Camping Food That Tastes Great

Camping food doesn't have to be made up solely of bland freeze-dried dinners and trail mix. Planning is key when organizing your camping meals, With a bit of prior organization, everyone can enjoy great food while camping that packs light and tastes good. Often times the meals that are eaten during a camping trip are the best I've ever eaten.

Good camping food requires the right tools. You'll need a good camp stove, a set of cookware, and probably plenty of water, not to mention the food. Since camping usually means some amount of hiking, the food you pack will have to be light. Any meat that isn't dehydrated tends to be extremely heavy, making most campers vegetarians whether they like it or not. If you're out for more than a couple days, protein gets to be an issue if your diet doesn't contain any meat. Nuts and beans provide the easiest and lightest sources, with peanut butter often filling in a needed kick of protein at lunch or breakfast.

A Little Preparation Goes A Long Way In Camping Meals

Though dinner usually takes up the most time and energy, breakfast and lunch are also important meals while camping. Breakfast can easily be a cold meal, although it's hard to start the day without a cup of camp coffee to go with your dried fruit or granola bar. Pita bread, bagels or tortillas make handy bases for lunch, as they allows for sandwiches and dips but still pack easily; they're light but don't crush like regular bread. Trail mix is a stand-by favorite, as is dried fruit as they provide quick energy while on the move.

After a day of hiking and fresh air, one usually wants a big hot dinner; something hearty and hot. Instant polenta or couscous, though a bit heavy, provides an excellent base for cheeses, dried vegetables, or other sauces, as both are hot and filling. Dried beans and barley make for hearty camping food, though be sure to find those which don't require much soaking or you'll be eating your beans for breakfast the next day. Black beans and rice make an excellent meal, especially if you can find a ready-made store mix which often packs its own kick. When preparing for our camping trips, I usually pre-measure my food into zip-lock bags, so cooking with the right amount of ingredients is never a problem. It's helpful to have a stove that has more settings than off and hi so that you can easily simmer food when putting together a camp meal. Boiling water is easy, but simmering rice or beans for ten minutes can become a battle between keeping the stove lit and preventing your food from burning. However, it can be done.

A final touch to your camp kitchen is a small spice collection. Most outdoor retailers sell sets of small containers which are perfect for storing salt, pepper, dried basil, and some garlic powder. It's amazing how much flavor these spices can add to your camping food, even if it's just a dash of salt added to your dried vegetables. With a little work, menu planning and preparation it's easy to make great tasting, healthy camping meals.