Healthy camping meal ideas for outdoor athletes
If you’re one of those people who love to go camping more often than not, you may want to prioritize your nutrition! This especially applies if you’re an outdoor athlete who has athletic pursuits when camping - maybe you’re a climber, trail runner, hiker, mountain biker, or any other long list of outdoor athletes. Just like when you’re training at home (or at the gym), nutrition impacts your performance.
However, you do need to accept that things are going to look different when camping than when you are at home. Your priorities may shift toward convenience and away from fresh, home cooked meals.
But don’t beat yourself up - you’re camping!
As a nutritionist who works with outdoor athletes, I recommend focusing on big ticket items such as…
Eating plenty of carbs to keep up with your outdoor activities. This is no time to skimp on carbs! Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of energy during exercise.
Working in fiber to keep your bowel movements regular. Maybe it won't come from a big salad or green smoothie, but it COULD come from seeds in oatmeal (both great sources of fiber) or apples for snacks vs an endless slew of granola bars and Snickers.
Bookend your day with protein to promote recovery. Sometimes protein can be hard to get in the middle of the day. If you're active all day, it might not sit well at that time anyways. And you certainly don’t want protein to displace those much-needed carbohydrates. At the minimum, try to have 20-40g of protein at breakfast and dinner, then sprinkle in smaller amounts of protein throughout the day.
Choose foods you'll actually want to eat. Don’t make the mistake of packing foods you’d only eat in the perfect scenario. Make sure you pack palatable foods that are easy to prepare. I always say, “Any food is better than no food at all!”
So, while you should consider healthy nutrition habits even while camping - especially if you have sports-related goals - you should also realize that you'll need to make some adjustments to make it all work. This is key for creating sustainable and consistent nutrition habits.
With all of that being said, here are my go-to meals and snacks for camping trips. Remember that these are general recommendations - you will need to adjust (or even combine) options to meet your energy needs!
Nutritionist-approved camping meals
Breakfast:
Overnight oats with soy milk, peanut butter, chia seeds, and fruit
Hard boiled eggs with an apple and nut butter
Jerky and a banana with nut butter
Bagel with peanut butter and chia seeds
Fruit, nuts, and a protein shake (powder/water mix)
Breakfast burritos with avocado and cabbage
Lunch:
Rice cakes and canned tuna or chicken
Turkey sandwiches or wraps
Tasty Bites instant meals
PB&J
Quesadillas with black beans
Dinner:
One pot chickpea pasta with sauce and veggies
Soyrizo tacos with veggies
Rice pilaf (with canned chickpeas and carrots) and chicken sausage
Tuna mac with broccoli
Chili (best meal prepped!)
Snacks:
Nut butter packets
PB&J
Carrots, cherry tomatoes, or peppers with hummus
Apples, bananas, oranges, or fruit leather
Jerky
Granola bars
Protein shakes
Popcorn
Crackers
When vegetables are recommended, my favorite “camp friendly” options are kale, arugula, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes. These nutritious choices tend to hold up well instead of spoiling right away!