Camp food can be a challenge. You want food that’s easy to pack and prepare without needing too many different ingredients or a full kitchen of special equipment—after all, when you’re getting away to relax, you want to keep things simple. But you probably don’t want to completely abandon your health goals—and you definitely don’t want to sacrifice flavor.
So what is a camper to do?
Gone are the days of bland, tasteless, freeze-dried everything. Today’s campers have access to an ever-widening selection of healthy, grab-and-go snacks and meals that don’t need refrigeration or a degree in culinary arts.
Leave the spice rack at home, fuel your outdoor activities, and tickle your tastebuds with these great options:
Trail mix
Name a food most often associated with camping. Survey says? Trail mix. The outdoor adventure is right there in the name. It’s a little salty and a little sweet. With some carbs for quick energy and plenty of protein for the long haul, trail mix is a classic for a reason.
Today’s trail mix goes beyond the standard GORP (granola, oats, raisins, peanuts) and includes a wide variety of nuts, dried fruits, sweet treats, and seasonings. There are plenty of great brands to choose from, too, but here are a few to get you started.
Archer Farms offers a huge assortment of options, from familiar classics to new, bold flavors. They get bonus points for being easily accessible from any Target store, which is perfect for a spontaneous last minute trip. With sweet choices like peanut butter chocolate and caramel cashew, to savory mixes like buffalo ranch or tex-mex, there is something for everyone.
Order your own custom trail mix at Trailmyx.com to create your favorite blend of nuts, fruits, seeds, sweets and other ingredients. Choose which ingredients, in which proportions, should be packed into a one- or two-pound package. Shipping is always free. No need to pick around the parts you don’t like when your trail mix is made to order!
Fruit
Whether dried and chewy or baked and crunchy, fruit makes a great snack while camping or hiking. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and healthy, giving you a quick burst of natural energy.
Made in Nature offers a wide array of organic dried fruits with fun names like “Apricots in the Buff” or “Apple Rings Hardcored.” There are also nut fusions with unexpected flavors like “maple balsamic” or “cinnamon citrus.” To eat your veggies with the crunch of a snack, try their kale chips or veggie pops (which were featured on the Today show!) Many of their products are available in single serve packages, perfect for slipping into your backpack before hitting the trail.
Bare Snacks will also help you get the nutrition you need with the snacking crunch you crave. In addition to fruit chips made from apples, bananas, strawberries, or coconuts, there are also veggie chips made from carrots, beets and sweet potatoes. With flavors like ranch and barbecue, consider your junk food cravings satisfied.
Meat and protein
Meat snacks are no longer limited to sticks of jerky found at the gas station checkout counter. For quick and easy protein on the go, there is an extensive gourmet menu.
EPIC bars are more than snacks. They are a philosophy. The makers of EPIC believe in producing a meat-based product that goes “beyond sustainability” to actually be a part of healing the environment. Fuel your hikes, workouts, and life with protein you can feel good about and eat with a clean conscience. Choose from bison, chicken, venison, beef, turkey, lamb, salmon and wild boar in a variety of creative flavors including maple bacon, sriracha, and currant mint.
The folks at Krave also offer all-natural and gluten-free meat snacks, in both bars and sticks. They stand out for their truly unique flavors, like black cherry barbecue and honey habanero.
For a more international flavor, try Lorissa’s Kitchen, which offers Korean barbecue, ginger teriyaki, and szechuan peppercorn.
Freeze-dried meals
The phrases “fine dining” and “just add water” are rarely used together in the same sentence. Freeze-dried and dehydrated meals are perfect for camping. Lightweight and easy to pack, dinner is with you wherever you go, as quickly as you can boil water. At the end of a long day on the trail, most hikers are hungry enough to eat almost anything, but thankfully you don’t have to.
With meals from Good to Go, all you need is a meal pouch, a thermos of hot water, and a spoon to enjoy stews and risottos with ingredients like mushrooms, quinoa, kale, and beans. Their extensive menu includes ethnic foods and options to accommodate most food allergies and dietary restrictions.
Mary Jane’s Farm offers an “Outpost” selection of organic soups, chowders, couscous, bulgur and even desserts. Those who would prefer to prepare their meals from scratch can find individual dehydrated ingredients or kits to make a variety of soups, stews, and chili from Harmony House.
Treats
For healthy treats on the go, look no further than Hail Merry’s selection of cups, including chocolate almond butter cups, dark chocolate espresso, and lemon flavors. All their flavors are gluten free, vegan, and non-GMO verified.
For a little more indulgence, nothing says camping quite like roasting marshmallows over the fire and making S’mores. While the classic Hershey bar and graham cracker S’more is always a favorite, consider giving it a new twist.
Switch out the cracker for any thin cookie. Chocolate chip, waffle cookies, and Oreos all work well. Or, swap the Hershey bar for another favorite candy! S’mores can be made with Reese’s cups, KitKat bars, or peppermint patties. Add more ingredients like roasted berries, candied bacon, or Nutella. Check out this list of more great S’mores ideas to try!
With so many delicious and nutritious snacks available, it’s possible you won’t need to cook on your next camping trip! Camping-friendly food has certainly come a long way—so much so that you might just come for the nature, but stay for the food. And we fully support that.
