High calorie foods ?

[ski_walker]

After counting the calories I'll be taking in with just the basic cheap ramen, pop tarts, energy bars, oat meal, brownie/protein powder coffee morning mix, I'm finding its one about 2500 calories per day when I know for a fact I'll be burning about 4500 doing 15-20 miles a day of hiking. What's some more light weight calorie dense foods I can add ? On a budget of course. No money for expensive freeze dried mountain house


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[rafe]

Noodles, nuts, olive oil, dried fruit, energy bars, cheese, dried meats (jerky, pepperoni, summer sausage, etc.) Honey buns, pop-tarts, M & Ms, whatever floats your boat.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Peanut butter, Peanut butter, Peanut butter

Most long distance hikers run a caloric deficit on trail, it is important to make up for it in town.

And some go overboard: :D
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/59631-Calorie-Filled-Backpacking-Food

[garlic08]

Fats have roughly twice the energy density (Calories per ounce) of carbs. Peanut butter has about 190 Cal/oz, jelly only 100. Noodles are about 100. That's why peanut butter's so popular. Tree nuts are probably better for you, but more expensive. Macadamias are really packed in calories, like 240 I think.

With an average density of about 130 Cal/oz, the two pounds of food per day I carry has over 4000 calories. Lots of nuts, cheese, tortillas.

[Odd Man Out]

I think along these lines. Almost everything in your food bag is either a fat, carb, protein, water, or packaging. Fats have the highest possible calorie density. But you probably don't want to drink vegetable oil. Anything you add other than fats will lower the calorie density. Protein and carbs have a density of about 45 percent of fat. Water and packaging are zero. You can estimate the water content of food by adding the grams of fat, carbs, and protein and subtract from the serving size. Don't forget the weight of packaging. Larger packages tend to have a lower proportion of packaging than small packages.

[mattjv89]

+1 for peanut butter, when you can find sunflower seed butter it's a little higher still. Trail mix is another high calorie favorite of mine. The traditional peanut, raisin, M&M mix runs around 140 calories an ounce and has a good mix of carbs, protein and fat. In my experience if you can get it in the two pound bag the price ends up better than buying ingredients and mixing it yourself. I certainly have been known to take a couple extra swigs of vegetable oil when preparing dinner but second the recommendation to not make it a staple of your diet...

Looking at that picture you posted I see a big time protein deficit unless I'm missing something. Very important for muscle recovery and generally keeping you going. Ramen noodles by themselves are just a block of simple carbs about like eating pop tarts for dinner. Tuna or chicken packets, Spam, summer sausage, and salted meats like pepperoni and salami are good options for adding protein for dinner. I'll never forget my resupply in the second half of the Smokies, got too much of a sweet tooth and loaded up on simple carbs and not much else. Consumed about 11,000 calories in 2.5 days and it hardly kept me going with constant dizzy spells etc. It's very true that not all calories are created equal.

[Dogwood]

Dried coconut
Shelled raw sunflower seeds
Raw pepitas(pumpkin seeds)
Other seeds
Ghee
Nut butters
Nuts

[Turk6177]

Depending on how many days you will be packing food for, cracker barrel cheese lasts for a few days. Also, summer sausage or hard dry salami. I like adding those to my potatoes and noodles. You can bring a small bottle of olive oil and add it to your hot meals. I use it in place of butter when I make Stove Top stuffing on the trail. I don't see that you packed any snickers bars. Those are great at the end of a day for dinner dessert. You will find you will very quickly get sick of cliff bars and instant oatmeal on the trail. When I hike the JMT, I couldn't look at a Cliff Bar or a packet of Almond Butter after 10 days. I also agree that making your own trail mix is the best. I put raisins, dried blueberries, mnm's, honey roasted cashews, salted planters peanuts, and sometimes yogurt covered raisins as well. I try to eat 6 oz a day of trail mix. I really like it sprinkled on a peanut butter covered tortilla and drizzled with honey for lunch. It is delicious!

[garlic08]

...Don't forget the weight of packaging. Larger packages tend to have a lower proportion of packaging than small packages.

Excellent point. Think about repackaging everything in bulk into reusable ziplocks, and measure or proportion out as you eat.


...Tuna or chicken packets, Spam, summer sausage, and salted meats like pepperoni and salami are good options for adding protein for dinner.

So are nuts, legumes, oats and other whole grains. Carry meat if you like it, but one reason I don't very much is the packaging issue noted above (especially in bear country). If you're on a budget, as the OP stated, there are cheaper protein options than packaged meat.

[saltysack]

Fats have roughly twice the energy density (Calories per ounce) of carbs. Peanut butter has about 190 Cal/oz, jelly only 100. Noodles are about 100. That's why peanut butter's so popular. Tree nuts are probably better for you, but more expensive. Macadamias are really packed in calories, like 240 I think.

With an average density of about 130 Cal/oz, the two pounds of food per day I carry has over 4000 calories. Lots of nuts, cheese, tortillas.

I'm wondering what your food bag contains for say..... a 4 day trip?


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[saltysack]

Malto suggested the little Debbie brownies....tried few months ago for my 3.5 day thru of the FHT... They were awesome..didn't fall apart or melt...yummy and cheap...a new trail snack favorite..


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[misterfloyd]

One of the favorite things that I picked up was Fritos.

They are very caloric ally dense and are very salty, very useful in the summer.

I agree with all the things that were mentioned above.

Personally I put many of the above items in small ziplock bags and make certain they are about 200-300 calories each. I eat breakfast, munch on snacks the entire day, and cook dinner at the end. I prefer a slow drip method. I never loose energy, never really get lethargic. Plus I hate cooking!

[One Half]

we used to make our own nut/energy bars. they were great. very calorie dense. tasty. and we knew what ingredients were in them.

[CamelMan]

No money for expensive freeze dried mountain house

If you have a way to eat it, quick oats are almost exactly the same calories per ounce as Clif Bars, but really really cheap. It's best not to cook them if you want to eat a lot of calories.

[Dogwood]

…Carry meat if you like it, but one reason I don't..is if you're on a budget, as the OP stated, there are cheaper protein options than packaged meat.

Good point. We, as U.S. citizens often forget many meat proteins are rather expensive in the big scheme of things, less expensive protein alternatives for sure for those on a strict trail food budget.

[Dogwood]

If you have a way to eat it, quick oats are almost exactly the same calories per ounce as Clif Bars, but really really cheap. It's best not to cook them if you want to eat a lot of calories.

Quick whole, steel cut, and rolled oats are all a super cheap alternative bought in bulk from bins. Cliff Bars contain excessive added amounts of sugar. Oats have protein too. So easy to eat oats cold or warmed and infinitely tweaked for taste and calories rather cheaply with nuts, nut butters(PB or Almond Butter for example, both not usually excessively expensive), dried coconut(CHEAP), pinch of cinnamon and ginger. Adding some apple or fruit there ya go.

There are also grains and seeds like amaranth, millet, and quinoa that are relatively cheap when bought in bulk, can be eaten after soaking cold or warmed as both the base. Doctor it up cheaply as ya want.

[garlic08]

I'm wondering what your food bag contains for say..... a 4 day trip?

Here's (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213108) a link to an old Trailjournal. Basically a bag of muesli, a stack of tortillas, a block of cheese, a bag of crackers, a bag of nuts, a bag of raisins, a bag of Fig Newtons. For a longer trip I'll bring a jar of peanut butter and more of everything. I pack by the mile, not by the day, so I can't tell you how much it would weight unless I know the distance.


...Oats have protein too....

...From the horse's mouth.... Actually, a horse is one of my arguments for non-meat protein. Horses are large, strong, lean, and fast animals that don't eat meat. I really like my oats.

[Dogwood]

Here's (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213108) a link to an old Trailjournal. Basically a bag of muesli, a stack of tortillas, a block of cheese, a bag of crackers, a bag of nuts, a bag of raisins, a bag of Fig Newtons. For a longer trip I'll bring a jar of peanut butter and more of everything. I pack by the mile, not by the day, so I can't tell you how much it would weight unless I know the distance...

Uncomplicated, NOT expensive, versatile, can have the tastes and nutrition easily tweaked, serves all the protein one needs as a hiker, easy to find, serves the purpose, lots of fiber, not overly dependent on preservatives, sugar, or unnecessary spices, and BTW NO COOK. Thar ya go! As LW might say, "it's only eatin."

[Malto]

Malto suggested the little Debbie brownies....tried few months ago for my 3.5 day thru of the FHT... They were awesome..didn't fall apart or melt...yummy and cheap...a new trail snack favorite..


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Great, I'm known for Little Debbie's. :-? I have been trying to change my evil ways. Glad you discovered the magic.

To the OP, Little Debbie's are some of the cheapest empty calories you can find. They will definitely fuel you but you will want to scour the hiker boxes for some food with at least some margin value. PNB should definitely play a leading role.

[OkeefenokeeJoe]

I am a beef jerky aficionado ... been eating it for over six decades. If you want EXCELLENT EXCELLENT beef jerky at an affordable price, go here:

http://www.jerkyusa.com/

This is not your grocery store variety of beef jerky which, in my opinion, is made from recycled car tires. Luther's Beef Jerky is the real deal, made from choice cuts of beef.

Try it. It is absolutely addicting!

OkeefenokeeJoe

[MuddyWaters]

Great, I'm known for Little Debbie's. :-? I have been trying to change my evil ways. Glad you discovered the magic.

To the OP, Little Debbie's are some of the cheapest empty calories you can find. They will definitely fuel you but you will want to scour the hiker boxes for some food with at least some margin value. PNB should definitely play a leading role.

Im an afficionado of little debbie oatmeal pies and brownies myself.
When purchased at walmart, the 12ct box of oatmeal pies is one of the highest calories/$ things you can get, only thing I know of thats higher is a bottle of vegetable oil. Going off of memory from a few yrs back , the oatmeal pies were ~2150 cal/$ and the vegetable oil was ~3400 cal /dollar or so.

I can always choke those down, no matter how lousy I feel, etc. Extra calories.

I think Warren Doyle used to espouse the Little Debbie thru-hiker diet.

[swjohnsey]

Parkay (squeeze margarine) is a good calorie booster for many trail foods.

[CamelMan]

There are also grains and seeds like amaranth, millet, and quinoa that... can be eaten after soaking cold

Thanks, that's good information. I figured only instant or parboiled grains (well, the one that's available is rice) would work.

[Venchka]

Parkay (squeeze margarine) is a good calorie booster for many trail foods.

I would prefer to gnaw on the plastic container that it comes in.
Given that ghee is readily available and powdered butter can be bought online and in stores like REI, why would anyone eat Parkay????????

Wayne

[ski_walker]

Thanks a bunch ! Great ideas !

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[Connie]

I would prefer to gnaw on the plastic container that it comes in.
Given that ghee is readily available and powdered butter can be bought online and in stores like REI, why would anyone eat Parkay????????

Wayne

I have seen Butter Buds.

Ghee does not require refrigeration, but how do you pack it?

[swjohnsey]

Have you ever tried to find ghee in a convenience store in Tennessee?

[Venchka]

I have seen Butter Buds.

Ghee does not require refrigeration, but how do you pack it?

Butter buds aren't the same as powdered butter.
I found a lightweight 8 ounce size screw top container at the container store.

Wayne

[Venchka]

Have you ever tried to find ghee in a convenience store in Tennessee?

No. I still wouldn't eat Parkay.
If vegan people can be OCD about food, so can I.

Wayne

[swjohnsey]

Prolly don't like lard either.

[Connie]

DIY:

Ghee is simmered at low temperature and poured off, the solid bits left behind in the pan.

[MuddyWaters]

margarine is horrible for you.
Id rather eat lard
because it tastes like butter sort of isnt a good enough reason to eat that stuff

[swjohnsey]

Earl ate lard.

[rafe]

Earl ate lard.

It makes the downhills go faster.

[Dogwood]

Butter buds aren't the same as powdered butter.
I found a lightweight 8 ounce size screw top container at the container store.

Wayne

Saved me from having to post this info. BB contains dehydrated butter but that is only an ingredient not all of what it contains. BB is butter favored granules mostly made from maltodextrin that is derived from from GMO corn. Yes, another damn pervasive GMO corn product. Monsanto, once primarily a chemical company, is running too da bank with their GMOs especially their GM corn monopoly.

[Venchka]

Now Monsanto is running to the bank with the German buyout money.

Wayne


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[saltysack]

Krave chili lime jerky is my new favorite....some of the best I've had


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[JC13]

If you are lacking protein you could always stop in the Wally World and grab some protein powder.

[Odd Man Out]

Lots of talk of oats. I find instant oatmeal to be evil, but I do like making oatmeal with regular oats and hot water. If you don't boil it, the texture is very different, but quite yummy and very easy to clean up as it doesn't get all gummy.

[CamelMan]

Lots of talk of oats. I find instant oatmeal to be evil

Because of the sugar and additives? Yeah, it is a little evil. As for the regular (quick) oats the only way I can eat enough of it is not to boil it. Otherwise it's great for weight loss.

[Venchka]

Krave chili lime jerky is my new favorite....some of the best I've had


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I've never eaten a Krave Jerky that I didn't like. Don't leave home without it.

Wayne

[lonehiker]

Because of the sugar and additives? Yeah, it is a little evil. As for the regular (quick) oats the only way I can eat enough of it is not to boil it. Otherwise it's great for weight loss.

I don't think there is any significant difference nutritionally between rolled oats and instant oats. My thoughts are that except for the texture, therefore cooking time, they are the same. Now if you are talking the flavored variety you could have a point as far as additives etc.

[Venchka]

As a matter of fact, you can buy plain instant oats in any moderately well stocked bulk food section.

Wayne


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[Maydog]

If you take the quick (not instant) oats, mix them with water and salt before bed. All they need the next morning is a quick warm up (or just eat them cold if you want).

[JC13]

For oats on the trail I measure out my portions and run them through the food processor. Chops the oats into a nice powder that eliminates the chewing of large chunks when drinking them. I will be doing this for my section next month.

[CamelMan]

But chewing is most of the fun of eating!

[Bronk]

Find the large Honey Buns that are like 900 calories. I also recently found that Walmart sells these little pecan pies in the section with their baked goods that have 480 calories and they are only 50 cents. And as others have said, smear peanut butter on everything you eat...its around 100 calories per tablespoon.

[JC13]

But chewing is most of the fun of eating!To each their own but I don't like chewing my protein shakes! I guess I should have prefaced it with, if you plan to go no cook.

[middlewoodlands]

Extra virgin coconut oil and raw honey ( I like YS honey). You can eat them together plain, put them in your coffee, etc.

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[CamelMan]

To each their own but I don't like chewing my protein shakes! I guess I should have prefaced it with, if you plan to go no cook.

I can understand it, I don't either. Good luck on your hike. I'm doing a section next week and it'll be oatmeal for breakfast and oatmeal for dinner. Mixed with protein powder, maltodextrin, and nuts I think, to equal around 1000 calories. I'm thinking of making the dinner "savory" with dried herbs for some vitamins/minerals/anti-inflammatories but it's only a 4.5 day hike so probably not worth it.

[JC13]

I can understand it, I don't either. Good luck on your hike. I'm doing a section next week and it'll be oatmeal for breakfast and oatmeal for dinner. Mixed with protein powder, maltodextrin, and nuts I think, to equal around 1000 calories. I'm thinking of making the dinner "savory" with dried herbs for some vitamins/minerals/anti-inflammatories but it's only a 4.5 day hike so probably not worth it.I appreciate it! Good luck to you as well! I usually do shakes for breakfast and lunch so I will be sticking to my normal routine for the most part. Dinner plans atm are some sort of pita style bread with olive oil and pepperoni, may have to throw in some hiker honey buns as well for the extra calories and carbs.

[Odd Man Out]

It's the packets of flavored instant oatmeal I hate. But I dont like plain oats either. Starting with plain oats I still add butter, cinnamon, sugar, maple syrup , Nido, and salt.

[Singto]

Olive oil is one of the best, if not the best, calorie to weight food "additives" you can carry if you're just trying to increase caloric intake.

[swjohnsey]

Lard has the same calorie/weight ratio as olive oil. Same for Parkay.

[plexusbritt]

I found that turkey bacon dehydrates well. I throw about two pieces in with my potatoes. Not overly calorie dense but a nice break from almond butter still. That and ground beef rocks are the only meats I have attempted to take on the trail. ymmv.

I'm with the coconut oil people, but the smell of it always concerned me. Like, at home, I use if for lotion and the base to my DO. On the trail, it feels a bit much like rubbing myself with something that smells tasty so I'm careful to keep it from my skin. it rides pretty well in one of those travel squeeze tubes.

[wannahike]

If you buy refined coconut oil there shouldn't be an odor or taste of coconut.