At an art festival in the desert that has nothing but ice, water, and caffeinated drinks for sale, how do you survive the week of revelry? Besides bringing the obvious, which is a lot, a lot of water, what else should you bring to quench your hunger and play another day in the giant sandbox that is Burning Man? The following tips will help you plan what foods to prepare for your Burning Man meals:
Remove excess packaging
Burning the man is all about being radically self-sufficient, which means no dumpsters are provided anywhere. All accumulated debris, also known as MOOP (Misplaced Matter), all must be repackaged with you. This means that if you can reduce your waste generation, be sure to do so.
The first step is to remove all excess packaging from your food. Did you buy cereal? Get rid of the cardboard box. Is there thin plastic wrap around boxed items that can be thrown away? Anything that is not completely essential to keeping food fresh and protected should also be removed before reaching Black Rock City. Check out the Prep Guide on the Burning Man website for more ways to reduce garbage generation.
Cook ahead of time and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop
The best way to eat well on the Beach is to cook and then vacuum seal or prepack meals ahead of time. Foods like Indian curries, vegetable-rich foods like peas and carrots that keep well frozen, and even frozen soups can be a great staple.
Avoid using precious water when cooking things like pasta when at BRC. Cook ahead of time, put in Ziploc bags, then microwave or heat on the stove. The last thing you’ll want to do in Burning Man is cook for hours. Make it ahead of time at home and then reheat with ease.
Leave the perishables at home
Things like fresh fruits and vegetables are amazing, but they will go bad quickly in the dry heat. Apples last longer, while things like oranges and peaches perish quickly. Prioritize eating perishable items before they spoil. Remember, you can’t throw anything away, so anything that goes wrong will stay with you in your tent or RV.
Items like raw meat are also generally difficult to carry. Barbecues can be a lot of fun on the beach, but they are best organized and carried out by defrosting frozen meats. It’s hot enough to defrost them quickly! Pre-cooked sausages and burgers that can be quickly heated on the grill are also great options.
Eat bread in the first days
Since BRC is so dry, bread tends to go stale pretty quickly. Flat breads like naan or pitas will hold up a bit better, as will heavy breads filled with nuts and grains. Sandwiches are great and easy to make on the beach, but be sure to consume the things that will dry first. Nobody likes a stale peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
Bring soy or almond milk instead of cow’s milk
One of the worst smells is spoiled milk, so if you’re thinking of eating cereal in the morning, bring a dairy substitute that will last longer and stay cooler for the duration of the burn. Almond milk tastes quite good and makes a great substitute for cow’s milk in cereals, coffee, and tea.
