Camping recipes

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mariewhyder
mariewhyder Posts: 11 Member
in Recipes
I am going camping this weekend with friends, but I want to continue eating healthy. Any recommendations for snacks/ meals to make or bring? I'm a poor college student so I don't want to go overboard with spending. Thanks in advance!!

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Carry your house on your back camping - or car camping and day tripping?

    Healthy can have many definitions - when you need lots of calories because of burning a lot - eating enough calories can be right up there with other definitions.

    Chunk chicken low sodium can be boiled in the pot with packets for rice or pasta dishes that only need about 10-12 min - that's good amount of protein and carbs, manage butter and you got your fat too.

    Snacks - make your own trail mix, or bring those snack bars that are usually too big to eat in a day and enjoy.

    Breakfast you can break enough eggs into a leak-proof container for scrambled eggs. Or more instant type oatmeal is great too, with dates or other dried fruit in it.

    Many fruits and vegetables don't do well at all if this is summer heat trip. And don't taste really great when air temp anyway. But already dried no problem.

    I only do winter backpacking, but frozen fresh stuff isn't great either.
  • mariewhyder
    mariewhyder Posts: 11 Member
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    heybales wrote: »
    Carry your house on your back camping - or car camping and day tripping?

    Healthy can have many definitions - when you need lots of calories because of burning a lot - eating enough calories can be right up there with other definitions.

    Chunk chicken low sodium can be boiled in the pot with packets for rice or pasta dishes that only need about 10-12 min - that's good amount of protein and carbs, manage butter and you got your fat too.

    Snacks - make your own trail mix, or bring those snack bars that are usually too big to eat in a day and enjoy.

    Breakfast you can break enough eggs into a leak-proof container for scrambled eggs. Or more instant type oatmeal is great too, with dates or other dried fruit in it.

    Many fruits and vegetables don't do well at all if this is summer heat trip. And don't taste really great when air temp anyway. But already dried no problem.

    I only do winter backpacking, but frozen fresh stuff isn't great either.

    Backpacking trip for 2-3 days. Thanks for the suggestions!!
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,112 Member
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    I'm rediscovering the joys of foil-packet cookery this summer, thanks to a suggestion from another MFP user (although not over a campfire, but backyard grill).

    I'm more food-adventurous now than I was 45 years ago in the Boy Scouts. Back then, it was ground beef crumbled, diced potatoes, onions, peppers in one packet over a fire. Now, I'm grilling a lot of other things this season. Lots of online recipe options (beef, chicken, veggie, etc.).

    You can pre-pack, pre-freeze (or just super chill) and cooler-carry them without a lot of fuss if you're not backpacking your stuff somewhere off the beaten track. Stick with non-heat-fragile veggie combos for side dishes if coolers/refrigeration not available/feasible and supplement with more durable forms of protein (canned, etc.). Don't pre-cut potatoes and other veg that don't like air exposure.

    That's dinner. Breakfast and lunch are probably more obvious. Making your own trail mix combos from bulk items (nuts/grains/dried fruit) is easy and not too expensive. Camping/outdoor store foods are good, or at least decent, but relatively expensive if you're on a budget, and if you're backpacking, you'll find carrying the extra water for anything that happens to be dehydrated to be a chore.

    If you're active or exercising, and only doing a weekend, you won't go too "unhealthy" with almost anything reasonable. Enjoy your trip for the pleasures of the destination and the company of your friends. "Diets" can always be resumed. Good luck, have fun!
  • gamommy
    gamommy Posts: 131 Member
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    Are you backpacking into a spot and staying there or are you actively hiking for a couple days? Because my suggestions will be different depending on that.
  • mariewhyder
    mariewhyder Posts: 11 Member
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    gamommy wrote: »
    Are you backpacking into a spot and staying there or are you actively hiking for a couple days? Because my suggestions will be different depending on that.

    I'm backpacking into a spot. However, I'm planning on going on another trip where I'll be hiking for a few days so I'll take both suggestions! Thanks!
  • gamommy
    gamommy Posts: 131 Member
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    mariewhyder wrote: »
    I'm backpacking into a spot. However, I'm planning on going on another trip where I'll be hiking for a few days so I'll take both suggestions! Thanks!

    So if you're backpacking in, you'll probably be able to carry in a small cooler. If that's the case, then here are some suggestions (some use cooler, some don't):

    Breakfast:
    • Pre-cook breakfast burritos and stick in freezer. Watching carbs? Replace tortilla with the egg itself or use a cauliflower tortilla.
    • Pre-scramble eggs into a small container.
    • Yogurt w/ granola
    • Oatmeal
    • Pancakes w/ easy to carry fruit like a clementine.

    Lunch:
    • Egg drop soup (nice protein, light to carry one scrambled egg)
    • Pre-made chicken salad
    • Hummus and pre-prepped veggies (carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers) or crackers
    • Avocado travels well and is easy to mush to eat with veggies or to spread on things like...
    • Wraps. Make in advance. Turkey, Ham, Cheese, Lettuce, etc.
    • Homemade lunchables with meat, cheese, crackers and some dried fruit.

    Dinner:
    • Hobo meals, pre prepped at home. Lean ground beef or ground turkey with veggies & seasonings
    • Chicken soup over the fire. Ingredients can be split between folks. Chicken breast, carrots, celery, onion, egg noodles, chicken broth (lighter to carry powder mix), and any extra seasonings like rosemary or paprika.
    • Get some dirty rice mix and bring some polska kielbasa. Grill, cut up and toss in the rice.

    Snacks:
    Nuts, seeds, dried fruit...

    Now if you are going to be backpacking and actively hiking during the day, it's still possible to be health-conscious but also understand that most foods are going to be much higher in sodium and also contain some preservatives more than likely. Personally I don't see a problem with those foods if being used with lots of good exercise when you're on the trail. If you don't have a dehydrator and can't make your own stuff - you can easily check out pre-packaged meals like Mountain House has at REI. They're more pricey but have decent macros and feed 2 people really (you can open and re-package if needed for short time use). Otherwise I'd keep some of the following staples:
    • Ovaeasy Egg Crystals (they really aren't bad at all taste-wise)
    • Tortillas (packs way better than bread)
    • Nut butter spread (Justin's makes packets)
    • Jelly spread (Grab some at a restaurant)
    • Pasta-Roni noodles "just add water" - repackage into a bag instead of the box
    • Ready Rice or Quinoa/Rice Blend (this is one of my favorites)
    • Jerky, summer sausage
    • Tuna packets
    • Instant Oatmeal or Grits
    • Fruit Leather
    • Soup mixes (you can find dried soups down the soup aisle, just add water)
    • To any soup mixes or if you're scrambling eggs, you can also add freeze-dried veggies to add a little more nutrients.

    Anyway, there are so many more things, this is just what pops to the top of my head. I backpack and camp often. <3
  • jennaration92
    jennaration92 Posts: 3 Member
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    Not the healthiest option, but if you're on a budget it's not terrible for you especially if you're burning a lot of calories in the day : mexican fried rice sidekicks with a small can of thai chili tuna. Lightweight and quite tasty!
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Foil packs are your friend.

    My fiance and I went camping a couple of months ago. I made a delicious foil pack with ranch seasoned chicken, broccoli and potatoes. I prepped ahead of time and just cooked the food at the campsite.

    1. Cut up raw chicken breast into small chunks. Put in a large bowl.
    2. Add raw broccoli to the bowl.
    3. Partially cook small potatoes in the microwave, then put them in the bowl.
    4. Add some olive oil and ranch powder to the bowl and mix until everything is well coated.
    5. Dump everything into a foil pack. I'd suggest putting the foil pack in a ziploc until you get to your campsite to prevent leakage.
    6. Put your foil pack on top of the hot coals. It will probably take about 45 minutes to an hour to fully cook.

    Oh, and don't be a dummy and forgot your oven mit like I did.
  • bruby28
    bruby28 Posts: 4,123 Member
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    Foil packets .just add veggies and meat and heat over campfire ..sweet potatoes over the fire..eggs are cheap and easy to just fix up in a skillet ..turkey bacon .. turkey dogs ..snacks we usually bring string cheese , nuts , sunflower seeds , apples , bananas, rice cakes and a light beer :smile:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Chili as long as you have a dutch oven!

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