While your kids are already prepping up for the summer camps, you still have some major things to focus on. The schools session might be over but the mighty task of summer camp lunch ideas and recipes keeps coming to us. Since summer camps are all about physical strength and mental activeness, the food must provide them with extra energy and nutrition to stay fit all day. They must fuel their daily energy and keep them active and happy while they enrich from summer camps.
Specially since its summer, our major worry is will it remain palatable few hours later. Since we will pack in the morning and they get to eat by afternoon. So more and more fresh fruits and vegetables must be sent. Better than sending an elaborate meal, send some snacks covering one each from cereals, fruits, vegetables, grains and some tasty delights. Be careful about your child’s dietary needs. Specially for gluten and nut allergic kids, the snacks must be prepared at home and sent.
Go bite sized:
All the moms out there must be already tired of making sandwiches day after day. While the kids hardly finish them but we still send them as a routine. Maybe our ideas for lunch boxes are too conventional. Well! its time to forget the old school rules, and adopt newer and healthier choices for food. Go bite sized for ensuring maximum intake. Kids just love it when they are served in small quantities and in more varieties.
For all those fussy eaters this is the answer, give them 4-6 choices in lunch boxes and think outside the bread box. Lunch ideas for camping trip must be such that they ensure minimal spill and maximum consumption. Special for a day camp, the kids just need some great presentation and attractive arrangement to pick the food and start eating. So we have some lunch ideas for day camp here.
10 Summer camp lunch ideas and recipes:
Start exploring new and new ways to pack same healthy food. The more you can get creative the better chances that kids will eat them. I have tried some wonderful ways to get spinach enter my child’s system and yes, everytime it is blended with food it is accepted simply because of the green shades it brings.
Also buy a lunch box with at least 5-6 sections. These small sections give us ample options to fill in. One must stay fixed for fruits, one for vegetable, one for yogurt, one for crackers or sweet treats and the remaining for heavier snack options that we will learn to prepare here. Be sure to look for brain foods for children and energy providing snacks.
1- Vegetable frittatas:
Easily made in an oven. Just prepare the filling items a night before to bake them in less then 15 minutes. Just add as many diced vegetables as you can, some cheese, a bread and lots of butter. Now add boiled and mashed potatoes in it. Add salt and pepper to taste now mix with your hands. Now put them in cupcake tray for baking. Add more shredded cheese over the top and bake in oven for around 15 minutes. Keep checking for the color.
2- Pea fritters:
As simple as the vegetable fritters, you just need boiled and mashed pees, some boiled and mashed potato, salt, pepper and lots of cheese. Now make small balls and flatten them. Put them on griddle and roast. Add butter and let it be crisp. Turn them and let them cook under lid.
3- Quinoa and zucchini bites:
This is simply the most healthiest and quick energy snack for your kid. Boil some quinoa and grate zucchini. Mash them together and add salt and pepper to taste, also lemon drops if you like. Add cilantro and basil leaves. Add cutter and cheese. Now make small balls and deep fry or roast them. Add butter on top after they are prepared to keep them soft for long.
4- Mac and cheese cups:
Prepare mac and cheese and add them in the cup cake tray. Now add some more cheese to them and bake for 10 minutes. These are simply the most gorgeous and easy to eat snacks.
5- Pinwheel sandwiches with tortillas:
Pick whole grain tortillas to make them healthier. Add some sandwich spread or sauce. Now put vegetables, meat, boiled potato and salt and roll them. Roast them on griddle. Cut pin wheels from them
6- Potato pancakes:
Boil and mash the potatoes. Add some vegetables grated. Add salt and pepper. Now make flat balls with them. Roast them on a griddle. You may also add cheese to make them gooey.
7- Steamed rice or millet dumplings:
These are probably the most healthy and fat free lunch box ideas. Just soak millet or rice overnight and blend it to form a smooth paste. Let the same rise for another 4-5 hours and the batter is ready to cook anytime. This can stay refrigerated for 3-5 days. Add them in egg poacher or ableskewer pan. Let it steam cook for for 10-15 minutes.
8- Omelet rolls with vegetables or meat:
Make the regular omelet and on it add vegetable slices and meat also some sauce and salt . Now roll it and cut it into pieces. You may also make them bite sized
9- Mini muffin pizza:
As tasty as they look, these can be made healthy with more and more vegetable fillings. Take a muffin tray and add pizza bas. Now add Margherita sauce and toppings. Add lots of shredded cheese. Bake them well.
10- Pasta with loads of vegetables:
Prepare pasta with loads of vegetables. You may also add cottage cheese and make it delicious.
Specially include cabbage, carrot, peas, onion, bell peppers and cheese.
The above compilation on 10 Summer camp lunch ideas and recipes is to help you plan wonderful and tasty lunch for your little ones attending summer camps. For kids at overnight camps you may send snacks which stay good for long. Be sure to check for allergies in your kids and then prepare them. Check campnavigator resources for more updates
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By Minu Manisha
