Healthy Camping Breakfasts

By Samantha Lemna | August 30, 2018

A good breakfast is an essential part of your day no matter if you’re eating quickly in the cold pre-dawn before a big hike or having a late lazy brunch with the family. We’ve put together a number of recipes to provide you a healthy and tasty breakfast. We’ve kept everything relatively quick and easy whether you’re cooking over the campfire in an RV or in a full outdoor kitchen set up.

Start with a Hot Drink

The morning can be cool and this goes double if you’re camping in the mountains. A hot drink makes everyone a little more cheerful. I like to avoid sugar-filled drinks like hot chocolate Milo and hot cider. Instead I suggest coffee tea (black green or herbal) or hot milk.

The authentic way is to boil water over the campfire but it takes time to build the fire get it hot enough and then wait for the water to boil. It’s much faster to use a propane or RV stove to heat up the water. The same can be done to heat up milk.

You can add the tea leaves or coffee grounds directly to the water to let it steep then pour through a filter. Or you can use a tea or coffee infuser or a french press.

Of course if you have a coffee maker in your RV this is all made much easier!

Short and Quick Breakfasts

If you’re off to an early start or simply not much of a breakfast eater here are some options that are either quick to make or can be prepared beforehand.

Cereal – if you choose a healthy cereal (look for low sugar content and whole grains) and add raw fruit with your milk or milk alternative this can actually be a great and filling breakfast. If it’s chilly you can also heat the milk up.

Overnight Oats – Mix rolled oats with whichever liquids and other ingredients you choose and let it rest in the fridge overnight. This creamy and delicious breakfast is perfect for a quick on-the-go breakfast. Here are 8 classic overnight oat recipes with lots of substitution suggestions.

Oatmeal – If a cold breakfast doesn’t appeal to you why not give oatmeal a try? While instant oatmeal packets are available this recipe is a healthier and tastier breakfast if you buy either quick-cooking or rolled oats.

For quick-cooking oats bring 1 cup of water or milk to a boil stir in ½ cup oats and reduce the heat to medium for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let it stand.

For rolled oats bring 1 cup of water or milk to a boil add ½ cup of oats and reduce the heat to medium. Cook on medium for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let it stand for several minutes.

You can add fruit (fresh frozen or dried) honey coconut or maple syrup to sweeten the oats. Peanut butter is also a delicious addition. Nuts and seeds add healthy fats while spices like cinnamon nutmeg and ginger give the oatmeal a sweet kick. You can also add yogurt or cottage cheese or use a milk alternative.

Breakfast Muffin – When you think of muffins you’re probably thinking of something like this – and that’s a healthier recipe as normally muffins have a lot more sugar and fat. An even better option to the traditional muffin can be found here .

But a delicious and healthy alternative is the egg muffin – get the protein and veggies you need in this tasty breakfast. They’re also super customizable and can be made before your camping trip. Check out this article for 9 varieties of these egg muffin cups . You can find a more traditional recipe here .

Breakfast Burrito – this is a great meal to make ahead of time and is freezable. You can customize the ingredients but here are some suggestions: Skinny Fork breakfast burritos and a Healthy Slice of Life’s breakfast burritos . Serve with salsa or fruit or just eat it on it’s own.

For a Full Brunch

Breakfast Charcuterie – I’m a big fan of charcuterie for a late lazy breakfast because it’s customizable and easy to assemble. You can take your time with eating it too which is perfect for a quiet morning with coffee and a book. Hard boiled eggs and meat such as bacon are popular options combined with fresh fruit cheese and toast. Pickled vegetables are a great idea for camping too. Check out Cup of Jo for an example.

Pancakes – You can buy premade mix or easily assemble your own to bring camping. Some traditional but healthier recipes include whole wheat oatmeal pancakes and these pancakes from skinnytaste . There are also a large number of varieties for every diet and taste preference provided by Chocolate Covered Katie .

Shakshouka – This is a delicious and spicy dish that’s very easy to make and excellent when paired with good bread. You can of course choose to leave out the chilies to make it more palatable for kids or those who aren’t a fan of spice. View the recipe here .

Skillet – My favourite way to get in my breakfast veggies is cooking them over the campfire in a skillet. You can make an individual skillet for everyone or make a large batch to share. Warm your pan add cooking oil and then add your choice of vegetables. You can add eggs or prepare another protein. Pair with bread and enjoy!