Here in upstate NY it is that time of year when all thoughts turn to the great outdoors. I already have a couple of camping reservations and find my favorite form of exercise is taking long walks or hikes in the various state parks and wildlife preserves of the Catskills, Berkshires, Vermont Greens, and Adirondack Mountains. In the past, we always packed fruit and trail mix (nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips), power bars (usually low carb) and lots of water - to make sure we had snacks on the trails. I'm looking for your great ideas on what else I can pack instead - nuts, I know are okay in moderation, but what else? I am used to fueling our 3-7 mile treks on sugar and carbs, I guess - and I know I have to sing another tune this summer!
Also - I would love to hear your ideas for easy to pack and cook camping meals. We usually stay 2-4 days, have a 2 burner coleman stove plus camp fire and a gigundo cooler to take for the longer trips - but there are obvious certainly culinary limitations to eating and cooking outdoors. What can you share from your experiences - assuming I'll be in phase 2 by Memorial Day, and our first outing? I'm stuck on freezing bags of marinated chicken breasts and roasting veggies There has to be more... lol
Tia, several members of the forum go camping, and I know they can give you lots of great ideas. You can even check the recipe forum for an SBD way to make marshmallows (thanks, Adia, for posting it!). Not sure if you can toast them, but it would still be nice just to have some of your own!
Regarding snacks for the trail, here are some ideas:
Actual fruit...oranges, apples, even berries if you have a sturdy container to pack them in.
Protein will get you farther on the trail. Can you pack a small, soft-sided cooler and some lunch meat rollups, or even some chicken salad (made with mayo)?
Cheese sticks are great, easy to pack, and easy to eat
Chopped veggies with cheese or hummus for the protein
I love Soy nuts, and they aren't limited like actual nuts are, as they are beans. They'll give you protein and good carbs, too.
Don't forget to pack lots of water!
Kraft now makes SBD bars...personally they aren't for me, but each person needs to decide on their own. You can find some discussion on these products by searching for Kraft in the forum.
Get yourself a good dehydrator and you can make your own "legal" meat jerkies, fruit rollups, veggie soup mixes, dried veggies, dried fruit...you name it. I use mine all the time for camping. I don't have to add yucky chemicals, it's cheaper than buying convenience food, and best of all the food takes up much less space!
I've done several two day campouts with the Scouts since I started South Beach. I like to pack sliced raw zucchini. It tastes great to much on during a hike. A Ziplock bag of grapes also makes a good snack.
I bring whole wheat mini bagels for breakfast and whole wheat tortillas to use as quesadillas with cheese and ham but then we have an electric outlet so I bring my George Foreman grill. We just got a nice two burner grill so I'll have to think of some new possibilities for the next campout. I have also brought containers of Taco Bake and heated them up and put them in tortillas.
I've brought red pepper strips but they just don't seem to entice me as much as the zucchini and grapes (maybe because it was a bit chilly this time). My husband really limits the amount of room I have for food in the cooler so that has made it difficult. We do pack plenty of cold water.
Wow - great ideas!
Goodness, I can just see my honey getting his hands on a dehydrator - he's a hunter and a fisherman so god knows what he'd put into it.
I keep forgetting that in a couple weeks I'll be able to eat more 'normal' food - lately, I've been taking a pocket full of nuts like some sort of squirrel in boots
Thanks everyone - i'll keep checking back for more great ideas
PS. was just thinking last night, when we were grilling... oh, shoot, no marshmallows? Horrors!
I was going to suggest jerky, but the preservatives they put in it...yuck! If you made it yourself, it would be an excellent choice!!!
In the meantime, think about bringing some raw veggies with you. Celery would stay pretty crisp, I would thing. You could cut a pepper with a swiss army knife...they are delicious! What about grape tomatoes?
SBD in the great outdoors
There has to be more... lol
If you made it yourself, it would be an excellent choice!!!
What about grape tomatoes?
