Best Canned Foods For Camping (No Refrigeration Recipes)

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One of the biggest parts to plan for camping is what you’re going to eat and how you’re going to make it.  This list of best canned foods for camping and other no refrigeration foods will help you decide just that.  

Instead of packing hot dogs in a huge cooler for your next camping trip, you can plan for your meals to come from cans & other non-perishable foods.  They will taste just as delicious, I promise!

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Planning Camp Food

Before your camping trip, it is a good idea to plan out each of your meals so you know exactly what to pack.  It also helps you decide which cooking tools you will need.  

If you need help figuring out the best way for you to cook while camping, check out this post on How To Cook While Camping.

If you strategize, your meals can be planned around no refrigeration at all.  You can cook from foods with a long shelf life and that won’t take a long time to cook.

Canned foods are a great option compared to fresh foods because they are usually fully cooked.  They just need to heat up for a few minutes.  

They’re also great for an emergency situation, as they typically don’t need to be heated up at all.  You can just pop open a can and eat it right away if needed.

Just don’t forget your can opener!!!

Video

Check out our video on YouTube covering the best canned foods and other non-perishable foods for camping:

Best Canned Foods For Camping

Here is a general list of the best canned foods for camping.  A lot of them are pretty self-explanatory, but there might be some here that you have never thought of.

Canned Vegetables

Canned vegetables are one of the best options you can bring camping.  They make a great side dish, plus they have good nutritional value.  

Fresh vegetables usually need to be heated up or boiled to be enjoyed.  Thankfully, you can eat canned vegetables by themselves straight from the can.  Or you can heat them up and enjoy them in a meal.

Here is a list of the best canned vegetables that you might want to bring with you while camping:

• Green beans
• Corn (plain or creamed corn)
• Peas
• Carrots
• Tomatoes (whole, diced, or tomato sauce)
• Pumpkin
• Potatoes
• Artichoke hearts
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Cauliflower
• Green chiles
• Cabbage
• Vegetable medley
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Vegetable broth
• Celery

Recipes That Use Canned Vegetables

The options are truly endless when it comes to recipes that use canned vegetables.

For example, you can make a great vegetable stir fry with just a few different vegetables mixed with instant rice.

Really, mixing any canned vegetables together with seasoning will be great!

Some other examples of recipes that use canned vegetables:

• Vegetarian chili (beans & tomato sauce)
• Canned meat & tomato sauce (sloppy joe’s)
• Pumpkin soup (pumpkin puree + evaporated milk)
• Vegetable soup (any veggies + canned broth)
• Spicy white chili (canned chicken, chicken broth, white beans, green chiles)

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Canned Fruits

Canned fruits are another easy way to get some nutritional value while you’re out camping.  Plus, you don’t have to worry about the quick expiration date of fresh produce.

Canned fruits make an easy snack, but they can also make a fun dessert while you’re camping.  Regardless, they are a good choice to have with you while you’re camping.

Here’s a list of canned fruits to bring with you:

• Peaches
• Mandarins
• Pineapple
• Mangoes
• Jackfruit
• Berries
• Pie fillings
• Fruit medley
• Olives
• Pickles (pickled cucumbers)
• Sweet cherries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Applesauce

Recipes That Use Canned Fruit

Really, any fruit that you find in a can would be a delicious treat.  These are a few recipes that use canned fruit.

• Fruit salad (mix any fruits together)
• Cobbler (fruit with oatmeal, oil, sugar, & flour for topping)
• Dutch oven dump cake (boxed cake mix & canned fruit of choice)
• Fruit pie (Pie crust & canned fruit in dutch oven)
• Fruit, canned milk, & granola

A lot of dessert recipes would call for milk or eggs, but there are some substitutes that you can make.  For instance, you could use canned evaporated milk in place of fresh milk.  You can also use ¼ cup of applesauce in place of an egg.

Regardless, making a delicious dessert on your camping trip is always a good choice.

Canned Liquids

There are many liquids that are sold in cans.  They are great for drinking or cooking with.  You might want to consider having a few with you to add to your delicious camp meals.

• Evaporated milk
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Coconut milk
• Chicken broth
• Beef broth
• Vegetable broth
• Bone broth
• Fruit juices

Recipes For Canned Liquids

Canned liquids come in handy no matter what you are cooking.  You can boil with them or just heat them up to enjoy.

• Broth soups
• Pureed soups (with canned milk & canned vegetables)
• Milk teas (with sweetened condensed milk)
• Creamer for coffee (sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk)
• Milk for cereal (evaporated milk)
• Coconut curry (instant rice, canned chicken, coconut milk, tomato sauce, spices)

Canned Meats

Canned meats are a necessity for camping.  They are a great source of protein.  Fresh meat is fun to cook over the fire or on a grill, but that also requires refrigeration.

Meat products in cans have a lot of the same nutritional value that fresh meat has.  You’ll be filled up quickly with canned meats. They also make a great addition to any main dish.

Best Canned Meats For Camping:

• Tuna
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Ground beef
• Beef chunks
• Pork
• Spam
• Sardines
• Oysters
• Salmon
• Corned beef
• Vienna sausages
• Clams
• Anchovies

Recipes That Use Canned Meats

You can make so many recipes with canned meats.  One of the great things about using canned meats is you can usually use whichever meat you prefer in your recipe.

If you don’t want chicken in your meal, then substitute it for a can of tuna.  The choice is yours!

Here is a list of easy meals using the canned version of meat:

• Beanless chili (canned beef & tomato sauce)
• Chicken enchiladas (canned chicken, enchilada sauce, tortillas, corn)
• Corned beef hash (canned potatoes & corned beef)
• Tuna or salmon salad (tuna, canned veggies, mustard, olive oil)
• Spam & instant rice
• Stir fry (canned veggies, instant rice, canned meat)

Canned Legumes

Canned legumes are another great option when you’re deciding on the best canned foods for camping.

Beans are a good source of protein, fiber, potassium, & much more.  You’ll definitely be full and satisfied when you add canned legumes to your camping meals.

Examples of canned legumes:

• Chickpeas
• Great northern beans
• Pinto beans
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Black eyed peas
• Baked beans
• Refried beans
• Ranch style beans

Recipes That Use Canned Legumes

Canned beans can be eaten by themselves or you can make a variety of recipes.  Bean recipes are always a hearty meal.

• Chili (pinto beans, canned beef, tomato sauce, seasoning)
• Chickpea soup (chickpeas, canned broth, canned spinach)
• Beans & instant rice (add canned meat too!)
• Bean burritos (refried beans, canned beef, & tortillas)
• Beanie weenies (baked beans & Vienna sausages)

Other Canned Foods For Camping

There is a whole list of canned foods that you can bring camping with you that aren’t covered in the groups mentioned above.

A lot of canned foods are meals all in themselves.  The meal has already been prepared and canned for you.  All you have to do is pop it open & heat it up.

Examples of other canned food options:

• Ravioli
• Soups
• Stews
• Tamales
• Chili
• Corned beef hash
• Spaghetti
• Chicken & dumplings
• Chili mac
• Spaghetti-os
• Beefaroni

Download Free Non-Perishable Camping Food List

Can Your Own Food

If you want to create your own perfect camp meals, you can always can your own meals in jars.

There are methods to can foods so they last a long time and are ready to eat when opened.

For instance, you are able to can taco meat with a pressure canner.  Then, when you get to your campsite, you’ll just need to pop it open and heat it up to eat.

The options are truly endless when you can your own foods and meals at home.  You can choose your favorites and always have a delicious meal waiting for you.

Freeze Dried Foods

Freeze dried foods have a lot of the same benefits as canned food for camping.  They don’t need refrigeration.  Plus, they have a long shelf life and make for a quick meal.

If you have a freeze drier at home, then you can easily make your own camping meals.  Otherwise, there are a ton of options of freeze dried meals to choose from for your next camping trip.

Some of the popular brands of camping meals are Peak Refuel, Mountain House, & ReadyWise.

You can also look up brands that are geared towards emergency supplies & food storage like Augason Farms.

Regardless, using freeze dried foods is super easy while camping.  All you need with you is something to heat water up with.  You’ll dump the hot water into your freeze dried food and wait for it to turn into a delicious camp meal.

Other Shelf Stable Food Items For Camping

Aside from canned foods & freeze dried foods, there are other options if you don’t want to bring a cooler.

A great idea is to just walk through the middle aisles at the grocery store to decide which foods you can bring with you that don’t require refrigeration.

For example you can grab a can of pasta sauce & noodles to make any pasta dishes that you like.

Here’s a list of foods that we always consider when we don’t want to pack the cooler:

• Tortillas
• Bread
• Fresh fruits (like oranges & apples)
• Crackers
• Trail mix
• Nuts
• Raisins
• Beef jerky
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Granola
• Ramen noodles
• Instant rice bags
• Juice
• Pasta noodles
• Pasta sauce 
• Bagels
• Almond butter
• Nutella
• Chips
• Bacon bits
• Protein bars
• Protein powder
• Baking mixes (to make in a dutch oven)
• Marshmallows
• Mac & cheese
• Hamburger helper box

Cooking While Camping

Just like you need to plan your camping food list, you need to plan how you’ll cook.  I wrote a whole post on how to cook while camping, but here’s a quick overview to help you start planning.

You need to plan your heat source for your camping trip.  Whether you’ll cook on the fire, bring a propane stove, or a charcoal grill.  There are many options you can go with.

You also want to make sure you have the proper equipment to cook with.  This includes pots, pans, cooking utensils, eating utensils, cooking oils & seasonings.

Having a plan for how you’ll cook while camping will ensure you have a hot meal on a cold night.  Nothing beats eating something warm while sitting around the campfire.

Foods That Don’t Require Cooking

We’ve already covered how canned foods don’t require cooking.  But sometimes you just want to plan your foods around eliminating the task of cooking or packing a camp stove.

Some of these do require refrigeration, but you can make them ahead of time and keep them in a small cooler.

• Yogurt & granola
• Deli sandwich
• Pinwheels
• Cracker, meat, & cheese plate
• Veggies & dip
• Chicken wrap
• Chicken salad
• Peanut butter sandwich
• Boiled eggs
• Salad
• Pasta salad
• Overnight oats

Food Storage

Food storage is another important part of camping to plan for.  There are many reasons to have a plan for how you’ll store your food.

1. Don’t want to attract animals
2. Want to keep your food safe from animals
3. Want to keep your food edible
4. Don’t want to take up too much space

Bringing canned foods camping can take up a lot of space.  One option is to just simply store them all in a grocery bag from the grocery store.  

In the past, we’ve stored our canned foods and other non-perishable foods in a storage bin.  It’s easy to grab and easy to store safely from animals while we’re hiking away from the campsite.  

Once you cook your food, you’ll want to know how to store any leftovers.  Ideally, you’ll want to eat your canned meats right away.  You can get away with storing vegetables, fruits, & beans in plastic bags or containers for a few days if needed.

Always make sure you are using safe practices so you don’t get sick from food that is open too long & you don’t attract any unwanted animals to your site.

If you’re in an area where bears might be present.  It is a good idea to get a bear canister or bear bag to keep your food about 100 yards away from your campsite.

This will help prevent bears from sniffing around at night & also protect your food from being eaten by them.

Basic Camping Packing List

If this is your first time camping, or you need a refresh, then here is a free download for our Basic Camping Packing List.  It is a full list of the basic items you need to bring for a successful camping trip.

Conclusion

Planning your food for camping is super important.  Choosing items from this best canned foods for camping list is a good option.

You won’t have to transport a large cooler if you’re choosing non-perishable food items.  Canned foods are the perfect option as they are already cooked and can be heated up into delicious meals.

Just remember to bring your can opener with you!

FAQ About Canned Foods While Camping

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