In this article I’m going to outline some good gluten free camping food along with my top tips for camping on a ‘free from’ diet.
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So it has reached that time of year once more and we are preparing for our annual camping trips. I can’t quite bring myself to mention the weather because I know it will jinx things!
Having a child with coeliac disease and an intolerance to dairy means that we have to plan our trips a little more carefully than most.
I would imagine that when most people camp they cook a few meals but visit local pubs and restaurants to eat most of the time.
When it is hot it can be tricky to keep food cool and when it is windy and raining it is hard to cook.
Gluten free camping tips
1) Stock up on Ilumi meals
This is my number one tip. This year I will get a break from cooking and we will be eating healthy nutritious tasty food that doesn’t need to be kept cold and can be re-heated in minutes.
2) Do your research
Find out where the nearest supermarkets are (the chances are you will need to make a few trips, because your food won’t keep). Also check out any cafes or restaurants that serve free-from food. You never know you might just get lucky. It is at least good to know of somewhere you could sneak off to get a piece of cake and a cup of tea.
3) Invest in a big tent
This will make things much easier if you have to do cooking inside (with plenty of ventilation of course) because of the weather. It is inevitable it will rain at some point, or be too windy to cook outside. If you have a big tent you will have the space to cook inside (providing you place the stove on a safe, non-flammable surface).
4) Invest in a stove
We have a Campingaz Camping Stove which is fantastic. It has two ‘rings’ and a grill so you can do most things you could do at home. At under £40 it is well worth the investment.
5) Plan simple meals that won’t take too long to make
It is much easier for everyone to eat the same thing so that no cross-contamination can occur. You also need to consider ingredients that don’t need to be kept chilled. See below for some ideas.
6) Ideally invest in a camping fridge
This makes things much easier in terms of keeping food cold. However, if like us, you don’t camp often enough to warrant the expense then follow steps 1 and 5.
7) Make sure you have lots of staple food items
Things like gluten-free bread and dairy-free milk. Buy the long life/vacuum packed varieties for longer shelf life. After all, you’re unlikely to find these things in the campsite shop!
8) Bring lots of foil and sandwich bags
You will need them for packing up a lunch if you go out for the day.
9) Have a packet of baby wipes or anti-bacterial wipes & kitchen roll
I know, not environmentally friendly but the only time we use them. There will be inevitable food spillages. You’ll also find them handy for wiping things down before preparing free-from food (if you are cooking separate things).
10) Cook a meal before you leave home
Make a big pot of vegetable chilli, or curry or spaghetti bolognese, freeze it and keep it in the cool box to keep all the other food cool until it’s defrosted and you eat it.
Gluten free camping food ideas
I always try to plan meals in advance of going camping. It removes the stress of having hungry, tired children and not knowing what to feed them.
Here is some of my favourite gluten free camping food along with links to recipes.
- Make a simple tomato sauce with a can of tomato passata, chopped onion, garlic and dried herbs. Serve with gluten free pasta.
- Make the above sauce into a bolognese using my recipe for gluten free spaghetti bolognese using dried soya mince, tinned lentils or sunflower mince
- Make a simple vegetable curry with my fantastic curry sauce. You could even make some roti to go with it.
- Make a vegetable chilli (using tinned vegetables) and serve it with gluten free nachos or tacos.
- Pasta and dairy free pesto is always a firm favourite. Serve with some tinned veg or salad.
- Make my healthy tuna pasta bake. Just grill it to melt the cheese if you’re using that.
- Have a BBQ on the first night when your cool box is still cool
- Make pizza. Yes you did read that right. I developed a special recipe to make pizza in a frying pan.
Do you have any tips you can add? I would love to hear them if you do.
I shared this with:
Honest Mum says
Fab tips, I’ve never been camping but bet it’s fun! Enjoy! Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts
The Free From Fairy says
Wow! I can’t believe you haven’t been camping! Great fun…especially if you are lucky like we have been with the sunshine!
Franglaise Mummy says
Some great tips here – I love camping but tend to be very lazy when it comes to the cooking side of things, maybe it’s time to invest in decent cooking equipment….??
The Free From Fairy says
Oh yes it certainly helps to have good cooking equipment…but to be honest, if I didn’t have to cook and could go to a pub I would probably choose that, although it is fun to cook outdoors if the weather is good!
Tom @Ideas4Dads says
Have a wonderful time and hope you have some nice weather 🙂
The Free From Fairy says
Thanks Tom. The weather was fantastic!
Merlinda Little (@pixiedusk) says
We have started camping since last month and we are continuously learning. Thanks for this as its really hard to store food on this temp. We are going to camp again tomorrow and the heat worries me. We only have a soft ice pack bag and I am not sure my meat would be safe there. A nice read thanks =) #BrilliantBlogPosts
The Free From Fairy says
Hi Merlinda, I hope you had a great trip. It certainly was hot wasn’t it!!?
Shirley Wood says
Great camping tips. I especially like the foil, sandwich bags and baby wipes! If you are able to find a store nearby, the foil packet dinners cooked on the grill would be a nice camping meal.
Stopping by from Brilliant Blog Post.
The Free From Fairy says
Hi Shirley, what are the foil packet dinners you talk about? They sound great!
Steph @MisplacedBrit says
Haha! It was so funny to see your post right before my #brilliantblogpost …I would add to this list: LEAVE YOUR ONIONS AT HOME! 🙂
The Free From Fairy says
Got to read that now…although I can imagine! 😉
Kim says
We make a chilli if a bolognese and freeze it in a large pot, when kept in the cool box it keeps everything else chilled and is a great meal, ready prepared after the faff of putting up the tent! We also take a tub of gf flour with us and have a couple of recipes for rolls that can be cooked I a lidded pan, and can also be used to make pancakes for breakfast.
The Free From Fairy says
Great suggestions! I forgot to put that I make up sandwich bags of my pancake mix before going so that easy pancakes can be made each morning without taking all the separate ingredients. All you have to add is an egg and some milk! I love the sound of your roles. Any chance of sharing the recipe?
Lisa Gibbs says
Soya milk powder or almond milk powder can be brilliant for camping. You can make up just what you need for the day! Making it into a paste then gradually adding more water is the best way to not get horrible lumps.
The Free From Fairy says
Where do you get almond milk powder? What a fantabulous thing! I need some. NOW!!! 😉
Lisa Gibbs says
Amazon is the easiest place. Some taste better than others so if you try one and it’s not good, don’t let it put you off. I’m using Now Foods Organic Soy Milk Powder at the moment, I believe they have lowered the amount of sodium recently which is good as people complained about that on the product feedback. Plus I use much more water per spoon of powder than they recommend so it lasts ages. Its brilliant for bread machine recipes too!
Lisa Gibbs says
Organic Ecomil Almond Powder 400 g. Search for this on amazon and you’ll find it, it is gluten free 🙂
The Free From Fairy says
If only I had known before heading off!! Oh well…next trip! Thanks so much for the tip!
Lisa Gibbs says
You could put some in your pancake batter bag too so you only need water and egg to make it up. Lol if you ever need ideas or other tips I’m sure I can help. I’ve been df so long now and I’m always researching! Have a great trip
The Free From Fairy says
Thank you so much Lisa. We are just back and had a wonderful time but I shall bear in mind your experience. Thanks so much for all your help.
Steve says
A lot of campsites have microwaves, meaning I have my porridge for breakfasts and I take jacket potatoes for easy meals/snacks, just in case I don’t find that lovely gf restaurant. I take Heinz baked beans, tins of tuna etc etc and buy nice salad stuff, coleslaw and cheeses whilst out during the day. Great fun eh.
Vicki Montague says
That’s brilliant Steve…I’ve never thought to look and see if there is a microwave!