View Full Version : nutrition question for a newbie
navy111588
03-25-2007, 20:55
ok i kind of eat a caveman diet basically meat and carbs, and i have trouble downing certain greens any tips for long distance nutrition
??? No problem, I guess. You'll be doing lots of carbs on the trail. Protein in the form of cheese, nuts, dried meat, sausage, etc. Dried fruit. Not much in the way of greens or fresh fruit in the typical trail diet.
navy111588
03-25-2007, 21:19
oh cuz i was reading the long post on nutrition on the home page and the guy said that greens should be the number one thing
hopefulhiker
03-25-2007, 21:25
dehydrate a bunch of beef to make beef jerky before you go...Check out gourmet backpacker cookbook...
Most people's trail diets are going to be lacking in certain things. On the AT it's easy to compensate for nutritional deficiencies in town. Take advantage of that. Donuts and soda may be the most tempting thing, but aren't necessarily what's best for you.
Pedaling Fool
03-25-2007, 22:43
ok i kind of eat a caveman diet basically meat and carbs, and i have trouble downing certain greens any tips for long distance nutrition
Why do you have trouble downing greens? If it's just a matter of taste, I would not worry, on a long hike you learn to eat anything, might as well make sure it's nutritious.
The list of foods already mentioned sounds good, but I would recommend you add, to that, some vegees, i.e. spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, mushroom, onions(technically an herb). You can do this by dehydrating them and adding to your staple meal of rice, ramen noodles or whatever you cook for dinner.
The article on nutrition on WhiteBlaze is a little idiosyncratic. For instance, the author spends a lot of time talking about Yerba Mate, and this is a part of VERY few thru-hikers' diets.
I've found a series of very good articles about nutrition on the trail at thru-hiker.com (sorry I don't know how to link to it). Click on "Articles" at the top of their home page. Then scroll to near the bottom of that page to the title "Pack Light, Eat Right." You'll see a series of articles that cover many aspects of trail diet pretty thoroughly.
navy111588
03-26-2007, 09:28
thanks folks
Rhino-lfl
03-26-2007, 14:38
Protein and fat are your friend. There are a lot of compact meal supplements out there loaded with both. Then snack on dried foods, nuts, mix, etc for on the go carbs. Protein and fat my friend, that's what you're made of.
Oh, and drink lots of water, and even more water if you like the booze like I do.
I shot a moose before my hike. Dehydrated about 200 pounds of meat and once it was dry small packages of it weighed nothing. My wife sent me moose and the only problem I had was everyone else loved it and wanted to eat all my moose meat. About the only greens I ate putside of town was when "Arrow" picked wild nettles and bioled a bunch and shared them with me at the Clyde Smirh shelter. If you know your mushrooms chantrells will be available from New York to Maine until the first frost gets them. They ain't green but they are some good. You will also be able to pick ramps in Georgia.
If you are worried about getting greens in between towns, you can pack Green Food powder packets. Until you get used to the taste (similar to grass), mix it with drink powder (like Tang, or something).
You can get spirulina tablets by the bulk from Earthrise. A little expensive but lite and concentrated dehydrated algae. Minerals, vitamin A (carotene and blue phyto-something). I use the powder mixed with my soy protein three times a day, mix a tablespoon of the combo in my water in my gatorade bottle, shake and gulp. It's an 'acquired taste' to be sure, but I never miss my vegetables that way.
Most thru-hikers don't worry a lot about a well-rounded diet while they're hiking. Quantity, not quality is the main concern. When you eat that much, you're bound to get a bit of everything. If you're concerned about vitamins and minerals you can either make sure you eat a couple of vitamin-enriched energy bars every day (check the labels) or take vitamins.
Marta/Five-Leaf
mweinstone
06-13-2007, 06:34
i recomend laying down and dieing. eat green and dont be a woose.
mweinstone
06-13-2007, 06:38
actually cutoo, you do miss your vegetables that way. spiralina is not food. its powder that men sell after hybreeding and washing and fkn with plants. give up supps or die. after 25 years of being macro and a million dollars worth of earthrise spirrulina, the organic extra rip off one, i gave up food and supps for anything and everything i want to eat. im happyer, my wallets happyer, even lone wolf is happy for me at this moment for giving up a stupid hippy trendy diet. im now part of the mcdonalds crowd and lovin it!
Lone Wolf
06-13-2007, 06:42
even lone wolf is happy for me at this moment for giving up a stupid hippy trendy diet. im now part of the mcdonalds crowd and lovin it!
you go dude!
I eat
Bagles, peanut butter. Lipton noodles, mac and cheese, instant quaker oatmeal mixed with cold water. I supliment it with TVP (textured vegtable protein). Take a multi vitamin and about every week or ten days go to town
and pig out. Your body will tell you what you need. I never drink V8 or eat catsup but in town I craved both. If you want a balanced diet stay home. Your diet may vary over the months on a long distance hike but if you consume enough carbs to keep going things will work themself out.