Last week, my husband and I took our kids tent camping in Lake Tahoe. This might sound like a crazy idea, considering that both of our kids are under five years old, but it was great! The weather was perfect and, with a little planning, we were able to eat well and have fun. The kids, of course, got very dirty. Cooking was quick with our simple accommodations. I love the minimalism that camping forces! To make our meals easier, I did most of the food prep at home. I chopped all of the fruits and veggies and bagged them for each meal. For breakfast we had tofu scramble burritos one day (one of my veg bags contained all of veggies and a small container of pre-measured seasonings) and then instant oatmeal (we added a few goodies like peanut butter, bananas, raisins, applesauce, etc.) the next day.



Lunch was Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches for the kids and Indian samosas (wheat tortillas with a mixture of potatoes, peas, and Indian spices that I prepared at home) for us. For dinner I pre-made my favorite lentil recipe (red lentils with kale) so we just had to heat it up when we were camping. The second night we had pasta with sauteed veggies (pre-chopped and bagged) and, of course, vegan s'mores (we used Sweet and Sara vegan marshmallows which are fabulous)!

We also brought along tons of snacks including Larabars, zucchini bread, sesame cashews, fruit, and veggies with hummus. Here is a menu brainstorm that I did before planning the meals for our trip:

Breakfast:

• Pancakes
• Oatmeal
• Tofu veggie scramble with potatoes (or as burritos)
• Scones
• Cinnamon rolls
• Bagels with peanut butter or vegan cream cheese

Lunch:

• Sandwiches (PB&J, tofu or tempeh, soy cheese)
• Samosas Lentil and/or grain salad with veggies

Dinner:

• Chili and cornbread
• Veggie burgers and sweet potatoes or grilled corn
• Veg kabobs, hummus, pita bread
• Pasta with sauteed veggies
• Soup and bread
• Red lentils and kale with bread

Snacks:

• Muffins or quick bread
• CookiesVeggies and dip
• Fruit (incl. apples w/PB)
• Bars
• Nuts
• S'mores!