Going camping doesn't have to mean surviving off processed foods full of preservatives. With a few handy tools, preparing delicious and nutritious food can be easy. The key is to be prepared and plan your menu well. Food that needs to be kept cold can be stored in an esky, but to ensure items such as meat don't get too warm, try freezing items before you go, allowing them to gradually defrost in the esky. You can also pre-chill your esky and use quality ice (not the party ice from your local liquor store).
Here are some ideas of what to bring for each meal so that the whole family will be full and satisfied with healthy food during the trip:
1. Snacks
Fruit:
Fruit is a great nutritious snack packed full of vitamins, but pack fruit that doesn't bruise easily, such as apples and oranges instead of bananas and pears.
Protein bars:
Choose bars that use high-quality sources of protein, such as hydrolyzed whey, whey isolates and micellar casein and avoid protein bars with excess sugar.
Trail mix:
Snacking on trail mix helps to keep your blood sugars constant, alleviating the roller coaster effect that sees you having peaks and lows in energy throughout the day. Try controlling portions in handy snack-sized plastic bags.
2. Breakfast
Porridge:
Porridge and oatmeal now come in handy individual sachets that simply need the addition of hot water.
Yoghurt and fruit:
Look for non fat Greek or natural yoghurt, which is an excellent source of calcium, protein and zinc and will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Pancakes:
If making them from scratch doesn't float your boat, then try a packet that just needs water and get shaking. Alternatively, freeze your favourite pancake batter in a sandwich bag before you go and cut the tip off when you want to use it.
3. Lunch
Premade bagged salad:
Already prepared salads are quick and delicious, but healthy too. Just avoid too much dressing.
Hard boiled eggs:
Eggs are a great source of protein and can easily be added to a salad or made into a sandwich.
Canned tuna:
Either as a snack by itself or added to a sandwich or salad, tuna is an excellent choice of food due to it's low fat and high dose of iron and potassium.
4. Dinner
Chili:
A great big pot of chili is perfect when camping with friends and can easily be prepared over a fire or in a camp stove. Simply add browned mince, kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, a bit of water and finish with a packet of chili spice mix and then allow to simmer.
Baked potatoes:
Potatoes are really easy to prepare when camping. Start by poking a few holes in each potato using a fork, wrap in foil and then place on the hot coals or close to the fire for 30 minutes. Finish with a tin of tuna or a bit of natural yoghurt.
Dutch oven stew:
A hearty meal that will keep you warm on chilly nights, a stew or casserole can easily be prepared in a dutch oven or large pot. Simply brown off some pre-floured beef then add onion, carrots, celery, potatoes and a bit of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil with some water or a carton of stock.
Australia's best supplier for camping gears
Whether it's your first time to go camping or not, a good source of cool camping equipments is available online. Outbax ships products for free and offers some discounts. These gears also come with a 12-month warranty. Its website is very user-friendly and provides all the specs a camper needs.
