The Grubmaster’s Guide

Buying Food for Your Patrol

Managing the food-buying for your patrol is a very important job!

The first step in meal planning is assigning a Grubmaster. Your Grubmaster is the Scout who is responsible for managing the meal planning and buying the food for their patrol. The menu should still be planned as a patrol, and it is still the Patrol Leader’s responsibility to support the Grubmaster to make sure the job gets done. Both the SPL and Grubmaster need to know who’s going, the budget, and guide the meal planning to be successful.

Plan the menu with your patrol

Your SPL will give you a per-Scout budget for the campout. Get a firm count of how many patrol members are going at your campout prep meeting (minimum two weeks before the campout). Then, use the Menu Planner to plan only as much food as your patrol will need. Meal planning takes time and research. Just writing “burgers” is not enough. You need to figure out how many pounds of beef you’ll need, how many buns, the condiments, toppings, etc. You need to look up how much a pound of beef and a pack of buns cost during the planning meeting so you can stay on budget. Your patrol members will be hungry and unhappy if you don’t buy enough. Too much leftover food is wasteful (remember, a Scout is thrifty).

IMPORTANT: Bring your completed meal planner and shopping list with you shopping to use as a checklist. Make a copy and keep it with your food on the campout. Bring it to your next patrol meeting to review.

Save all your receipts

Keep them in an envelope labeled with your name and patrol. Write the total amount on the outside. Buying food for the patrol is supposed to be a break-even proposition. As Grubmaster, it’s your responsibility to stay within your food budget.

Packing the food

Pack the food to protect it during transport and while camping. Be aware of any special requirements (does it need to fit in a bear locker, stay cool, or be waterproofed for a rafting trip?). Remove excess packaging to reduce weight and trash at the campsite. Ziploc bags are very helpful. At-home preparation (if allowed) can make cooking at camp easier and quicker.

Note: If a Scout needs to cook on a campout for a rank or badge requirement, advance prep is not permitted.

After the campout

The Scout who bought the food is responsible for removing all food from the patrol boxes and coolers and disposing of it. Spoiled or ruined food is thrown out. Food that is okay should be offered to be split among patrol members.

Planning Meals

Preparation Time

Plan your meals so they can be prepared, eaten and cleaned up within the time constraints of the planned program. Campouts have a planned activity schedule with specific time allocated for meals. Check the trip itinerary when planning.

Budget

A typical weekend campout food budget is $5 per meal, per Scout. That doesn’t mean every meal has to cost exactly $5. You can spend more on dinner and less on breakfast, for example (hint: instant oatmeal is only about 50¢ per serving).

Some outings, like extended backpacking trips, may have higher budgets. For others, we will force you to get creative on a tighter budget. A patrol cannot decide on their own to “splurge” beyond their budget. Parents should not “donate” money to the budget or throw in extra food or treats. We are learning how to plan and budget.

Nutrition & Allergies

Ask about all allergies in advance and understand their severity. It is important to consult with an adult on this. In general, it is best to eliminate any identified allergens from all meals, not just for the person with the allergy.

You must use the Eating Healthy guide to review your menu to ensure each meal is nutritionally balanced. This is another area where a parent’s advice is very helpful. Ask them! The Outdoor Ethics Guide must sign off on your menu before you purchase food.

Tips for Meals

Breakfast: Sunday morning is busy with packing and preparing for the trip home. Consider a simple, healthful, breakfastthat’s easy-to prepare and doesn’t need a lot of clean-up.

Lunch: Lunch should be another simple meal. There is often not a lot of time to prepare, serve, and cleanup. Consider a build-your-own sandwich with some soup and fruit. We often eat lunch on the trail, so plan accordingly.

Dinner: A full, filling dinner is welcome at the end of an active day. Typically there is more time to prepare, serve, and clean up, so plan a nice meal! This should include fruit or salad, a main course, some side dishes of vegetables or starch (potatoes, pasta, etc.)...maybe even a dessert. A carefully planned and prepared dinner can be a highlight of the trip.

The goal for every troop outing is that each patrol is responsible for its food and meals, and that each Scout is provided with tasty, balanced meals at each appropriate dining time.

Campouts with a Friday Evening Departure

Friday Dinner — We generally eat prior to departure. Driver may stop for fast food. You can also cook at camp!

Evening Snack — Reward after camp set-up. Maybe something you make on the campfire together?

Saturday Breakfast – Fully-cooked from scratch. Many scouts like bacon, but it adds a lot of cleanup!

Lunch — Sandwiches, wraps, or a cold buffet w/ soup or chili.

Dinner — Fully cooked at the campout. Include entree, vegetable, and a starch. Be creative! Open-fire cooking is an option.

Sunday Breakfast — Quick and easy.

Campouts with a Saturday Morning Departure

Saturday Lunch —Sack lunch from home. No soft drinks or candy.

Dinner — Fully cooked at the campout. Meal should include entree, vegetable, starch, and dessert.

Sunday Breakfast – Quick and Easy.

Summary of Meal Planning Requirements

The menu must be planned at a Troop or Patrol meeting at least two weeks before the campout

Use our troop forms and checklists to ensure nothing is missed. Turn them in after the campout.

Make sure every meal is nutritionally balanced and includes the four basic food groups; check for allergies.

The menu plan must be approved by the SPL and/or Outdoor Ethics Guide.

Make sure your meal plan makes sense for the itinerary. Request necessary equipment in planning doc.

In most cases, meals must be fully prepared at the campout

No hot dog-type meals, ramen, or other ‘pre-made’ meals (oatmeal is ok, w/fruit, etc.). No soft drinks

Stay within your budget. Keep your receipts

The Parent’s role

Parental advice, input, and transportation are important to the Grubmaster’s success. But remember, the Scout is expected to plan and purchase for the outing. This means that the Scout goes to the store, not just his parent(s).

Parental advice about nutrition and price comparison at the store is important. If your patrol prefers to shop in pairs, two registered adults must accompany them. Older Scouts will often shop on their own or with another Scout.

Meal Planning Timeline

3 Weeks Before Campout

❑ Patrol decides who is going to be Grubmaster

❑ Use the troop’s meal planning template.

❑ Start meal planning – Get ideas. Research new recipes. Try to use any ingredients leftover from previous campouts.

2 Weeks Before Campout

❑ Complete your meal plan and get Patrol Leader (and other) approval(s)

❑ Let the Quartermaster know what equipment your patrol will need for cooking

❑ Patrol Leader should check to see if anyone needs cooking as a rank requirement

1 Week Before Campout

❑ Review everything with the Patrol Leader

❑ Check with the Quartermaster that all equipment needed is available

The Meeting Before Campout

❑ Make sure you have a cooler (if needed) and a dry food storage box

❑ Purchase all supplies, keep receipts (do this the week of the meeting, not at the meeting)

The Day of Departure

❑ Confirm with your Patrol Leader that you have all the food for the trip

❑ Use your shopping list as a checklist when packing food