Food Served at Les Elfes Summer Camp

 

Nothing beats a great food shared with friends or loved ones. Food brings people together, they share joyful times, and everlasting memories are created. Food comes is a critical component that campers can leverage to help them maximize their summer camp experience. In this post, we shall discuss food served at summer camps. 

Planning a Summer Camp Menu

A great summer camp meal starts with the planning process. Here, it’s important to accommodate everybody’s needs. Remember, some people are allergic to some types of food which means they don’t consume them. During the planning process, find out whether anyone in the group has special food needs. Here is how to go about the planning process.

Develop a Menu

You want to begin by going through the regular meals consumed at home and figure out which ones would be ideal for a summer camp. Factor in everybody’s needs before coming up with the final menu. Don’t forget the special groups such as vegetarians, campers with gluten and lactose intolerance, and vegans. Remember to include snacks, drinks, and water for each group of people.

Prepare Your Shopping List

For you and the fellow campers to have a great time and enjoy the food, you’ll need to create a well thought out list of items. Eventually, make sure you shop and only pack what you’ll need. To make the work easier, you may want to discuss with your group to establish what they prefer for each meal session. Ensure the items you choose are not only versatile but non-perishable to ease storage. 

Pack Appropriate Appliances

If you have a great menu without appropriate appliances you’ll be unable to create mouthwatering meals. Depending on your camping location, some campsites will provide you with the basics such as a grate and a fire pit. You’ll need to carry everything else you may need during the camping session. Choose compact, simple, and portable appliances and forget about your sophisticated pieces when going camping. You don’t want to be struggling to transfer your cooker to and from the vehicle. Here are some necessary items you can choose.

• Spatula
• Mixing bowl
• Cast iron skillet
• Wooden spoon
• Portable grill
• Zip-top bags
• Disposable or reusable cutlery
• Portable grill
• Dishtowels
• Grill brush
• Prep as Much as you can

Whether you’re preparing food for the campers or you’re entertaining friends at home, prepping is a necessary step. Remember, when you go for summer camp chances are you’ll not want to cook leave alone prepping for meals. However, you’ll find that prepping is quite essential as it helps you cook faster and find time to relax after a long day. Here are things you can consider preparing ahead.

• Portion meat and keep it safely in Ziploc bags
• Clean and peel your vegetables. You can even go ahead and chop them
• Portion the seasonings you plan to use in your recipes

Maintain Organization

Maintaining organization while on camp is essential. This ensures you can locate items easier and saves you lots of time. Achieve this by: 

• Cross-checking your shopping list
• Labeling the bags or boxes that contain your stuff such as: silverware, plates, cups, and spoons. 
• Having labels on all coolers to ensure easy identification of food items
• Placing similar items together inside the car

Will the Campsite be Friendly for the Kids?

Whether you’re taking your kids for summer camp or they are going in the company of their peers, you want to ensure that the campsite you choose is kid-friendly. Does it offer child-friendly facilities and food? These are important factors to consider if you intend to give the kids maximum fun.

How to Eat Healthy Meals while on Camp

Summer camps provide both adults and students with an opportunity to exercise, engage in their favorite sports and activities, spend quality time with loved ones, and meditate. You get to connect with nature and relax both your mind and soul. Eating healthy meals while in camp can be an arduous task which is why you should start planning before embarking on your trip. Here are tips to help you stay healthy even when you are having fun.

Drink sufficient amounts of water to stay hydrated. Remember, you’ll be exposed to lots of exercising and sun which means your body will lose water. You may want to freeze water in individual bottles and store it inside your cooler boxes for convenience. 

Plan healthy snacks and buy all the ingredients you will need to execute the same. Include lots of fruits such as pineapples, apples, grapes, and pears. Include pre-cut watermelon for enhanced hydration and instant energy. Freshly prepared fruits such as celery, carrots, and even nuts are good snacks for you while on camp.

Prepare sandwiches and salads before embarking on your journey this will give you and the kids something easy and healthy to eat on the way to your camping destination. If you prefer hot meals, you can wrap some vegetables such as squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin in foil and warm them in the campfire. 

Foods You’ll Eat while in Camp

Should you choose to go for an all-inclusive camping experience, you will be served by experienced and professional kitchen staff and a chef, all of who are trained to prepare nutritious, delicious, kid-friendly, and safe meals that you will love. Many of the great camping sites offer diverse food options and practice stringent food procedures which include:

• A vast range of exotic cuisine from across the world to choose from
• Meals served in buffet style complete with staff members in each table to ensure every camper is satisfied
• Special meals section where campers with special needs such as vegetarians and people with allergies are served. Meals for these groups are prepared depending on individual needs
• Fresh fruits which are perfect snacks
• Fresh juice extracting machine and other drinks such as iced tea, lemonade, and peach
• Fresh and cold drinking water in each table. Kids will be treated to milk for breakfast and dinner
• Dessert is available at dinner 
• Strict adherence to health standards

Popular Food Options Served in Camps

Here are some of the meals you will be served while in camp.

Breakfast

• Sausages, pancakes, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs
• Bacon, toast French toast, egg mcmuffins, home fries with breakfast bake
• Ham, wraps with scrambled eggs, red pepper saute and onion sauce, cheese, and salsa
• Hash Brown patties, whip cream complete with strawberry juice, Belgian waffles
• Freshly baked muffins, tea biscuits, cinnamon buns, hard-boiled eggs with granola, and yogurt croissants
• Cereals such as cornflakes, Rice Krispies, corn pops, frosted flakes
• Oatmeal porridge, milk, and juice

Lunch

• Oktoberfest sausages, perogies, and garden salad
• Sub sandwiches, three meat portions, and home-style cooked soup with garden salad
• Hard and soft shell meat tacos served with tortilla chips and Mexican rice
• Sweet potato fries with a chicken quesadilla and garden salad
• Home-style prepared cheddar cheese macaroni with garlic toast and salad
• Grilled cheese sandwiches with soup and vegetables
• Hummus and pita wedges with soup and chicken Caesar salad
• Pork buns with coleslaw and baked beans
• Chicken wraps with salad and hummus
• Vegetables, chips, dip, pasta salad and BBQ hamburgers
• Nachos with garden salad, onion rings, and vegetable salad
• Garlic toast and chili salad
• Nachos with guacamole, salsa, and garden salad
• Beans dipped in tomato sauce and bun bacon, green salad, and potato salad
• Bread and stir fry with salad
• Corn salad and buns
• Poutine and chicken wings with vegetable dip 
• Buns, corn, and sloppy joe
• Vegetable tray accompanied by chips and soup, sub buns, and assorted cold cuts
• Gyro meat with pitas, soup or salad, and tzatziki
• A wide variety of soups such as vegetable soup, chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, beef soup, cream of cauliflower soup. Other lunch options include: asiago cheese bisque and baked potato

Dinner:

Eating too much food for dinner or eating the wrong food can result in difficulties with sleeping. Further, if you don’t eat well, you will get hungry and want to eat unhealthy foods. Here are some healthy options you will be served during camp. 

• French fries with chicken burgers and vegetables with dip
• Beef stew with hot vegetables, potatoes, and buns
• Garlic bread, caesar salad, and pizza casserole
• Buns with salad and pasta with olive oil
• Bread and corn with mashed potatoes and meatloaf
• French fries, chicken nuggets, and vegetables with dip
• Garlic toast, meatballs with spaghetti and caesar salad
• Samosa and naan bread with spinach salad and chicken curry
• Garlic toast with fettuccine alfredo chicken and caesar salad
• Rice and rolls with salmon and hot vegetables
• Hummus with pita, greek salad, tzatziki, rice, potatoes, and seasoned chicken breast
• Assorted rolls, chips, fish, and peas
• Potatoes roasted in the oven, BBQ pork chops, baked potatoes, assorted rolls, and hot carrots
• Garlic strips with salad and Kintail pizzas
• Chicken balls, spring rolls, garden salad, chow mein noodles, and fried rice
• Buns and peas, scalloped potatoes, and oven-baked ham
• Garden salad and chicken stew
• Bread rolls, garden salad, and chicken pot pie

Snacks

• Pretzels
• Fresh fruits
• Homemade cookies
• Goldfish crackers
• Crackers and cheese
• Marshmallows
• Popcorn
• Cheese and crackers

Desserts:

• Iced cake
• Freshly baked cookies
• Ice cream
• Fresh fruits
• Pudding
• Apple sauce
• Cheesecake
• Iced cupcakes
• popsicles

Finally

Apart from making friends and gaining life-changing skills, going for summer camps is a perfect opportunity for you to sample diverse meals. Every person is catered for regardless of their needs.