prove to be a great value purchase, especially if you plan on camping regularly. Having a camp fridge gives you incredible flexibility around the food items that you bring with you, while opening up so many options when it comes to meals for your family and friends.

As well as storing vacuum-sealed meat, poultry and fresh veggies, a camp fridge or freezer enables you to prepare your family's favourite comfort meals - like casseroles, bakes and other heat-and-eat meals - at home before you hit the road. You can then freeze your meals and simply re-heat when you're at your campsite or tourist park using some cast iron cookware in combination with a safe, reliable and handy portable camping stove or fire pit.

Additionally, thermos flasks are another handy camping accessory, ideal for taking homemade soups with you on day trips when in the colder months.

There's no need to skimp on hearty and fun breakfasts when camping. Convenient and durable egg carriers, along with a range of cooking tools - like a Spinifex Cast Iron Wood Crate Cook Set and portable stove - make it easy to whip up eggs any style and combine them with bacon, tomato or baked beans for perfect deli-style brunch feasts that will have hungry campers drooling. Flat grills (or griddles) also make preparing pancakes a breeze. And who's going to say no to pancakes?

If toasted sandwiches are popular at home, a cast iron jaffle iron enables you to satisfy your family and friends in a flash. Or why not tempt them with some mouthwatering jaffles? Get the kids to choose their own ingredients before the trip and then no one will be complaining about the delicious jaffles cooked with your cast iron jaffle maker.

The adults in the family are also in for a welcome treat with portable coffee capsule and percolators that mean you get to enjoy espresso-machine-styled coffee regardless of your distance from the nearest cafe.

When it comes to camp cooking, the value-for-money and versatility of cooking with a Dutch oven can't be beaten. As opposed to the enamel Dutch ovens you're more likely to use at home, camp Dutch ovens are made entirely from cast iron, and are built solid to last across many camping adventures. From slow-cooked roasts to steaks, pizzas, nachos and everything in-between, the meals you can cook in a Dutch oven are truly endless.

Along with treats like pizza, you can use your Dutch oven to make popcorn for the kids as they settle into streaming movies after a hectic day of exploring the wilds around them. Why not encourage them to bake their own banana bread and other yummy snacks? Camping is all about getting everyone involved so it's a great time to encourage the younger cooks in your camping entourage to give it a go.

If you're limited for space and pack weight, you can still prepare some succulent meals. Purpose-designed chicken beer can roasters - in partnership with an enclosed BBQ, for example - make preparing tasty chicken roast meals simple, not to mention an amusing talking point as you gather around the upright chook!

If you want to create atmosphere and get everyone more excited about camp cooking, fire pits are guaranteed to be a huge hit and can act as the central gathering point for your campsite. The kids will be thrilled with the visual spectacle, the grownups will love warming themselves and sharing a quiet drink with each other - everyone is drawn to a fire pit! And there's always the tried and tested marshmallow forks to make some night-time bonding and relaxation fun! Just make sure you check on the fire regulations at your campsite before you commit to stoking one.

Mealtimes while camping are special times when everyone comes together (without the distraction of screens) to unwind and reflect on the camping experience. Making the most of the novelty of cooking and preparing meals when outside is part of the attraction of camping. Get camping, get cooking and enjoy.