Having gluten free camping food allows you to savor the beauty of nature while maintaining a gluten free lifestyle, catering to dietary restrictions, and ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip. Grab your camping gear, prepare your taste buds, and dive into the gluten free camping adventure world! I also include a free Camping Planner to help you stay organized.
Welcome to the world of gluten free camping! Whether you’re a seasoned camper or embarking on your first outdoor adventure, preparing gluten free meals while enjoying the great outdoors can be a delicious and rewarding experience. Camping helps build treasured memories that can last a lifetime!
This guide will explore tips, strategies, and mouthwatering ideas to help you plan and execute a successful gluten free camping trip. From meal prepping and ingredient selection to cooking methods and storage techniques, get ready to embark on a gluten free camping journey that combines the joys of the wilderness with the delights of a gluten free kitchen.
I created a five-page free downloadable camping planner to help you stay organized!
I hope these gluten free camping meals and ideas help you prepare for your next camping trip! If you are new to gluten free and need helpful resources, I have a lot of great Gluten Free Resources to help you get started.
Gluten Free Considerations For Camping:
- Meal Planning: Plan your meals in advance to ensure you have daily gluten free options. A meal planning list is the best way to stay organized. Consider dishes that are easy to prepare, require minimal cooking equipment, can be stored without refrigeration, and easy clean up.
- Gluten Free Ingredients: Choose gluten free ingredients for your meals. This includes naturally gluten free foods such as pre-cooked rice and quinoa, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables, canned fish or meat, nuts, and seeds. Be sure to check labels and avoid cross-contamination with gluten-containing products.
- Meal Prepping Tools: Pack essential dedicated gluten free meal-prepping tools like cutting boards, knives, cooking utensils, can openers, and cookware suitable for your campsite cooking setup. This is important to avoid cross-contamination with any gluten ingredients.
- Safe Food Storage: Ensure proper food storage to maintain freshness and avoid cross-contamination. Use sealed containers or resealable bags to store cooked meals, snacks, and ingredients separately. Keep perishable items chilled with big ice bags, ice packs, or a portable cooler.
Gluten Free Snacks For Camping:
- Trail mix and granola are great snacks to bring on camping trips. Combine gluten free nuts, dried fruit, and seeds of your choice, such as almonds, cashews, raisins, and pumpkin seeds, for a protein-packed snack.
- Pack gluten free snacks, such as rice cakes, popcorn, dried fruits, gluten free crackers, or homemade energy bars. These snacks provide quick and convenient options to eat during your camping adventure.
- Cheese sticks and yogurt. Cheese and yogurt tubes are easy to pack in the cooler. They help keep you fueled!
- Gluten free crackers, pretzels, and chips are easy to pack and require no refrigeration.
- We pack a lot of fruits and vegetables when we go camping. They are easy to eat, and many do not need to be packed in a cooler to stay fresh.
- Gluten free bread is a great item for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (These are great for fitting into a hiking backpack!)
Cooking Equipment For Gluten Free Camping:
- Portable Grill: If you are Celiac, there is a risk to using the grill that may be on your campsite. Gluten doesn’t burn off, so there is a chance of cross-contamination on the grill plates. The best way to avoid cross-contamination is to bring a portable grill.
- Fire-Safe Pots and Pans: The two types of pots and pans I recommend the most for camping are a good Dutch Oven and a large 12-inch Cast Iron Pan. They are fire-safe and easy to use.
- Fire-Safe Coffee Pot: If you drink coffee like me, this is a must for making coffee on the campfire or grill. Use either this heat-safe Camping Coffee Pot or this Camping Stovetop Coffee Pot.
- Metal Cooking Utensils: Metal cooking utensils are important for cooking.
- Digital Meat Thermometer: I always pack a meat thermometer to ensure my meats are cooked to safe internal temperatures. This is especially important if you grill in the dark to ensure the meat is safe.
- Large Cooler: A large insulated cooler keeps your food cold for the trip. It needs to hold your food and a lot of ice. I love this large Coleman cooler because it has wheels, making it much easier to move around the campsite.
Ways to Cook Gluten Free Foods While Camping:
- Foil Packet Meals: Foil packet meals are a popular camping option because they are easy to prepare and require minimal cleanup. All you need is foil! If you don’t have a separate camp stove, cooking in foil packets is a great way to prevent gluten cross-contamination from the grill plates. Layer meat or fish and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
- One-Pot or One-Skillet Meals: Prepare gluten free one-pot or one-skillet meals that require minimal cleanup and cooking time. Examples include Gluten Free Pasta with Sauce, stir-fries like this Gluten Free Beef and Broccoli recipe, or this Ground Pork Chili. I also love this easy Cajun Rice and Beans, which cooks perfectly in a Dutch oven.
- Marinated Vegetables and Meats: I pack marinated vegetables and meats into zipper bags and pack them in the camping cooler. When we are ready to grill, everything has absorbed the marinade flavors. Here are Four Easy Gluten Free Vegetable Marinade Recipes, and you will love marinating meats in this Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce.
- Reheat Gluten Free Freezer Meals in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven on the camping grill.
More Gluten Free Camping Recipe Ideas:
- Foil Packet Meal Recipes: Enjoy this Foil Packet Grilled Coho Salmon or this Grilled Foil Packet Halibut recipe. Some readers love to grill spam.
- If you are looking for a great side dish for camping, throw some corn on the cob onto the grill or grill fresh asparagus. Keeping it simple means less cleanup!
- Grilled Fruit Desserts: Many people will bake Gluten Free Cookies or Gluten Free Brownies and bring them along on their camping trip, but I would encourage you to check out these incredible Gluten Free Grilled Fruit Desserts too. They are so easy to cook on a grill!
- Gluten Free Backpacking Food Ideas: If you go backpacking for a few hours or even a whole day, having the right food can help lighten your load. I always pack many gluten free protein bars like Rx Bars and ProMeal Bars. Pack fruit like apples and Gluten Free Paleo Granola with added nuts for protein. I also pack PB&J sandwiches with sliced bananas on your favorite gluten free bread.
Have a great tip?
Leave a comment and share your camping tips. It will help other readers have a great camping trip. Thank you!
