Summer Adventure to Fuel the Whole Family
Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty
An oft-repeated phrase in the outdoors community is that “food is fuel.” When you are climbing a mountain and burning serious calories, replacing them as quickly as possible with chalky energy bars and half-hearted sandwiches can feel totally justified. If you’re eager to get out on the trail, the time it takes to prepare a thoughtful wilderness meal could be better spent, well, in the wilderness.
Once kids enter the picture, however, the equation shifts. Food is fuel, but it is also motivation and inspiration, the dangling carrot that will get stubborn little hikers around the next bend (so long as it isn’t actually a carrot). As soon as our daughter was old enough to be a hiking companion, I realized that chalky energy bars and half-hearted sandwiches weren’t going to cut it. Like E.T. before her, she would gladly follow a trail of M&Ms anywhere it led, but it occurred to me and my wife that we might need to provide some more nutrient-rich—but no less appealing—options.
Motivation can take edible form via delectable, portable meals that are full of an energizing blend of carbs, fat and protein that won’t provide a quick sugar rush but can keep adventurers fueled for the long haul, whether it is a morning exploring tide pools along the coast, an afternoon spent building fairy houses in the forest or a day hike full of rock scrambles and picturesque peaks.
The following recipes are crowd pleasers for all ages and ensure that no excursion is without its just rewards.
GORP SANDWICH (pictured above)
Adapted from A Taste of Home
Good Old Raisins and Peanuts are an outdoorsy classic but, as with many culinary innovations, sometimes true greatness emerges when one asks, what if that were a sandwich? The GORP sandwich brings all of the sweetness and protein of a bag of trail mix while adding fresh fruit and carbohydrates, making it a complete meal. When my daughter, who is 4, bit into one recently I asked her how it was.
“I love it!” she answered, which was high praise coming from one of the most discerning food critics I know.
“Why?” I asked.
“’Cause there’s so many things in it.”
Serves 1
2 slices sourdough bread
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon raisins
¼ apple, sliced
ground cinnamon to taste
optional: a drizzle of honey
Spread the peanut butter over the bread. Sprinkle raisins around the peanut butter, and layer the apple slices on top. Add a few dashes of cinnamon, and for a sweeter kick drizzle with honey. Can be enjoyed as an open-faced sandwich but for adventuring purposes, this is much more portable when topped with another slice of bread.
This story appeared in the Summer 2023 issue.
