Healthier Camping Meals

I’m going to be totally honest, I don’t really LOVE camping. Playing in the dirt all day, huddling around a campfire for warmth at night while getting smoke in your eyes and then basically sleeping on the ground at night is not really what I’d call a good time.

However, my husband and my kids love camping with a passion. I think my kids love it because they just love playing in the dirt. And flashlights, their excitement for flashlights is contagious. So, I put on a happy face and rough it for a few days to support them.

There is one thing I really do love about camping…s’mores. I think if s’mores did not exist that I would never go camping again. Sorry Dan, but it’s true.

In the past 6 weeks, we have gone camping 2 different weekends. Both places we went were absolutely gorgeous: Sardine Lake and Roaring Camp Mining (both in Northern CA) and really fun.

I tried to get more into the spirit of camping and really planned some great tasting and fun meals to enjoy while camping. Typically we just bring hot dogs and chips and call it a day. To make these trips different, I planned a bit healthier camping meals that also tasted great and could be cooked over a campfire.

Here were some of the standout dishes and links to their recipes (if applicable):

Individual Egg Scrambles

• I saw a lot of sites on Pinterest that showed how you could pre-crack your eggs and place them in individual ziploc bags to easily cook while camping
• I did this but took it one step further by adding different ingredients to each bag of eggs to create custom scrambles. For example, I put fresh chives and mushrooms in mine. In Dan’s, I included some diced peppers and onion.
• It’s so easy and creates a bit less clean up, which is always a positive

Hearty Egg McMuffin Sandwiches

• We do a lot of hiking while we are camping, so I knew that I wanted to bring something for breakfast that would keep us fueled and filled until lunch
• I fried an egg and placed it on top of an english muffin (toasted over the campfire) topped with arugula, cheese, a slice of ham, and avocado.
• So filling but with healthy fats and protein to keep you feeling full for hours

Fajita Chicken Kebabs from Well Plated

• I pre-marinated some chopped up chicken with the fajita sauce in the recipe above the night before we left for camping
• I also pre-chopped the onions and bell peppers so that I didn’t have to worry about chopping vegetables outdoors while camping (I put them in a separate ziploc bag)
• I brought along wooden skewers and simply placed the chicken and vegetables on the skewers at the campsite
• The kebobs cooked over the campfire and came out so good! The marinade is so flavorful and the campfire adds a great smoky flavor
• Since coming back from camping I have made these kebobs at home because they are THAT GOOD

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Potatoes from Damn Delicious

• These potatoes and broccoli were amazing!
• I pre-made the olive oil marinade and placed it in a  small sealable container and then just added it on top of the potato/broccoli mixture when I was ready to cook them
• I cooked them in a cast iron pan over the campfire and they did take awhile to cook but they were so good!
• You could also easily cook them in foil packets over the fire and I think they would turn out just as great

I also usually bring along a batch of my homemade Best Bloody Mary. So simple to make and hits the spot while sitting around the campsite.

And of course, no camping trip would be complete without s’mores. I love traditional s’mores but this past trip we added a little peanut butter on top of the graham cracker and you guys…game changer! It’s so good!

Are you a camper? What is your favorite part of camping?