Camping without any doubt is a wonderful hobby and it is one of the best ways by which one can unwind both body and mind. There is nothing more invigorating to the mind and body than having a few friends moving away from the din and cacophony that is integral to any urban living. Spending some time in the woods, forest, and other such places for a couple of days or more would certainly be a great way to enjoy some memorable time with friends, family members, and relatives. However, it is important to make sure that you are adequately prepared when you are planning for outdoor camping.
You should be adequately prepared and equipped. This is because of a number of reasons. Staying outdoors away from the facilities of urban lives could be quite tough. You cannot expect to have the luxury of bright lights, good beds, and other such things. You may have to put up with nasty insects and perhaps even some reptiles like snakes, scorpions, etc. In some places out there also could be some wild animals which could be an added risk. Water, a good space for spending the night, and most importantly food are all issues that one needs to take care of when camping out of the comfort of home.
In this article, we will not only be talking about the different types of food to eat when camping but also touch base on various other things that are related to eating and staying healthy and fit while camping. We strongly believe that it will be helpful in planning outdoor camping properly and avoid running short of quality food and other such issues.
Table of Contents
Why is Healthy Eating Important When Camping?
Let us first begin by understanding the importance of healthy living. We will then move towards the various things to eat while camping. When you are out in the woods, hilly terrains, and other such places, you must make sure that you always stay fit. Even if the outdoor camping is for two or three days, please make sure that you are always fit and in good health. You should protect yourselves from the risk of infection caused mostly by water. Secondly, insect bites and extreme weather conditions could also lead to various health challenges. You should ensure that you are fully protected from this.
The next important thing is to keep a close watch on the kind of food that you eat while camping. You should avoid both overeating and also under-eating. There is a risk of dehydration and other such problems when you are camping because of the weather, exertion, day-long trekking, improper sleep, and other such problems. Hence, you must keep all these factors in mind and make sure that you are taking foods that are easy to digest but at the same time making sure that they provide the right kind of nutrition to you. We are listing down a few reasons why eating properly is important while camping.
- When camping you naturally exert more. You may have to travel a lot and there are many tough camping activities like climbing, trekking, and other such things. All these burn more calories and therefore you need to replenish them.
- If you are camping during summer you could dehydrate quite easily. While drinking a lot of liquid is important, you must make sure that the body is not deprived of the required micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. While electrolytes could be obtained from health drinks and other liquids, you may have to plan your food habits so that you get the right minerals and of course the various macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fat. You must eat healthy fats because you will be burning energy faster when you are camping.
- Healthy eating also is necessary for sleeping so that you wake up fresh the next day morning to be ready for another grueling day, of course, one that is filled with enjoyment, excitement, and adventure.
- Healthy eating also could provide you with the right immunity from some common health challenges associated with camping. These could be because of insect bites and other such problems.
Hence it is clear from the above that proper eating that is well-planned is extremely important and vital when camping.
How can I get full while camping?
As mentioned above, you need to stay healthy, and reasonably full in your tummy without having a feeling that you have overeaten. Being overeaten will make you lethargic and it will not be helpful for your camping activities to say the least. At the same time, staying hungry will create more problems than solutions. You, therefore, need to strike the right balance between saying half full and being overfed. Here are a few tips that could be helpful for you and assist you in feeling full, healthy, and energetic.
- Go in for more lean protein and easy-to-digest protein. You could carry some protein bars, drinks if possible, seeds, nuts, and also bars that are nut-based.
- Also, carry with you decent quantities of fruits that are stable and long-lasting. A few examples are apples, oranges, and bananas. These fruits do not require refrigeration. They are also energy givers and they have decent quantities of minerals and vitamins to keep you energized. There are also many other dry fruits that are rich in protein and fiber and they could help you feel full. You will not have the problem of stuffing your tummy with too many heavy carbohydrates and fats.
- You also could carry required quantities of salmon, meat jerky, and also poultry products like eggs, frozen chicken, and so on.
Which foods can be easily prepared over the fire?
While it would be a good idea to carry dry food and food that is ready to eat, the fun of cooking food in a camping destination has its own fun and enjoyment. However, make sure that you carry the right kind of food that is easy to cook. You do not want to end up spending hours cooking and in the process, you may miss out on the fun associated with trekking, and exploring the natural beauty that is associated with these camping destinations. We are happy to list down a few of the foods that can be easily prepared over the fire
- Muffins are easy to cook. Many campers love cooking blueberry orange muffins over campfires. The process is simple and all you require is to bake the inside hollow orange peels. The whole process takes around 10 to 15 minutes and you also can enjoy the orange flesh while baking and eating the muffins.
- Hot Dogs are extremely popular foods and children in particular like them a lot. While many people know about conventional hot dogs, it would not be a bad idea to try out wrapped hot dogs. They are easy to make over hot campfires and of course, they are nutritious, filling, and extremely delicious.
- Bread is perhaps the most common food that is a must for all camping activities. You can toast the bread, and have some jam spread over it, with some butter and cheese. You also could have it with a simple egg omelet. You also could try out roasting the bread using a roasting stick. You can make a bread stake using jam or Nutella and it certainly will be quite delicious, filling, and nutritious.
- Bacon can be cooked over an open flame and not many people may be aware of it. You need a roasting stick and wrap a piece of bacon around it. You can roast it carefully and slowly over hot coals. It should not take more than a few minutes for the bacon to reach the desired level of crispness. Once it happens you can cool it and just eat it. Fun, both for adults and of course for children.
- Fire-roasted fruit is something that we have mentioned above. There are many options apart from blueberry or oranges. You can try roasting pieces of pineapple, apple, banana, or even peaches. It is simple, roast them for a few minutes and eat them straight. You also can enjoy them with vanilla ice cream and make desserts out of it using milk and other dairy products.
- Grilled cheese. You can really come out with some amazing grilled cheese that is fully flavor-packed. All you have to do is have some sandwiches assembled. These should be put in a square cast iron roaster. If you do not have it you also can use roaster sticks for the purpose. Move it carefully over the fire so that you don’t end up dropping the grilled cheese over the fire.
- Corn on the cob. You also could make delicious corn on the cob and have it roasted on the coals and it would make your campfire a memorable and happy one. The whole process should not take more than 5 minutes. Once roasted, you can top it up with butter, and salt. It certainly will taste awesome.
What food do Children Like in Camping?
Children love camping but at times they tend to become unpredictable. They may not settle for the conventional foods that grown-up people would not mind eating. Here are a few beautiful tips that could answer the question as to what food do children like when they are camping.
- Bacon and eggs in a paper bag. A combination of bacon and egg could be tasty and most importantly if it is packed nicely for your children. It is rich and at the same time not too difficult to digest.
- Pie iron pizza. Making pie iron pizza using bread and readymade pizza breads is quite easy and children will certainly love it.
- Skillets are extremely easy to make. In fact, you could have them made in your home and have the meat and vegetables kept in a cooler separately. When you are campfire cooking, you can mix them all together and within 10 minutes you have a fantastic meal ready.
- Skewers are also a big hit among children and parents also are happy about it. This is because it can be made easily and does not require too much preparation time. It also can be prepared before you are out on camping. They are considered to be one of the easiest to make camp meals for children.
- Apart from the above, there are other simple recipes like bread and omelet, or even oats preparations that should not take more than a few minutes to make. You also could go in for ready-to-eat mini breakfast meals and other such food items.
If you look around and do some research, you will be able to come across dozens of such meals that are suitable for children. They can be made within a few minutes and apart from being tasty and delicious, they are also easy to digest and not too heavy on the young ones.
A few more easy meals both for adults and children
Let us now finally look at some easy-to-make and tasty meals that could be suitable both for children and grownups.
- Egg chickpea curry is a wonderful option. It is packed with protein that is fully plant-based. It can be made in different flavors and is completely filling. You also mix it with coconut milk and it will be yummy both for you as adults and your children will also love it.
- Sandwich sausages for breakfast. The sausage patties could be made at the home. You can store them in a portable cooler. You can then griddle it the first thing in the morning. You could add a fried egg to it and also add hot-honey sauce. It will not take more than a few minutes and it could be the best way to start the day on the right note when camping.
- Mix Recipes (Easy Trail) – You have many options to choose from. You could have a mix of glazed nuts, dark chocolate chips, and dried cherries, just to name a few. It could make the ideal hiking snack and are nutritious, filling, and rich in fiber and healthy carbohydrates.
Conclusion
Camping is all fun and enjoyment provided you are adequately prepared for it. Food forms an integral and important part of any camping activity. As mentioned above, you need good nutrition as you have to trek and walk miles at a stretch. You must plan your food in such a way that it offers all the nutrition without being heavy on your tummy. It should also not be too difficult to make and should also appeal to children if they are a part of the camping activity.
