Want S'more?

This is the perfect time of the year to go camping, so that's what I did this past weekend. The weather was perfect with 80 degree days and 55 degree nights. Comfortable temperatures and few bugs make camping one of my favorite activities. I visited the Ocoee National Forest in Tennessee. The leaves were still mostly green, but there were hints of yellow, orange, and red beginning to show through. The season changes are beautiful in the Southeast.

Some people might think that camping and outdoor recreation create challenges for healthy eating...not so! Whole fruit is easy to travel with and needs no refrigeration, nor does water, whole wheat crackers, whole grain bread, peanut butter, nuts, and dried fruit. Coolers packed with ice and freezer packs allowed me to bring prepared broccoli salad, tuna salad, sliced tomatoes for sandwiches, pineapple cream cheese (for bagels!) and rice milk.

By far, one of the best things about camping is S'mores...yum! The warm goodness of the melting chocolate against the smooshed toasted, oozing marshmallow pressed between crunchy graham crackers is delicious. I don't know how many calories are in S'mores and I don't care. They are one of those foods that's a really special treat, only eating in the woods with friends as you play charades and share childhood nicknames. But IF you're worried about those calories, remember that you'll spend one day hiking and gathering and chopping firewood and the other day paddling through level 1-4 rapids in a river...sure to burn off all those excess calories! Life is all about balance.