Are you going camping or backpacking and are you short of ideas for your meals? Want to cook a few simple & meatless snacks at home? It may sound difficult, but it’s just the opposite! Here is the proof with these suggestions of Best Easy Vegan Backpacking & Camping Food Meals & Snacks Recipes to eat well without spending hours cooking.
12 Best Easy Vegan Backpacking & Camping Food Meals & Snacks Recipes
Eating vegan has several advantages…
- First, it reduces your environmental footprint since plant-based proteins emit less GHGs than animal proteins and generally also require fewer resources (water, agricultural land, transport, etc.).
- Second, according to the WHO, certain processed meats such as cold cuts and hot dog sausages, which are widely consumed while camping, can have negative health effects such as increasing the risk of colon cancer.
- Ultimately, eating vegan food means turning your back on an industry that kills more than 25 million animals every day in the US alone.
The livestock industry slaughters 25 million animals every day in The United States Of America.
Are you convinced? Here are our Best Vegan Backpacking Food Meals & Snacks Recipes ideas that are easy to make while camping or even at home. You will find four ideas for breakfast, four for lunch that requires no cooking at all, and four for dinner. As a bonus, you will discover many ideas for vegan and waste-free snacks. Enjoy your meal!
Best Easy Vegan Backpacking & Camping Breakfast Recipes
Everyone wants to start the day off right with a hearty breakfast. We, therefore, offer you some tasty recipes for busy mornings as well as for those more peaceful ones.
1. Breakfast sandwich on the go
It’s the perfect sandwich for mornings when the alarm goes off. Just fix peanut butter (or almond or roasted soybeans) and slices of bananas or apples between two slices of bread. You have a delicious and fulfilling breakfast in less than a minute, so you can start the day energized.
2. Overnight rolled oats 🌙
Put together 1/3 cup of oatmeal, a tablespoon of chia or ground flax seeds, a tablespoon of maple syrup or brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of vegetable milk (soy, almond, or other) and mix.
Add some fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries or raspberries then put everything in the cooler for the night. The next morning, a quick and healthy breakfast will be waiting for you.
3. Breakfast burrito
This burrito is much healthier and more nutritious than those sold in large fast-food chains. To make it, mix scrambled tofu or black beans, avocado slices, onion, tomatoes, and rice in a wrap-style bread. Add salsa and vegan (mayonnaise without eggs or dairy) before wrapping.
4. Sunday pancakes
This recipe has been tested and retested and is a success every time. For a Sunday where you want to take the time to cook a hearty gourmet breakfast, I strongly suggest that you try vegan blueberry pancakes.
Best Easy Vegan Backpacking & Camping Lunch Recipes
For lunch, we offer simple and quick recipes that do not require switching your camping fire or burner to heat anything. These meals are therefore all without cooking and can be enjoyed as much on the top of a mountain as during your lunch break at work.
5. Crackers, raw vegetables & hummus dip
Simple but effective. Don’t want to cook and need a quick lunch? No problem! Bring some crackers in an airtight container, vegetables cut into sticks like carrots, broccoli or celery, and don’t forget the famous chickpea dip commonly called hummus and you’re ready to go!
6. Avocado sandwich
Do you like the hot sauce and avocado combination? You’ll love this sandwich: avocado, alfalfa, tomatoes, cucumber slices, a little hot sauce, and olive oil. It’s super simple and so much more salutary than the ham sandwiches from your childhood.
7. Corn chips with layered dip 🌽
Fast and delicious for all those who love the combination of corn chips and salsa. Improve it by creating a layered dip with salsa, black beans, corn, peppers, and chopped onions and, why not, a little cilantro. Excellent!
8. Vegetable wrap
Here is the recipe of choice to make if you plan a lot of physical activity during your backpacking or camping day. In wraps seasoned with pesto or sun-dried tomatoes, put salad, tomatoes, vegan spread, and hummus. It’s very tasty, easy to make, and full of protein to recharge the batteries.
Best Easy Vegan Backpacking & Camping Dinner Recipes
As you can see, we are trying to cook vegan meals that are tasty, but above all easy to prepare. It is with this in mind that we present you our vegan dinners, quick “comfort food” to cook that will complement your day splendidly.
9. Vegetable Chili
This is my favorite camping recipe since it is sad to miss it and the simplicity of its preparation is almost carved in every vegan’s heart.
Mix canned red or black beans, corn and diced tomatoes (one can per ingredient), and season with a chili seasoning packet found at all grocery stores. Enjoy with pita bread or corn chips. A pure delight!
10. Asian rice
Here is another of the recipes that I will never get tired of. Steam rice and then add any vegetables of your choice. Mix everything with edamame (immature soybeans) or textured vegetable protein (TVP) to add protein and texture to your meal.
Season with soy sauce, a little hot sauce, salt, and pepper. For a “Honey & Garlic” version, simply add maple syrup and finely chopped garlic. That’s all!
11. Greek pasta salad
Mix whole grain or gluten-free cooked pasta with tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced olives, thin pieces of onion, peppers, and, finally, sun-dried tomatoes preserved in oil.
For the dressing, just add the sun-dried tomato oil with a little lime juice (optional), salt, and pepper. If you want to add protein to it, you can add marinated tofu with feta cheese flavor or just white beans which are perfect for this salad since they will taste like the vinaigrette.
12. Minestrone soup meal 🍲
For colder camping evenings, what could be better than a good nourishing and comforting soup? Simmer for about 20 minutes red beans, macaroni, diced vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes) and vegetable broth. You will make everyone happy with this ultra-easy soup-meal.
Vegan Camping Snacks Ideas
We have not forgotten them. In fact, since the snacks sold in supermarkets are often packaged in disposable metallic plastic wrap or in individual non-recyclable containers, we are not only presenting vegan snacks, but also snacks that produce no waste.
Vegan and waste-free snacks ideas!
- Many meal snacks for hikers come in non-recyclable metal packaging. Just think of traditional soft bars whose packaging is in no way recyclable or individual bags of nuts or bags of potato chips which are not either.
- Yogurts and dips in small sizes, as well as cheeses, cookies, and muffins in individual portions, are packed in non-recyclable plastic containers.
- Finally, some snacks such as hummus, vegetables, and fruits already cut in grocery counters, peanut butter, and everything wrapped in an aluminum foil have the advantage of coming in recyclable packaging.
- Of course, just because certain containers or packaging can be put in the recycling bin does not necessarily mean they are good for the environment. Plastic is a petroleum by-product, which increases our dependence on this non-renewable and polluting material.
- A soiled container will usually need to be washed thoroughly before it can be placed in the bin, which increases water usage.
- In addition, it is not all that is deposited in the bin that finds a second life depending on the region of the world and it can sometimes even be difficult to find recycling.
- Finally, the packaging and waste brought in kind can be deliberately left on the spot or go to the wind, thus increasing the deterioration of woodlands and waterways by non-biodegradable elements.
10 Simple Waste Free Vegan Snack To Bring Camping
It doesn’t matter whether the packaging of your snack is recyclable or not, we should all collectively target snacks that generate no waste, thereby reducing our use of resources (oil, water, energy, etc.) and limiting the chances of seeing packaging thrown in the natural environment.
So, here are my 10 ideas for waste-free Vegan snacks to bring camping, hiking, or just when you crave a little late afternoon snack.
1. Hummus
- Buy dry chickpeas in bulk and soak them in water overnight to make your own homemade hummus.
- Just add sesame butter, a little oil, garlic, and lime juice for a classic hummus.
There are a ton of recipes available on the web, and it will be much cheaper for you to prepare it yourself. Just put a certain amount in an airtight container with some raw vegetables, and your first waste free camping snack is ready!
2. Veggie wrap🍴
Preparing a veggie sandwich from scratch can take some work. In addition to having to cut different vegetables, you will have to bake everything and wait for about an hour. Another possibility to have a veggie-pâté without waste is to simply go to a deli which prepares its own homemade veggie-pâté.
These grocery stores will be happy to offer you the quantity of your choice in your airtight container, reducing the preparation time to just a few minutes. Use it in a sandwich, in a wrap, or just with some homemade crackers.
3. Vegetable chips
Whether it’s made from kale, beets, sweet potatoes or regular, homemade vegetable chips are just as delicious if not more than commercial ones, and even better for your health.
Prepare them in advance in large quantities and bring them during the camping day throughout your hike in an airtight container rather than in a bag to prevent them from breaking into a thousand crumbs.
4. Homemade meal salad
Go to the grocery store and pick up different unpackaged vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, and radishes still with their leaves. Put the inedible parts in the compost and cut the vegetables into small dice.
Add the vegetables to the cooked and then cooled beans and sprinkle with a few chopped nuts. Pour a drizzle of oil and a little lemon juice and you have a quick waste-free meal salad.
5. Zero Waste Popcorn🌽
To prepare it, just put grains bought in bulk as well as a vegetable oil in a covered pan. Put the fire on high, then, when you hear the first grains popping, shake the pan somewhat (leaving the lid on) every ten seconds until you hear no more popping sounds.
Put everything in a reusable bag and add the spices of your choice: nutritional yeast, paprika, steak spices, etc.
By the way, did you know that bagged popcorn prepared in the microwave could have health risks according to the results of a study by the University of Toronto? One more reason to opt for homemade waste-free popcorn.
6. Natural nuts or seeds butter spread 🍯
Whether to put on apple slices, on celery stalks or on a good slice of fresh bread from the neighborhood bakery, nut or seed butter (peanuts, almonds, sunflower, grilled soybeans, etc.) is sold in bulk in most zero-waste stores.
It is sometimes even possible to grind nuts or seeds directly on-site to obtain the butter. Bring this wonderful spread on a hike for a satisfying snack and a few extra grams of protein.
7. Homemade energy balls 🍡
Instead of buying individually wrapped commercial bars, make your own energy bites. Their preparation is fairly simple: dates, nuts, dark chocolate, and some coconut.
Combine the ingredients by hand or in the food processor.
And you can add whatever you want to personalize them like dried fruit, green tea or even protein powder.
The magic with this recipe is that all of the ingredients are easily found not only in zero-waste stores but also in any regular supermarket.
8. A slice of banana bread 🍞
Do you have a sweet tooth and prefer a sugary bite for your hikes? No problem.
Prepare one or two banana muffins (we have great recipes here) and freeze the excess portions already sliced.
For your next outing, all you have to do is take a portion of the freezer which, once at the top of the mountain, will be well thawed and ready to be savored.
9. The hiker’s snack mix in bulk
Don’t you want to make energy balls or banana bread? Your friend just called you for a hike and you don’t have a snack on hand? Simply opt for a good mix of nuts and dried fruit sold in all zero-waste and regular stores.
10. Fresh fruit 🍎
Fruits are a classic snack when hiking. Choose unpackaged fruit at the supermarket and, if possible, take seasonal fruit that is produced locally, which will also allow you to reduce your environmental footprint.
And why not a chocolate fondue? 🍫
Yes, I lied during the introduction. Sometimes I take the time to make a little chocolate fondue when I go hiking. To do this, just bring a few dark chocolate chips that you will melt with a little water and then dip your favorite fruit cut into pieces. With a snack like this, you will be hiking every day!
This completes my list of waste free caping / hiking snack ideas. Of course, to reduce the waste generated by your food, you will need to cook more and visit the shops offering bulk products which are more and more abundant in the US.
If you have other ideas, do not hesitate to let me know in the comments below.
At The End
With this article, we hope to have convinced you of the ease of eating veg at the campsite or at home. You just have a few ideas in mind and it will be easy for you to incorporate these recipes into your meal planning.
It should not be forgotten that eating pleasure in life and eating vegan dishes does not in any way diminish or limit this pleasure. In fact, it even amplifies it knowing that we eat good things for us, the planet, and animal welfare.