Chaperoning a high school camping trip--food help!

Crunchytxmama

Next week, dh and I are chaperoning a high school camping/hiking trip. We'll be gone for five days.....we were told to bring money for two meals out and not to worry about food for the actual camping part of the trip, because the kids will be making all the food. AAHHH! It's a dieters worst nightmare, lol.

It will be very, very hard for me to stay on track if hot dogs, chips, and cookies are around and I need more than just fruit to get me by. I have a small cooler that I'm going to bring. I need some suggestions/ideas on healthy, tasty stuff that I can easily prepare if I decide not to eat what is being served. I'm also nervous about eating out at an unknown place.

bluexiii

Is there going to be a grill around? If so you could bring your own health stuff to grill, off the top of my head I am thinking chicken breasts and pack some ziploc baggies of cut up vegetables with a little olive oil and seasoning on them..bring some foil and toss wrap them up and throw them on the fire! If there is no grill but just a fire pit you could probably still wrap veggies or meats in foil and place them near the fire and slow cook them.

Crunchytxmama

I have no idea if there will be an available grill, or how to use a grill, for that matter, lol.

Songbird146

cut up veggies and meats ahead of time and make some kabobs. They can be held over a fire to cook just like hotdogs right? Also if everyone else is snacking maybe bring some trail mix or 100 cal snack packs so you can join in but with less guilt. If they are doing hot dogs, bring some turkey dogs.

bluexiii

I have no idea if there will be an available grill, or how to use a grill, for that matter, lol.

Doesn't mean you can't have the little campers do it! The kabobs are also a great idea, you could have a lot of creative fun with those!

Maybe some pita's and hummus? Should last in a cooler. You could even go one step up and get pita chips so you aren't tempted by the potato chips they will have. They are still a little unhealthy but much better than gorging on potato chips (and they are pretty tasty!).

Blue Diamond makes some pretty great mobile containers of almonds of many different flavors, those would work as well!

kristinlough

I'd worry about the meat over 5 days in a cooler (am I too picky? I don't camp), but otherwise I LOVE the kabob idea! But what about some tuna in water? I'm thinking healthy, pantry-safe food in case you can't get more ice for the cooler. Also, if you have a heart rate monitor, I'd wear it around in your normal life (to get a really accurate picture of your BMR) and then wear it while you're camping in case you need to eat a lot more! You could be working really hard ... Have fun!!

iplayoutside19

I'd like a little more information. It sounds like a group trip. So everyone in charge of their own food? Or is there someone planning a menu for the whole group? Is there a person you can contact and see what the menu is ahead of time?

It sounds like you are going to be very physicly active, on top of the actual camping. So while I'm not saying eat a much of crap. You will want to eat more than you usually do.

Crunchytxmama

We will be very active. There is a 13 mile hike scheduled as well as a lot of shorter ones. Everyday is packed with stuff to do. It's for an ecology class, so we'll be seeing a lot of the park (Big Bend, in South Texas). However, I'm already a very active person, so I doubt I'll need to eat more!

There is one teacher in charge of the whole trip, but I don't know if she's actually planned specific meals. We were told "not to worry about food." She told dh that they would be going shopping for the trip the day before they leave. She did say that if we want stuff like fresh fruits/veggies, that we should bring them ourselves. Dh doesn't want to bring our big cooler--they have limited space. We have a small cooler that will not hold a whole lot, so I'm probably going to need to think about more stuff that doesn't need to be refrigerated.

williams3023

Just buy a pack of veggie dogs at the grocery store. They taste identical to hotdogs and you wont be the person eating the different food from everyone else. They'll keep in a cooler just like hotdogs will. Then bring some 'healthy' chips.

Sounds like a blast though!

weaklink109

You could include some refrigerator meat items to be eaten by the time your cooler no longer has ice. Veggies will keep for a few days longer in a cool environment, even without ice. Apples, bananas, oranges or clementines don't require refrigeration. You can also get canned salmon (the stuff from Costco is pretty good), and canned chicken.

You should be able to get individual cartons of reduce fat milk that are treated in such a way that they don't have to be refrigerated. I just bought some @ my Kroger-owned grocery--found them in the health food section as they happened to be an organic product. I have seen these individual cartons at Dollar Tree recently, also.

You can also take cereal. Even if you aren't a cereal eater, try Kashi Go Lean. The original type has lots of fiber and protein and will keep you filled up. It is also tasty to just nibble on, instead of chips.

Another thing I have discovered is that salsa, even the type you buy in the refrigerator section, will keep for a few days outside the fridge.

All my comments about temperature and longevity of items is based upon an environment where the temp stays in the 50's or lower, and doesn't get above 60 for very long. You mentioned being in Texas, and I am in Washington state, so I don't know how fast it warms up where you are.

Good luck.

MissingMinnesota

You could also make your own trail mix . I usually make mine with nuts (either almonds, cashews, or peanuts), pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate chocolate chips, melba toast, maybe some dried fruit. You can always play with a mixture of things.

MissingMinnesota

Oh another thing check to see if they are going to be bring a pot you can boil water and you can bring some packets of oatmeal or bring some celery, peanut butter and raisins and have ants on a log.

iplayoutside19

As long as you have access to ice you can bring whatever you want that will fit in your cooler.

Most National Parks I've been in, have at least one place you can buy ice.

I've always wanted to get to Big Bend, sounds like a fun trip.

I don't really have any food suggestions beyond granola bars, and other trail mix stuff. I have cooked veggies in foil in a fire before.
Other than that we bring the same meals we eat at home camping with us.

weaklink109

Oh another thing check to see if they are going to be bring a pot you can boil water and you can bring some packets of oatmeal or bring some celery, peanut butter and raisins and have ants on a log.

Something tells me, if there is food along, you won't have to MAKE any ants on a log--they will likely show up on their own---AND invite all their little ant "friends." :laugh: :laugh:

deedeehawaii

More ideas:

1) Canned or pouches of tuna in water
2) Canned chicken
3) Canned Veg-All ( vegetable cut up into bites)
4) Small bottles of Basaltic Vinegar and Olive Oil
5) Whole wheat bread
6) Peanut butter
7) Healthy jam
8) Single serve sizes containers of Soy Milk
9) Healthy crackers
10) Healthy cereals

You can mix up the ingredients, and don't need to refridgerate any of the foods. Make sure you take along a can opener.