Camp is, as always, an adventure. To be with old friends for eight weeks is almost too good to be true, but we appreciate it all more on a stomach full of fresh food. So, lunch has become a pleasant ritual made possible due to the crazy camp schedule which includes a two hour lunch break. Believe me, having grown up an outsider I still marvel at this place.
Having others join us for lunch is always a blast; I get to listen in and hear some sordid details about camp life...but, going out for lunch dates has proven tricky to this mostly vegan family attempting a nutrient dense midday meal every day. We maneuvered through this by requiring the kids to bring their own lunches which makes them happy and is a lot easier on the host families. I must say I saw the relief in one mom's eyes when I said my daughter would bring her own lunch.
So, our quick lunch fixes. We have a choice of a few salads (black bean and corn with peppers and onions; slaws; my typical chopped olive, cucumber, pepper and onions with romaine, etc.) and we usually have something warm. Our sauteed string beans with black pepper and sea salt have been going over well. I always offer an ear of raw corn. I am completely unwilling to cook it because we love it raw and it is less likely to raise blood sugar when served at its freshest just picked, uncooked. We have been finding fresh dark red cherries, beets, okra, peaches and an array of dark berries, all nutrient dense. When we are lucky, Luke whips us up some tomato basil soup using some corn, white beans, spinach, string beans and other seasonal favorites. Today, we threw a bunch of vegetables in the juicer with some apple and pear for a fresh raw drink. We also have broth around made with farmer's market and Whole Foods vegetables. One of our easy fall backs for lunch dates out is black bean dip spread onto corn thins with slices of avocado. The bottom line is we aim for nutrient density and we aim to limit our consumption of non-nutritious foods. We, of course, are always going for a mostly macrobiotic summer but we have so much raw mixed in here I am not sure we qualify.
Focusing on micronutrients allows you to eat fewer calories while getting more energy and health protection. We judge the nutrient density of a food based on phytonutrients, antioxidants and minerals, (we care about fiber too) but you do not need to go over which items contain which nutrients. Really, a fresh food plant based diet that is colorful will cover your bases well. We have been having many leafy greens (I have some tot soi in my garden still), many crunchy kid-friendly options (cucumbers, peppers, carrots), many dark reds (watermelon, cherries, black raspberries, beets), cruciferous choices (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy), and some nuts and nut butters, seeds, grains and a few packaged foods (Mary's Gone Crackers; Corn Thins; Spanish Cocktail Mix [dried chick peas, beans and nuts]; peanuts, and an occasional Vega drink mix and, admittedly, some not so nutritious whole grain plain packaged breakfast cereal (just puffed or crisp rice and fruit juice sweetened corn flakes).
Here, where bright artificial freeze pops rule at snack time, and Doritos munchie mix wrappers are strewn about not far away, where parents believe artificial ice pops are not only not terrible for you but are actually good for the kids who otherwise might feel overheated, we have found ways to be with the group without actually consuming the junk. I am first to admit this is not always easy, but kids who care about their health and the environment can be easily persuaded to remain on track with a little finagling. We made a deal, and the deal involved homemade lemonade, a weekly vegan popsicle, Lara bars, and, well, actually three iPods are involved as well, but we are having fun, without junk. If you can't beat 'em, bribe 'em...
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