Energizing, Nourishing Food for Camping

Camping is one of our favorite summer activities. We’re so incredibly blessed to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where camping is very easily available. In fact, I’m penning this post just minutes before leaving for another camping trip in Mt. Rainier. Before I leave, I thought I’d share what energizing and nourishing foods are on our camping menu.

What you eat makes a big difference in terms of how energized you feel throughout your day. The following menu suggestions will leave you feeling energized, nourished, and alert. They will help you stay at your peak so that you can enjoy the most out of your trip.

Breakfast

Usually, we keep our breakfast simple and fast. Our goal is to get fed and hydrated, and then hit the trails. We usually eat one of the following options:

1. Yogurt + berries + granola
   1. Yogurt is organic & full-fat, unsweetened. We the fat keeps us full and satisfied longer, and helps ensure we maintain more stable blood sugars while out on the trails. We don’t want added sugars to spike our blood sugar unnecessarily, as this leaves us hungry and tired too early in the day. Plus, we get sugars from the fruit and cereal.
   2. Berries are organic. Conventionally raised berries are highly sprayed with toxic chemicals.
   3. Granola: we eat gluten-free, but that’s not essential for most people. Just monitor your granola ingredients and added sugars. Some of the mainstream granola is sweetened with corn syrup and contains large amounts of sugar.
2. Boiled eggs + instant oatmeal + yogurt
   1. Boil the eggs before you head to the campground.
   2. Instant oatmeal: You’ll want hot water. To get hot water in a hurry, boil the water over your campfire the night before. Store it in a thermos, and enjoy in the morning (it might even last you until the following evening).
3. Quiche
   1. Obviously, you need to make this before coming to camp (unless you’re bringing your solar oven to camp with you). This makes for a fast and easy meal or snack.
4. Dinner leftovers
   1. Sometimes, we’ll grill extra veggies or polenta the night before. They become part of the next breakfast – fast, easy

Lunch

For us, lunch is usually enjoyed on the trail. We pack it at breakfast time:

1. Turkey & cheese roll-ups
   1. These are fast and don’t really require preparation. When you pull over for lunch, just layer a slice of each, roll them up, and enjoy.
   2. Opt for the healthiest lunch meat and cheese that you can find. You eat what your animals ate or had injected.
2. Sandwich
   1. Peanut butter and jelly
   2. Turkey, cheese, avocado and lettuce

If back at camp,

1. Salad greens (prewashed) with lots of salad fixings and yummy dressing
2. Fish (try sardines, oysters, tuna) with crackers and salad.

Snacks

If on the trail (which means no refrigeration is nearby), we usually enjoy these things:

1. Trail mix – homemade or store-bought
2. Hardboiled eggs – technically, these are supposed to stay cold. But I bring them on the trail anyways. Take your own risks.
3. Whole fruit
   1.  Hard fruits are the easiest to travel with, such as apples, bananas, dried fruit.
   2. Soft fruits – like melon, berries, or pears – really need to be protected in a sturdy container

If back at camp (refrigeration is available), we might enjoy these things:

1. Hummus with veggie sticks or crackers
2. Guacamole with crackers or deli meat – watch that guacamole ingredients don’t contain green food coloring!
3. Boiled eggs with avocado and crackers

Dinner

This is the best time to let your hair down and live up the cooking experience. With no microwaved meals or fast food, your culinary skills have the opportunity to reach new heights!

1. Burgers and salad
   1. Top burger with blue cheese or feta
   2. Grill onions and zucchini alongside the burgers.
2. Grilled polenta + grilled veggies + grilled eggs – this is a great way to wrap up your random veggie pieces
3. Hot dogs + sauerkraut + buns
   1. Try with side of baked beans
   2. Try with side of salad or grilled veggies
4. Grilled fish – you did catch one, right? ;-D
5. Stir fry – sautee veggies with choice of protein

Dessert

1. Smores
   1. Have you looked at the ingredients in marshmallows? HOLY CHEMICAL FACTORY! Add those chemicals to fire (increases chemical changes in foods that is generally unhealthy), and you have unknown health risks.
   2. To avoid the junk in regular marshmallows, I do one of two things:
      1. I spend a small fortune on vegan marshmallows that contain simple ingredients; OR,
      1. I buy cherries or other fresh fruit, and avoid marshmallows altogether.
2. Cubed melon with mint
3. Cherries
4. Plums
5. Fresh berries
6. Grilled fruit – try grilling peaches or pears over the (clean) camp grill
7. Flavored yogurt – because this really is dessert, not breakfast
8. Granola bar – again, it’s dessert because it’s probably loaded with sugar

Beverages – most of these can be enjoyed without additional waste

1. Filtered water – lots of it
   1. Since you’re probably near a fresh water source, try getting it from a fresh spring! Be sure to filter or boil it. So much better tasting than chemical city water. Yum!
   2. Try adding crushed mint, lemon, lime, or crushed berries for fun flavor
2. Kombucha
3. Hot or iced tea (made at camp – environmentally friendly)
4. Hot or iced coffee (made at camp – environmentally friendly)
5. Wine, cider or beer (not made at camp)
6. Cocoa

Do you have energizing and nourishing foods that I didn’t list? Please share them with me in the comments below. I would love to learn from you, too.

What else would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

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