If you’re camping on a crazy hot day, you’re going to really want to stay in the shade and away from the campfire. Having to make lunch beneath the blazing sun is definitely not something you’re going to look forward to, and with good reason. The best solution to a sweltering afternoon has got to be treating yourself to a cold, light lunch that can be made in the shade. That way, you can boost your energy and continue finding activities to beat the heat. Overall, staying away from cooking too much over the fire is key here.
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A great, light camping lunch idea is taking your favorite sandwich fillings and putting them in a tortilla smeared with hummus. Doing this makes it really portable. You’re easily able to hold it in one hand and hike at the same time. There’s no more worrying about the tomato slipping out the end or dripping mayo and mustard combo because the end is contained in a fashion similar to a wrapped gift. The hummus also helps keep everything in place while serving as a tasty flavor addition. You’re also totally able to wholly commit to the concept of a wrap and have a grilled veggie and hummus wrap or Italian wrap. Classics wrap recipes can require some grilling or heating stuff up, so be warned. Maybe you can grill your veggies quickly with an umbrella above you and frozen water bottles strapped to your underarms.
Salad is a great way for you to be healthy while enjoying a cool-down meal. You’ll just need to make sure you store it correctly while traveling to prevent your greens from wilting in the August heat. Sad lettuce makes for a disappointing lunch. You can get creative and add any combination of flavors to make for your own favorite meal. Go sweet with craisins and chicken or savory with tomato and mozzarella. The great thing is, most of your salad topping options are also awesome snacks. Love to munch on sunflower seeds and carrots while hiking? Perfect, bring extra on your trip and toss that on your salad. Goldfish crackers and cucumber slices? Do it. It’s really hard to go wrong here, folks. If you love this idea enough to take this out on the trail with you for a picnic lunch break, steal the sandwich wrap idea and make a salad wrap out of a lettuce leaf or tortilla for easy transportation!
Pasta salad will require some prep work, but after it’s assembled all you need to do is keep it cold! Keep in in the cooler or refrigerator and for your lunch you can kick back in the shade and chuckle at everyone else laboring over their fires in nearby campsites. This meal idea is perfect for when you know ahead of time that the weather will be brutally hot. Make the pasta salad in the comfort of your own home! Sneak a tomato or cube of cheese before packing it up and chilling it in your home fridge before stashing it in the cooler when you leave the next day. There are tons of types of pasta salads to make and try out. Or go classic and make your famous family recipe that is tried and true. If you want to sniff around online and see which recipe you want, here’s a recipe idea we thought looks awesome.
Parfaits! For a really light lunch you can mix together yogurt, fruit, and granola or whatever else your heart desires. This option is so light you might want to make it as a snack or side dish instead of a main course. You’re in complete control of what your parfait tastes like. If you make your own granola, you get to decide just how sweet or salty it should be too. Maybe you hate Greek yogurt and prefer vanilla yogurt or maybe you want to try something new and combine orange yogurt with kiwi fruit. Regardless of your toppings, the soft fruit and the crunchy granola combine into a texture battle that the yogurt helps subdue. It’s a story that unravels as you chew. You’ll just need to save enough space in your cooler for yogurt and fruit for everyone. You can either make the parfaits ahead of time or set the ingredients out on the picnic table to make a parfait bar for a lunch everyone will enjoy assembling themselves.
Here’s an idea for a beautiful parfait to get you brainstorming. You can watch her video for more instruction!
Recipe:
1 ½ cups raspberries
¼ cup sugar
2 cups blueberries
2 nectarines
1 pineapple
Optional mint leaves
Granola
Greek yogurt
(Makes 4)
Raspberry sauce: Combine raspberries and sugar in small bowl by mashing together, leaving some raspberries aside for garnish.
Parfait: Dice nectarines and pineapple. Place diced fruit and blueberries in bowl and mix together. Layer desired amounts of yogurt, raspberry sauce, diced fruit mix, and granola in serving cup. Repeat. Enjoy your parfait immediately!
