Spending time away from home doesn’t mean your diet has to suffer.
If you’re following a keto diet, it might seem hard to avoid carbs on your camping trip, as a lot of common camping food is packed full of them.
Don’t worry though, there’s plenty of keto camping food you can pack to make sticking to your diet a piece of cake. Gluten free, sugar free cake, of course.
This article will tell you all about the kinds of foods you can pack, how to prep them and how to store them.
We’ve also included 7 mouthwatering recipes and advice on what kind of gear to take.
Plus, some tips for adjusting your intake, depending on the kind of activities you’ll be doing.
Want to know more? Keep reading.
Keto Friendly Ingredients To Pack For Your Camping Trip
Let’s start with all the keto-friendly ingredients that you can take with you.
By having a bunch of great ingredients on hand, sticking to your diet will be a breeze.
Here are some things to consider packing for your trip.
Fruit & Veg
Fresh or frozen low carb fruit and veg is an absolute must on any camping trip. This is especially true if you’re following a keto diet.
Some examples of low carb fruits and veggies you can take on your trip include:
- Leafy greens
- Avocado
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Bell pepper
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Berries
- Melons
- Peaches
- Lemon
Meat
You can also take some fresh or frozen meat along with you.
Examples of meat products you can pack include:
- Chicken
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork
- Sausages
- Seafood
- Cold cuts
Dairy Products
Don’t forget about your dairy products. Bringing some of your favorite cheeses along is a great way to pack some extra flavor into your meals.
Examples of some dairy products you might want to bring include:
- Butter
- Greek yogurt
- Sour cream
- Heavy cream
- Cream cheese
- Blue cheese
- Brie
- Camembert
- Hard cheeses
Pantry Items
When it comes to pantry items, you can take as many as you like because they all obviously keep well out of the fridge.
Examples of keto friendly pantry items you can take include:
- Nut butter
- Nuts and seeds
- Coconut oil and olive oil
- Spices
- Hot sauce
- Soy sauce
- Canned tuna in olive oil or brine
- Tomato paste
- Canned coconut milk
- Dark chocolate
- Cocoa powder
- Coffee and tea
Other Misc. Low Carb Ingredients
Here are some examples of other keto friendly food items to pack for your trip:
- Eggs
- Mayonnaise
- Tofu
- Olives
- Plant milk
Our Top 7 Low Carb Keto Camping Recipe Ideas
OK, so you’ve got a bunch of ingredients. Now, what are you going to do with them?
Here are a few keto recipe ideas that you can put together fairly quickly and easily at the campsite.
Avocado Baked Eggs
This would have to be my all time favorite keto friendly breakfast.
All you need is avocado, eggs and seasoning. You can also add some chopped herbs for garnish, or bacon bits if you want to go all out.
Just cut the avocados in half, scoop out enough avo so that an egg can fit inside and bake until the eggs are set. This should take about 15 minutes, but check by poking the egg white to see if it’s still runny.
You can make these in advance or assemble them on the spot in foil packets and cook them up on the campfire.
Garlic Shrimp Or Tofu Zoodles (Vegan Friendly)
Here’s another one to make your mouth water.
Fry up some peeled shrimp with olive oil, butter, garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon juice. Stir in some chopped flat leaf parsley and throw it all over a bowl of cold, raw zucchini noodles.
Make it vegan by swapping the shrimp for tofu.
Don’t forget all the delicious buttery juices from the pan: that’s your sauce!
I recommend using a julienne peeler to make your zoodles. It’s small and easy to take with you on your trip so you can make them on the spot, hassle-free.
Note: you can also cook your zoodles, if you’d prefer. Just make sure you don’t overcook them.
Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps (Vegan Friendly)
I love making lettuce wraps when I go camping because they’re super easy and super delicious.
You can make the filling out of just about anything you like.
I like to do mine with chopped chicken thighs, peanut sauce, chopped roasted peanuts and fresh coriander with a squeeze of lime on top.
For a scrumptious vegan filling, try this almond tofu.
Once you’ve made your filling, just wash a head of butter lettuce and break off the leaves. Spoon a tablespoon (or two) of your filling onto a leaf, wrap it up and bon appétit!
Cauliflower Pizza
This is a good one to trick the kids with.
Just whip up some cauliflower pizza crust before your trip and freeze it. Thaw it out completely at the campsite and shape it into a pizza base.
Now, all that’s left to do is add the toppings and stick it in the oven (or on the campfire). Get creative with your toppings. Don’t hold back. Go wild.
One of my favorite combinations is tomato paste, prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, garlic and lots of mozzarella cheese. Once it’s out of the oven top it with some fresh rocket, a few basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Now, tell me that doesn’t sound amazing.
To keep it vegan, skip the prosciutto and replace the mozzarella with any vegan cheese. Or, use your imagination and come up with your own delicious flavor combination.
Cheese & Veggie Frittata
This is one of those recipes that works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You’ve gotta love that kind of versatility.
It’s super simple to make, too.
First, sauté your favorite veggies. Whisk a few eggs together with a splash of milk, cream or yogurt and pour it into the pan, covering the veggies as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle some cheese on and cover the pan with a lid. Place a few hot coals from the campfire onto the lid for a few minutes until the eggs are cooked through.
Serve with fresh herbs and a dollop of sour cream.
Keto Chicken Caesar Salad
The only two things stopping a classic Caesar salad from being compatible with a keto diet are the croutons and the dressing.
So, all you have to do to get a keto friendly Caesar salad is skip the croutons and make a low carb Caesar salad dressing that doesn’t contain any problematic ingredients.
Then, just fry up some chicken and bacon, shave a few slices of parmesan off your block and tear up some lettuce leaves.
Toss it all together, et voilà! A delicious low carb Caesar salad.
DIY Keto Trail Mix (Vegan Friendly)
Trail mix is the perfect keto snack for camping.
Yeah, sure, you can buy it ready to go at the supermarket. Still, if you ask me, dehydrating your own trail mix is definitely the way to go.
A lot of store-bought trail mixes contain ingredients, such as certain dried fruits, that are high in sugar. If you make your own, you can throw all your favorite keto-friendly fruits and nuts in.
I like to use pecans, almonds, peanuts, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and yogurt chips. I dehydrate greek yogurt myself to make the yogurt chips and it’s delicious.
How To Prep Your Keto Camping Food
Prepping your food before you set off on your trip will make cooking at the campsite a whole lot easier.
You won’t have to bring as much kitchenware with you on your trip. Plus, you’ll save a bunch of precious vacation time. That means more time to relax by the campfire and gaze out at the magnificent night sky.
Here are some things you can do to prep your keto camping food.
Veggies
You can wash, peel and slice your veggies beforehand.
To keep them nice and fresh, you can either freeze them or store them in plastic or glass containers with paper towels inside.
Meat
I recommend freezing any fresh meat you’re taking before you go. Cut it up as desired before freezing it. When you’re ready to cook it, just thaw it out and it’s ready to go.
Alternatively, you can cook your meat in advance. This will also keep it fresh for longer.
I generally avoid taking raw fresh meat, unless I plan on cooking it as soon as I get to the campsite. It spoils very quickly, and the last thing you want is food poisoning at a campsite. Believe me. You don’t even want to know.
Keep in mind that all meat should be eaten within a few days to be on the safe side.
Cheese
You can shred your cheese and store it in a plastic container or a ziploc bag.
This is a good idea, because it saves you from having to bring a cheese grater with you on your trip.
As with meat, most cheeses should be eaten within the first few days or they might go off. Hard cheeses like parmesan will last longer, though.
Eggs
Worried about your eggs cracking?
What you can do is crack them beforehand and store them in leak proof containers.
All it takes is one bump in the road for your eggs to crack and spill out over the rest of your stuff. I don’t even have to tell you why you don’t want that happening.
Keto Food Storage Tips
Make sure all your perishables are kept in a cooler, and try not to open it too often.
It’s a good idea to keep drinks in a separate cooler. That way, you don’t have to open the cooler where your food is every time someone gets thirsty. This will keep your food fresh for much longer.
Ice is good for keeping drinks cool, but for food I prefer filling the coolers with frozen water bottles. This prevents things from getting soggy when the ice melts.
Make sure to store raw meat in containers that won’t leak. I like to put it in a double bag and then in a leak proof container. You can’t be too sure, if you ask me. If any juices from the raw meat leak out onto other food items, you’re looking at a serious health hazard.
If you’re camping in an area where there are bears, make sure to store all your food away safely. It’s best to keep all your food in a bear canister, a safe distance away from your campsite.
What About Gear?
The kind of gear you need for your trip is going to depend on the kind of cooking you plan on doing.
If you’re cooking over the campfire you’ll want to take a fire starter and a campfire grill. Also, make sure to pack a roll of aluminum foil as well, for foil packets.
Alternatively, you might want to take a camping stove to cook on.
No matter how you’ll be cooking your food, you’re going to need a cooler to keep your drinks cold and your perishables fresh. You’ll need to replace the ice when it melts, so if you haven’t got access to ice you’re going to need to use up your perishables within the first day or two.
Make sure you’ve got all the necessary kitchenware, including pots, pans, plates and cutlery. It’s a good idea to take a pair of tongs as well for flipping food over the fire.
Pack an adequate amount of garbage bags, so that you can dispose of all your waste and keep your campsite nice and clean. If you haven’t got anywhere to dispose of your garbage bags nearby, take a well-sealed container to keep the smell at bay.
Finally, if you’re camping in an area where you could come across a bear, make sure to have a bear canister to store all of your food in.
Keto Camping Tips
There are a few things people on a keto diet should keep in mind when going camping.
First off, if you’re doing any serious physical activity on your camping trip, make sure you’re getting enough calories and electrolytes.
If you’ll be hiking, increase your calorie intake with some nutrient dense keto snacks that will keep you energized.
The main electrolytes you have to worry about are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Luckily, they can all be found in certain foods. Sea salt, avocado, nuts, dark chocolate, mushrooms, leafy greens, broccoli, salmon, sardines and hard cheese are all fantastic sources of electrolytes.
On the flipside, if you’re going on a relaxing camping trip where you won’t need too much energy, you should consume fewer calories than you usually would.
People just starting out on the keto diet should be careful. Adapting to the diet can be tough on your body. A lot of people come down with what’s known as the keto flu. You wouldn’t want this happening to you on your trip. So, if you’re a beginner I recommend taking it easy and not being too strict until after you get back home.
That’s A Wrap
As you can see, when it comes to keto camping food the possibilities are endless. There really is no reason to compromise on your diet while you’re away on your trip.
All it takes is a little bit of planning, preparation, and imagination.
Hopefully, this article will have inspired you and given you a few keto-friendly ideas for your next camping trip.
Happy camping and bon appétit!