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![A cast iron skillet filled with nacho toppings placed over a campfire A cast iron skillet filled with nacho toppings placed over a campfire](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/health/healthy-living/info-2020/easy-camping-meals/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/container_image/articlecontentfragment/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/health/healthy-living/2020/08/1140x655-campfire-nachos.jpg)
If you're new to camping — perhaps trying it out this fall to beat staying-at-home ennui — the toughest part can be figuring what you'll eat. But having healthy, tasty food is as simple as prepping ahead and picking up a few new tools (some you might already own).
First things first: You don't want to put your culinary fate in the hands of communal campground grills. Pick up an affordable, foldable campfire grill grate and bring along a cast-iron skillet or griddle; they'll expand your dining options considerably. You'll also need a good cooler, or possibly two (one for drinks and snacks; one packed colder and tighter with ingredients). Lastly, you'll want to do as much advance prepping as possible — assembling sandwiches, shredding cheese — to make mealtime a breeze. Here are six satisfying, nourishing, low-fuss meal ideas.
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BREAKFAST
Avo-Bacon-Egg Sandwich
The bacon here is an optional — albeit delicious — touch, and the combination of starch/healthy and fats/protein will keep you full for hours.
Fry the bacon in the cast-iron pan, warm the bread (just laying it in the pan as you would a grilled cheese), and then cook the eggs in the remaining bacon fat. Scoop out the inside of half an avocado, smash it onto one side of the bread, top with bacon, egg and the other side of the bread. (The bacon will provide all the salt you need.) If you opt for no bacon, use avocado oil for toasting the bread and cooking the egg. The spray version of avocado oil will be mess-free.
Overnight Oats
Super nutritious, completely customizable and no cooking required — those are just a few reasons why overnight oats has legions of devotees. All those aspects also make it a pretty ideal breakfast for camping. You can assemble in individual mason jars or a food-safe storage container up to a few days before your trip, then just pull out and enjoy. (For the uninitiated: This preparation yields the texture of porridge and can be made vegan.)
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