|
by Viki Kappel Spain
As a camper, I distinctly remember the silver cafeteria
trays and the colored globs of food that were plopped into the tray’s
individual sections. That was then and this is now. The cooking arena
in camp kitchens today needs to not only focus on better presentation
but a wholesome diet as well.
The role of the food service director and food service
staff in the camp industry is vital. What gets served from the camp kitchen
supplies nourishment, warmth (both literal and figurative), and energy
to the campers. It is up to the food service staff to provide a healthy,
yet enticing menu so all concerned will leave the tables full, satisfied,
and properly energized.
The Tried-and-True Kid Rules
Believe it or not, healthy, wholesome food that campers
will actually eat is not hard to figure out. Just follow the tried-and-true
kid rules:
- Food cannot be all mixed up together in that
dish called a casserole.
- Campers want to put their food together themselves
(hamburgers, burritos, etc.).
- Campers want to make a few choices of their
own at each meal (hot vegetable versus a salad — or both).
- Campers want food to look good; in fact, a
positive visual presentation of the food can sell even unknown foods
you want them to try.
- Campers don’t want to leave the table hungry; a balanced selection
of carbohydrates, protein, fruit, and vegetables is necessary to fill
them up properly.
Focus on the Basics
To create wholesome, enticing foods for campers, focus
on the basics that guarantee success. The basics include breads, simple
meats and other proteins, pastas, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables,
starches, and a few treats thrown in to make campers smile.
In the salad arena, try interspersing a few dark green
leafy additions such as spinach, green or red leaf lettuce, or even some
of the other specialty leaves that can add a touch of color as well as
quite a few more vitamins. Try a few creative tricks with other colorful
vegetables (corkscrew cucumbers and flower-sliced carrots).
Healthy Cooking Tips
A properly balanced and health-fully prepared diet can
still be quite appealing. Here are a few suggestions:
- Cooking meats: Meats, especially ground beef, need to be
cooked and drained completely to reduce the fat content.
- Salad dressings: Try using half the fat in salad dressings
when making them on site. Most ranch or Italian mixes call for a gallon
of mayonnaise or a gallon of oil. Cut the mayonnaise or oil in half
and you’ll be surprised at the taste and quality that is retained.
- Butter and margarine: Serve butter or margarine on the side
and not always included with the preparation of rice, pasta, potatoes,
and breads.
Baking versus frying
When you are ready to sit down and rethink established menus with a more
wholesome approach, one of the first issues to start with is baking versus
frying. Chicken, French fries, sausage and bacon, and other typically
greasy foods cook and brown in the oven just as well or even better than
frying, especially if a convection oven is available.
Cheese and oil
In a typical presentation of a popular meal like pizza, a low-fat (part
skim milk) mozzarella cheese can be used with delicious results. Using
a small amount of olive oil in a scratch pizza sauce or a fully-
prepared pizza sauce helps maintain a consistent coverage of sauce without
being permeable.
Offer fats, gravies, and sauces
separately
A meal like tacos or burritos can be quite successful with all the ingredients
offered separately for those who may or may not want certain items. You
can also offer low-fat or non-fat cheeses and sour creams for those who
want them. Always offer fat-containing sauces and gravies on the side
for those who choose not to eat any or those who want small quantities.
Vegetarian and meatless choices
For those campers who choose not to eat meats, vegetarian or meatless
choices need to be more than just peanut butter or cheese. Both peanut
butter and cheese have a higher fat content than protein, and need to
be used sparingly – not as a main course. Find and offer meatless patties
such as the Garden Burger. Prepare items made with high-protein tofu or
eggs for those who eat them. When preparing spaghetti sauce, cook some
with meat and some without. Select cheese ravioli instead of the meat
variety. And when frying eggs, don’t fry them on the same grill used to
cook bacon or sausage.
Campers will respond surprisingly well to healthy foods.
Make an effort to present all foods in a visually appealing manner. Campers
will be more likely to eat more balanced meals, and as a result, have
more energy and a better attitude in general. The healthy camper plays
better, doesn’t get as tired and crabby, and even appears to blossom before
the director’s eyes.
Go ahead, focus on healthy, wholesome meals. Try it,
campers will like it.
Originally published in the 1999 July/August
issue of Camping Magazine. |
