Tinned ‘meals’ are SO expensive..

[Bubbless31]

So what on earth do you take camping?!

We have a campervan and go away for 10 days with 6 of us in the summer. We try to avoid shops as much as possible, to just enjoy the break, so historically we have made dinner from tins e.g.

Curry meal
Tinned curry x4
Pouch rice x4
Poppadoms
Naan
Mango chutney

Creamy chicken
Creamy chicken tin x4
Packet rice x4
Mushroom tin x2
Chicken stock cube

Spag Bol
Pasta 100g per person
mushrooms x1
carrots x1
Mince tin x2
Chopped tomatoes x2
Garlic granules

BUT THE MEAT TINS ARE SO SO EXPENSIVE. It’s stupid as they aren’t even that nice.

So what’s the alternative? Because I really feel like I’m missing something…

I just make stuff ahead of time and freeze it in tupperware. Chillis, curry etc. all in a cool box. Never bother with tins when camping.

I have never ever had tinned food (except sweetcorn, soup or baked beans) camping.

options…
buy stuff when you’re there and barbecue/cook from scratch. I know you like
to avoid shops, but think it’s better to go to shops and not eat horrible food(?)

tinned soup with bread and butter

invest in a very good cool box (like an igloo) that keeps stuff cold for 5 days and take all pre made meals, frozen to double as ice blocks.. or use campsite fridge for fresh food if there’s one available. Decent cool box will probably pay for itself over a few years

take a pre made frozen bolognese or chilli for the first night and defrost it on a fire or stove

vegetarian food, so pasta and tinned tomatoes and herbs with the Italian grated cheese that can be kept at room temperature. Take vegetables for ratatouille and rice, veg curry, veg risotto… so many vegetarian options need no fridge.

My daughter went camping with her friends family for the weekend and they were given a lot of pot noodles..

I would rather nip out and buy fresh food for the day than have to resort to tinned food as that just wouldn’t be enjoyable for me.

Sausages
Bacon
Eggs
Burgers
Chicken Fajitas/wraps/skewers could all be easily cooked outdoors
Hot dogs

Vegetables and either lentils or beans of some description.

veg keep a lot easier than meat.

you can do eg cauliflower and sweet potato curry
red lentil dhal
chilli with peppers and kidney beans/butter beans
veggie tagines with couscous
etc etc

AI can easily write you a full camping meal
plan if you stipulate no tinned meat or veg and no access to refrigerator.

e.g.

Day 1:
Breakfast:

• Instant Oatmeal with Dried Fruit and Nuts
• Instant oats
• Dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, apricots)
• Mixed nuts or trail mix
• Hot water

Lunch:

• Veggie Wraps
• Fresh bell peppers (sliced)
• Fresh cucumber (sliced)
• Fresh carrots (julienned)
• Fresh spinach or lettuce (optional)
• Hummus or avocado spread
• Tortillas (whole wheat or flour)

Dinner:

• One-Pot Vegetarian Chili
• Fresh onions (diced)
• Fresh garlic (minced)
• Fresh jalapeños (if you like spice)
• Fresh tomatoes (diced)
• Fresh bell peppers (diced)
• Fresh corn (or frozen corn if you're bringing a cooler)
• Canned beans (kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans)
• Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder
• Instant rice or couscous

Day 2:
Breakfast:

• Pancakes with Syrup and Peanut Butter
• Pancake mix (just add water)
• Peanut butter
• Maple syrup (or syrup packets)
• Powdered milk (optional for coffee or pancakes)

Lunch:

• Fresh Veggie Soup
• Fresh carrots (diced)
• Fresh potatoes (diced)
• Fresh celery (sliced)
• Fresh onions (diced)
• Vegetable bouillon cubes or powdered soup base
• Fresh spinach (optional)
• Crackers or bread

Dinner:

• Stir-Fry with Fresh Veggies and Tofu
• Fresh broccoli (or other hardy greens like kale)
• Fresh carrots (sliced or julienned)
• Fresh bell peppers (sliced)
• Fresh onions (sliced)
• Fresh garlic (minced)
• Fresh ginger (optional)
• Tofu (pressed and cubed)
• Soy sauce packets (or powdered soy sauce)
• Instant rice or couscous
• A bit of oil for frying

Day 3:
Breakfast:

• Granola with Powdered Milk or Water
• Granola
• Powdered milk (just add water)
• Fresh fruit (like apples or bananas)

Lunch:

• Couscous Salad with Fresh Veggies
• Instant couscous
• Fresh tomatoes (diced)
• Fresh cucumber (diced)
• Fresh lemon (for juice)
• Fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro, if available)
• Olive oil and salt & pepper

Dinner:

• Vegetable and Bean Stew
• Fresh carrots (diced)
• Fresh onions (diced)
• Fresh garlic (minced)
• Fresh spinach (or kale)
• Canned beans (black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans)
• Fresh tomatoes (diced)
• Vegetable bouillon cubes (or powdered soup base)
• Seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, thyme)

Snacks:

• Fresh Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges)
• Trail mix (nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate)
• Energy bars (granola bars, protein bars, etc.)
• Crackers and hard cheese (like cheddar or gouda)

Protein Alternatives:

• Tofu: A great source of protein that can be used in stir-fries or added to soups and stews. It holds up well without refrigeration if pressed and sealed properly.
• Beans & Legumes: Canned beans work perfectly in stews, chili, and salads, and they provide a great protein boost. Fresh or dried legumes (like lentils) can also be used.
• Nuts and Seeds: Perfect for adding protein to salads, wraps, or as snacks.
• Peanut Butter: A fantastic source of protein and fat, easy to add to wraps, pancakes, or as a snack with crackers.

Vegetable Tips for Camping:

• Hardy vegetables like carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers will hold up for a few days without refrigeration. Make sure to store them in a cool, dry place.
• Leafy greens like spinach or kale should be used up within a couple of days. If you're concerned about them wilting, consider packing cabbage or other heartier greens.
• To preserve fresh produce like berries, you might want to use a cooler with ice packs or insulated bags

Assuming you have a fridge and/or ice box in your camper, surely you take enough food for 5 or 6 days, and then go to the shop once to get stuff for the remaining days?

Fruit, veg, pasta, rice, meat will all keep well for that time.

Surely one trip to a supermarket is worth it to not have to eat shit from a can for ten days straight?

You need to bulk out with some tinned potatoes

The meat is unfortunately essential as 3 out of the 4 children are autistic, and for 2 of them it’s a vital part of considering a meal something that can be eaten!

I do like the idea of the cool box and just taking stuff… we have a plug in cool box but it drains the van battery a lot. I’ve always thought things would defrost after 2 days, perhaps that isn’t the case. Maybe even the first half on frozen food would reduce the issue a lot.

Whilst going to the shop would obviously solve the issue where we camp is just a field with a tap, and it’s a 40 minute drive to the nearest shop, and it takes about an hour to get the van ready to move and we don’t move it most days… the shops are off the cards!!

Colman marine cool boxes keep ice for 4 days and are much cheaper than igloo etc. mine was about £45 a few years ago and it’s the best thing I’ve bought for years. You could then just go shopping once which would be cheaper

If it has to be tinned meat what about fish? Tons of tuna pasta might work? Hot dog sausages if they'll eat them. What about tinned beans with sausages in them? Can have them on toast.

I have an Alpicool compressor fridge/cool box which is fairly low power draw (I can easily run it off my Bluetti power bank with a 100w solar panel chucked on the roof. I precook and freeze a lot of stuff, like bolognese/chilli/curry etc, then take packet rice to go with it. If you freeze things in ziplock bags, flattened completely before freezing, you can fit a surprising amount in. I’ve even taken steaks which I’ve done in the sous vide then frozen, so they just need defrosting and cooking through on the grill, and they also freeze “flat” for easy storage!

Do you have an electric hook up at the camp site for the van? Is there a fridge/freezer on board?

I know it sounds a random idea, but if the shops are SO far away, arrange a grocery delivery made to the camp site mid week to get fresh things. I've had deliveries to a camp site, Air BNB and a holiday cottage. You'd need to check which store/s delivery to that address and then add that address to your account.

I'm surprised you don't all get terribly constipated from eating tinned food for 10 days, with such limited fresh veg 😬

Get one of those smoked sausages and you can chop that up and chuck through pasta.
If they see pizza as a meal take a couple of them, fold them in half (it's easiest if you cut them along the middle first) and wrap in tin foil then stick on the campfire.
I've never tried them but you can get tins of meatballs which you could try cooking with rice packets.
Raid the food sections of home bargains and poundstretcher and places like that and you'll find loads of tins of meat and things and it will cost a fraction of the price. I camp a lot and will tend to look round there before a trip as there is a lot of long-life stuff.

I do a click and collect from the nearest supermarket of a mix of fresh and Charlie Bigham type meals.

Add a tin or two to your weekly food shop so you don’t get the big expense in one go.

I’m very lazy with food when camping. Nice hotdogs (big jarred ones from Aldi) with tub of crispy onions. Packet tortellini, cupboard one rather than fridge serve with pesto and mozzarella. Tapas days do nice crackers, cheese and charcuterie, grapes and apples for health. Some sachet food is nice jgourmet lentils or Spanish style grains or gourmet lentils.

Value carrots, sweetcorn and peas always seem ok to us.
Aldi mushrooms are reasonably cheap compared to other brands.
Value chicken in white sauce is ok, but yes it has gone up in price by at least 70%
Value chicken curry has very little chicken in compared to the chicken in white sauce.
Aldi rice packs are nice and good value.

The disability tax is a shit part of life. (Having to buy certain foods, or needing to take a car, or buy various other stuff)

Lots of chorizo can be stored at ambient temperature if your kids will eat that? One of my camping meals is chorizo, sliced onions, chickpeas, tin of tomatoes, greens of some sort, boil in the bag rice (or pasta or couscous)

How about tuna? Tuna, condensed mushroom soup, pasta, slash of milk, cheese on top?

How old are the kids?
As it seems a lot of food.
If we have chicken in white sauce we share 1 tin between 2 adults.
Likewise we share a packet rice between 2 adults.

Could you have sandwich chicken with pasta and chopped tomatoes etc. (Though may not be cheaoer than tinned but you may have some left over etc

Could you bring some home made frozen meals for the first couple of days in a cool box and then switch to ambient meals thereafter if you really don’t want to go to the shops?

It seems a lot of effort for a holiday, but if you have a pressure cooker, look up pressure canning. You could make your own bolognaise mix or stew and preserve it in glass jars at home. The jars can then be packed carefully and are stable at room temperature.

I assume your campervan has electricity. You could pre-portion some couscous in to bowls before you leave, add the seasoning, spices, herbs, lemon juice, garlic & raisins etc and then just add water from the kettle when you get to the camp site and stir.

Porridge pots are also very useful. You can get them for less than £1 in the supermarkets. They travel well as non-perishable and you just need a hot water supply.

Failing that, Just Eat! 😂

What about something like pouches of a Jamie Oliver Lovely Lentils, with (ambient) chopped chorizo or (chilled) ham stirred through for the meat eaters?

What cooking facilities and fridge space do you have if any?

We have a 3 ring burner, small oven and a cadac. Last meal I cooked was lamb steaks, mushrooms in a little cream and steamed some green beans and had a ready washed salad with sun-dried tomatoes. Also do a lot of wraps with meat and salad added as easy.

this has solved the mystery of who TF buys tins of meat and curry. I always walk past them and wonder.

I’ve not had meat from a tin since spam in childhood. I’ve definitely never taken a tin camping!

what facilities do you have OP?

If meat is a must, you could also take some Peperami and chop it up in to the cous cous when serving. Cured meats such as chorizo and ham travel well. Obviously you'd need a cool bag for the ham to keep it below 7.9 degrees. I hope you all enjoy your trip.