CAMPING | How To Eat Well & Stay Healthy Whilst Camping, Plus Yummy Camping Recipes

July 23, 2019 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Camping Features, Homepage Feature, Tips & Advice

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Heading out on a camping trip is full of fun, laughter and adventure but what do you pack to feed the family and ensure that it is balanced with good nutrition that is exciting, fun to eat and most importantly, easy to cook at the campsite? Read on for some great recipe ideas for meat eaters, Vegetarians and Vegans!

Whether it’s the crackling of the flames on the campfire, the smell of the fresh air or being surrounded by nature and loved ones – there’s just something about camping that brings us alive and at one with nature.

Long gone are the days where we simply pack sausages and burgers for a traditional quick meal around the campfire! It’s time to think outside the box and get creative with meal planning. It doesn’t need to be a mundane task – make it exciting! Prep some delicious food to be proud of. Food that gets you excited for mealtimes rather than relying on the same meals everytime you camp.

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or are happy to eat anything we hope to inspire you to get a little creative on your next camping trip.

Get ready to grab your cool box, a barbecue or grill rack (if you have one) and pack up your car ready for the best camping trip yet – go on, you deserve it!

Eating healthily when camping

Ensuring you get good nutrition for a balanced lifestyle is important to keep our body functioning to its optimum level. If we simply consumed sausages, bacon and burgers for a week whilst camping, it’s easy to assume that your body may not function correctly during the duration of your trip – which could ruin your time away with friends, family or even on a
solo trip.

Keeping it healthy can be easier than you think – it’s all about planning ahead and cooking over a fire can result in an array of exciting, healthy meals that even fussy kids will be happy to tuck into!

It’s important that at each meal we try to ensure we incorporate ingredients like vegetables, lean protein and carbohydrates for a balanced diet. This not only keeps us fuller and satisfied for longer, but it also helps our bodies to digest the nutritional value of the meal.

The following three meals cover all the nutritional basics and are meals that are exciting, tasty and fun to make.

Breakfast Burritos

When it comes to your first morning you want something exciting for the true holiday vibe and this couldn’t be easier.

Chop and prepare vegetables (onion, red pepper, mushrooms) and cut up turkey rashers (just like bacon!) before your camp trip and pop in a tupperware container.

Whisk eggs with a little milk and place in a thermo flask ready for breakfast in the morning.

Pop your chopped vegetables in a pan over the campfire (or BBQ) along with a little lazy garlic from a jar and lightly fry in a light, natural oil until onions go translucent and add chopped turkey rashers and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add whisked eggs and keep moving in the pan to create a scramble.

Once done you can assemble your burritos – In a tortilla wrap add the scramble along with your cheese of choice.

Fold the bottom up and wrap the two sides around then pop on the BBQ to lightly toast the outside – quick and easy and super tasty!

Campfire Paella

Be sure to pack a large cast iron pan if you want to make paella over the campfire.

Chop and prepare onions, peppers, roast cherry tomatoes and diced cooked chicken before you go and prepare the stock.

In a little olive oil, saute lazy garlic with onions and peppers until translucent. Add the paprika and short grain rice and toast slightly before adding a little wine (you are on holiday!).

Stir until the rice has absorbed the wine and add the stock and roasted cherry tomatoes.

Leave to saute before adding cooked chicken and prawns then leave to cook for a further 15-30 minutes until a light crunchy layer has formed.

Fireside Fajitas

Prep onions, peppers, courgettes and lean steak or chicken into strips and store in an airtight container for travelling. When it comes to cooking simply chuck into a pan along with paprika, cajun and worcester sauce and once done add to lightly toasted tortilla wraps.

Add your favourite toppings such as homemade guacamole and salsa, fold and enjoy for a quick and easy, vegetable packed meal!

Healthy vegetarian camp food ideas

Whilst many campfire meals can be predominantly meat based, it is easy to explore the world of vegetarian cooking with these delicious recipe ideas. It is cheaper and more cost effective to eat a vegetarian diet so why not adopt this method of eating for your camping trip this summer?

There are countless brands out there that focus on creating vegetarian
alternatives to our favourite meat products to make life that little easier but it’s great fun to try and make alternatives yourself.

Chia Porridge oats

Place half a cup of oats into a sandwich bag along with cinnamon, chia seeds, golden raisins and pumpkin seeds. When morning comes add a little milk and the contents of the sandwich bag into a pan on the campfire and cook until mixture has been absorbed. Top with chopped almonds and prepped diced apples for a delicious, healthy breakfast to set you up for the day.

Veggie Sausage, Potato and Veg Foils

Precook some vegetable sausages and mix the contents of the foils before heading off on your camping trip. To do this, simply add halved baby potatoes, diced cooked sausages, diced red peppers and onion, paprika, salt and pepper and a touch of oliveoil into a bowl and mix together well.

Divide the mixture of ingredients between square pieces of foil and fold to incase the contents. Store in a tupperware container to prevent leaking in your bag.

When it comes to dinner, simply place the foil parcels over the campfire or BBQ and cook for around 30 minutes until potatoes are cooked
and enjoy!

Bean Burgers with Smashed Avocado and Tomato Relish

Make these ahead of time and simply chargrill on the BBQ and top with prepared tomato relish and smashed avocado. Top tip: To keep avocado from browning simply add a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Place finely red diced onions, spring onions, drained tin of black beans and
sweetcorn and a handful of breadcrumbs in a bowl with salt and pepper to season and squish together to a big ball. Separate into smaller balls and flatten into burger patties.

Pop in the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes then place in a tupperware
container separating each burger patty with a piece of parchment paper. Simply pop on the barbeque when it’s dinner time and cook through! Place in a brioche bun and top with smashed avocado and tomato relish for the perfect campfire, nutritious, protein-packed burger!

Yummy vegan camping meals

The vegan industry has seen a recent surge in popularity and it is easy to see why. The vegan diet can have a fantastic effect on our health since it is predominantly plant-based living.

It contains plenty of plant-based, natural protein and an abundance of vegetables – what is there not to love? It also requires far less panic about refrigeration whilst on your camping trip and provides our body with an endless supply of natural energy.

How To Eat Well & Stay Healthy Whilst Camping

Vegan food doesn’t have to be boring. It’s not all about raw fruit and vegetables or boring salads, it’s a fantastic way of living for people who love to experiment with flavours and textures to keep meal times exciting.

Grilled banana with nut butter

Slice bananas lengthwise leaving the skins on and place face over the campfire in a griddle pan for a few minutes.

Turn over skin side down and coat the banana in honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover in foil and griddle for 5 minutes, peel bananas and serve drizzled with honey and almond butter and sprinkle with seeds.

Vegan Chilli Con Carne

A one pot meal that is easy to make with next-to-no hassle. You can even make ahead of time at home and simply heat in a pan whilst your rice is cooking over the campfire.

Dice onions, red pepper, carrots and garlic and saute in a large pan until softened before adding the spices. Add a mixture of chilli powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and cumin and stir in with the softened vegetables – add cayenne pepper if you like it hot!

Add black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, black olives and tin of chopped tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper and simmer for around 30-45 minutes.

Transfer to a container ready to reheat at camping. Serve on its own with homemade tortilla chips or serve with brown rice and sliced avocado.
Tip: Add a splash of hot water to loosen the sauce if need be. Do not overcook as the beans will turn to mush!

Chargrilled Vegetables with Hummus and Falafel

Hummus is easy to make simply whiz up a can of drained chickpeas, a little of the chickpea juice, tahini, garlic, salt and pepper until a thick hummus-like texture has been achieved. Prepare chunky vegetables before you head off and coat with a little olive oil and rosemary.

Then simply chargrill vegetables over the campfire or on a barbecue and serve on a bed of hummus and shop-bought or homemade falafels.

There are heaps of ideas and inspiration here and on the internet available for you to consider for your summer camping trip. It’s time to make camping even more exciting with delicious, tasty, exciting and nutritious meals for the whole family.

So whether you are adventuring in nature with loved ones, family, friends or even on a solo trip, the key is to prepare ingredients before you go for quick and easy healthy meals you’ll love whilst camping.

DISCLOSURE: This guest post was provided by Donna Essex at Buy Wholefoods Online, a leading whole food family-run company with a passion for healthy, organic and affordable foods ready for all occasions.

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Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Editor & Owner at Camping with Style

Shell loves all things travel and outdoors and is a nature-loving, comfy-camping kinda girl. Shell started the Camping with Style blog after a serious snowboarding accident which left her with a broken back. Despite this she used the outdoors and healing power of nature to aid her recovery and she continues to spend time outdoors whenever she can.

From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.

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