Does your camp food resemble your normal home fare?

[TheWanderers]

We're still in the demolition phase of restoration and one of our conversations regarding how to outfit our Scamp includes a question about the level of commitment to including the current microwave oven?

Turns out, the only thing I ever use a microwave for at home is to defrost something or melt cheese. I don't believe that the space required on the micro-counter of a Scamp is justified for such a limited use appliance.

That brings me to ask of y'all; how much does your road food resemble your normal menu while you're at home? We try to eat as healthy as possible, and while we're failing badly during the holiday parties that crowd us from Thanksgiving to Christmas, we still want to avoid high fat/unhealthy choices?

I thought I'd try to orchestrate a poll just to see what y'all eat while on the road?

[sokhapkin]

Home or travelling makes no difference to my diet, I continue with low fat/low cholesterol food choices.

[Glenn Baglo]

A taste.

[Cathi]

You don't use the microwave but the question is whether your wife does.

A microwave can be used to steam food in silicone steamers or other microwave dishes including sweet potatoes, noodles, greens, squashes, rice, all kinds of vegetables and other foods. Plus any dishes that just need reheating. No mess, no clean up, fast, easy and the healthiest you can eat. If you do not do that at home, then likely you will not do it camping.

If people eat unhealthy food at home, they will likely eat unhealthy food camping. Some do take camping as an opportunity to eat unhealthy food deliberately! Their time away from worrying about it.

[Glenn Baglo]

Please pass the salt.
And, don't forget this food group.

[Ian G.]

We actually eat better and "fancier" when camping. We have more time to prepare, no limitations for cooking because we bring a great gas stove, BBQ, and often even a pizza oven. Really there are not limitations or restriction when camping, you have heat with a stove, BBQ or campfire, a fridge or cooler, time and endless possibilities. I know we eat gourmet when camping.

You need to expand your poll to include this aspect, that is why I didn't vote.

[honda03842]

We have never carried a microwave in our trailer. Everything we can do in a microwave we can do in other ways. For us it takes up too much room.

We eat healthier when we travel. We always eat breakfast in our trailer and it's identical to what we do eat at home. We view breakfast as a key meal.

We do snack while driving, mostly on healthy items, fruit, nuts and twizzlers....

One meal is usually very light, as simple as a PB&J, usually when we're out exploring. If we happen upon an interesting place to eat, we'll have a very light supper.

If we haven't eaten 'big ot out' at lunch, our dinner meal can be special. Sometimes a crock pot meal other times a fancier salmon meal (we always carry smoked salmon because it doesn't require refrigeration).

The reality is we eat a lot less than we're home. The fridge doesn't hold a lot, we cook just for two and we don't have an oven.

[Glenn Baglo]

Yes, don't forget breakfast.

[wwig]

Hey Bill & Laura
We put a Microwave in our Casita last spring after owning it for approx 9 months. I would have preferred a Micro/Convection oven but I was concerned about weight and the heat that would be generated in a small space. I have to admit it does come in handy although we cook outside whenever possible, for us being outside is what camping is all about. We had a couple of trips last season when it rained for an extended period and it was nice to be able to heat up a casserole and not stand in the rain cooking on the Coleman or Smokey Joe. I try to eliminate steps whenever possible like cooking pasta at home and putting it in a ziplock bag, then throw it in the sauce to reheat it. I will slow cook a rack of ribs at home and all they need is to be sauced and reheated on the grill. My wife and I spend a lot of time exploring the areas where we camp either hiking , biking or kayaking so meal preparation is sometimes limited. I will say that there is something very satisfying in slowing down and just enjoying the process of making a great meal cooked outdoors.

[Casita Greg]

OK, first off, I'll say that I'm one of those types who like to cook, and I always have. I guess a big part of what works or doesn't work for most people when it comes to cooking is their level of ambition, degree of laziness, ineptitude for cooking, desire for good food, culinary talent, budget, tastes, room for equipment, etc. The list goes on and on, and there is no "one size fits all" to it. It doesn't really matter if you are at home, camping, or elsewhere. It all revolves around what, if anything, you want to create and eat. You can try to emulate Bobby Flay or just open a can of beans and call it good.

I even went to culinary school at the local Comm. College after I retired for a formal cooking education because I wanted to expand my skills. After that, I was the chef at our local Elk's Lodge for a while too. Many folks don't want to be bothered with elaborate cooking because they are "on vacation" or "it would be too much trouble, so just eat your hot dogs and beans and enjoy it."

I travel with probably way more stuff than I obviously need, and I definitely will admit that it does take up a lot of space, but I don't care, it is space that I have, (divided between the trailer and the truck bed.) To me, one of the greatest things about camping is cooking. I roll with a two burner Camp-Chef propane stove with a removable flat top grill on one half, a barbecue grill, a large Cuisinart toaster oven, (and don't forget the built-in microwave in the trailer,) a food processor, blender, two Yeti coolers - a huge one for for food, and a medium one for beer and ice, (not counting the trailer fridge,) a 14 cup Cuisinart coffee pot, several pots and pans in stainless, cast iron, and non-stick. You get the picture. I can do anything on the road I can do at home as far as cooking. Heck I even bring more spices and condiments than most folks have in their home kitchens. I can cook for two or twenty, (and have on occasion,) while camped. And yes, we eat healthy, but also good too. No cardboard dinners for me, thank you. YMMV, it's just the way I roll...

[kootenaigirl]

Gosh Greg, I'm impressed.
You must win the prize for bringing the most cooking paraphernalia camping

[CampyTime]

Glenn you make me laugh! Yup don't forget the 12 pack! I won't write what I eat while camping I guess as I probably won't make it atop the health conscious fare, but it's always simple and tasty on the grill. I do eat pbj often for lunch, though.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Glenn Baglo]

One does need to adapt.
Steaks come to room temp, out of reach of the dog.

[Paul O.]

Our Scamp cooking is not very different from home, but ours came with a three burner top and an oven, so several things can cook at once. I have no idea how common that option is. We both think microwave is totally unnecessary. When we want to cover some distance and pull twelve hour days*, it gets very simple. On such long way out from home, it is leftovers, on the long way back it might be eggs and toast, or such. Sandwiches for lunch and a can of ginger ale.
*) That's about ten hours of actual driving, and we change drivers for two or three hours, or so.

[Donna D.]

To answer your question, yes. I eat the same on the road as I do at home.


I'm a fresh food, cold food eater. LOTS of green leafy vegetables (all kinds for salads) and whatever fruit. Love the bigger kitchen counter in Ten Forward. I do eat animal protein... my decision isn't based on anything other than what I like to eat.

[Glenn Baglo]

And what does Jim Norman eat? ( first in line ).

[Cathi]

What is your pizza oven?

Originally Posted by Ian G.

We actually eat better and "fancier" when camping. We have more time to prepare, no limitations for cooking because we bring a great gas stove, BBQ, and often even a pizza oven. Really there are not limitations or restriction when camping, you have heat with a stove, BBQ or campfire, a fridge or cooler, time and endless possibilities. I know we eat gourmet when camping.

You need to expand your poll to include this aspect, that is why I didn't vote.

[Jon in AZ]

For us camping food is very different than at home. Like Ian, we have more time, and our generally higher level of activity means we can absorb a few more calories. Typically we like to grill meat & veggies over charcoal in the evening, and chop & sauté the leftovers into a breakfast burrito in the mornings. Lunch depends on the agenda for the day. Lots of fresh fruit all day long.

Our main cooking tools are a MiniWeber grill and an ancient Coleman stove. We never have hook-ups so no microwave or appliances. We do all our cooking outside.

[francene]

Hi Bill and Laura,
Interesting question, judging by the amount of responce you are getting.
Camping, we eat much the same healthy food as home. We have a three burner cooktop in the trailer, with a seldom used Coleman stovetop oven in tow. Usually I'll have several pots cooking at a time. No microwave in the trailer, but an electric 'hotpot' boils water for tea or coffee in minutes. No outdoor grill.
I like to eat healthy and I do most of the cooking. Camp style cooking is simpler than at home, due to very little storage space in the trailer. It's fun, though!

Fran
1974 Compact II

[Jim Bennett]

We eat good healthy food at home, and when camping too. If anything, we too actually eat better when camping. At home my wife does the vast majority of the cooking, but when camping we share roles, and I likely do more than her then.

We love cooking while camping, there is so much good food to eat. We don't use, or want, a microwave ourselves. Firstly, we find no need for one, and secondly, could not use one most of the time when camping as we are off the grid. As well, we do the majority of our cooking outside, either on a portable stove, the BBQ, or often on (or in) the campfire. We almost always eat and do dishes outside too.

Most people we camp with eat really good food too. We often will sit together and share food. Just another thing great about camping.