Camping outdoors means a lot of fun, excitement, and a lot of blah tasting canned goods - well, not if you have carefully planned and packed your meals. Unless you're camping outside your home, you won't be anywhere close to a fast food restaurant. So if you're planning a 3-day camping trip, you need to consider all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for every meal of each day.

To ensure that your camping trip runs smoothly and your meals are diverse as well as good, make sure to bring the following items: charcoal, mini charcoal grill, matches, wind-proof lighter such as a Zippo lighter, an old pan and pot, and a roll of heavy duty tinfoil. It would also be wise if you assigned cooking responsibilities among the adults in the group before the actual camping trip. As for the meals, the following are some of the most practical, yet delicious camping meal ideas.

Breakfast

You need to include protein rich food for breakfast since you will need all the energy you can get to start your activity-filled day. You'll want to keep things quick and simple since you will have more activities to attend to after the meal. Great camping breakfast ideas include cereal with milk, oatmeal mixed with nuts and dried fruits, scrambled eggs and bread, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and of course, a glass of milk or juice.

Lunch

If you're assigned to cook lunch, make sure to prepare ahead of time. Get up and prepare the ingredients and utensils you will use an hour or so before lunch time. Don't wait until the last minute when everybody's tired and hungry - you don't want to start arguing about food on the first day, do you?

If snacks weren't served before lunch, a big meal would be perfect. But don't worry, big meals don't necessarily need heavy preparations. Sandwiches are easy to prepare, so long as you pack everything you need to make delicious, satisfying sandwiches like turkey meat, roast beef, hotdogs, deli meat, tomatoes, and cheese. Just be sure to pack the meat properly so they don't spoil. Serve the sandwiches with vegetable sticks and water, and you'll all be ready for the busy afternoon.

Salads also make for a great lunch. But forget leafy salads as lettuce do not pack well and easily spoil. Macaroni and potato salad are a big hit among campers. Just throw in bits of cheese and ham, and you've got a nutritious and delicious meal to get you fueled up for the upcoming activities.

Supper

There's nothing like a good, hot meal to end a day of activities. Grilled meat and meat stew make great dinners, and they're also easy to prepare. Take the meat of your choice - steak cuts, chicken, or pork, soak them in your favorite spices, and grill. Serve with a can of corn and/or grilled potatoes, which are equally easy to prepare - just place in heavy duty foil, top with a tablespoon or so of butter, salt and pepper, wrap, and grill for 10 - 15 minutes.

As for the stew, brown a pound of stew meat, hamburger, or a can of corned beef, add diced potatoes and carrots, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour in one cup tomato sauce and two cups water - simmer just until the carrots and potato are tender. If there are no kids with you, you can choose to add beer to make the dish more flavorful. Serve with a roll, and you've got one satisfying meal.

Just be sure to clean up after every meal. You wouldn't want to attract insects or wild animals for that matter, right?