Ideas for camping food?

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kookla33
kookla33 Posts: 234
in Recipes
Last time I went camping, I gained a two or three pounds. Don't want to do that this time.

Any ideas for healthy, low-cal but good camping food? I really appreciate it!
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  • funnygirl09
    funnygirl09 Posts: 4
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    I recently went camping, and nearly killed everyone with health food there, they all wanted hotdogs, cakes, cookies, chips... I brought homemade muffins (flax, spelt, splenda and berries), yogurts, frozen fruit popsicles, crystal light, protein bars (low carb ones), Quaker Rice cake chips/Rice Cakes sooo good, turkey burgers, turkey bacon, LOTS of eggs... be creative, but being healthy takes effort and time, you just have to be committed!!! Have FUN! :)
  • junkgypsy
    junkgypsy Posts: 217
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    Oh my gosh, you have to make a hobo dinner! Haha, my daddy always made them for us. Just take layered aluminum foil, and put ground beef, carrots, and potatoes in it, and make sure it's wrapped really well. You bury it under the coals of the fire for a while and let it cook. Sooo good when you're roughing it. :bigsmile:
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    More hiking,

    and, my favorite camping treat is a sweet potato wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked in the campfire. You can take anything and wrap it in tin foil. Chicken parts (bone in works best) work really well, too.:flowerforyou:
  • msh0530
    msh0530 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    We have big family campouts, and I was a little worried the first time we went after I started eating healthier. It was a little easier for me, since I am always in charge of the menu. I pre-logged all of the food I was planning to prepare, so I knew how much of each I could eat. The really problem meals were at breakfast - pancakes, biscuits and gravy, etc. I took a box of Cheerios, and after cooking breakfast for everyone else, I ate them. My niece brings wonderful snacks, and so I made sure that I alllowed leeway in my logging for some calories for them. I printed my logged sheets, so I could look and remind myself what my plan was, took my dog for 3 or 4 walks a day, and ended up losing 2 or 3 pounds! It really boosted my confidence for the next campout, and I did good there also. Good luck and happy camping! I'm ready to go, if you just tell me where and when . . .
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    hotdogs are not high in cals, and are not that bad for you. im sure you can even get turkey dogs which are probably even lower cal.

    hotdogs and mustard...yum, and no more than 100 cals each! take a jar of pickles if you like pickles? i don't know to what extent you are roughing it. but if you are going with pans and stuff you can easily cook eggs and bacon. you can bring a bunch of fruit and veggies. if you are roughing it with little appliances, bring mini veggies, like baby carrots, baby tomatos, and just some lettuce and youve got salad. granola bars for snacks. low cal jello pudding/jello cups!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    the BEST would be grilled chicken I imagine. Also things like sweet potato pieces in tin foil, veggies in tin foil, almost all fish, fruit of course. Main thing is stay away from the marshmellows, burgers, and hot dogs, and of course, the buns, those are the killers. Watch out for the sauces too, they can be high cal. with low nutrient (barbeque sauce, ketchup...etc).

    And if you're gonna drink, make sure you do some physical activities during or just before to help burn the excess alcohol calories up.
  • ilike2moveit
    ilike2moveit Posts: 776 Member
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    We camp and RV a lot and I just take the same food that I am eating now. Here are some suggestions; hope you enjoy your camping trip.

    Reduced fat hotdogs
    scrambled eggs using eggwhites, greenpeppers, onions, salsa
    fruits and vegies
    campfire potatoes
    wrap in foil and cook over campfire-onions, cabbage, carrots, chicken or fish -any veggie and protein that you like
    grilled fish or chicken
    grilled fruit is delicious-nectarines are my favorite
    kabobs
    sandwiches
    I always leave calories for smores!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    The nitrates in hot dogs make them bad for you. It's not the calories per say, although there are much better meats out there than hot dogs.
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    The nitrates in hot dogs make them bad for you. It's not the calories per say, although there are much better meats out there than hot dogs.

    and what exactly do these nitrates do when eaten in moderation?
  • kookla33
    kookla33 Posts: 234
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    Thanks for all the helpful tips everyone! I am leaving today and will let you know how it goes when I get back on Monday.

    I will try to do lots of hiking too!:smile:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    The nitrates in hot dogs make them bad for you. It's not the calories per say, although there are much better meats out there than hot dogs.

    and what exactly do these nitrates do when eaten in moderation?

    No more than anything in moderation, I didn't say you will die from them, I just said the nitrates in them make them bad, and by that I mean not as good of a choice in my opinion, as other foods that could replace it such as chicken, fish, lean beef, black or kidney beans...etc.

    Course, the majority of people have hot dogs with a white bread bun, and that IS bad, for all the reasons we all know about, simple carbs, sugar, and very few healthy nutrients.
  • stacesand
    stacesand Posts: 63 Member
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    I'm planning on camping sometime soon and will be roughing it. i don't want to lug food around that needs to stay cool. I'll have my backpack and anything that will fit into...and thats it! any suggestions for meals that i don't necessarily have to cook and/or refrigerate?
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    The nitrates in hot dogs make them bad for you. It's not the calories per say, although there are much better meats out there than hot dogs.

    and what exactly do these nitrates do when eaten in moderation?

    No more than anything in moderation, I didn't say you will die from them, I just said the nitrates in them make them bad, and by that I mean not as good of a choice in my opinion, as other foods that could replace it such as chicken, fish, lean beef, black or kidney beans...etc.

    Course, the majority of people have hot dogs with a white bread bun, and that IS bad, for all the reasons we all know about, simple carbs, sugar, and very few healthy nutrients.

    i eat my dogs with a white pita...though unenriched. i love hot dogs :frown:
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    I'm planning on camping sometime soon and will be roughing it. i don't want to lug food around that needs to stay cool. I'll have my backpack and anything that will fit into...and thats it! any suggestions for meals that i don't necessarily have to cook and/or refrigerate?

    pudding...cups. :tongue: i would make peanut butter sandwhiches too, since they won't go bad.
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
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    make your own trail mix!
    the stuff you buy in stores is always super high cal cause its usually loaded with candy and chocolate and nuts :s

    but you can make some with cheerios and other low cal cereal, all bran buds ( low cal+ tons of fiber) and then add in nuts and chocolate chips or raisins or cranberries or whatever you like, in moderation, so the cals aren't too bad, but its till pretty healthy :)
  • jlefton1212
    jlefton1212 Posts: 171 Member
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    My husband and I are very into backpacking, and have gone on 3-5 day trips. Planning meals for these trips requires a different set of rules, as you need to pack light and we also pack items that are calorie and protein dense. The average hiker uses about 4,000 - 6,000 calories a day in the backcountry, so this is not the time for calorie restriction if you are going to be hiking all day with a full pack.

    I recommend Babybel cheese, as they are individually waxed and don't melt in your pack. (The wax also makes a good fire starter if you are in need!). I chop the cheese up and throw it on a pita with some sauce and make backcountry pizza. The usual trail mix ideas are good as well. There is a site called "backpacker.com" that has a whole section about meals for hiking. It's been a while since I have been out, so this is all I can come up with for now. Have fun on your hike!
  • ksumme
    ksumme Posts: 283
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    If you have or can get a decent food dehydrator, that is really helpful in planning food for a long backpacking trip. You can make your own jerky, and almost any fruit does well.

    Have a great time!!
  • maurierose
    maurierose Posts: 574 Member
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    I'm planning on camping sometime soon and will be roughing it. i don't want to lug food around that needs to stay cool. I'll have my backpack and anything that will fit into...and thats it! any suggestions for meals that i don't necessarily have to cook and/or refrigerate?
    Hmmm, whole wheat tortillas and pitas make just about any food portable....
    Tuna pouches are really good, unless you dont have access to trash cans or a fire to burn them in... smoky and stinky to burn but better than carrying around smelly pouches in the heat for a few days... jerky and dried fruit have already been mentioned... are you hiking anywhere that you can eat the local plants? tuna and watercress pitas are out of this world... bitterroot leaves can be a nice addition... ripe manzanita berries are yummo especially if you're thirsty and entertaining to spit the seeds... lol... cactus apples are great if you have a pocket knife to peel the skin... wild strawberries, blackberries, raspberries are tiny but to die for! I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Word of caution though, do NOT eat anything from the trail unless you are certain it is clean (no pesticides or herbicides, etc) and you know exactly what it is...
  • funnygirl09
    funnygirl09 Posts: 4
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    I completely have to agree with SHBoss1673 because hotdogs are one of the WORST camp foods for you. They have no nutritional value, and ergo, make you hungrier later. They are pumped full of disgusting additives, something you want to avoid at all costs while on a diet. Go for real food - the less ingredients, generally the better it is for you :)
  • kookla33
    kookla33 Posts: 234
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    Thanks for all the help! I am back from camping and it was a success.
    I planned all my meals ahead and printed them out to keep as a guide. It didn't feel hard at all, and I even got to eat a smore everynight.
    Also- I told my husband I wanted to make sure and get a good 45 minute hike in everyday. So, we found some great trails to go on. It was a bonus because the kids, husband and dog got a workout too. Instead of sitting by the campfire on our buns, we were moving! It felt great. We also got to explore when we normally wouldn't have even thought of it.
    I also found a great picnic bench workout online and used it to do pushups and tricep dips, etc.
    Who would have thought you could use a picnic bench to get fit and toned?

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