Staying Healthy when Camping

As you know, it can be challenging enough to stay healthy at home. It’s even more challenging to stay healthy when on the road, especially when camping! My family does a lot of camping over the summer, the easy kind where we drive in, set up a tent or a trailer, and have access to markets. I know, to many of you that’s not considered “real” camping. Yet it is a different environment where it’s easy go for the wrong kind of convenience foods. I’m going to share some tips so that even if your vacation budget explodes, your waistline doesn’t have to.

1. Prepare plenty of easy, healthy snacks. Cut up fresh vegetables and throw them into Ziploc baggies, or if you don’t want to do all the cutting yourself, buy some already cut. Another easy and delicious snack is roasted Edamame or roasted chick peas.  TheKitchn.com has some very easy recipes where you essentially toss shelled Edamame or chick peas in a little olive oil (rinse and pat dry first), add course sea salt and cracked pepper (or your favorite seasoning), and roast at 375 °F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes
   
2. Portobello mushrooms make great “burgers”. You can toss the mushrooms into a Ziploc baggie along with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar (and your favorite seasonings) to marinate, and they’re ready to throw on the grill and serve on a whole-grain bun or bread.
   
3. Fresh fruit is always a must! Apples, oranges, and grapes travel well. Slice up the apples and peel the oranges for an easy-to-grab treat.
   
4. Be sure to drink plenty of water. At least 8 8-ounce glasses/day. It’s easy to get dehydrated when you’re outdoors in the sunshine. Don't let that happen.
   
5. Bring along whole-grain cereals and your favorite nuts and/or seeds to throw on top of your cereal for an easy and satisfying breakfast. I love to add raw almonds and raw sunflower seeds. Don’t forget the soy or nut milk!
   
6. Whole-grain tortillas, hummus, and your fresh, cut-up veggies roll together to make a great lunch. Bring along some avocados to add to the roll for an incredibly fresh, great-tasting, satisfying meal. You can substitute whole-grain bread, or even alternate tortillas and bread on different days.
   
7. If you’re going to go for the chips and salsa, bring along something that’s whole-grain and don’t go crazy. Alternate dipping chips with fresh-cut veggies to fill up without going all-out on the chips.
   
8. Beans and rice are delicious, and easy to prepare in advance. Or just bring a couple of cans of beans, open them, and enjoy them around the campfire.
   

Planning in advance is key! Give yourself plenty of healthy options so that you’re not too hungry and forced to eat unhealthy foods loaded with fat, sugar, and salt. You will feel a lot better! And wouldn’t it be nice to come home from a vacation having lost a little weight for a change?

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