healthy camp food ideas?

[CampingMama]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

This is an interesting post. I have a stomach condition that has caused my digestive track to only function at 42% out of 100. I've lost 70lbs, I have some strict dietary issues and camping does present an issue. Or I thought it would. I've been on 3 trips since I got sick. As long as I take a shake with me like Slim Fast or other protein shake and some V8, I function well enough. I'm the mom, so I have to cook for my crew, I cook many meals I can't eat at all. I will use white sugar and butter, but I don't deep fry anything camping or not. We still eat the same stuff at the campground that we do at home. My kids eat apples for snacks and pbj's for lunch. I still have something green at supper, even if its camping. I still take salad mix or a can of green beans.
I agree that food brings you together, and I'm going to eat what I can and feed my crew what they want. They tend to eat more camping, but it's b/c we're busy burning calories too. We eat salad AND s'mores at my table.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

I like Mike's post. Eat like you do at home, but more streamlined with fewer moving parts. Make sure you talk to your camping partners ahead of time.

For trips like canoeing for multiple days we usually take turns cooking dinners, but get reviews on the proposed menu ahead of time.

This February we went for a week on the lower Colorado River. Hard frost every night and hard paddling. The food was exceptionally good and made a big difference in the trip and in people's morale. We made things like corned beef and cabbage, green chile enchiladas, and beef burgoo.

A good host does this, at home or not. I rarely serve bread at my dinner parties and family get togethers and no one ever comments on it, one way or another. Except my mother but welllll she's "special". Should I ever reach her age I hope I am as well.

ppine- got recipe for your beef burgoo?

[markkee]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

We often eat better while camping than we do at home. A few years back we camped in the Willamette valley in Oregon where some of the most amazing veggies and fruits are grown. We picked buckets of free blackberries and wild huckleberries. We bought farm fresh cage free eggs from local farmers. Rather than a 3 week camping trip, we had a 3 week eating frenzy.

We met a local rancher who supplied us with t-bone steaks, eggs, and fresh home grown vegetables and strawberries.

We try to eat as much raw food as possible. Most of our meals are cooked in a wok, pressure cooker, or caste iron griddle.

Food preppin' girls



Wild raspberries



Fresh picked cherries, romaine lettuce, chicken, and avocados.



Chia pudding with fresh cut nectarines.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

Picked that chicken fresh off the vine, eh?

[tplife]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

Leave my salt at home? The most recent peer-reviewed studies find that sodium-restricted diets don't provide health benefits in otherwise healthy individuals. Dietary restrictions from your doctor are well-advised, just don't get your advice from some guy with a fax machine (ala The Center for Science In The Public Interest). Yes, I'll have fries with that...SuperSize me.


One 2008 study the committee examined, for example, randomly assigned 232 Italian patients with aggressively treated moderate to severe congestive heart failure to consume either 2,760 or 1,840 milligrams of sodium a day, but otherwise to consume the same diet. Those consuming the lower level of sodium had more than three times the number of hospital readmissions — 30 as compared with 9 in the higher-salt group — and more than twice as many deaths — 15 as compared with 6 in the higher-salt group.
Another study, published in 2011, followed 28,800 subjects with high blood pressure ages 55 and older for 4.7 years and analyzed their sodium consumption by urinalysis. The researchers reported that the risks of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and death from heart disease increased significantly for those consuming more than 7,000 milligrams of sodium a day and for those consuming fewer than 3,000 milligrams of sodium a day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/he...dium.html?_r=0

[Mike]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

TPlife: your post further evidences that you can get or create a study to prove anything you need for a claim

The food industry is notorious for sabotaging competitive products with junk science funded by industry marketing committees and then promoted by industry marketing committee hired PR companies.

An example is palm oil. The idea that palm oil is unhealthy was from research created and funded by the USA corn industry. The PR to spread the news that palm oil is unhealthy was also paid for by the corn industry. The reason, of course, is because palm oil is a competitor to corn oil. Most of the claims against palm oil are simply not true. Despite all the pseudo-scientific research

When it comes to food and nutrition, listen to what your body tells you

[tplife]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

Mike, I only have 3 publications with my name in them, but as a researcher I do know what "peer reviewed" means... I'll stand by the accuracy and integrity of those links. I'm also willing to cede to you the "palm oil" market as a token of my respect and good will.

[SparkoFighter]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

It is rally good.
It was very nice for me to go through this thread.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

Leave my salt at home? The most recent peer-reviewed studies find that sodium-restricted diets don't provide health benefits in otherwise healthy individuals. Dietary restrictions from your doctor are well-advised, just don't get your advice from some guy with a fax machine (ala The Center for Science In The Public Interest). Yes, I'll have fries with that...SuperSize me.


One 2008 study the committee examined, for example, randomly assigned 232 Italian patients with aggressively treated moderate to severe congestive heart failure to consume either 2,760 or 1,840 milligrams of sodium a day, but otherwise to consume the same diet. Those consuming the lower level of sodium had more than three times the number of hospital readmissions — 30 as compared with 9 in the higher-salt group — and more than twice as many deaths — 15 as compared with 6 in the higher-salt group.
Another study, published in 2011, followed 28,800 subjects with high blood pressure ages 55 and older for 4.7 years and analyzed their sodium consumption by urinalysis. The researchers reported that the risks of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and death from heart disease increased significantly for those consuming more than 7,000 milligrams of sodium a day and for those consuming fewer than 3,000 milligrams of sodium a day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/he...dium.html?_r=0

I recall reading the ENTIRE article when it first came out and thank you for jogging my memory by including the link. I'm still a moderation believer.

[Joyous56]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

I do value and appreciate scientific research regarding what is healthy to eat and what is not, however I have developed some skepticism, because the advice about healthy eating has changed and evolved so much over the years.

Eating too many eggs was bad for your cholesterol...and now, eating eggs is much less of a factor than previously believed.

Drinking milk was bad for you; adults don't need to drink milk, and it can add too many calories. Now, not so much.

Butter is bad for you. But now, it is better than margarine.

Canola oil is bad for you, and olive oil is better. But olive oil has a lower smoking point, so you should use canola oil. Or grapeseed oil or palm oil, or coconut oil...or marigold oil...it's so confusing!

So, I try to eat in moderation. Not too much of anything....butter, olive oil, low-fat milk eggs, eye-of-newt, toadstools. Tomorrow I'm cooking up the sauerbraten I've marinated for 5 days. Bottom Round roast, pickling spices, vinegar. I don't think it's going to kill me. Might be a good dish for camping...except it needs braising for 4 hours. A pressure cooker could reduce that, I suppose. Got to get on board with pressure cookers.

Rant over. Eat what you like, and use some common sense. Everything in moderation. That's my advice, and I'm sticking to it.

[MacGyver]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

As long as the doctor keeps saying my cholesterol, blood pressure and other vital stats are within reason, I'm going to keep eating whatever the hell I want. I never did understand how they could post cookie cutter lists of what's good and what's bad for a person. The fact the lists keep changing says something to that too. I think we've all at least heard stories like "some old guy somewhere" who "ate a pound of bacon and smoked two cigars every day for 70 years". That might be an extreme case, but it goes to show you that everybody's system is different and will tolerate and thrive on different things.

[Kelly Campbell]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

When we’re camping, some of the healthy camp food ideas that the family usually agrees on are those that we can grill or roast. This keeps our discussion pretty simple.

[markkee]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

As long as the doctor keeps saying my cholesterol, blood pressure and other vital stats are within reason, I'm going to keep eating whatever the hell I want. I never did understand how they could post cookie cutter lists of what's good and what's bad for a person. The fact the lists keep changing says something to that too. I think we've all at least heard stories like "some old guy somewhere" who "ate a pound of bacon and smoked two cigars every day for 70 years". That might be an extreme case, but it goes to show you that everybody's system is different and will tolerate and thrive on different things.

MacGyver, I think you are on to something. The list keeps changing. Ever wonder why the list comes from food companies, the American Dairy Association, or the US government? Follow the money. About 100 years ago, most food was raised "organic" and most folks did seem to care or even think about it. Cattle were free range grass and grain fed. Chickens were not raised in shoe box size cages.

My mother grew up eating bacon fat, lots of beef, bacon, and every else that is considered bad. Her father was a farmer. If they raised it, they ate it.

She was fairly healthy until she started eating a lot of processed foods in the 90's, She just turned 80 and takes about 30 pills a day to maintain her blood pressure. Still eats fast food. My father and her eat Taco Bell several times a week and have a freezer full of ice cream. They love to eat.

My point is, every body is different. I am not a fast food junkie. I eat a lot of beef. We have a deep freezer filled with a half cow of beef. I like to put good food into my body just as I don't buy crappy fuel for my vehicles. Some people can eat crap all their life and be fine. I am turning 53 this summer and still can run up down mountains like I did when I was 20. My pace is probably twice as slow as I was in 20's.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

When we’re camping, some of the healthy camp food ideas that the family usually agrees on are those that we can grill or roast. This keeps our discussion pretty simple.

Smart move and one I emulated this weekend.
I take my DGD on an annual 2 week camping trip and over the years her taste in foods have changed. She eats raisins, she doesn't eat raisins; fish is wonderful, fish is yucky; meat sauce and spaghetti is great but meatballs and pasta is welllll just wrong. She sure keeps me on my toes.

So this weekend I showed her pictures of different foods, pulled out the ingredients and made some of them with her. We also went thru my freezer and guessed what might be within the Ziploc bags based on the photos she saw earlier (don't worry this was only fer her benefit; my freezer contents are well labeled:D). Finally she helped me set up the camping menu based on what was on hand and discussions about healthy eating she's had at school. Hopefully this exercise will end some of the morning drama over eating. We only fresh grill or roast about one meal out of 3 a day; the rest of the food is frozen heat ups or cold.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: healthy camp food ideas?

Found this group of recipes in this week's NYTimes where it's currently the 3rd most popular emailed link.
Reads like a toothsome use of leftovers whilst camping and slap happy easy to boot:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...pgtype=article

In case you've problems accessing the original link here are the recipes listed:

For this sandwich, you can also pan-fry the mushrooms, which give this sandwich a somewhat meaty quality. But in this case I used the toaster oven to roast the mushrooms. You’ll need only half of the roasted mushrooms for 1 sandwich but you’ll find a good use for the rest of them, I’m sure.
Total time: About 30 minutes
1/2 pound mushrooms (white or cremini), sliced
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 slices whole-grain bread (3 ounces)
1 garlic clove, cut in half (optional)
2 teaspoons minced chives
Handful of arugula
3/4 ounce grated Gruyère cheese (3 tablespoons
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1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and thyme leaves and spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place in oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until mushrooms are bubbling and moist. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
2. If desired, rub one side of each slice of bread with the cut clove of garlic.
3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over 1 of the slices (on the side you rubbed with garlic). Top with half the mushrooms (use the other half for another sandwich or another recipe). Sprinkle chives over the mushrooms and top with a handful of arugula and remaining cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread (garlic-rubbed side down) and press down firmly. Drizzle remaining olive oil over top slice.
4. Toast in toaster oven 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from heat, press down firmly, cut in half and serve.
Note: If you are worried about cheese oozing out onto your toaster oven’s heating element (the burnt cheese smells horrible), then place on a baking sheet. Toast for 3 minutes, then flip over and toast 1 minute more. You can also make this in a panini grill.
Yield: Serves 1
Advance preparation: You can assemble this sandwich and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to a day. Toast when ready.
Nutritional information per serving: 479 calories; 27 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 41 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 435 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein
Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”