How To Eat Healthy While Camping

Camping is an incredible option for vacationing, particularly during the summer months. Not only does it get individuals closer to nature and surround them with fresh air, but it also provides a unique opportunity to unplug, which can be a great stress reliever.

However, electricity and such are a rarity when it comes to camping, which can throw many potential campers for a loop when it comes to what they are going to eat while on their trip. They are, after all, limited to the campfire and perhaps a small propane stove to cook their food. This often results in individuals making unhealthy eating choices simply out of convenience. However, eating healthy while camping is quite a bit easier than most might think.

Meal Plan Before Departure

It is quite easy to choose convenient foods, particularly unhealthy junk food, without too much planning. They are, for most people, the go-to option in many situations when convenience is necessary or even just wanted. However, healthy meals can be as convenient! They simply need a little bit of planning, especially when cooking methods are limited as in camping.

When it comes to meal planning for a camping trip, the first thing you should do is list how long you will be gone, how many individuals are going, and what meals you need to account for. Another excellent piece of advice is to figure out how you can use the same ingredients in multiple meals, especially if it is a healthy choice. For instance, oatmeal with dried or dehydrated fruit is an excellent choice for breakfast, particularly if you choose plain rolled oats rather than the small flavored packages of oatmeal. But why pack just enough for one meal if you need to account for a few breakfasts? Switch up the fruit for some variety and different nutrients.

Pre-Cook Components

You shouldn’t bring raw meats or eggs camping if there is no refrigerator available to keep them cool before cooking. However, cooked meat and eggs are fair game! Pasta while camping does not have to be just sauce and noodles; throw some cooked chicken or ground beef in there too, along with vegetables. Thus, cook the necessary components for the meals you have planned. Try to do this the day before a camping trip, as this will ensure you have more time to use the cooked ingredients before they go bad without refrigeration.

Freezing Food Is Beneficial

While you won’t have a refrigerator while camping, you can still keep some food cold for a little while, even for a few days. For instance, you can pre-cook some pasta sauce, including meat if you so desire, and put it in a plastic bag or container before putting it in your freezer at home. When you are packing food the morning you are going to leave, pull the frozen pasta sauce from the freezer and put it in your bag! The more frozen stuff you have, particularly if there are large portions, the cooler you will be able to keep your food. You will also be able to keep everything cool for longer! This idea is quite similar to how you would go about defrosting pasta sauce and similar foods at home.

Make Some Trail Mix

Snacks are perhaps the easiest thing to keep healthy while camping. Specifically, the most iconic camping snack would be trail mix. Trail mix is typically a mix of a variety of nuts, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit. You can, of course, purchase premade trail mix, but this does not give much control over what goes into it, and there could be preservatives or unhealthy ingredients included as well. Instead, go to a bulk food store to purchase the individual ingredients, such as peanuts, cashews, raisins, sunflower seeds, dried papaya, and banana chips. Making trail mix yourself not only ensures it will be healthy, but it also guarantees you will like every component.

Don’t Knock Easy To Assemble Meals

Although convenience can be a recipe for unhealthy food choices, not all of them are. Many easy to assemble meals can be quite healthy, such as sandwiches and homemade pizza on whole wheat pita bread. The control over the healthiness of each of these camping meals is entirely in the hands of the individual making them, provided they forgo the prepackaged varieties and buy the ingredients separately instead. For instance, pre-cut vegetables such as mushrooms and green peppers are easy to transport while camping, as is shredded cheese, whole wheat pita, and even pizza sauce. The same idea with vegetables works for making a sandwich, and using pre-cooked chicken can be the lean protein.

Never Forget Hydration

Just about all your time camping will be spent outside, save for at night while you sleep in a tent or trailer. Additionally, hiking, canoeing, portaging, and similar activities are all incredibly common when camping, which means staying hydrated is key to avoiding headaches, passing out, and simply functioning efficiently. It becomes even more important when the sun is shining overhead, and it's quite hot out. Thus, one of the most crucial pieces of advice to keep in mind when trying to be healthy while camping is to drink lots of water. You can bring a full water bottle on the first day, but after that, you will need to gather water on your own. For this, get a portable water filter and sterilization tablets or remember to boil the water thoroughly before drinking.