Traveling on AIP is a hot topic. It is possible, but it can be quite a challenge. One of the things that makes it so challenging is staying in hotels without kitchens or access to food. The way I have ended up managing this after years of trial and error is to pre make and pack all of my own food ahead of time and carry it with me in a giant cooler. Then I just microwave it as needed. This works, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a pain. Packing, cooking, and preparing food just doesn’t fit well with the hotel lifestyle. It does however work perfectly with the camping lifestyle.

As a child I went camping at least twice a year, every year. My family loved camping and it was a great way to take a little mini vacation without spending lots of money. It also gave us time to spend outside as a family and it was tons of fun. However, as an adult I have not had the opportunity or made the effort to go camping before now. This past weekend my husband and I  decided to go camping out in the mountains for two nights as a means of getting away, unplugging and resting before we enter in to a very busy summer. Since this was our first time going camping I did a lot of planning ahead of time and it all paid off because we had a fabulous time. The best part was that I was pleasantly surprised at how well my normal mealtime routine translated into camping life.

To cook with, we packed a portable charcoal grill that I got for about $20 on Amazon along with a charcoal chimney starter so that we could avoid using lighter fluid. We also have a single burner Coleman camp stove and we had a fire ring with a grate over it at the campsite. Then I packed our large cooler full of ice packs and all of the food that needed to be kept cool and then a separate cloth bag with all of the other dry food products. Then I obviously had to pack utensils, plates, cups, and things of that like as well.

The first night we had grilled steak which I had rubbed with a combination of salt, garlic powder and sage along with broccoli that I had tossed in olive oil and garlic and wrapped in tin foil. We cooked both on the grill and they were delicious. For breakfast I had cut up sweet potatoes, apples and bacon and tossed the in olive oil and wrapped them in foil and we cooked that on the grill one morning and in the skillet on the camp stove another morning. I paired it with sauerkraut that I had packed and the hubby cooked eggs. I used the burner to boil water for tea as well. For lunches we had salads that I had prepared in advance and I packed plantain chips as a snack. Finally for dinner the second night we had grilled chicken and green beans (not elimination AIP) that I again tossed in olive oil and garlic and wrapped in tin foil. However, the highlight of the whole culinary experience was our AIP Campfire Banana Boats. I found the inspiration for these on pinterest when I was looking up camping ideas. They had stuffed them with chocolate, mars mellows and graham crackers to simulate smokes, but I decided to give an AIP version a try. We had them the first night and they were so delicious, we had them again the next night as well.

All in all it was wonderful to spend a few days unplugged, relaxing and reenergizing and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to plan for and cook for, especially when compared to the stress of staying a hotel. We will definitely be camping a lot more in the future!

Campfire Banana Boats (AIP/Paleo): 

Ingredients:

1 banana

1-2 TBS Carob Chips (Click HERE for a recipe)

1 TBS Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Directions:

Take your banana and cut off the stem. Then cut a slit through the peel and the banana on the inner curve. Stuff the slit of the banana with your carob chips and coconut. Wrap the banana tightly in tinfoil. Place over your grill or campfire and cook for 8-10 minutes. Unwrap your bananas and use a spoon to scoop out the insides and enjoy!