Meals for a Canoe Trip

If you are about to embark on your first canoe trip, remember that a balanced diet is essential. Although basic dry or canned foods will suffice, you can still create some of your favorite recipes to satisfy your taste buds. You can prepare plenty of easy and enjoyable meals to power you through the day and top off the evening.

  1. Snacks

    • Snacks are essential for much-needed energy between meals, and GORP is an excellent choice. The name of this classic mixture of snack foods stands for "good old raisins and peanuts," but you are not confined to those ingredients. Alternatives like dried fruits, granola, cereal, sunflower seeds or M&Ms may be more appealing to some canoeists. GORP's high-energy foods, with servings easily stored in a plastic bags, are very useful for canoe trips. A bulk-food store is the cheapest source of ingredients, but keep sugary items to a minimum, because they do not provide lasting energy.

    Breakfast

    • Breakfast is critical to supplying you with energy to start the day. Best food choicesare high-energy foods requiring little more preparation and equipment than a small camping stove or open fire. Carbohydrates are the key ingredient, so cold cereal, toast or oatmeal are fast, easy choices. More variety, you can always bring some chopped potatoes for home fries. Eggs and bacon are also calorie-rich, and chopped vegetables and cheese can added to eggs made into omelets. Pancakes are a classic choice as well, their dry ingredients easily mixed at home.

    Lunch

    • Breakfast will lose its effectiveness if you do not fuel-up again before dinner. Try a mixture of sandwiches and assorted snacks, like cheese, sausages and crackers. Chicken breasts are a more substantial alternative, especially with the added flavors of lemon or assorted spices and herbs. Fish, canned or freshly caught are another choice. Dessert foods, such as cookies, are fine in moderation, but do not make them a staple. Water and sports drinks are will keep canoeists properly hydrated. Milk and flavored milk are wise choices as well, due to their energy content. Never consume alcohol in the middle of they day during a boat trip. It dehydrates you and can impair your coordination and judgment.

    Dinner

    • Dinner is the time when you can eat the most food, since your physical exertion is done for the day. Take time to cook foods like burgers, hot dogs, steak, pork or ribs over an open fire. Bring barbecue sauce for extra flavor. Prepackaged desserts like cookies or brownies will make your group happier. For the adults, dinner is also the perfect time to reminisce with a cold beer.

    Bannock

    • Bannock is a special type of bread that can be made anytime with basic ingredients. It brings variety to a simple breakfast, or for any meal. Take 2 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of lard and a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. Mix the ingredients together in a sealed plastic bag and store until needed. When ready to cook the bannock, add water and knead until it has a dough-like consistency. Next, warm up the frying pan to low-medium heat, add some cooking oi and place the bannock in. It will be ready when golden brown on both sides.