Menu Planning
A few notes for our Canoe Trip:
- We will have some coolers, so each cook group can bring 1 gallon ziploc bag of food that needs to be refrigerated to eat on the first and last day. Refrigeration is not available on the three canoeing days.
- Do not count on getting food at gas stations - bring lunch and snacks for Monday and Friday.
GENERAL FOOD IDEAS
- Eat some Protein at each meal
- Pack all meals and snacks separately for each meal, each day.
• Squeeze Tubes are good for peanut butter, jelly, honey, spaghetti sauce.
• You can also get peanut butter in disposable plastic individual packets.
• Pre cut salami keeps you from having to use a knife.
• Salami and cheese WILL keep for a week in a zip lock bag and will not go bad.
• Butter can also be in a zip lock if needed and will not go bad.
• Bring a couple extra Power bars or Cliff bars etc.
• Think about food that won’t totally wreck your pots..
• Soup mix from Trader Joe’s is good: Fun noodle chicken soup mix, soup in cups, Marishon soups, Tasty bites (heavier, but really yummy – maybe for first couple of nights)
• Trader Joes also has Salami sticks, dried fruit, almond, cashew or other nut butters.
• Tri-County Produce has granola in bins, so you can get a small amount: 1/4 – 1/3 lb.
• Also you can make your own GORP: (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts): Salted peanuts, M&Ms, raisins, pistachios, almonds, cashews, dried fruit chunks.
• A favorite lunch: Rye Crisps, Mozzarella Cheese, a dab of pesto sauce from a squeeze tube – YUM!
For the health of your child and the safety of the group please consider nutrition.
Have some protein every day. Don’t bring a lot of candy. Your working body will need fuel!
Basic supplies to think of:
SPICES: Only if you want to go gourmet! Salt, pepper, garlic, chili, cinnamon, honey, butter or cooking oil (Make SURE they are packed in a leak-proofed container, like a plastic bottle or squeeze tube.)
BREAKFAST: Non-cook breakfasts are the best. That way the stove isn’t hot for packing.
healthy cereal (Take bag out of box.)
nut butter: peanut, almond, cashew
oatmeal
Dried fruit
Granola or Grape Nuts with powdered milk
Instant Breakfast mixed with powdered milk
G.O.R.P. (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) - You can also add M&M’s, dried fruit, other nuts - the variations are endless!
Bagels (normal size or mini), cream cheese (will keep 3 days)
English muffins, raisin bread
Granola Bars, Tiger’s Milk Bars, Power Bars, Balance Bars, Clif Bars
Fresh fruit for the first day or two (heavy)
Tang, powdered lemonade
For when there’s time to cook:
Hot Chocolate (mixed with water, not milk, unless you bring powdered milk)
Instant oatmeal, instant Cream of Wheat (mixed with water)
Stir fried potatoes (need butter, ghee or oil, salt and pepper)
SNACKS:
G.O.R.P. & M&M’s & Nuts
Fresh fruit (first day or two - heavy)
Fresh Veggies: Carrots. Celery sticks
Dried fruit or dried fruit mix, Applets, Cotlets Fruit Leather, Raisins, dried mango & almonds
Bars: Fig, apple or peach, Tiger’s Milk, Power, Balance or Cliff Bars
Nuts, Peanuts / M&Ms
Meats: Salami, Jerky
salami trail mix
cheese sticks
apple sauce
granola
hard crackers
pretzels
Snickers, Kudos
LUNCH: Non-cook lunches are required
Dried fruit (repackaged in a small zip-lock bag)
Cheese (String & mozzarella cheese keep well in a zip-lock bag for up to a week)
Dried Salami, Pepperoni or summer sausage
G.O.R.P.
Bars: Granola Tiger’s Milk Bars, Power Bars, Balance Bars, Cliff Bars, fig, apricot or peach bars
Nuts - very good for energy!
Jerky
Fresh, sliced, HARD veggies (carrots, celery, red bell pepper)
Crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Waverleys, Rye Crisps)
Bread for sandwiches (rolls and bagels don’t squash as easily)
Peanut butter, honey and jelly in squeeze tubes
Squeeze tube of pesto is nice with cheese and Rye Crisps
DINNER
T Joe's Tasty Bite lentils & rice
noodle cups
chicken in a pouch
minute rice w/ veggies
freeze dried dinners
buttered rolls
pepperoni or salami
tuna in a pouch
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Ramen or lipton instant noodles, T Joe's Japanese noodle bowls
cheese Quesadillas
Rice-a-roni
miso
sardines
Mac & cheese
couscous
DINNER: You’ll be cooking dinner for yourself and a partner. It is your responsibility to cook enough for everyone to be full when finished eating your dinner. Make sure you serve something really filling and nutritious. Add some rolls, noodles, rice, fruit and /or dessert.
FIRST NIGHT: Only if you feel very gourmet! Steak, chicken, pork chops (suggest send frozen, will thaw). Anything else that can’t be unrefrigerated for long.
OTHER NIGHTS:
Top Ramen with cheese (plus rolls with butter and dessert)
Lipton Instant noodles (very easy, tasty and light weight)
Vegetable Stir Fry (cut up veggies at home)
Macaroni and Cheese (check for other needed ingredients like butter and powdered milk)
Wheat or Rice Pilaf, Cous-cous with vegetables
Rice, vegetables, cheese and nuts
Barley or lentils with cheese and veggies
Canned fish, chicken or tuna on noodles. Reminder- cans are heavy and must be carried with you until you get out of the wilderness!
Rice-A-Roni
Chili with cheese and rolls
Instant mashed potatoes
Lipton, Knorr, Miso, dehydrated soups
Dehydrated Veggies
Freeze dried food: Whits Warehouse has freeze dried food that only needed hot water added. Food can even cook in its own pouch. IT’S VERY EASY TO PREPARE, CLEAN UP AND IS VERY LIGHT WEIGHT. It is more expensive than some heavier choices but a good idea for last 2-3 nights of the trip as this food is very tasty and very lightweight.
SWEETS & DESERTS
fruit cobbler
hot apple crisp
fig Newtons
Rye crisp crackers
brownies from home
rice crispy treats
candy bars
DRINKS:
Water
Tang,
powdered lemonade
powder Gatorade
Herbal tea - no caffeine
Carnation Hot Chocolate (mixes with water, not milk)
Hot Apple Cider mix (with water)
Hot Toddy (apple juice, water, cinnamon and lemon aide)
Sterno Beef or Chicken bullion cubes (good when you’re cold)