View Full Version : Carnation
AllDownhillFromHere
03-08-2017, 08:36
Has anyone tried the various Carnation clones, the healthy ones, that are $1-2 apiece (thinking Wholefoods brand, etc)? If you tried them, were they better/healthier/tastier? I pack Carnations as a cheap way to get some probably missing vitamins, and they're calories, just wondering if there's a better option.
garlic08
03-08-2017, 10:26
Yes, I firmly believe there is a better option. Quick oats in cold water with nuts and dried fruit (muesli), if palatable to you, is real food, no processed sugar or oil, cheaper, with less packaging. Whole grain and nuts provide protein. Whole grain and fruit provide quick energy from carbs. Nuts provide fat.
Be careful about too much fiber if you're not used to it--maybe have a cathole already dug. Some hikers can't handle it. It's been working for me for decades.
Garlic...+1
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-carnation-instant-breakfast-healthy#2
Don't buy into Nestle's marketing of what's healthy, nutritious. or "essential."
This product is more 'food science' from the lab. Three most abundant ingredients listed in order of abundance: non fat dry milk, corn syrup(essentially another way to say sugar), sugar. The primary macronutrient is carbohydrate but 2/3 of those carbs are sugar. It's a sugar laden mix! Worse it contains only 1 g of fiber(because it's such a processed product mix) so in short order you get hungry again after a short lived sugar energy high.
AllDownhillFromHere
03-08-2017, 14:49
I'm not sure anyone could hike if they treated Carnations as food. This is just a supplement. You can only get salad so often; days of oatmeal and tortillas and ramen and liptons go down better if I know I've got something to patch up what vitamins I might miss, plus the sugar gets you going if you can't get out of low gear in the morning. I'm looking at the bulk stuff precisely because its got less packaging.
Yes, I firmly believe there is a better option. Quick oats in cold water with nuts and dried fruit (muesli), if palatable to you, is real food, no processed sugar or oil, cheaper, with less packaging. Whole grain and nuts provide protein. Whole grain and fruit provide quick energy from carbs. Nuts provide fat.
Be careful about too much fiber if you're not used to it--maybe have a cathole already dug. Some hikers can't handle it. It's been working for me for decades.
I'm with Garlic advising eating real food, whole food, but if it's your desire to supplement with mixes or powders one can just as thoughtfully do so without all the sugar, higher cal/oz ratios, and significantly more nutrients per oz. I agree with G that you can do better...much better.
Siestita
03-09-2017, 10:33
For folks making the Carnation "Instant Breakfast" at home, doing so using skim mild would be less unhealthy I think, than it would be to use whole milk.
In our everyday lives most of us need to limit our fat and calorie consumption. But, when assembling food for the trail we typically confront a different challenge, getting lots of calories while keeping our pack weights low. So, if you make Carnation concoctions while backpacking, consider doing so using Nestle's "NIDO Fortificada" brand of powdered whole milk. Sold in the Mexican section of supermarkets, NIDO has more calories and tastes better, compared to non-fat powdered milk. Pay close attention to the labeling on NIDO containers in supermarkets labeling to assure that you get "Powdered Whole Milk" rather than dehydrated infant formula.
Or, do even better by instead consuming your breakfast NIDO with some kind of cereal that you like.
Even if your hikes are extended ones, its possible that during the meals you enjoy having at town stops your body will obtain all of the vitamins and minerals that it needs.
rocketsocks
03-09-2017, 14:18
Once I used what I thought was my non-dairy creamer in my coffee until it threw the breaks on, it was my white cheddar cheese powder...I buried the cup.
Baltimore Jack was telling us he was mixing up some Tang mix that he liked on trail. It wasn't mixing as it usually did. Nevertheless, thirsty took a big slug. It was the cheddar cheese "death powder artificial crap" as he said it.
Garlic...+1
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-carnation-instant-breakfast-healthy#2
Don't buy into Nestle's marketing of what's healthy, nutritious. or "essential."
This product is more 'food science' from the lab. Three most abundant ingredients listed in order of abundance: non fat dry milk, corn syrup(essentially another way to say sugar), sugar. The primary macronutrient is carbohydrate but 2/3 of those carbs are sugar. It's a sugar laden mix! Worse it contains only 1 g of fiber(because it's such a processed product mix) so in short order you get hungry again after a short lived sugar energy high.
Up to date ingredients list from Breakfast Essentials in my cabinet:
Non-fat dry milk
Sugar
Corn syrup not mentioned
Did they lump corn syrup into sugars? Don't know I would need the older list to see if the corn syrup and sugar entries combined equals the current sugar level.
On second thought, that might not be kosher according to the FDA.
It's a little thing, but maybe a step in the right direction.
Wayne
Up to date ingredients list from Breakfast Essentials in my cabinet:
Non-fat dry milk
Sugar
Corn syrup not mentioned
a.k.a. Maltodextrin
...
Wayne
My bad. Y'all win.