Is there such thing as healthy food for camping?

AngieWood611
AngieWood611 Posts: 38 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey!

Im going camping in a month and i want to make sure i got get derailed by unhealthy camping food.

Do any of you have any healthy recipes for me to take camping with me?

Thanks!

Replies

  • chrisms84
    chrisms84 Posts: 8
    Oatmeal if you're cooking on a camp stove maybe? Or just grab some fruit from the cooler and granola bar. Or the best part about camping you can go for a jog/run/walk/hike and when you get back just eat a hamburger! :)
  • lanell26
    lanell26 Posts: 19
    fresh vegies , fruit, bbq chicken , turkey bacon , eggs, ect... i
    just went this last week end and did way better then i expected i would. so it can be done
    good luck :)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    No access to a grocery store? You can cook more than hamburgers and hot dogs while camping, eat pretty much what you'd normally eat food will keep in a cooler and you might not be able to do a roast on a camp stove you can cook pretty much anything else. (unless you're trekking into the wilderness and carrying two weeks of rations on your back....)
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    We eat the same camping as we would at home. Usually I will make a bunch of salads, like pasta or quinoa salad. Last time we cooked chili for dinner one night and we had salmon another night. We make omlettes by mixing eggs and toppings into a sturdy ziploc bag and dropping into boiling water.
  • kiwipez
    kiwipez Posts: 144
    We just went camping. I prepared a lot of meals ahead of time, vacuum sealed and froze them - they last a little longer in the cooler that way. We have a camp stove so reheating was easy. I also took a sauce pot and steamer insert for veggies. Limit what you bring for snacking - that was my downfall, chips (and smores) are too easy to eat when you are just sitting around.
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    Roasted over the fire on a stick:
    * Corn on the con
    *Turkey Sausages (yum!)

    Baked over the fire:
    Cauliflower fritters (baked in a pan)
    Scrambled Eggs/Omelet (pan)
    Turkey Bacon (pan)

    etc.....
  • szuszanna
    szuszanna Posts: 38 Member
    Brush a little extra virgin olive oil on some aluminum foil and add sliced veggies (we usually do potatoes, onion, garlic and peppers, but you can use anything that you have and like). Fold the foil up into little packets and toss into the hot coals of a camp fire. The oil is just to stop the veggies from sticking and burning, so you might be able to use cooking spray for fewer calories. Not sure how the comparison is on that.

    Campfire stews are also easy to make and keep healthy: start with crushed tomatoes, add a few cans of your favorite beans, then add veggies into a large stock pot. Put the pot over the camp fire and let it bubble away. You can also make biscuit dough and drop it over the stew and let it cook that way. Again, not sure what your calorie or macro goals are, but its easy to customize this to fit your personal likes and needs.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Define "camping". Is a car nearby? If so, anything that can be refrigerated can be kept in a cooler, pretty much, or precooked. Cook like you do at home, and be really active so you can have a few special treats like s'mores over the campfire.

    Oatmeal is a good starter breakfast, especially if you have some protein with it.
  • tararocks
    tararocks Posts: 287 Member
    assuming this isnt primitive camping and you will have access to a grill, fire, or camp stove.....fish is excellent, we buy the frozen mahi filets, keep in cooler, then thaw and grill, also grilled veggies, zuccini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, a little olive oil and salt and pepper..delicious. the chicken brats with sun dried tomatoes, or spinach and feta are good on the grill, just bring low cal buns with you, raw veggies and fruit cut up are great for snacking!! for breakfast you can bring egg beaters-they are easier to tote than eggs anyway, turkey bacon- good breakfast. go for a hike, walk, swim in the river also helps burn off the calories...
  • jilliew
    jilliew Posts: 255 Member
    The trick is to plan your meals as if you were still at home and don't take junk food with you. I usually cut up a crap load of veggies to munch on (because for some reason I always feel the need to munch while i'm camping), and pack things like chicken, turkey smokies/sausages and LOTS of water. And a good old fasioned beef burger or a s'more is not going to ruin your diet. Just don't eat 10.

    The only problem I really have whilst camping now is calories via alcohol consumption. Because really, who goes camping without the Captain!?
  • 20shan08
    20shan08 Posts: 219 Member
    I just eat what I do at home. I bring veggies and fruit. I eat normal suppers, steak and potatos, or hot dogs. Just in moderation, like I do at home
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Why do you have to eat like crap just because you are camping? That's just an excuse, my friend! You can eat junk, you can eat healthy, or do a little of both - which is what I do when I camp.

    I am assuming this is not backpacking type camping. I just got back from a trip where I was sleeping in a tent but had access to a campfire and propane camp stove. This is some of what we ate:

    Breakfast: breakfast tacos that worked out to be pretty low cal and filling (flax tortillas, scrambled egg, crumbled bacon, salsa)

    Lunch: sandwiches with fixings that we prepacked (sliced chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, etc.)

    Dinners: Grilled chicken salad- i cut up all of the veg, packed it in separate bags. Put the veg on the plates, grilled chicken over the fire, sliced it up, added it on top of veg, added some dressing I brought from home.

    Grilled a sirloin steak over the fire split between me and my husband. served with pan seared fresh green beans I brought from home from my CSA, also has baked potatoes wrapped in foil, cooked on the fire.

    Another night we had a cold pasta salad made with whole wheat orzo, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, artichokes and feta that I made at home and packed in the cooler with us.

    Snacks: I brought a bunch of fruit from my CSA last week (peaches and plums are in season). I always travel with GORP (homemade mix of nuts, raisins, whatever dried fruit or other add-ins you like) since it is a good snack while hiking.

    The only thing we ate that I would deem unhealthy is having a hot dog cooked over the campfire every night. Even then, it was one hot dog per night and I earned it by hiking my butt off! :happy:
  • terrie_k
    terrie_k Posts: 406 Member
    I'm hooked on kabobs lately. Tons of veggies (peppers. mushrooms, tomatoes, onions...) and a little marinated meat. Served with a little rice perhaps, delicious and easy!
  • AngieWood611
    AngieWood611 Posts: 38 Member
    Why do you have to eat like crap just because you are camping? That's just an excuse, my friend! You can eat junk, you can eat healthy, or do a little of both - which is what I do when I camp.

    I am assuming this is not backpacking type camping. I just got back from a trip where I was sleeping in a tent but had access to a campfire and propane camp stove. This is some of what we ate:

    Breakfast: breakfast tacos that worked out to be pretty low cal and filling (flax tortillas, scrambled egg, crumbled bacon, salsa)

    Lunch: sandwiches with fixings that we prepacked (sliced chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, etc.)

    Dinners: Grilled chicken salad- i cut up all of the veg, packed it in separate bags. Put the veg on the plates, grilled chicken over the fire, sliced it up, added it on top of veg, added some dressing I brought from home.

    Grilled a sirloin steak over the fire split between me and my husband. served with pan seared fresh green beans I brought from home from my CSA, also has baked potatoes wrapped in foil, cooked on the fire.

    Another night we had a cold pasta salad made with whole wheat orzo, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, artichokes and feta that I made at home and packed in the cooler with us.

    Snacks: I brought a bunch of fruit from my CSA last week (peaches and plums are in season). I always travel with GORP (homemade mix of nuts, raisins, whatever dried fruit or other add-ins you like) since it is a good snack while hiking.

    The only thing we ate that I would deem unhealthy is having a hot dog cooked over the campfire every night. Even then, it was one hot dog per night and I earned it by hiking my butt off! :happy:

    Not trying to eat like crap while camping.
    Just looking for ideas.

    I love the burgers and dogs part of camping, pasta salads and what not. But i have never had to go camping and think about what i was eatting, i just ate.

    So, i am trying to plan a healthy camping menu without feeling like im missing out on the typical camping menu, ya know?

    Your orzo salad sounds yummy!

    Also, What is CSA?
  • AngieWood611
    AngieWood611 Posts: 38 Member
    Thank you guys! Your ideas are really helpful. Kabobs, and grilled chicken are always good, i just never thought to bring them.

    I understand just because i'm going camping doesn't mean i have to eat bad, but i have never had to plan for healthy meals while camping. So, i am trying to make sure we don't feel like were missing out, if that makes sense. Im still new to the dieting thing so its tough.

    But Thank you again! :D
  • jesss5885
    jesss5885 Posts: 187 Member
    Not sure what kind of camping you're doing but grill turkey or chicken instead of beef (even if it's just enough for yourself)
    bring TONS of veggies to grill - eggplant, zucchini, squash, tomato, corn, etc
  • shani251
    shani251 Posts: 145 Member
    omgosh yes! you can do this! bring a full cooler of healthy snacks - boiled eggs (made in advance), yogurts, fruit, veggies, turkey burgers, lettuce (so you can make wraps), precooked chicken, etc. I also made a massive tub of seriously low-cal cole slaw so i could just munch on that whenever i wanted. I lost three lbs over that weekend!
    You can do this....just be creative and don't forget water!
  • AmyLRed
    AmyLRed Posts: 856 Member
    bump!
  • HelenDootson
    HelenDootson Posts: 443 Member
    I lost 3lbs during my week camping - Pan fried salmon (spray oil), fresh veg picked up from the local stores, lots of fruit, made prawn curry at home, froze it and reheated it ate out several nights but opted for healthy choices
    With all the walking, playing with the kids, swimming in the sea and kayaking I was under every day
    And there was wine!!
    Enjoy :smile:
  • reree6898
    reree6898 Posts: 42 Member
    Great tips!! :) Also, just in case you would like a really good hot dog alternative, the Hebrew National Light Beef Franks are So So good and they are real meat and only 40 calories!! They (as all hot dogs) are still a little high on sodium but not as bad as a regular hot dog would be.

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