What Foods to Bring With You to Baja - Non-Refrigerated

It is wise to bring a good supply of non-perishable foods with you on your Baja road trip.

Even if you enjoy dining at the local Baja eateries, you will still need to bring some of your own food along on your Baja trip. If you plan to camp in remote areas or you are scared to eat at most Baja restaurants, then you will need to bring even more of your own food.

This page will mostly deal with non-refrigerated foods. If you are traveling with a refrigerator, then the world is your oyster. You can bring just about any perishable foods you want. Read more about the rules on bringing meats and fresh produce into Baja and Mexico.

Non-Refrigerated Foods

These are a few suggestions that work well for me when I am camping in Baja.

Canned Soups, Beans, and Veggies

After a few days of eating trail mix and energy bars, a good can of hot soup or beans will taste like a gourmet meal. A can of soup or beans can be heated up in a matter of minutes on a camping stove. They are easy to eat, and the clean up is pretty easy as well. Soup cans are small and easy to pack, so I always bring more cans than I will probably use. I bring 1 can per person per day. This ensures at least one hot meal each day of the trip. If you have extra cans at the end of the trip, just bring them back with you or give them away to friends you meet along the road in Baja. Canned items cause no problems at border crossings or checkpoints, so they are a very low maintenance food to bring with you in Baja.

Trail Mix and Granola

I like to munch while I drive, so trail mix and granola is required for my road trips. It also alleviates the need to stop the car in order to eat. Trail mix is much healthier (and tastier) than snacks sold at Baja gas stations, so I recommend bringing a good supply of your favorite trail mix blends. Some people make their own blend, while others buy trail mix prepackaged. My only suggestion is to get a few varieties. You will be munching on this for a few weeks, so keep your taste buds happy and mix up the flavors and textures a bit.

Energy Bars

Energy bars are another great meal that requires no more preparation than tearing open the wrapper. There are many different grades of energy bars ranging from cheap and tastes like a roofing shingle, to organic raw energy bars that taste great and are nutritionally balanced. I lean towards the hippy-dippy health foods, so I prefer the more expensive organic bars. They are still less than $3 each, which is not bad for a meal. The brand I ate the most of last trip was Raw Revolution Organic Raw Bar.

Oranges, Apples, Carrots, Celery

All of these types of produce can last a number of days in the car without refrigeration. I love eating oranges and bananas while camping. You can stock up in the US just before crossing the border. If you are into organic produce, there is a Whole Foods in San Diego that is not far off Highway 5 on your way to the border crossing. Just make sure to get the greenest bananas if you want them to last! Another great option for produce is to bring your own dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

NOTE: There is a lot of confusion about what foods you can legally bring across the border from the US into Mexico. In Mexico, sometimes there are the rules that are on the books, and then the rules that actually get applied. Speaking with a number of experienced Baja travelers, we have found that 'tourists' from the US and Canada always bring bags of fresh fruits and vegetables across the border into Mexico, and they have never had any of their foods confiscated. However, there is a chance that technically your fresh produce or meats could be confiscated if the Mexican inspector felt like enforcing the rules. If you want to bring your own fresh produce and meats into Mexico, you can try it. Most likely it will not be a problem. However, you should probably put them in a cooler or bag so they are not on display at every check point you drive through. If you are asked about your food, do not lie or try to conceal it. Many tourists have had their fresh produce looked at by inspectors and the inspector did not comment on it or touch it. Read more about the rules on bringing meat and produce into Mexico.