Camping and bonfires make you think of s’mores, hotdogs, and popcorn. But can’t it include some healthy (and EASY) meals too? This edition of my recipe round up is sharing a day’s worth of healthy meals I took on a camping trip. They were easy to prep, SO easy to cook, and even easier to clean up.

Before I get into the meals that actually required some preparation and cooking time, I want to note that I DID bring a couple of sandwiches for quick lunch assembly. I had two whole wheat Sandwich Thins left at home, so I spread a thick layer of crunchy peanut butter on one and grabbed a single-serve packet of Starkist ranch tuna to go with the second. These two sandwiches, along with a handful of mini pretzel sticks some super juicy local plums that I picked up from a farm stand with my firewood bundle, sufficed for two quick lunches to start and end my 24-hour camping getaway.

The rest of my meals took a little more thought and preparation. Check out menu plan below:

Breakfast: Overnight Strawberry-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

Overnight oats in a jar are the PERFECT camping breakfast! Toss the milk, spices, and frozen fruit into a jar and then into the cooler, and bring some oats to throw in before bed. I used the following combination:

8oz. unsweetened, unflavored almond milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 small handful sliced, frozen strawberries
1 small handful diced, frozen red and green apples
½ cup dry, quick-cooking rolled oats

You pour the oats into the jar in the evening, replace the jar’s lid and shake, then throw it back into the cooler full of ice and wake up the next morning to breakfast, ready to eat with no fuss! Just don’t forget a spoon!

Breakfast Beverage: Iced Coffee

What’s a morning (even out in nature) without a good dose of coffee? This “recipe” was easy to make and finish preparing the morning-of; here’s what I did:

Brew hot coffee double-strength and pour into a large jar, about 1/3 full.
Add your normal amount of fixins (I use a little bit of Coffeemate French vanilla creamer and about ½ tsp of Stevia.)
Add a handful of ice cubes; stir and melt. Cap the jar and place it into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to completely cool down. I added a splash of almond milk here for extra creaminess, then transfer the jar to the fridge until you’re ready to travel.
Keep the jar full of super-strength cold coffee in a cooler full of ice until you’re almost ready to drink it. When ready, stir in a couple handfuls of ice cubes, allowing some of them to melt in and bring the coffee to an appropriate concentration. Use a stainless steel straw to sip and enjoy!

Cooked campfire dinners are an opportunity to get creative. Knowing that I had TONS of summer squash to use and some frozen seafood begging to be eaten, I did some internet research to find some recipe ideas. The foil packet food combos below are based very loosely on the attributed recipes, although I swapped out and adjusted vegetables based on the few that I had and played around with fresh herbs and liquids. They all turned out to be delicious, which just shows how versatile these things are!

These can easily be duplicated and used on a backyard grill or baked in an oven, but there’s something about cooking your food over an outdoor fire (whether camping in the woods or lounging in your backyard) that gives the meal an extra rustic, accomplished feel - getting back to a primitive, natural state!

Dinner Foil Packet Option 1: Scallops with Basil and Mixed Veggies

Who says you can’t get a little fancy on a camping trip? Plus, we all need to eat more fish. Essential fatty acids (omega-3’s) don’t make themselves! I’m not one to go fishing and prepare a fresh catch, so I came prepared from home. You could easily use this foil packet on a grill or baked in an oven as well. The nutrition, taste, and easy clean-up benefits remain!

This was by far my favorite dish on this mini-camping trip. Based loosely on this Food & Wine recipe, I placed the scallops in the center of the foil, arranged sliced onions and squash on either side, and topped it all with lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh shopped basil, small unsalted butter pads, and black pepper. I rolled it all up tight, packed it into the cooler, and then cooked it on the campfire grill for about 15 minutes. I can’t fully express how delighted I was in the result!

Dinner Foil Packet Option 2: Garlic Herb Butter Salmon with Summer Squash

I wish I had all the fresh veggies requested in this Recipe Critic version of this dish, and I plan to repeat this dish with them in the future - especially since my garden is about to burst with more harvest! But alas, this past weekend I just had summer squash and onions at home to add. However, I did follow the garlic herb butter recommendations here, again just in smaller quantities and skipping the salt. This salmon also turned out to be delicious and I would definitely make it again!

Foil Packet Side Dish: Parmesan Zucchini

I told you I have a lot of zucchini, right?? I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try a campfire version of a zucchini-parmesan side dish here. Except for using fresh basil instead of dried and adding no salt, I followed this recipe by Damn Delicious almost exactly, just with smaller quantities. This would be so easy to make ahead and bring to a backyard cookout for the grill.

Clean up for all of these meals are, of course, super easy. You just roll up and throw out the foil! Remember to bring utensils and some kind of plate or bowl (unless you have a nice stump table) to place the fire-temp foil on so that you don’t burn your hands or lap!

Know of any other great foil packet recipes to use over a campfire, on a grill, or in the oven? I’d love to see them! Drop a comment below!

If you make any of these or are inspired to try your own foil packet recipes, snap a picture and tag me @OnTheMoveNutrition!

Cheers and Namaste!

-JJ

Recipe Round Up 4: Camp Edition