Looking for the best food to bring to a festival? Festivals offer many delicious street food vendors (and of course the classic greasy burger) – but it can get pricey if you have to buy 3 meals per day for 5 days.
Many festivalgoers opt to bring their own food with them to save money.
Looking for a healthy snack to take camping with you?
1. Dried Fruit
This dried fruit comes in handy little packets and is easy to pack. It’s also a great source of fibre and vitamin C, so you’ve got your fill of nutrition while enjoying some tasty snacks on the go.
2. Cereal or Granola
Consider packing granola as part of your healthy snack options. The dried fruit is rich in vitamins and antioxidants (for your hangover), but because it isn’t too sweet there’s no need to worry about sugar crashes. Instead, try bringing a few packs along on your trip for a delicious and nutritious snack!
3. CousCous
Couscous is a staple grain across the Middle East and North Africa. It’s a great vegetarian substitute for meat and can be used in place of rice or pasta. In my opinion, couscous makes a great portable easy to eat snack that can go with you to your next festival.
The reason for this is that it cooks in a couple of minutes, so with a small portable camping stove you just need to bring a small pan of water to the boil.
4. Instant Noodles
The Instant Noodle Snack is the perfect snack for a camping trip or when you are out and about. It’s easy to carry, delicious and healthy!
5. Cereal Bars for a snack
Why mess around with instant oatmeal here’s a cereal bar that will keep you fueled for hours. It’s a perfect snack to take to a festival and doesn’t require any extra cooking.
The bars are made with whole grains, so they’re more filling than your average granola bar, plus they have all the essential vitamins, minerals and fibre your body needs. And they taste great!
6. Mixed Nuts
Mixed nuts are nutritious and easy to eat, so you won’t have to worry about forgetting something healthy in your bag. The best part is that they’re rich in protein and provide long-lasting energy for a day of fun outdoors.
7. Flapjacks
Grab some healthy flapjacks and make your next camping trip extra fun. They are easy to pack, full of protein and you won’t have to worry about eating spoiled food. Just pack these delicious flapjacks and they’ll stay fresh – just like you!
8. Beef Jerky
Looking for a quick, simple snack that packs well and tastes great? Beef jerky is the answer. It’s great for taking on festival trips or long road trips, picnics, or wherever you go when you’re hungry.
9. Sweets
Bring a pack (or two) of your favourite sweets to your next festival, as a little treat or a pick-me-up!
10. Instant Soup
There’s nothing better than relaxing in the outdoors with a warm, comforting cup of soup. Be the envy of your tent neighbours with some delicious instant soup. You’ll need a camping stove for this (unless you want cold soup)
11. Fruit Rolls
These fruit rolls are the perfect healthy snack to take camping. No more worrying about whether you’ll have enough food to last through your trip. Just stuff these fruit rolls in your bag, they won’t make a mess or cause any trouble like other snacks might!
12. Bananas
Bananas are a great snack to take with you camping. They’re easy to pack and they taste awesome while still being healthy. What’s more, they come in their own natural packaging! It’s easy to throw a few loose bananas in the top of your backpack for a quick snack at a festival.
13. Belvita Biscuits
Belvita biscuits are a great snack to take camping with you. The high-fibre, low-sugar content means you’ll be full faster and for longer, and it contains no artificial flavours or colours!
14. Vegetarian Sausages
An easy snack for those camping trips, these vegetarian sausages give you the perfect balance of protein and carbohydrate. With no need to refrigerate, they are perfect to take on hiking or backpacking adventures.
You’ll need to bring a portable barbecue with you if you want these hot – not all festivals allow barbecues so it’s better to check first!
15. Crisps
Crisps are great – mostly because they’re so light in your bag, although a little bulky.
16. Tinned Chickpeas or Beans
Tinned chickpeas are a healthy and nutritious snack to take on camping trips or festivals. They are also high in protein, fibre and low in saturated fat, making them a good option if you are pursuing a weight loss diet.
You can eat them raw, straight from the tin, but they’re much better heated up on a small camping stove.
See also: How to cook your own food at a festival
17. Instant Boil-in-bag Rice
This instant rice takes the hassle out of cooking and it is full of nutrients, great for festivals and camping. If you have a gas powered stove to cook this – it’s a decent size meal that doesn’t take ages to cook or break the bank.
18. Cheese Strings
These cheese strings are a fun, tasty snack the whole family will love. They’re easy to take along to festivals, especially with kids, as an on-the-go snack.
19. Frozen Berries
Frozen berries are an awesome treat to bring while camping! They are great on a hot day and can be eaten out of the bag. Take them anywhere!
If you’ve got ice – even better, but it’s OK if they defrost and don’t stay frozen – they’ll still taste delicious.
20. Peanut Butter
Take a tub of peanut butter with you camping and not only is it great to add protein and essential fatty acids to your diet, but it can be used in all sorts of delicious ways.
Make sure you get this in a plastic container, not glass, or it may be confiscated!
So those are our top picks for the best food to bring to festivals! But what about cooking!?
Camping Cooking Equipment
If you’ve brought food with you that requires cooking, make sure you have a portable camping stove and enough gas for the duration of your festival or camping trip.
Read our guide on the best portable camping stoves for festivals.
Best Portable Camping Stove for a Festival
Best all round without breaking the bank
COLEMAN FyreStorm PCS Stove
- Compact size
- Gas cartridge fits inside pot for storage,
- All in one including 1.3 litre cooking pot, lid and a pot sleeve
- Wind blocking technology
- Piezo ignition – so easy to ignite (no matches needed)
- Can be used without the included pot (you can use any pan that will fit)
- Boil time 4m30s
Foods to avoid bringing with you ❌
Here are some foods to avoid bring with you a festival:
Chocolate – it will just melt in the heat, even if it’s not a very warm day – it’ll go soft.
Fresh meat – it won’t stay fresh for very long!
Fresh Fruit – it will last for a few days outdoors or in a tent, but it’s heavy to carry and it still may get spoiled.
Fresh vegetables – they needs chopping, peeling, preparing – too much work!
Fresh Milk, cheese or other fresh dairy – for obvious reasons, it will spoil
Anything that requires cooking for longer than 10 minutes – don’t spend longer than 10 minute cooking your food at a festival! Make sure that your meals are quick and easy to prepare.
See also: How to keep your drinks cool while camping at a music festival
Benefits of Bringing your Own Food to a festival
You save a tonne of money – after all you’ve already spent on tickets, transport, new clothes, etc, the cost of food on top of that adds up quickly. By cooking and preparing your own food and snacks, you save some cash.
It’s more sustainable – it causes less mess and creates less rubbish if you cook your own food instead of buying from food vendors.
You save time – by eating at your campsite and having snacks on the go, you don’t have to waste time going to vendors, queuing up and spending your valuable festival time on food shopping!
