How Many Meals Does a School Camp Need? A Planning Guide

For most Victorian school camps, plan for 5 meal touchpoints per student per full day on camp: breakfast, recess, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Many camps add a supper as well, taking it to 6.

A 3-day, 2-night camp therefore involves roughly 8 meal services per student (2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners, plus recess/snack moments depending on the program).

Primary students (Years 4–6) generally eat about 70–80% of the portion size of an adult. Lower-secondary students (Years 7–9) eat close to adult portions. Senior secondary students (Years 10–12) often eat 110–120% of adult portions, particularly on active outdoor camps where energy expenditure is high.

Sporting groups, outdoor education tours and adventure camps should always be planned with bigger portions and additional snacks. A hungry 14-year-old after a day of high ropes is a force to be reckoned with.

A reliable rule of thumb is: total meals = (students + staff) × meal services × 1.10. The 10% buffer covers second helpings, miscount on dietary numbers, and the inevitable extra adult who shows up on day two. Going lower than 10% creates risk; going higher than 15% creates waste.

Underestimating snacks is the most common camp food mistake. Plan for at least one substantial morning recess (fruit, baked goods or muesli bars) and one afternoon snack moment per day. For active camps, add a third "energy stop" between lunch and afternoon activities.

Keep a snack reserve box at every camp — fruit, crackers, dried fruit and nut-free muesli bars — for the inevitable "I'm starving" moments between scheduled meals.