September 8 - 4 Foil Packet Recipes for Easy (and Healthy) Outdoor Cooking

4 Foil Packet Recipes for Easy (and Healthy) Outdoor Cooking

MILWAUKEE—There’s just something about working up an appetite in the great outdoors that makes food taste a little more delicious. But when it comes to menu planning for an upcoming camping or RV trip, finding meal ideas that are portable and healthy can be a challenge.

Heather Ray, MS, RD, nutrition expert for TOPS Club Inc.® (Take Off Pounds Sensibly®), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, offers four fun recipes that can be prepared in foil packets.
“Foil packet recipes are easy to make, and even easier to clean up,” Ray said. “Plus, each recipe can be customized to suit your tastes and health goals. And you don’t have to sleep under the stars anytime soon just to enjoy them—you can bake these recipes at home in a 400-degree oven instead.”

Hominy Hobo Packet
Place two cups of chopped, raw, nonstarchy vegetables in the center of the foil. Top with a half cup of cooked or low-sodium canned black beans, three-quarters cup of canned hominy (drained and rinsed) and a heavy sprinkling of chili powder. Seal packet and cook over medium heat for about 20–25 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Top with two tablespoons of ripe avocado and one tablespoon of reduced-fat sour cream.

Meat Lovers Campfire Fiesta
Place two cups of chopped, raw, nonstarchy vegetables in the center of the foil. Top with two ounces of Southwest-seasoned, cooked ground beef and eight chopped black olives. Cut one six-inch corn tortilla into half-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips around beef and vegetable mixture to resemble a campfire. Place one-quarter cup of salsa in the center of the strips to make the “fire.” Seal packet and cook over medium heat for about 20–25 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Grilled Apple Cheddar Snack Sandwiches
Core one small apple and slice horizontally into six rings. Divide one ounce of reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese into three parts. Sprinkle one-third of the cheese onto each of the three apple rings. Place the remaining three rings on top of the cheese rings to make three sandwiches. Stack all three sandwiches together in the center of the foil. Seal packet and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until apple rings are roasted and cheese is melted.

Jammin’ Peaches
Slice one ripe medium peach in half and remove pit. Place halves in the center of the foil with the flesh side up. Spread each half with one teaspoon of no-sugar-added blackberry jam. Sprinkle two tablespoons of granola on each half (a total of one-quarter cup granola). Seal packet and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Sidebar:
Healthy Camping Tips

• Make a list. After you make a healthy menu plan, write down everything you need for on-site food prep. Don’t forget measuring cups, cutting boards, knives, foil, garbage bags, sanitation supplies, etc.
• Get the kids involved. This is a great time to talk to your kids or grandkids about all the healthy fruits and vegetables you’re about to cook.
• Stay active. Plan activities such as a family hike, scavenger hunt or dip in the lake.
• Practice food safety. Bring a meat thermometer and plenty of coolers with ice. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Chill leftovers in a cooler with ice. When cooking raw meat, use a food thermometer to make sure that meat is heated to the proper internal temperature. (Beef, pork, lamb 145°F; hamburger patties 160°F; poultry 165°F.)

About TOPS Club Inc.
TOPS Club Inc.® (Take Off Pounds Sensibly℠) is the original weight-loss support and wellness education organization. Founded in 1948, TOPS is the only nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss organization of its kind. TOPS promotes successful weight management with a “Real People. Real Weight Loss.℠” philosophy that combines support from others at weekly chapter meetings, healthy eating, regular exercise and wellness information. TOPS has more than 125,000 members – male and female, age seven and older – in thousands of chapters throughout the United States and Canada.
Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. Membership is affordable at just $32 per year in the U.S. and $48 (CAD) per year in Canada, plus nominal chapter fees. To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call 800-932-8677.