Does your family enjoy the great outdoors? June is National Camping month, a time when many Americans will be venturing outside for adventures. Before heading out, think about your nutritional needs. There are a lot of choices besides just grabbing energy bars and water. Take time to map out a safe and wholesome food plan.

Your food and water intake needs may be higher during times of greater physical activity. How long is the trip? What food and drinks will you need? Do you need to carry a cooler?

Before heading out on a hike, you may want to drink water before you go. A good rule of thumb is to plan to drink 2 cups of water for each hour you hike. Choose foods that will not weigh your backpack down but will pack a nutritional punch like trail mix, nuts and seeds, fresh fruit, granola, or energy bars.

If the trip involves many days, choosing food can be a challenge. You will be able to eat out of your cooler on the first day, but after that, you may need lots of shelf-stable choices. You might want to choose nut butters, cereal, squeeze pouches of fruit, tuna pouches, or whole-grain tortilla shells.

Being outside can put your food at a higher risk of germs if not kept cold. Do not forget that food should not be out of the cooler for more than one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees. Pack food safety essentials such as hand sanitizer, throwaway wipes, bowls, plates, can opener, cooking pot and/or pan, knives and forks, ice packs, trash bags, thermometers for the cooler and cooked meat.

Follow food safety rules to keep from getting sick. Wash your hands often and always before and after eating. If you cannot wash your hands, use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol to reduce germs. Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods apart. Cook food to proper temperatures. While on a hike, refrigerate foods to below 40°F within two hours, but without a refrigerator, pack foods that can spoil into a cooler with ice or ice packs and make sure the temperature stays below 40°F. Keeping the cooler in the shade will help. And if possible, keep the cooler closed as much as you can.

Now you are ready to take a hike!

Adapted from https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-andprep/snack-and-meal-ideas/food-tips-for-camping-and-hiking