Healthier Alternatives To Your Four Favorite Campfire Foods

27 January 2015

Alexa Morales

A good camping trip can leave you feeling refreshed and energized to face the world. Whether you are using camp trailer rentals, camping in a cabin, or sleeping in a tent, there is one thing that every camping trip has in common: a campfire. Sometimes the food you eat over the campfire can leave you feeling weighed down and slow. It can undo all of the refreshing, energizing effects of camping. This does not have to be the case! Here are some healthy alternatives to traditional campfire foods.

Tin Foil Dinners: Traditionally, tin foil dinners are made with beef, potatoes, and sometimes carrots and onions. But this same cooking method can be applied to make other, healthier dinners. Consider cooking salmon and veggies inside a tin foil packet, just the same way you would cook beef. You will be able to enjoy the smoky, campfire flavor of a traditional tin foil dinner, with many additional health benefits. Salmon can reduce inflammation, improve brain function, make skin and hair healthier, improve vision, and increase cardiovascular health. And when you prepare it just right, using a good marinade and seasonal vegetables, your tinfoil dinner will be not only healthy but delicious.

Dutch Oven Dinners: Dutch ovens are a wonderfully versatile tool for cooking on a camp out. Almost anything can be cooked in a dutch oven, so use it as an opportunity to add healthier foods to your camping menu. Instead of using them for fatty meats and sugary baked desserts, you could be cooking chicken, vegetable soup, and whole-grain breads.

Hot Dogs: Roasting a hot dog over the fire can be a lot of fun, but there are many healthier alternatives. Consider roasting other kinds of meat, such as chicken tenders or shrimp. They can be skewered and cooked over a fire just like hot dogs! Just be sure to choose meat that is cut thin and that it is thoroughly cooked before you eat it. There are also several meatless hot dog options available in most stores, such as tofu dogs or veggie dogs.

Smores: Cooking smores over the campfire is the perfect end to any outdoor meal. It is easy to make this traditional treat healthier by choosing your ingredients carefully. You can purchase whole wheat graham crackers, dark chocolate that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and even vegan marshmallows. By selecting higher quality ingredients you can make a healthier treat without sacrificing flavor. If you are looking for a way to skip the sugar all together but want to have the fun experience of cooking your desert on a stick over a fire, try roasting pineapple. You can cook it with a skewer just the way you would a marshmallow. Add some cinnamon on top and you will have a sweet treat that everyone will love.

With some planning and creative thinking, your camping menu can be delicious, fun to make, and healthy! This will make your camping trip even more restorative and energizing.

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