View Full Version : Healthy no-cook foods?
I'm thru hiking the PCT this year (the next 90 days cant go fast enough!!!! :eek: ahhhh!!!) and am going stoveless based on the fact that finding fuel is way more of a pain in the ass on the PCT, I don't want to carry the weight, and hot food isn't that important to me.
However, I have a couple concerns. I'm resupplying 25 times, about every 107 miles. My pace is going to be a lot faster than the AT, but I ultimately cannot compensate for inadequate nutrition as often with town food, since a lot of my resupplies are in TINY "towns" or are maildrops at lodges, campgrounds, etc. near the trail.
Since the variety of food I carry is significantly reduced without cooking, I'm trying to find a wider selection of healthy cold foods good for hiking. The stuff I eat now is fairly nutritious, but there's not a lot of it and I'm expecting to get thoroughly sick of it after awhile.
Current cold foods I eat a lot of: Mixed nuts, whole wheat tortillas, peanut butter, dried fruit, dark chocolate, fruit snacks, cereal bars and cereals. (Granola, bran, etc.) I don't eat anything with a lot of refined sugar or with high GI, so excessive Snickers and pop tarts are out. I'm also not a believer in just popping a multi vitamin every day, and am not planning on a lot of foil pack meat because of food smells.
So, anyone have some suggestions for some healthy cold foods?
www.beprepared.com Take a look at freeze dried chicken, little weight, and it comes back with cold water. Would work well with seasonings, and done in wraps.
hopefulhiker
02-17-2007, 10:40
Nido powdered milk.. It is for babies and has a lot of fat content...
Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-17-2007, 11:33
Nido powdered milk.. It is for babies and has a lot of fat content...Hmmmm... wonder if powdered baby formula would be a good addition to things like cereal? Vitamins, minerals, quality protein, added fat (babies need a lot of calories for their size)... sounds like a good backpacker food.
nido...mmmm,mmmmm, goooooooooooood!!
Jan LiteShoe
02-17-2007, 11:42
Hummus has alot of protein. There's a company whose name escapes me (?Harvest something?) that makes an excellent dried product; you could shed the box and tranfer contents to a pouch. Mail yourself a few of those lemon juice packets, a squirt of olive oil, salt and smash up a clove or two of garlic to add in and you have a yummy "dip" for your flatbread. If you carry fresh veggies out of town, you'll get even more benefit. If you're carrying fresh garlic, an avocado was one treat I loved carrying out of town.
VictoriaM
02-17-2007, 13:10
Hmmmm... wonder if powdered baby formula would be a good addition to things like cereal? Vitamins, minerals, quality protein, added fat (babies need a lot of calories for their size)... sounds like a good backpacker food.
Have you ever tasted baby formula? *gags*
Anyway, it doesn't really have that many calories. Try Slim-Fast type drinks, instead.
VictoriaM
02-17-2007, 13:11
Edit of last post: I didn't mean calories, I meant vitamins. Baby formula isn't good stuff. But then I'm a boob snob.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-17-2007, 14:02
Have you ever tasted baby formula? *gags*
::: smacks self on head ::: Duh, it has been a few years, but I do remember baby formula tasting like crap now that you mention it.
mweinstone
02-17-2007, 17:21
im good at this. jan is correct. but hummis dont need but water.also babaganush(eggplant dip mix). same, just water cold. other foods ive been pulling out of my pack bleach and freaking people out with for years? halavah. jewish seseme honey fudge like stuff. halavah. also fudge. peperonie and cheese on bagle rules alot of my universe.all those gas station crapmarts allways have a basket of three lousy apples and you need to learn to eat thenm all. look for them. honey is a must for too many reasons to list.shreaded wheat is the bomb.wheat germ on everything. yogurt can be made freash each day on trail. take any cup of store bought and heat in milk powder and water till not boiling. put in nalge or any sealed container that allowes sloshing. and walah1 next day its all yogurt. do it again but now you dont need a cup of store bought. you are now growing cultures. gross dude. but i like it. to really feast like a king you would have to walk behind me and learn my ways. im a natural pig. the day i saw you leave kincorra with watermelons and beer, i knew you were pritty good." impressive"(darth vadar)
walktard
02-17-2007, 18:17
It actually isn't that hard to find fuel on the PCT, HEET is in most of the town stops if you can't find denatured alcohol, and in the smaller towns (like most of the stops in Oregon) you would be way better off mailing yourself a drop in which case you can include alcohol (ground shipping). Or you could bounce esbit tabs.
But if you are content with cold foods,
--good lunches are chorizo, cheese and crackers (you really don't need to worry that much about pests at night--except for the Sierras--and if you do just hang your food bag).
--energy bars
--Carnation Instant Breakfast mixes or other meal replacement drinks (I like Endurox R4 as part of my dinner)
--Just Veggies products
--bagels/English muffins/pitas with peanut butter and honey
--PB&J sandwiches
--jerky
--ramen (can be eaten uncooked)
Of course you will do what you want, but the few people I met on the PCT (I think only about 3 thru-hikers were in this category) using only cold food carried more weight in food than those cooking.
saimyoji
02-17-2007, 18:27
...I'm a boob snob.
Aren't we all.....:D :banana :banana :banana
I always take peanut butter but for a change I also take cashew butter and almond butter which are great on whole wheat wraps.
I always take peanut butter but for a change I also take cashew butter and almond butter which are great on whole wheat wraps.
they also have flavored peanut butter, i.e. dark chocolate (:D ), honey, fruity, etc. it's worth a shot!
troglobil
02-17-2007, 23:21
dark choclate peanut butter? where do I find it?
adventure foods has a lot of cold prep items:
http://www.adventurefoods.com/aflist.asp?Option=New
Aren't we all.....:D :banana :banana
I like them all... mostly... :-?
dark choclate peanut butter? where do I find it?
I have got to find dark chocolate peanut butter!!!!! But Where????
Jester2000
02-18-2007, 03:53
Every year I hear people talking about not taking a stove and then. . .they realize they should have taken a stove. But since this is a thread about suggestions rather that criticism. . .
snickers bars.
Skidsteer
02-18-2007, 07:47
I have got to find dark chocolate peanut butter!!!!! But Where????
I've never seen the dark chocolate P.B., but this stuff (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.echae.com/images/nutella_lrg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.echae.com/index.php%3Fpage%3Dpl_travel_placesandthings%26exa m%3D3&h=201&w=202&sz=19&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=kybRkI0TVg-aqM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=105&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnutella%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3 DG)is pretty darn good.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-18-2007, 09:11
Cereal bars, cereal in general, dense breads, PB (not from plant 2111!) and corn chips / cheese curls (not the puffy kind)
Webs, you're right about the choco and peanut butter. I saw this recently at Whole Foods. You grind it yourself like the reg. peanut butter or almond, etc. butters. Yum!
dark choclate peanut butter? where do I find it?
here it is:
http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/store/index.cfm?destination=darkchocolatedreams
warning: i haven't actually tried it yet, but seriously, how bad could it possibly be?? :banana