Tickets? Check.
Headlamp? Check.
Glitter fanny pack? Check.
You’ve got the festival essentials, now it’s time to pack the festival food.
Are you gearing up for a mind-blowing music explosion, a transformative experience™, perhaps even a dusty desert adventure, but you don’t want to lose sight of your keto goals?
As avid keto backpackers on a special diet, we have plenty of experience packing healthy shelf-stable foods for unconventional trips. We’re happy to pass on our super keto backpacking knowledge -- festival edition -- so that you can rock your heart out and still live that low-carb life.
Just cool it
One significant difference between backcountry hiking and festival camping is that you can often bring a cooler to the latter, which gives you a lot more options come mealtime.
Here are 3 simple recipes for meals you can make with chilled foods:
-
Iceberg lettuce patty
frozen burger patties, cheese, lettuce, sauce packets. Throw the patties straight on a grill or cook in a pan, and them wrap it up! -
Cilantro jerk chicken
chicken wings, butter, jerk seasoning, cilantro. Wrap in a foil packet and grill over high heat for 20-25 minutes. -
Smoked salmon and cream cheese Fat Bombs
mix salmon and cream cheese together, roll into a ball and coat in Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.
Cool tip: most festivals sell ice, but it can be a real drag getting it back to your camp. Cut down on runs by initially stocking your cooler with dry ice, which you can find at many local grocery stores, chemical supply stores, and some companies even deliver!
Going cooler-less?
This is where our backpacking experience kicks in. For a list of some of the best shelf-stable keto-friendly options on the go, check out our blog post about keto backpacking foods. Festivals are a great place to try out a variety of freeze-dried camping breakfasts and dinners and pick your favorites! Get a discount by ordering our Sampler Pack here.
Get your snack on
Festivals are all about fun, and so you might find yourself surrounded by fellow festival goers who eat like they’re at a 4th grade sleepover and their mom let them pick out all the food. If you feel tempted by chips and candy, it’s good to have some keto-specific munchies to keep you on course. Here's a few of our favorites that we pack ourselves:
- Olives
- Pickles
- Pork rinds
- Precooked Bacon
- Sparkling soda
- Macadamia Nuts
- Cheese Snacks
- Dark Chocolate (but keep it in the cooler or you'll be eating it with a spoon...)
Rest and Recovery
After a long day and night soaking up the sun and celebrations, make sure to take good care of yourself. Drink LOTS of water. No, more than that. More than that… ok, good. And don't forget: managing your electrolytes is especially important when you’re on a keto diet. Trying adding electrolyte tabs to your water bottle to maintain your body's sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels.
Foods that are rich in tryptophan can help you bounce back better from the night before:
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Tofu
- Turkey
- Spinach
- Seeds and nuts
Should you take a keto "break"?
Some people choose to take a break from the limitations of their special diet when they go to a big event. We don't. Not only is keeping keto at festivals totally possible (and not too much work), just remember that if you make sudden diet changes, it could have a rather large impact on your tummy, and that’s probably not the transformative experience you’re looking for. 😉
Now rest, rejuvenate, and return to the fun! Stay safe out there, friends!
