By Camille May Finley
More than just treats, the food you bring along on a camping trip is the fuel that will be available to your body. This is why experienced hiker Shelby Kisgen emphasizes the importance of mindfulness when packing snacks, especially if you’re responsible for feeding other people, like your family. That means choosing to nibble on healthy sources of energy along the trail and on the camping grounds without sacrificing the flavor. After all the walking, you and your family deserve to eat only the best.
Here are some suggestions for delicious and nutritious snacks to pack for your next family outdoor trip:
Trail food
Granola Bars or Energy Balls
Trail food should be easily accessible and convenient to eat during the walk. It should also be rich in carbohydrates and protein, as these are easily absorbed into the bloodstream and turned into energy. That’s what makes granola bars or energy balls superior trail food, as these tick all of the right boxes. However, it’s probably best to experiment with homemade granola, as CNN reports that store-bought bars can have the same sugar content as candy bars. This means that though they may be tasty, they are far from being nutritious. When making your own, look to include ingredients like nut butters, toasted oats, chia seeds, and natural sweeteners like honey to increase your snack’s nutritional value.
Fruit roll-ups
Fruits like bananas and apples are convenient options to bring with you on your camping trip, but you can also opt for fruit roll-ups. These are essentially jerky made with fruit, packing a lot of flavor and carbohydrates. It’s also a great way to make use of excess produce you may have lying around. Try making a puree out of different berries and bake them in the oven — you’ll have a snack rich in antioxidants and immune-boosting vitamins for your next trip.
Roasted nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are popular trail mix snacks, and for good reason. They contain healthy amounts of fat that the body uses for long-lasting energy. They are also rich in essential minerals. For instance, pecans and cashews contain copper, which promotes bone health. Pumpkin seeds, on the other hand, aid in some much-needed muscle relief after a long day of moving.
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Liquid Refreshments
Celery juice
Liquid refreshments are, of course, important in quenching your thirst while outdoors. Celery juice is particularly interesting for its many health benefits for active individuals. In fact, Parsley Health points out that it is very effective for preventing dehydration as it is filled with electrolytes. And compared to bottled energy drinks, celery juice is not drowning in sugar and other chemicals. The body loses a lot of fluids during hiking and camping activities, and so replenishing with natural electrolytes, like celery juice, can be crucial for staying safe and healthy outdoors.
Mocktail
Concocting mocktails at your camp can be a fun way to bond and enjoy the scenery. And as the name suggests, mocktails are delicious refreshments that don’t contain any alcohol, making them kid-friendly. For instance, a recipe for a drink called “The Benjamin,” as shared by Town & Country, is a mixture of 1 oz cucumber juice, 1 oz lime juice, and 2 oz apple juice — all of which are fresh and healthy.
Camp treats
S’mores
Making s’mores is an age-old tradition in camping, but they’re not necessarily the healthiest of snacks. Fortunately, you can find more nutritious versions of each of the elements of this comforting dessert. For instance, Whole Foods carries a line of vegan marshmallows; thin crackers made with almond flour can substitute for honey graham crackers; and the range of chocolates made with all natural, organic, and fair trade ingredients is vast.
Chocolate-dipped cherries
Last but not least, a simple but delicious idea for a camping snack is to dip cherries in some melted dark chocolate. You can even make fondue over the campfire — something that everyone in the family can surely enjoy. As for the cherries, they’re not only packed with nutrients and antioxidants, but they’re also rich in melatonin. This compound regulates one’s sleep-wake cycle, helping the whole family sleep soundly under the stars.
Camille May Finley
Camille is an experienced thru-hiker and rock climber. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest has cultivated a deep love for the great outdoors in Camille, and she travels all around the globe to seek life-changing adventures.
Yes to smores, a family favorite! All these recommendations are perfect, now I can’t wait to camp 🙂
These look some great options.We always tend to carry such nutritious snacks with us when we are out enjoying in a new city especially when there is a lot of walk involved. Carrying some juice like celery juice or some mocktail would be a great idea when we travel next.
Gosh, love all the ones mentioned here! I won’t be going camping anytime soon but definitely whipping some of these up and camping indoors for now. As if we ever really need an excuse for yummy treats 😉 Besides those like granola bars and nuts are so healthy that they are a great snack option anytime and for the whole family!
We always have granola bars and roasted seeds and nuts every time we travel, whether it is a road trip to our grandparents’ house or for a short camping trip. I am interested to know more about celery juice. I will have to look that up.
These are some great tips. I am not much of a hiker but these types of nutritious snacks would be perfect on long days exploring a new city. We always take cereal bars when we travel but didn’t realise how great celery juice was! Chocolate-dipped cherries sounds delicious too
This is a fab post for sure. so many ideas and love the sound of having some mocktails for sure xx
These are some good snacking ideas while traveling. I will keep this mind while traveling
This is a very useful list of snacks to carry while camping. It’s very important to stay energetic and active while camping and also not carry a lot of luggage for food and all, so the best way is to carry these nutritious and also delicious fruit roll-ups, celery juice, etc. Very helpful!
Such great – and healthy (for the most part – except the treats, which are treats, so it’s ok!!) options. I really like making my own trail mix, and someday I need to try making my own bars. Oh so yummy – all of it! Oh, and the celery juice – interesting to try for sure.
These are great ideas. I’m a big fan of granola bars and mocktails. I’ve never tried chocolate covered cherries or fruits but I think it’d be worth the try since I’m a chocoholic.. 😀 .
These are great options. We barely go camping but ill definitely share with people I know that do. Thanks for sharing.
I’m more a glamper than a camper, but I’d still take these snacks with me! Homemade granola bars (with natural sugars) is a really good idea, as are fruit roll-ups. I also like the sound of the Benjamin, mocktails are good!
How interesting, I never heard of Celery Juice before reading this! I always loved V-8 as a kid and I think celery is in there too so I will give it a try. All of these are great snacks for camping, and really, to have on hand any time. I especially love the idea of chocolate dipped cherries made over a campfire fondu…Brilliant! I’m going to try that. Thanks for the idea!
It makes a lot of sense to make sure the snacks you take on a camping trip are not just tasty but nutritious, especially if you’ll be hiking a lot during the trip. Granola bars, fruit leather and nuts and seeds are great for energy. I love the sound of the chocolate dipped cherries as camp treats too!
Camping is best spent with family and friends. Best time to chill and relax. I will definitely include some of these snacks on our next camping trip.
We are planning on going camping soon so these ideas are perfect, thanks for putting this together!
I’m a huge snacker and try to choose healthy snacks when possible so I appreciate these suggestions! Roasted nuts and seeds are some of my favorite snacks. I would have never thought of making my own fruit roll-ups. I love fruit, so that’s a good idea.
The items listed under “trail food” is also great for road trips and for plane rides. This is great!
I haven’t tried any of those snacks before but am going to checkout the recipe for some of them, if all goes well i will prepare it for our next camping or picnic. Thanks for this awesome ideas.
Those sound like awesome snacks. I’m not much of a camper but do like hikes. I feel like all the snacks (minus the s’mores unfortunately) would make great hiking snacks as well.
I loved the mock tail. Lol. Would make camping more fun. And can never forget s’mores
It is good to have some foods planned for camping trips. These sound delicious and good for energy too.
I have never heard of celery juice before!! Sounds interesting.
We have just started camping a little more this year. Will keep these in mind.
All the snacks mentioned like granola bars and fruit roll ups I always have during camping and hiking trips as they are good energy boosters, however I never tried Chocolate dipped cherries, that just sounds awful (maybe thats because I hate cherries). Havent had s’mores in a while, think I might do some of those this evening with my daughter at home, as a treat. 🙂
These are the perfect snacks for camping. We were homeless from June – Nov of 2019 and we camped a lot of the summer season. These are for sure some of the ideas we had for our treats while being homeless camping in a tent.
The store bought granola bars are usually high in sugar it’s better to just make your own. I like packing fruits and nuts. Mocktails are fun and the kids love it.
Great tips! I’m always looking for some snack foods to take with me while I’m travelling, so I can save some money on food. Energy bites and granola bars are some of my go-to snacks as well. I hadn’t thought of bringing chocolate cherries (or any other chocolates covered fruit), but it sounds like a delicious way to satisfy a sweet tooth without going too overboard. I’ll be packing some on my next trip for sure!
Those are some great ideas for camping treats. The Benjamin sounds delicious and a simple campfire chocolate fondue sounds super fun.
These are great! Perfect for long days on the go to the next adventure.
These are awesome snack ideas for travel in general! I love these!
We are all about snacks while camping. Gotta have that energy and fuel to keep you going. We haven’t made our own granola but love Clif bags of protein loose granola. They have less sugar and more protein but the bags are bulky. I’ve never thought to bring celery juice but will have to try it next time. S’mores are a given. 🙂
I love s’mores! They are my most absolute favorite campfire treat!