Fresh approach to Camp food fuels daily adventures

By Sara Bell Clifford

Sunday night, campers file into the dining hall for the first time. They’ve just said goodbye to their parents, met 30-some other bunkmates, and hiked halfway around the lake, uphill. It’s a lot to take in, and batteries are running low. “Would you like to know what’s for dinner?” asks Dining Hall Manager Lizzie. “YES!” the crowd roars. The answer: bacon cheeseburgers, and the energy in the room amps up—something filling, something familiar, something that tastes like home.

That meal being the favorite was something of a surprise to Food Services Director Paula Foley, given that campers also eat foil burger dinners on the overnight on Wednesday. But when served with handmade bacon rounds, lettuce/tomato/onion platters, and a side of broccoli salad, it’s a different enough meal that nobody minds.

“I’m enjoying the campers’ enthusiasm,” she said. “Earlier in the summer, I’d come out here and say, ‘How was the meal?’ and they’d about fall off their chairs cheering. It’s exciting to me that they’re happy, and when they get all chatty and vocal, let them go; it’s fine with me!”

This is Foley’s first summer at Ondessonk, though she’s cooked for camps in two other states. She planned this summer menu, and some details are different than years past. One change is that overall, there’s more food being served; another is the quality of it.

“I’ve spoken with parents whose children have some needs, and I want them to know that we’re doing fresh, not just processed foods, and we’re not doing the same thing all the time, like mac and cheese or pizza at every meal,” she said.

For breakfast, she plans for three “hots”—eggs, sausage, potatoes, or oatmeal—so that campers get good fuel in their bellies before they start the day’s adventures. Lunch and dinner offer at least one protein and two sides like fresh fruit salad, potato salad, or baked beans. Breakfast and lunch tables include some items that can be stashed in backpacks for later.

A “diets” table serves campers and staff with food allergies or those who are vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free.  

Two salad bars are open at every meal, offering yogurt and granola, fresh vegetables, meat and/or protein options, for those who don’t like what’s on the table or just want more to eat. It’s not unusual for lines to form at each bar, even without parents around to direct those choices.

“There are some kids who eat with their eyes when they come to Camp Ondessonk, and sometimes they surprise us and eat something that they normally wouldn’t at home,” said Executive Director Dan King. “So, I’m really optimistic about our food service situation.”

Longtime campers are noticing the changes. “I don’t think I’ve had an unliked dinner,” said a teen girl from Lalande.

“I’m definitely getting 100 percent more food,” said a tall teen boy from Daniel. “I’ve been full every meal.” The salad bar and fruit juices are his favorite additions.

The salad bars have been a welcome change for the staff who eat at Camp for five to 10 weeks straight. The “staff food” refrigerator isn’t near as full this year, and Foley said she’s heard that staff aren’t feeling as tired or sluggish as they used to.

“I usually lose weight as the summer goes by, which is OK with me,” King said. “But I’m not losing any weight this summer. The food’s good—it’s really, really good—and there’s plenty of it.”

Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Summer Camp Programs.