Gal-Gone-Camping

Hello Friends!

If you’re like me, trying to keep your weight in check is a chore!  Figuring out what to eat everyday is exhausting.  Eating right when traveling is even harder whether you’re on the road or trail.  I have tried just about every diet there is, and for me, low-carb is easier and seems to work best.  So, I thought I’d share some tips, recipes, etc. that I have found helpful.

23 Pounds Down, X Amount To Go!

So far, I have lost 23 pounds, but need to lose more. No, I’m not telling you how much! I’ll let you know when I reach my goal–then you can add it up–LOL!   Have I went off of it? Of course!  I would’ve lost more if I had been on it 100% all the time, but when ice-cream calls my name I usually answer!  However, I have now gotten used to eating this way and really don’t mind it.  ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE GOING ON ANY DIET!

Some days I wake up starving.  Other days I don’t get hungry until noon.  Why that is I have no idea, but I have found that if I eat on a regular schedule, my blood sugar stays in check and I don’t get as hungry which helps prevent me from overeating.  Here are some foods I eat that have helped me…

Breakfast Or Anytime

Boiled Eggs–mixed with mayo & mustard, like egg salad, salt & pepper to taste. Egg salad is great also, add in onions and pickles.

Polish Sausage Link–sometimes with the above, sometimes just dipped in mustard.

Pineapple Water–Pineapple powder drink mix (Dollar Store) in bottled water. This is good, but add a maraschino cherry for enhanced flavor with no extra carbs.

One cherry has only 2 carbs–which you don’t eat, it’s just for flavoring.  It makes me think I’m eating fresh pineapple (my favorite fruit!). It also helps satisfy a sweet tooth.  Add some coconut rum and you have a nice little cocktail.  Of course there’s a few carbs in the rum, but you gotta indulge sometimes!

Peanut Butter & Cool Whip–great for something sweet. I could not make it without these two items!  Mix together till smooth, it tastes like peanut butter pie!  Add a little cocoa powder for a bit of chocolate flavor. Great to have with your coffee–very satisfying.  2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter has about 8 carbs, 2 Tbsp of Cool Whip–3 carbs. Just 1 Tbsp of peanut butter mixed with 2 Tbsp of Cool Whip is enough for a sweet treat and that’s only 7 carbs.  It’s even better if you freeze it! If you have a freezer in your RV, great, if not just keep the Cool Whip on ice.

Werther’s Original Hard Candy–I really need something sweet with my coffee after I eat–especially for breakfast. Just sucking on a piece of this caramel flavor candy with coffee is really good! One Werthers is 4.5 carbs.

Pre-Cooked Sausage Patties–I love pancakes but cannot eat them on a low-carb diet of course, plus they pretty much put me in a sugar coma!  You usually eat sausage with pancakes right?

So, I just heat up sausage patties and dip them in Sugar Free Syrup. 1/4 cup is 4 carbs. I’m getting the same sweet flavor minus the bread of the pancakes.  Very good!–with coffee of course!. You could do the same with bacon.

Pre-Cooked Bacon–So much

easier than frying; just heat in the microwave or skillet. This kind does not need refrigeration, although I would still keep it in the cooler or fridge when you’re on the road. It’s best to buy in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco. The kind I buy is from a local food distributor.  It is pre-cooked and frozen.  I just take out what I want, heat, and go!  Great snack for the trail too–lots of protein.

Breadless Egg Sandwich— I love egg sandwiches, but there’s the bread issue again!  Instead I fry 3 eggs, salt & pepper to taste, top with mayo and eat with a fork.  I’m still getting the egg and mayo flavor combination which is what I really want.  I don’t miss the bread–in fact when I do eat an egg sandwich I end up tearing most of the bread off anyway!  The first time I tried this I didn’t get hungry till much later in the day–which is always a plus.

Lunch & Dinner Ideas

I like pre-cooked food because of the convenience and versatility, but ONLY if it is quality.  It has to taste good!  If you’re only going to be out for a few days, the pre-cooked frozen food will be fine on ice. For RVers who have a freezer with their fridge, it doesn’t matter, but I have found that keeping the pre-cooked frozen food in a cooler works fine.

Pre-Cooked Chicken strips–Saute in a skillet with onions, green peppers, garlic, salt pepper, and fajita seasoning mix.

In just a couple of minutes you have fixins for fajitas

if you want to use tortilla shell, or you can just eat it plain.  I top a shredded lettuce bed with this, add sour cream, taco sauce, guacamole salsa and shredded cheese for an awesome salad!

Grilled Steak, hamburgers, hot dogs (all beef)–all good, without the bread or potato. You can do it! Just eat with a salad and/or grilled vegetables. You will eventually get used to not eating potatoes. No one loves potatoes more than I do, so trust me, if I can do it, anyone can!

Crustless Pizza–One of my faves!  Spray a tin pie pan with  cooking spray. Add tomato sauce, oregano, garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Add meat toppings, then vegetable toppings.  Add shredded cheese.  I do one layer of Colby-Jack and one layer of Mozzarella, thin layer of Parmesan.  Bake till cheese is melted and bubbly. If you don’t have an oven in your RV, you can fix it on a stove top or grill, just cover with foil. You may want to invest in a portable oven.

Taco Salad–Brown ground beef in a skillet with taco seasoning, salt & pepper. Pile onto shredded lettuce bed. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, taco sauce. If you’re not low-carbing, make burritos or tacos with the ground beef filling.

 

Snacks & Treats

Beef Sticks/Beef Jerky

String Cheese

Nuts–almonds, mixed nuts, peanuts in the shell

Crystal Light Tea Mix–There are other brands, but I think this one is the best. I like the regular flavor, but they have several.

I got peach by mistake last time, so will see how it tastes. The packets are made for a 1 quart pitcher, but I use half of one in a bottle of water and it’s perfect!

Summer Sausage--with cubed cheese of your choice makes a great snack

Pork rinds–I’m not a fan, but if you have to have something crunchy, they will do. I think the BBQ flavor is the best.

Dips--Most dips are OK, the problem is the missing chips.  This is one of the hardest things for me cause I love chips and dip.  If you like the pork rinds you can dip them for that chip & dip effect.  Celery is good for the crunch factor as well.

Stuffed Hot Peppers–Banana peppers and jalapenos–cut off the top, hull out seeds. You can either split into or leave whole, then stuff with cream cheese, spray lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt.  Fry in air-fryer (my fave) or grill in foil.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Awesome–I could live on these!

Milkshakes--In a blender mix ice, almond milk, cool whip, peanut butter, artificial sweetener such as Splenda till desired thickness. Add cocoa for chocolate flavoring.  Lots of variations here, experiment and see what you can come up with!

One of my favorites–mint chocolate: Blend ice, Oreo Mix-ins Cool Whip (4 carbs), almond milk (2 carbs for unsweetened 40 calorie variety), sweetener and just a couple drops of peppermint extract.  It is awesome!  The only thing missing is the green color–and if you have to have that, use food coloring!

Can Be Used With Various Cooking Methods

With the exception of the milkshakes, most all of these can be prepared on the road or trail-whether on

an RV stove, portable camp stove in a van, etc, or on a grill or campfire. Purchase a battery operated blender and you’re good to go with the milkshakes if you don’t have an electric source.

Share Your Recipes/Food Tips!

These are just a few ideas friends.  I would love to hear yours too! Please share your tips and recipes by commenting below.  Enter your email address to subscribe and receive regular updates. Also visit the Gal Gone Camping Facebook Page– Like, Share & Comment.  I love to hear from my readers!

Until Next Time, Remember….DON’T WAIT TO LIVE!

See Ya Down The Road….

Catrina