<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Peanut butter and rice crackers are quick to fix and kid-friendly. I use
almond butter because I cannot have peanuts.
Trail mix with nuts, sunflower seeds, and that sort of thing. I buy in bulk
and mix up at home and put in small baggies for easy carrying.
I make banana corn muffins ahead for camping trips. They travel well and I
usually have to fight people over them (not really...I share, but my
friends ask me to make these when they get overripe bananas).
Tuna patties or salmon patties fried ahead and reheated or just eaten cold.
Gluten-free hot dogs, of course! Roasted on a stick over a fire.
*****
Even before I was diagnosed, when I went camping, my meals were mostly
gluten-free - or could now easily be made gluten-free. I have a tiny
one-burner campstove and my main dinners were stir-fry (boneless skinless
chicken breast and veggies) over rice (bring a prepared GF sauce - like
from Thai Kitchen), spaghetti (you can boil the GF spaghetti there -
perhaps bring a jar sauce) and salad or just raw veggies, and hamburger and
fried potatoes and onions. For breakfast I ate cereal (I am assuming this
is somewhere where they will be able to store things in a cooler), lunch I
often packed a bagel (try ENJOYLIFE - they're the best) and small cans of
tuna - or just make a PB&J sandwich on the bagel. Juice boxes work great.
Lots of fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts and seeds for snacks. Also cheese
sticks, yogurt. (I'm assuming she can have dairy and nuts). Don't forget
marshmallows for roasting.
*****
In scouts we used a "hobo meal" a good bit. It's very easy, Use heavy
"thick" aluminum foil. Put in hamburger, potatoes, carrots, whatever they
will eat, then add something for flavor. Salt pepper La choy seasons well.
They make it up, wrap it up tight and put it in the coals. Depending on the
amount you put in and how hot the fire is......usually about 45 to 60
minutes later you have a good meal. Might have to use your imagination for
a picky eater.
For breakfast my favorite was boil in the bag omelet. Bring one big pot of
water for everyone. Give each one a freezer bag. They put in what ever they
want. One or two eggs, salt pepper, bell pepper, onion, cheese, bacon bits
or sausage already cooked. Seal the bag and drop in boiling water. You can
see when it's done. Everyone has their own and no contamination.
*****
We have been camping for 15 years with 2 celiac daughters. A favorite (and
great for non-contamination) is the hamburger packets. Each person can make
there own packet as follows: On a piece of foil layer 2-3 strips of bacon,
1 hamburger pattie, sliced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced potatoes.
Double wrap in heavy duty foil and cook over hot coals for about 45 min.,
turning once halfway through. It is delicious! Make sure someone makes a
few extras
because they always want more.
*****
Fun food for kids:
B+M beans with cut up BallPark franks (Get the turkey ones, almost no fat)
in a pot. The kids love them and there is no need for hot dog buns. Baked
potatoes, wrapped in aluminum foil, and planted in the coals of the fire.
You can top them with Hormel Bacon Bits (GF according to the latest company
GF list), sour cream if you have cooler, or (GF) Cheez Wiz in a can.
Campfire marshmallows (GF) for some night time treats. It may not be the
healthiest of diets, but it can make even celiac kids fit right in without
even knowing it.
*****
I have 3 children with Celiac and they also have Down's. Only our oldest
has been camping with Dad and Boy Scouts but so far it has been pretty
easy. He is 15 and the other boys really want to help him not only because
of the Down's but with his diet as well. They usually take turns making
meals; so on his turn the entire meal is gluten free. You need to take
extra utensils so you don't cross contaminate maybe her own pot for cooking
to be safe.
One of his favorite camp foods it to take a packet of the Boil in Bag rice,
add hamburger and a can of Van Camp's Beanie Weanies. You can do it without
the hamburger too. Makes a good, one pot meal. We usually make sure we send
GF hotdogs and cold cereal too.
*****
We camp all the time--granted it is in a camper and not a tent, but we
still cook by the fire and not inside. I am the one that has Celiac so it
may be easier for me because I'm an adult, but this is what I do. I would
suggest that they have a basket to cook your daughter's food in if they are
cooking like hamburgers. Use tinfoil so that there is no cross
contamination from something else that was there. I was a Girl Scout for
several years and went to daycamp and so several of the items we fix while
we are camping are GS items. One is a Hoagie Dinner--hamburger, potatoes,
and carrots wrapped in tinfoil put right on the coals about 10 minutes on
each side (but you could cook it above the fire but will take longer to
cook). Hot dogs are OK--if they are GF. I'm sure they will have
S'Mores--well the marshmallows are GF and the Hershey candy bars are GF so
if you would send GF crackers for your daughter
she would be set (even if it is a plain cracker instead of a graham cracker).
We also make a meal that is called Chicken in the Woods, but I have to
modify it from the original recipe so here is what I do. Cook the chicken
in a pot; add rice and chicken broth to the chicken until the rice is
cooked. If you can find a GF chicken soup (I used to use the Campbell's
Chicken & Rice until it wasn't GF anymore) just to make it a little thicker
than just the chicken broth is better. Add a little salt and this is a
wonderful easy one-pot meal.
They can always have cold sandwiches too, which you can just make sure they
are using Deli Select or other GF lunchmeats. Just check with the person in
charge and see if they already have meals planned so that you can see and
"adjust" them to your daughter without making it "noticeable".
*****
Try to send her with her own supply of foods. Meals together sound a little
rough. Either call ahead to find out what they are making or plan her own
meals. Ask them to have fruit for her. EnerG pretzels come in handy for
me. I can get away with fruits and vegetables as long as I have a bag of
pretzels, which are a little more filling. EnerG crackers are great also.
Cheese and crackers??
*****
Our favorite "campfire" snack that is gluten free is Banana Boats. They are
along the lines of smores but.....
Take a banana (DON'T Peel It) and slice it the long way just like you would
a baked potato. Open it up a little and stuff it with chocolate and
marshmallows. Wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil (seal it really good).
Put on the campfie and cook it until the marshmallows are mushy and the
chocolate is melted (it takes a bit). Eat with a spoon!!!!!!!
*****
My family camped quite a bit - but we slowed down on it just as my son and
I discovered we were celiac. Now I prefer to rent a condo with a real
kitchen. However, camping is fun, too especially with a friendly group.
About the food: If you husband is a good celiac Dad he can keep things
separate enough. Pack a small jar of peanut better and jelly because there
is no way you’ll instruct everyone there on how to keep crumbs out of the jar.
Also get a price reduction, perhaps, on your food, since you’ll be
bringing your own. S’mores can be made. The Health Valley rice bran
crackers are a good substitute for graham crackers. Most marshmallows are
GF and most good chocolate is GF.
If you need hot dog or burger buns, I guess bread will have to do, unless
you special order the expensive stuff which may worth it for a special
occasion. We order GF ice cream cones which really meant a lot to my son,
age 11. You can get specialty items from the Gluten Free Mall.
Try to make her menu be similar to what the other kids are having. That’s
what I do for my son’s school trips. If they will be having Pasta, then I
send our noodles…If they have Mexican, I just make sure he has corn
tortillas…You get the idea. That’s why I had ordered the ice cream cones…he
didn’t want to always have to get the paper cup…I’ve also learned that it
is good if I go along on school trips to help. I do it when I can. Pretty
soon I think he’ll be able to mage stuff on his own.
* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *
|
