We are taking our children camping this summer for five days. We will be staying in a trailer with a fridge that is fairly small. I believe there is a small freezer, microwave, barbecue, and tiny propane stove, no oven. Space for cold food will be somewhat limited. Last year, I had no meal planning issues because I was not "dieting" I really want to stay on plan (1400-1500 cals) during this trip with a few treats along the way. I am not actually planning on calorie counting but I will be mindful of my foods and estimate each day. I would love some meal ideas that are simple to make don't require too many ingredients and would be "kid friendly". Breakfast is not an issue as I usually have toast and tea. Lunches and dinners will need some thought and planning.

So far I have a couple dinner ideas:

Our favorite low fat burgers (170 cals per patty) with barbecued potatoes
Taco night with ground chicken prepared ahead and microwavable brown rice
Several servings of tossed salad stored in a "green bag"

I would love to hear your ideas of make ahead items and easy camping recipes. I am also wondering what lower calorie items can be roasted on a stick at a campfire. I don't think I will be having too many marshmallows and hotdogs

Hi! We just got back from a quick camping trip and two things that were helpful for quick meals that were "countable" were the shake and pour pancake mix -just add water and shake and cook ... three pancakes were 220 calories (can use for non-breakfast - we like breakfasts for other meals, too) ... package made 2.5 servings. Also I took a package of lipton/knorr spanish rice - again just added the water ... boil for 7 minutes and added corn and a can of cooked chicken - you can cut the corn for fewer carbs, add black beans for protein, etc. but it cooked up QUICK and can be done on a campfire if needed You can add beans to lots of the rice meals that just need water (I always skip adding the oil.) Also I scrambled up some eggs before we left and just brought those along in the cooler so it made for a speedy protein option with no cleanup.

Have a wonderful trip and with the extra hiking/walking around exploring, you'll be working off extra calories without thinking about it!

You could through some beef tips or ckn in some foil with onion/carrots/potatoes and close up the foil and put over the campfire, that would be fun for the kids.

Maybe kebobs over the campfire, my favorite is peaches/ckn thighs/red onion and its sooo easy!

Sounds like so much fun!

How about taking along some baby carrots, fresh green beans, sugar snap peas, etc. and some microwave steamer bags to have for side dishes?

The foil packs on the grill work great! Once, we did polish sausage, potatoes, onion, small corn on the cobs (I realize this isn't lo-cal, but it can be adjusted in so many ways). Shrimp, fish, etc.

Have fun!!

if you're seeking rapid, low cook time - i like to go with a dry soup mix (bear creek is one brand), just add water and go. can be supplemented with beans or other protein for more substance. zantarans makes delicious rice mixes. their spanish rice is great with mexican foods and the gumba mix is delightful and relatively easy - i like to throw in some grilled or browned turkey sausage. also, as a fun dessert, try taking a banana, don't remove the peel but slice the center open a bit without cutting through. inside add a few choco chips, mini marshmallows, or raisins/dried cherries. then put it in some aluminum foil and roast over hot coals until warmed through. hope you enjoy your trip

I like to marinade chicken breast tenders in a light italian dressing then frill them you could do grilled veggies brushed with the dressing as well.

I usually go tent camping with an ice chest and no more than that.

One thing I'll do is make things ahead of time. I like to make a chili (beans, veggies, spices) as well as some type of salad (pasta, potato). The chili freezes well. I also will bring cans of beans and tomatoes along if I want to cook chili while we are there. One thing that is good is bean chili over baked potatoes. I can bake the potatoes near the fire. I also bring fresh veggies but since we lack proper refrigeration, those need to be used up within the first couple days. Corn on the cob does pretty good too and is easy to cook near the fire. Things like cous cous are quick cooking and I can easily make a nice cous cous dish.

I also have a couple of camping cookbooks. One of them is more geared for backpacking but it is good for ideas.