Food
Tasty, fresh, nurturing food is a central component of Camp life. Our kitchen team works hard to provide meals that campers will enjoy and keep them well-fueled for a full day of activities! In addition to being well-nourished, mealtimes are a special opportunity for campers to spend time with their bunkmates. All our meals are served family style, meaning counselors bring one big portion of each dish to their tables to share.
When crafting the menu, our chef prioritizes using whole ingredients (i.e. falafel from dry chickpeas, roasting fresh chicken breasts for sandwiches instead of using high nitrate deli meats), making food from scratch (i.e. homemade dips, salsas, flatbreads, and desserts), and sprinkling in elements of international cuisine to complement familiar comfort foods. Trying new things is a central tenet of camp, and food is no different. Parents will be surprised how often campers discover a new favorite food!
We do understand, however, that not all meals are for everyone. A well-stocked salad bar full of fresh veggies and an array of homemade salad dressings is available at each lunch and dinner. This always includes hearty options such as cheeses, sliced chicken, legumes or a pasta salad — a great option for campers who didn’t love the meal. With breakfast, there is a cold self-serve bar including fresh fruit, yogurt, milk, oatmeal, and cereal in addition to the hot meal each morning. In extreme cases, the kitchen can heat up leftovers from previous meals for campers who really aren’t doing well with what’s being offered. Between meals, snacks are available at designated times. These typically include fruit, toast, string cheese, or something more fun like PB&J sliders on leftover French toast. We work hard to offer food that appeals to campers so that they are fueled up and can take full advantage of all the amazing activities that we offer.
Both omnivore and vegan/vegetarian options are available at each meal. Meatless options always share in the same spirit. For example, when dinner is chicken enchiladas, our vegetarian friends will enjoy mushroom and corn enchiladas. With smoked brisket they are served tempeh braised in a BBQ sauce. The kitchen team works hard to accommodate most dietary restrictions. With extreme nut allergies in particular, it is important to note that while we can provide nut-free options for your camper, we are not a nut-free camp and therefore it is impossible to guarantee a 100% nut-free environment. Similarly, we can avoid serving food with gluten to campers that are gluten-sensitive, but our kitchen is NOT gluten-free.
Where we can, we use local vendors. When our bread isn’t baked fresh in-house, it is delivered by Truckee Sourdough Company. Our produce comes from Bonanza produce company (and boy do we go through a lot of it!) which sources most of their fruits and veggies from right here in California. Those who enjoy beef will be happy to learn we use 100% grass-fed and finished beef raised ultra-locally in the Sierra Valley by Bradley and Son Cattle.
Our chef likes to mix things up and keep the menu fresh, so naturally, it varies from session to session, but here is an example of what your camper might eat in a week at camp:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
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Breakfast | Scrambled eggs and homefries | Pancakes & Bacon | Ham, Cheese, and Caramelized onion Quiche | French Toast & Sausage, with berry compote | Egg, ham, and cheese sandwiches on English Muffins | Bagel Bar with 3 types of shmear, and a variety of toppings | Breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, avocado |
Lunch | Chili & Cornbread | Pesto Chicken Melts, with spinach and tomato on sourdough | Chicken Pad Thai | Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup | Beef & Broccoli stirfry with jasmine rice | Chicken taquitos, with guacamole and southwest salad | Pepperoni Pizza Bagels |
Dinner | Spaghetti & Meatballs, with Garlic Bread and a Caesar Salad | Carne Asada Tacos, with Cilantro Rice, Black Beans, fresh Salsa bar, and an agua fresca | Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy & Asparagus | Chicken Tikka Masala, Basmati Rice, homemade naan, mango lassi | Inn-n-out night: hamburgers, animal-style fries, and vanilla milkshakes | Hawaiian Pulled Pork, Grilled pineapple, macaroni salad, sticky rice, sweet rolls | Mediterranean: Lemon/herb grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, greek salad, hummus, tzatziki, fresh pita |
Dessert | ‘Smore brownies | Flan | Apple Pie | Coconut Macaroons | Mint chocolate chip cookies | Pineapple upside-down cake | Build your own Ice cream Sundae Bar |
If you have any additional questions about food at Shaffer's High Sierra Camp, don’t hesitate to reach out. Bon Appetit!