Health

hungry for camping? Here are helpful tips to make the camping experience better

Written by Amanda Ament | Registered Dietitian at Heritage Health

Crisp air. Campfire. Burnt sugar. Pine. Sizzling bacon (turkey bacon if you’re me, and yes, my friends tease me about this preference routinely).

These are the hallmark smells that remind me of camping. They take me deep into the woods, sitting around a fire with friends and family, doing nothing and everything all at once.

With camping comes the exciting prospect of … what do we get to eat?!

Is this a “treat yo self” (shout out to Parks and Rec) moment, or an opportunity to eat especially healthfully so we have good energy to hike, bike, fish, and RAZR ride?

Both, I say! Mix it up and keep it fun.

Here are some quick tips and tricks to minimize food prep time, decrease waste, ensure safety, and maximize your time doing those more fun things.

• Make sure your perishable food stays cold until you’re ready to eat it. Throw a thermometer into your cooler or camper’s fridge to ensure your food stays under 41°F. Once you bring out perishable items for enjoyment, be sure to eat, put away, or dispose of these within four hours. Otherwise, they enter the danger zone, which means increased risk for foodborne illness.

• Minimize the use of disposable items that you have to pack out of your site. Instead of water bottles, bring some 1 or 2.5-gallon jugs and get a reusable water bottle.

• If working with a cooler, make your own ice packs. Freeze at least one of your gallon jugs of water or any milk you may bring with you. It’ll contribute to the cold and give you something refreshing to drink as it starts to thaw!

• Pre-make things yourself or purchase prepackaged convenience items. Prep breakfast burritos at home that can be reheated over the fire. Get some chopped salad kits. Put together or purchase fruit and veggie trays. Pack some pre-made fruit and yogurt parfaits and add a high fiber cereal when you’re ready to eat for a balanced breakfast.

• Choose foods that can be used in multiple ways. For example, we will often bring pre-cooked chicken or pork and add that to many of our meals. We may have burritos for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and wraps or tacos for dinner… all can utilize the same protein!

• Don’t forget the fun food. Bring on the s’mores! Break out the Oreos for that taste test challenge. Get that bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos that you save just for weekends like this.

Above everything though, no matter what you eat and drink, or what activities you participate in, please leave your campsite in better condition than you found it. Pack out what you pack in. We’ve had a huge influx of new people into this beautiful area that we live in. We all want to enjoy it. Please do your part in protecting and preserving it. w

Dirne Foundation

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