For us, camping isn't all that expensive for food costs, but keep in mind it is how much you tend to eat out in restaurants and what you have there which can significantly drive up your food costs..
What we have done over the years is to cut back significantly on piling into restaurants, especially in high traffic tourist towns.
We plan out most of the meals we are going to make, fill up the freezer with the meats and the fridge with non frozen foods.
Many years ago we stopped eating in fast food joints while on the road, instead we pack lunch meats and stop at road side parks, store parking lots or rest areas along the way. For two adults and two teens even stopping at the tarnished arches can set us back a good $25 and with lunch meats with a few chips it costs at the worst $5 for all of us for a meal.
In the past while camping we at breakfast and lunch at the camp site and every evening went out on the town.. Wasn't bad when the kids were under 8 and they were either free or only a couple of $ for their meals.. Now since they are teens that jumped up to $20 each more per night.. Pretty much costing us $50-$80 per evening to eat out..
Last year we fixed that, only ate one evening meal out for the week and even that we didn't get the steaks we wanted, they were simply too expensive.. Ended up getting burgers that night.
But, we were prepared, we brought steaks in the freezer cooked them over charcoal and made some microwave baked potatoes. Cost, $20 for the evening instead of paying $100 at the restaurant..
The folks complaining about costs need to look at what it costs to eat out, that is where the money goes..
I have a camper with complete kitchen and bring along a charcoal grill so to me it is no different than home..
