Few things feel better than a long hike in the woods, exhausting yourself as you soak in the fresh air and tranquility. Then, back to camp, where you chip away at those health benefits with packaged hot dogs slapped into a white-bread bun with a slice of plasticky processed cheese food.
It doesn’t have to be that way, said Aaron Owens Mayhew, a dietitian and long-haul trekker in Orcutt, California.
“It always made me sad that people who train so hard,
they exercise, they eat well at home, and then they go backpacking and pick up honey buns,” Owens Mayhew said.
Getting outside generally improves mental and physical health. But too often, campers and hikers resort to the convenience of processed foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar.
Here’s how to rethink campsite cooking to eat healthy while acting healthy.
Many people rightly assume that a little processed food is fine, especially when you're exerting outsize energy that can help counter excess calories. The problem lies in the way the body processes it, said Owens Mayhew, who founded Backcountry Foodie, a website dedicated to bringing nutrition to the trail.
Simple carbohydrates like sugary baked goods and candy bars can cause rapid blood glucose spikes followed by a sharp drop, leaving hikers more fatigued than before. Meanwhile, heavily processed foods tend to be dense in calories but lacking the vitamins, minerals and protein the body needs to perform well.
A healthy diet can provide consistent energy throughout the day and improved recovery.
“I like to think of food as one variable that can be controlled, unlike a sprained ankle or bad weather,” Owens Mayhew said.
She said the best way to eat in the wilderness is to find ways to continue eating the food you normally do at home. Instead of frying bacon and eggs on the fire because that’s what you did at camp as a kid, have that bran cereal you eat every morning, this time with powdered milk (find it in the baking aisle).
Many of the recipes on Owens Mayhew's website are healthier versions of her family’s classic recipes, including tuna casserole, garlic-Parmesan noodles and sweet potato casserole. As a supplement to grilled meat or fish, she suggested packing instant brown rice, quinoa and couscous, which are lightweight, healthy and require only boiled water.
To boost flavor, add fresh ginger, herbs, or garlic or onion powder. Adding nuts, dried mushrooms, grated Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes or dried fruit turns the starch into a meal of its own.
Cooking at camp is much harder than when you’re comfortably home in your kitchen, so winging it is usually a bad idea, said Rashad Frazier, founder of Camp Yoshi, a gourmet adventure outfitter.
Well before a trip, take time to plan meals and prep as many ingredients as will stay fresh in zip-top bags or containers. Chopping onions or grating fresh ginger at home frees time to enjoy the sunset and spend time with family when you're outdoors.
“There’s no extra bonus points for cutting onions and making mango chutney at camp,” he said.
Frazier's cookbook, “Cook Out,” devotes a section to pantry ingredients that can be prepped at home. His universal spice mix, salsa verde, chutneys, curry paste, pickled onions and other flavor boosters pack a punch without adding many calories. They can be mixed and matched, he said, with whatever meat, vegetables or grains you have.
Also, always have an emergency backup meal for when bad weather or other factors ruin your plans, Frazier said. His is a Bolognese sauce that he keeps in the freezer until leaving. But a homemade pureed soup or even peanut butter and jelly can be a lifesaver.
“Have that one dish that’s always like, in the event of emergency, break glass, eat this,” he said.
Two recipes to elevate campsite cooking:
From the cookbook “Cook Out "
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to spice preference)
Mix at home and put into a sealed container. Rub onto any meat, fish or vegetable before cooking on a well-oiled grill.
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One serving
1 package ramen noodles
2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds
1 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh, if available)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz water
At home, discard the ramen’s high-salt seasoning packet. Create a pesto packet by putting the nuts, herbs, garlic and cheese into a small baggie. At camp, boil water to cook the pasta, discard the water when tender, and stir in the pesto packet and oil. Tear fresh basil if you have it and stir it in.
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The recipe for Universal Camping Spice Mix is excerpted from “Cook Out: Recipes and Tips for the Great Outdoors” by Rashad Frazier, courtesy of 4 Color Books.
The recipe for Parmesan Pesto Ramen comes from the website “Backcountry Foodie."
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and wellness. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com
