Healthy camping food ideas

We all know it’s tough eating healthy. It’s even harder eating healthy while camping. So how do you stay on your meal plan and still go out and rough it in nature? It takes a little planning, but it’s definitely possible.

First, take the basic staples. As long as you have a fire or a portable stove, you’re golden! I went to Big 5 Sporting Goods and bought one for $25 dollars, and the propane cartridges were $15. Not a bad deal at all and it worked better than expected. At first I didn’t think I would even use it, but I was glad I brought it because there was a fire at Sequoia National Park and they didn’t allow campfires while I was there. So the stove came in handy.

This is what mine looks like:

Now let’s get back to the ingredients! You always want to bring potatoes everywhere you go. They are so easy to cook and you can make so many different meals out of them. My favorite meal is a potato pizza as my dad calls it. It’s pretty much French fries with veggies and meat and you add a couple eggs at the end and feta cheese and that’s my dad’s potato pizza. It’s super hardy and easy to make and looks great if you use brightly colored veggies. Another staple I always bring is bell peppers. I usually precut them at home and put them in Ziploc bags or you can probably buy them precut at the store. Either way, they are a great addition to any meal! Also, always have onions, ground meat, some sort of sandwich meat (I usually prefer smoked black forest ham but turkey would be healthier), cheese, tomatoes (these I wouldn’t cut to keep them fresh), avocados or guacamole, your favorite hot sauce, tortilla wraps or bread or both, pasta ( brown or gluten-free), your favorite pasta sauce, lettuce, eggs and corn. Never forget the salt and pepper. It’s the base seasoning for everything. Also, I would bring a cooking spray instead of actual oil and a small pan, a large skillet and a sauce pan.

The above ingredients can be cooked into so many different meals that you will not have time to try them all. I always like to do scrambles for breakfast, tacos and burritos at some point in the trip, healthy burgers, pasta, and lean sandwiches or wraps. Between those and some protein and meal replacement bars you should be great!

It’s so simple eating healthy. In my opinion, people over-complicate it. Use great ingredients, cook low fat (teaspoon or less of oil) by trying to stay away from veggie oil unless you’re frying stuff but you should avoid frying in general, and eat in moderation. Don’t eat until you feel stuffed. Take your time eating and allow your body to let you know when it’s full. We often become full way before our bodies let us know they are satisfied. When we eat fast we often overeat for that exact reason. Our bodies haven’t caught up to our consumption. So take it easy, chew all your food and have some great conversation while you enjoy your meal.

Happy camping everyone!

xo,