Food
Trail Food Tips for Kids
- Consider letting your kids monitor their own snacks by carrying a small backpack with plenty of healthy choices to keep everybody happy.
- Be sure to keep snacks handy and available and remind your kids to stay hydrated and take frequent water/snack breaks.
- Many dehydrated meals have spices mixed in so if your kids are not used to the varied spices, be sure to ask your outfitter to pack some macaroni and cheese back-up or peanut butter and jelly just in case.
- Using drink mixes will help you kids drink more water.
- Request extra hot chocolate for breakfast and after dinner treats.
- Kid’s appetite sizes may change on trails. Some get bigger as they are exerting more and some get smaller. Build some flexibility into your meal quantity selections.
- Request plenty of easy meals from your outfitter. If cooking is a big production at home, you may want to keep it simple in the woods.
- Keep all food out of the tents to avoid bear and other critter problems.
- Rotate cooking duties among all family members.
- Don’t be surprised if your children become more adventurous eaters while camping. Fresh air and joyful exercise can be wonderful appetite enhancers.
- Keep a clean campsite, and pack all leftovers and garbage bags to carry out of the woods with you. It is illegal to burn food, dispose of food in the latrine, or feed the animals.
- Even in the middle of summer, there will be moments when hot oatmeal and soup will taste good in the BWCAW.
