Camp Food

[CAMPFRIEND]

I am looking for new ideas for camp meals. This past summer I watched what the campers would eat and not eat and realized that most of the food the campers would eat was crap. What I mean by crap is the food with tons of sugar and things that are not so good for you. My hope is that I can find well balanced meals for campers aged 5-12 would like. If you have any ideas that you might be good for my camp let me know.

[Dave]

Pizza bagels are popular at our camp. Not sure if that's already on your menu or not already. I'd say that's probably the most popular food at our camp.

[runrachrunn]

Bean burritos were the absolute best food at camp. Spghetti and meatsauce is always a good one too (the garlic bread makes the meal). People are split on the chicken pot pie and shephard's pie, but I don't mind either. And you can't go wrong with chicken fingers or grilled cheese.

[c3divers]

are we talking meals in the dining hall or cook outs?

[CAMPFRIEND]

Dining Hall

[campnerd99]

Sub Day is always a hit at my camp. It's something the kids like and they're potentially eating from every food group (bread, cheese,meat,veggies).

What is your usual camp food like? I'm not sure what my camp does that yours doesn't.

[runrachrunn]

I forgot to mention that we have a salad bar at every lunch and dinner meal. There's usually spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, carrots, and then some other random stuff like canned mandarins or pineapple, stewed beets (ewwww), chick peas, hard boiled egg slices, humus, tuna... And then croutons or chinese crunchies on the side, along with various dressings.

The salad bar saved my life this summer. I might have gone crazy in the dining hall otherwise.

[KiwiCRB]

Eww my school cafeteria's salad bar is saving my life this semester. That and the wok station. I hate cafeteria food.

[Melk]

Eww my school cafeteria's salad bar is saving my life this semester. That and the wok station. I hate cafeteria food.

Agreed.

[runrachrunn]

Let's hear it for the stif-fry bar. Hip hip hooray!

[KiwiCRB]

Yes!! I just had that for lunch... yum.

[Mouse...]

Breakfeast Burrito and Pancake days were always a hit.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I need more ideas! I want to try some new things during our groups to see if they like it before I serve it for our campers.

[Marzz]

Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, tacos, pasta with a choice of sauces, pancakes, fresh fruit, peanut butter and jelly option at EVERY meal (unless you are a nut-free camp), sandwich bar, pot roast (use the leftovers for french dip sandwiches the next day), chicken nuggets, pizza, yogurt/granola/fruit option at every breakfast, salad bar at every lunch and dinner if possible (make sure there are decent choices and that the dressing isn't yucky - if you wouldn't eat it - neither will the kids), quesadillas, lasagna, hamburgers/veggie burgers and hotdogs, fresh baked rolls (even if the dough starts out frozen - everyone loves fresh bread).

Most of these ideas can be made healthy, if you take the time to do it. Whole wheat pizza crust for example. One thing that bugged me this summer about the food was that they never drained the grease off the breakfast meat. It took 20 napkins to soak up the grease in one sausage patti. gross. The other think I disliked was the salad dressings were gross (watered down ranch and super oily italian).

Good luck!

[CAMPFRIEND]

Thank you Marzz that is what I am looking for. I know what the staff like is different then what the campers like. I do need ideas for both. I know that my staff got sick of camp food by the middle of the summer. I went to Sam's and got a bunch of food for our cooks to make just for the staff! They loved it and I think it gave them a boost!

[happy_camper]

Try to keep your food kid-friendly. Our kitchen staff makes this nasty hamburger-patties-in-some-kind-of-wierd-gravy-and-let's-pawn-it-off-as-food stuff that even the staff won't eat! Can't go wrong with chicken fingers, pancakes, or sandwiches. I LOVE our chicken quesadillas (YUM!) and Mexican night (hard or soft shell, beef or beans, lettuce, salsa, cheese, etc.) If you want your kids to have more fruit and such, have it as a snack insted of chips or cookies. We also require our kids to drink one full glass of water before they can go get Kool-Aid or tea (lunch and dinner only). And they can't fill water bottles with kool-aid. Water is a must!

[Melk]

It is suprising how no one takes note of what foods the kids eat and do not eat. If your getting the serving bowl back with the same amount of goolosh as you sent out and the line for the salad bar is almost out the door that has to mean something.

Walking tacos are amazing. You take the snack size bags of potato chips, cheetos, freetos, ect. open them, chrnch up the chips and add the same stuff that you would for a taco and eat it out of the bag.

[runrachrunn]

Veggetarian bean burritos are number 1 at our camp - a lot of people just put the beans over a salad, but the kids like the tortillas.

[happy_camper]

Just got another idea - to reduce the sugar, buy the lower sugar options of the same foods
Ex: my camp has cereal as an option at every breakfast, but we get the "1/3 less sugar" fruit loops instead of regular.

[LifeIsGood]

Unfortunatly everything that I enjoy eating is the health food that campers usually dont touch. I usually just eat all the left over veggies.

Chicken frys, meatball hoagies, grilled cheese, chicken fajitas, and tacos are a hit. Campers also seem to love corndog nuggets and french toast sticks. They scare me.

Fruit gets eaten more if its cut up and in bowls rather than suggesting that kids eat an apple or peel an orange. You could try making things like chicken frys into wraps, using wheat tortilas, and hoping that they put the lettuce and tomato in the wrap. Maybe grilled or baked chicken sandwiches instead of hamburgers. Make sure to put veggies out to top sandwiches...nothing is more disapointing than just meat and bread.

They now make prepackaged carrots that come with ranch and apples that are sliced and bagged. If you have to go for prepackaged food for camp-outs and such at least its not as bad as chips.

Also, we always have baked chips as an option to regular chips. Maybe have fruit snacks instead of cookies...small changes that the kids will never notice can still help to cut out fat and excessive calories.

[JJ-14A]

On every meal my camp provided grill cheese sandwiches, B&J sandwiches, and a variety of fruits. Pretty much all the kids ate 1 of the three besides their normal meal. Peaches and bananas were popular among the fruits, especially for the sporty kids. During breakfast we always had hot porridge with raisons and brown sugar which was popular. We also had green tea which was great with cookies. Chicken parmesan with pasta was also one of the favorite meals. Some kind of Jewish soup with some Jewish bread was my favorite but it was usually the appetizer. Barbeque chicken and roast beef w/grill potatoes were also popular.

[runrachrunn]

Jewish soup? Chicken soup? Jewish bread? Challah?

So confused right now...

Our camp couldn't make a chicken soup for anything. The challah was good - i usually ended up eating 3 small buns and calling it dinner since the chef managed to butcher the entire shabbos meal (with the exception of shabbos brownies... mmmmmm brownies).

[gabor85_hungary]

My camp director always asks the help of a nutrition professional (a doctor) who is very happy to help in defining the menu. So he gives advices on how much carbohydrate, protein etc does a kid need in that age, and what kind of food will it cover, etc. So if you have the chance, maybe you could ask the help of an expert.

(This doctor is very friendly and does it for free of charge)

[Thumbelina1988]

I try hard to stay healthy and eat the right food but it doesn't usually happen. I survived on pot noodles for an entire week last summer.

My problem is that I'm fussy so I hope there is something I'll like at every meal.