What’s in your camping supplies for the summer? Flashlight – check. Bug spray – check. Tent and hammock – check! Healthy snacks?

I used to eat pudding pies cooked over the fire, and thought trail mix meant M&Ms and peanuts.  Things have changed now that I want to be a healthy camper as much as I want to be a happy camper!  Being a healthy camper  is easy when you use nature as your inspiration (of course)!

I rounded up 5 simple and healthy snacks you can take camping this summer. Kale Chips, Quinoa Kidney Bean Salad, Grape Fruit Leather, Maple Pecan Granola, and 5 Trail Mix combos that will fuel you and fill you for miles.

Happy trails!

Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups bite size pieces of kale
• 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup raw cashews
• ½ cup sunflower seeds, hulled
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 Tablespoons raw honey
• 2 Tablespoons Bragg’s Aminos
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Place red bell pepper in a high-powered blender.  Add the remaining ingredients on top (except the kale).  Blend, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water (just enough to process into a thick cream).  In a large mixing bowl, toss the pepper mixture with kale to coat it evenly.  Spread the kale onto dehydrator trays and dry at 104 degrees F for 8 to 10 hours.

Grape Fruit Leather

INGREDIENTS

Grape Jelly (click here for recipe)

DIRECTIONS

1. After grape jelly has cooled and set, spread it onto sheets lined with parchment paper (or use Excalibur Paraflexx sheets).
2. Dehydrate at 135 degrees for about 5-7 hours.
3. Remove from sheets and store in rolled parchment paper.

6 pint jars of jelly covered about 9 sheets/trays.

Trail Mix

5 unique combos in this blog!

Maple Pecan Granola

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
• Juice from 1 orange
• 2 drops orange essential oil
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 Tablespoon maca powder
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine flax seed powder, orange juice, 1/4 cup maple sugar, sea salt and orange essential oil in a large glass bowl. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes to form a gel.
• Mix together oats, maca powder, pecans, raisins in a large bowl.
• Melt the coconut oil and maple syrup.  Stir coconut oil and syrup into gelled flaxseed mixture, then pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and combine.
• Spread mixture as an even layer on prepared baking sheet, flattening with the back of a spatula. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and flip granola in large chunks.
• Continue baking for 10-15 minutes, tossing again until it’s crispy and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet. It gets crunchier as it cools.
• Store in airtight container and it will keep for several weeks.

Quinoa Kidney Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups red quinoa
• 1 cup kidney beans
• ½ cup onions
• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon jalepeno pepper
• 1 teaspoon each of fresh: basil, mint, oregano
• Sea salt to taste

METHOD

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Soak and cook the kidney beans, or use canned beans (remember to rinse the beans in the can and drain).

Saute the chopped onion in a skillet with the avocado oil for a few minutes. After the cooked quinoa has cooled, add the beans, onions, chopped herbs, pepper, and vinegar. Toss to combine. Add sea salt to taste. Enjoy chilled.