Camping: It’s All About the Vegan Food

Posted by Bridget on August 31, 2023

Taking breaks is important. Working around the clock to help animals can cause burnout, which is why when we peta2 staffers need some time to clear our heads, some of us venture off into the wilderness to go camping.

Of course, what fun would camping (or glamping) be without delicious vegan food cooked over an open flame? Don’t get me wrong—I love a good PB&J sandwich, but we all deserve more on our camping trips.

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A post shared by Talitha 🌻 (@anotherveganinstapage)

Here’s a recap of some of the many tasty treats we’ve cooked up in the woods:

Breakfast

We’ve all heard time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is especially true if you’re going to be hiking, climbing cliffs, or kayaking. If you have a camp stove or fire pit, then the opportunities are endless: blueberry pancakes, campfire breakfast burritos, “sausage” skillet scramble, and more. Oatmeal (just add hot water!) is great if you don’t have time to cook. Throw some vegan yogurt and honey-free granola in the cooler, too.

Below: Frozen hash brown shreds, green peppers, vegan sausage, and a cup of joe made with the good ol’ French press and nondairy soy creamer make for a delicious breakfast. Not pictured: The Daiya cheddar shreds we sprinkled on top of the scramble. Mmmm!

Stock up on protein bars and fresh fruit for adventures between meals. Apples, oranges, and bananas are great for hikes.

Lunch

For lunch, cook up vegan hot dogs. They’re super-easy to make: Just cook your favorite veggie dogs over an open flame and enjoy!

Pro tip: MorningStar Farms Veggie Corn Dogs (pictured below) are great over a fire. Wrap em’ in aluminum foil and let them cook over an open flame.

Serve with some fruit or accidentally vegan chips.

If you won’t have access to a cooler, you can always find vegan freeze-dried meals in outdoor-recreation stores such as REI, Cabela’s, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Most even say “vegan” on the packaging, and REI lets you sort your online search by vegan options. Some of them are seriously fancy AF (quinoa pilaf?!). Just add boiling water—and voilà!

Dinner

It’s not a camping trip without throwing veggie burgers on the grill. They’re great topped with veggie chili and served with grilled corn on the cob on the side. Ten minutes over the campfire, and ta-da!

You can also use a campfire or camp stove to make other things—like grilled veggie kebabs, canned soups, vegan baked beans, ramen, and canned vegetables.

Dessert

Homemade cinnamon apples are a great dessert: Core out an apple, fill the middle with Atomic Fireball candies, wrap it in aluminum foil, and put it directly in the fire until the candy melts. You’ll end up with a spiced apple treat that can’t be beat.

Let’s not forget about s’mores, the most popular campfire treat of all time. Lots of marshmallows contain gelatin, which is made from animal bones (gross!), but luckily, companies like Dandies make light and fluffy marshmallows that are 100 percent vegan. You can order them online or find them at specialty stores like Whole Foods. When shopping for graham crackers, make sure to avoid honey, and don’t forget to check out our guide to vegan chocolate.

Want to change it up? Try out this recipe, which replaces marshmallows with bananas. Hey, don’t knock it ’til you try it.

Remember that there are plenty of foods and treats that are accidentally vegan. Check out our accidentally vegan snacks list for some of our top picks. For those of you who are 21 and over, pair those snacks with your favorite vegan beer. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to help wild animals:

1. Rinse out all your cans, and then put the tops on the inside (so animals won’t cut their tongues). Crush the open side of the can as flat as you can.

2. Cut open empty cardboard and plastic containers so that squirrels and other small animals can’t get their faces or heads trapped in them. If you have empty jars, be sure to scrub them out and put the lids on them.

3. Cut apart all sections of plastic six-pack rings, including the inner diamonds. Choose paper bags at the grocery store, or better yet, take your own reusable canvas bags, which help prevent wildlife habitats from being destroyed.