Camping food!
MissSjolin
Posts: 134 Member
Hey everyone! Camping season is coming up and in my family we camp a lot! but that also means a lot of junk food and burgers and treats too. So this year I decided to try and bring healthy alternatives to all the goodies our family typically brings in order to stay on track. I'm currently working on a shopping list so I can load up on healthy food options and I'm wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas for healthy camp food?
I should add that we don't exactly rough it lol! we do have portable barbeques and mini fridges so storage and cooking isn't really a problem.
I should add that we don't exactly rough it lol! we do have portable barbeques and mini fridges so storage and cooking isn't really a problem.
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Replies
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If storage and cooking isn't a problem then just cook what you would normally cook.0
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Fair enough lol! I will be making a lot of my faves to bring, but I guess what I'm asking more specifically is for healthier options for burgers and snack type foods. I have yet to find a turkey burger recipe that I like, or healthy campfire foods.0
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chicken
fish0 -
What's wrong with lean ground beef on a roll with cheese, lettuce and tomato? Throw on some avocado for the fat, add some veggies on the side, maybe some cantaloupe or watermelon, and it's a perfect meal.0
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I'm glad you get to go camping!:flowerforyou:0
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Kebabs.
that is all.0 -
burgers are healthy.
how is camping food more junk than normal?? i go camping and i think i eat healthier than at home!!!0 -
When we go camping our protein does consist of a decent amount of chicken and we'll splurge on a couple of relatively lean steaks one night. I've never been a ground beef fan so I would lean towards a healthier variety of sausage (turkey, chicken, tofu) on a bun anyway. You can also grill a number of veggies for the campfire taste without the guilt. (I also LOOOOVE grilled pineapple)
For snacks our main staple is definitely fruit or cut veggies, nuts are also great - especially if you're out and about.0 -
Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply that all camp food is junk... Just from my personal experience, there is usually a lot of chips, candy and processed food floating around.
I totally forgot about kebabs!! and I've never tried grilled pineapple that sounds fantastic thank you
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Foil chicken or foil fish. Google it. Or look for recipes on pintrest.0
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Sorry, but you can't go camping and miss out on roasted hotdogs over a campfire. Oh, and DON'T FORGET THE SMORE'S!!!0
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Snack foods camping getcha... Bring sliced up fruit, veggies with Greek yogurt ranch, and if you want something chip like get some Pirate's Booty, Veggie Straws, or Special K Cracker Chips...0
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I like to bring oranges. Shrimp skewers are good too ( I buy frozen peeled and deveined shrimp) Eggs are a healthy breakfast. Have fun camping!0
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It's fun to make grill packets tht everyone can tailor to themselves- burgers, veggie burgers, chicken, a variety of veggies, sliced potatoes, etc- add some water and seasoning and grill. You cn also put them in a campfire, as long as you've wrapped them tightly in foil. It's a good way to meet each persons needs and tastes. I personally love veggie burgers- especially the Morningstar Farms griller s! Yum!!!0
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Hot dogs, burgers, and Smores!0
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Foil packed meals work well. Prepare them at home (ie...chop up chicken breast, add some veggies and olive oil), wrap up in foil, packet style, and toss in your cooler. You can throw them on the campfire or grill to cook. If you Google foil pack or campfire recipes, you'll see quite a few healthy recipes.0
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Thank you so much everyone!! Love the foil pack ideas, I'm definitely going to have to make some.
Smores are my weakness LOL!! That will probably end up being my treat for sure.0 -
crock pot shredded chicken or whatever other kind of meat you want.
and turkey biurgers. that's what i'm going to do.
if the chips and such were brought,bc it's convenient to have food prepackaged and ready to go,
just do that ahead yourself in zip lock bags.
trail mix, nuts, cheese sticks anything
healthy for their lunch box works
i realize you have refrigeration, but they don't hold in the temp very well,
and they are limited on space, so much of what you bring is not refrigerated
melon (it will be a lot easier to deal with in your regular kitchen,
unless you have a working sink and decent counter space)
also, you could put a bunch of frozen chicken in marinade
in a gallon freezer bag, and keep it in your cooler.
when it's time for grilling the chicken is already seasoned.
corn on the cob, baked potatoes also super easy to wrap ahead of time
in tin foil and cook over the fire.
for breakfast it's easy to do instant oatmeal, or you could make
steel cut oats in the crock pot over night.
there are bunch of great camping guides on instructables dot com
ideas for what to cook, often using only tin foil and a fire so there's no clean up
some are healthy, some not.
if you just focus on having good protein and some fruits/veggies should be fine.
lots of great info of stuff you can make yourself for camping
like hammocks, fire starters, how to use a camping stove,
and lots of guides on what to bring. the main thing is
plan ahead, as fat as advance as you can
get extra can openers, and such
so those stay in the camper,
instead of bringing your own from the kitchen
and forgetting it somewhere.
or just forgetting to bring it.
I did that, and many other things lol0 -
bump0
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Hobos! We make these a lot when camping. It's basically meat and veggies wrapped in foil and grilled.0
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Make kebabs, foil packets with meat and veggies..etc. 0
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Hubby and I always cook over a campfire - but then again, it's hard to bring a portable BBQ with us in our canoe or backpack, as we always wilderness camp. Here is our favourite meal. Needs to be eaten the first night - or in a pinch, the second - as it can spoil (a coolpack is necessary if you don't have a cooler).
CAMPERS' HASH
- heavy duty aluminum foil
- medium or regular ground beef <-- lean will burn
- onion, chopped
- carrots, chopped
- turnip, diced
- parsnip (optional)
- potato (optional)
- butter
- salt / pepper / thyme or any other seasoning, to taste
For one package: Rip off 2 large pieces of the foil - approx 22 inches in length each (the package will be double wrapped for durability). Work with the shiny side facing up (your food goes on the shiny side) -- this is important! Using butter or margarine, spread a relatively thick layer on the foil surface where your food will be. Cut up veggies into bite-size dices, and finely chop up an onion. Mix together in a bowl to distributed evenly. Place a handful for the veggie mix on the foil.
By the way, all the ratios of food are governed by how much you want to use of each, I like lots of onions b/c it gives it real flavor, but it's up to you. Using either regular or medium ground beef (I find lean is too lean and the stuff tends to burn), put large "dabs" of the raw meat amongst the veggies. I usually end up putting a few more dabs o' butter throughout the package as well, or spray with cooking spray on top, so it doesn't stick or burn to the top of the foil package when it's flipped over.
Now comes the important part - fold up the package (the inner package first and then the outer package. It is absolutely IMPERATIVE that there are no holes anywhere in the foil and that you fold the package up so that no steam will escape - the steam is what cooks your food. If there's a hole, you might as well start over because it wont turn out (it will burn really bad).
You place the packets right on top the campfire grill; carefully flip it over (with tongs or two flat sticks). It takes approx. 15-20 minutes to cook if you've got a hot fire. You can also put this directly on top of coals to cook, but reduce the cooking time slightly. ENJOY!
We freeze the packages before we go, so they're nice and cold, and will last a weekend.0 -
Fair enough lol! I will be making a lot of my faves to bring, but I guess what I'm asking more specifically is for healthier options for burgers and snack type foods. I have yet to find a turkey burger recipe that I like, or healthy campfire foods.
I make turkey burgers and I add minced fresh mushrooms and onions, garlic, feta and bbq sauce to the meat mixture. So good!0 -
When we go camping our protein does consist of a decent amount of chicken and we'll splurge on a couple of relatively lean steaks one night. I've never been a ground beef fan so I would lean towards a healthier variety of sausage (turkey, chicken, tofu) on a bun anyway. You can also grill a number of veggies for the campfire taste without the guilt. (I also LOOOOVE grilled pineapple)
For snacks our main staple is definitely fruit or cut veggies, nuts are also great - especially if you're out and about.
^^^^ THIS FOR SURE! Grilled pineapple is amazing as is grilled mango and most stone fruit - add them to your sausage dishes or slice them up for your salads - if storage isn't an issue you should be fine! Get in some hiking and such to enjoy your evening treats - nothing as good as smarmy roasted marshmallow PEEPS! mmm0 -
Hubby and I always cook over a campfire - but then again, it's hard to bring a portable BBQ with us in our canoe or backpack, as we always wilderness camp. Here is our favourite meal. Needs to be eaten the first night - or in a pinch, the second - as it can spoil (a coolpack is necessary if you don't have a cooler).
CAMPERS' HASH
- heavy duty aluminum foil
- medium or regular ground beef <-- lean will burn
- onion, chopped
- carrots, chopped
- turnip, diced
- parsnip (optional)
- potato (optional)
- butter
- salt / pepper / thyme or any other seasoning, to taste
For one package: Rip off 2 large pieces of the foil - approx 22 inches in length each (the package will be double wrapped for durability). Work with the shiny side facing up (your food goes on the shiny side) -- this is important! Using butter or margarine, spread a relatively thick layer on the foil surface where your food will be. Cut up veggies into bite-size dices, and finely chop up an onion. Mix together in a bowl to distributed evenly. Place a handful for the veggie mix on the foil.
By the way, all the ratios of food are governed by how much you want to use of each, I like lots of onions b/c it gives it real flavor, but it's up to you. Using either regular or medium ground beef (I find lean is too lean and the stuff tends to burn), put large "dabs" of the raw meat amongst the veggies. I usually end up putting a few more dabs o' butter throughout the package as well, or spray with cooking spray on top, so it doesn't stick or burn to the top of the foil package when it's flipped over.
Now comes the important part - fold up the package (the inner package first and then the outer package. It is absolutely IMPERATIVE that there are no holes anywhere in the foil and that you fold the package up so that no steam will escape - the steam is what cooks your food. If there's a hole, you might as well start over because it wont turn out (it will burn really bad).
You place the packets right on top the campfire grill; carefully flip it over (with tongs or two flat sticks). It takes approx. 15-20 minutes to cook if you've got a hot fire. You can also put this directly on top of coals to cook, but reduce the cooking time slightly. ENJOY!
We freeze the packages before we go, so they're nice and cold, and will last a weekend.
I do something similar...one of my favorite camping meals...we call it Pocket Stew. :-)0 -
when we camp, we premake our meals and freeze them. hardly bring junk food but then again my husband and 5 yr old is hypogycemic so s'mores are always OUT. we bring lots of veggies and fruits to snack on and lots of nuts and trail mixes. work great for carrying little baggies on loooong hikes.0
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Veggies. Raw and cooked in the foil packs. Raw nuts. Weight Watchers string cheese. Grilled chicken breasts. Lean steak. Try the egg beaters (or real eggs) in the zip lock bag (I use the freezer bags as they are thicker) mixed with veggies of your choice and a little cheese, turkey sausage crumbles or whatever you like. Place bags in boiling water for an omlete type breakfast. Dried and fresh fruit.0
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We tend to be very active during our camping trips, so I feel ok about a few snackie foods. That said, I generally stay away from turkey burgers as they tend to be high in sodium to be palatable - we use ground bison, ground elk, or lean ground beef. Bison or elk steaks, and chicken breasts, are always in the mix (I keep them frozen, in freezer bags, with marinade, so they get seasoned as they thaw and keep other things cool during transit). Veggie packets (pre-cut and wrapped) to bury in the firepit are also easy. Plus all the fresh fruit and veggies (also pre-cut) you can handle - they're easy to grab & go.
But ya can't have a camping trip without s'mores!0 -
Hey everyone! Camping season is coming up and in my family we camp a lot! but that also means a lot of junk food and burgers and treats too. So this year I decided to try and bring healthy alternatives to all the goodies our family typically brings in order to stay on track. I'm currently working on a shopping list so I can load up on healthy food options and I'm wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas for healthy camp food?
I should add that we don't exactly rough it lol! we do have portable barbeques and mini fridges so storage and cooking isn't really a problem.
as long as your burgers are not the frozen kind and made from lean ground beef i see nothing wrong with having a great burger. love burgers. you can add almonds, string cheese, yogurt (freeze it), popsicles, baked chips (if you must have them), peanut butter crackers, frozen bananas, veggies, chicken (do fahita night), graham crackers, lots of stuff to eat as long as you have a fridge and bbq area. just stay away from the real bad but oh so good stuff. have fun camping. 0 -
I know exactly what you are getting at and I'm sure anyone who does a lot of camping would understand especially when there are kids around you tend to bring "easier" type of foods that can be cooked quickly or without must fuss. The other thing is that usually we camp with other people so we "share" the food load so we are not duplicating everything. This makes is much harder as NO ONE else that I know cares to much about what they eat. I also find there is a lot more alcoholic beverages too! Basically what I do is ensure that whatever is on the menu for that weekend or that week of holidays I bring something that fits into what I can eat. We typically BBQ every night so I always volunteer the salad - so whatever meat and a salad is typically the supper. For lunches we do a lot of dips and stuff like that. I make an avacado dip and I use plantain chips with. Its a mushed up avacado and add salsa (as much as you want to your liking) and always ensure that there are veggies & fruit to pick on. Nighttime is a little harder - I will bring nuts, sunflower seeds, if I am desparate I will buy baked chips, salted peanuts and of course I do have days where I have the goodies I just don't make a habit of it. I don't eat wheat so if we have burgers I just have mine without the bun - hotdogs by the campfire are ok as a treat too, I just buy the natural ones (for my kids too). Hope that helps a little bit!0
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