View Full Version : Healthier hiking food?
I've noticed a lot of foods that people take for long-distance hikes tend to be very heavy on the scale of what I tend to call "plastic food". High in sodium, artificial flavorings, MSG, preservatives, and dyes.
I'm curious what others think about this, and if one really has to sacrifice this in order to get the nutrition requirements needed for long-distance hikes.
I currently get #10 cans of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods and make up my own instant meals. I'd love to be able to find an organic source for things like cheese powder or freeze-dried cheese, but no such luck yet.
Morpheus
04-13-2008, 19:18
Healthier? Tastier? Try www.maryjanesfarm.org. Yum :)
Bulk & individual sizes.
shelterbuilder
04-13-2008, 19:26
I've noticed a lot of foods that people take for long-distance hikes tend to be very heavy on the scale of what I tend to call "plastic food". High in sodium, artificial flavorings, MSG, preservatives, and dyes....
I could be wrong about this, but I think that, at least in part, some of this tendency is defined by the difference between those of us who "camp to hike" and those of us who "hike to camp". The "camp to hike" crowd tends to be more intent on making miles, and time spent in camp (eating, sleeping, etc.) tends to be a means to that end. The "hike to camp" crowd (I include myself in this catagory) enjoy the walk, but the camping is what makes the trip. I have always enjoyed cooking in camp, and have gone to some great lengths to prepare some splendid meals, often carrying much more weight in food and kitchen ware than is really necessary. And I have been laughed at by other hikers who were obviously out there to make miles, not meals, and who were eating calories just to be able to do the miles, without much obvious concern about additives, preservatives, etc.
I realize that this may be a gross over-simplification....:o
I could be wrong about this, but I think that, at least in part, some of this tendency is defined by the difference between those of us who "camp to hike" and those of us who "hike to camp". The "camp to hike" crowd tends to be more intent on making miles, and time spent in camp (eating, sleeping, etc.) tends to be a means to that end. The "hike to camp" crowd (I include myself in this catagory) enjoy the walk, but the camping is what makes the trip. I have always enjoyed cooking in camp, and have gone to some great lengths to prepare some splendid meals, often carrying much more weight in food and kitchen ware than is really necessary. And I have been laughed at by other hikers who were obviously out there to make miles, not meals, and who were eating calories just to be able to do the miles, without much obvious concern about additives, preservatives, etc.
I realize that this may be a gross over-simplification....:o
It may be a gross over-simplification, but one that my experience also is a witness to. Like you I am more for meals not miles type of guy, but when I do miles the only difference in the meals is how much cooking I do at camp vs home prep. Thus, to answer the OP's question it is quite easy to do lightweight, preserved, and very healthy meals but one must make them themselves and then dehydrate them. There are many books on the subject.
Blissful
04-13-2008, 19:59
We decided to make many of our own dinners and send them via mail drop. We used many recipes from the recipe book offered on the ATC site. They were not organic, though, but since that is becomming the hot thing these days (I'm seeing a lot more of that at grocery stores too), I'm sure you can find places online to buy organic food or even in your grocery store.
norotonfd
04-13-2008, 20:32
This sounds like the cat's meow. The prices per pound are low and it sounds really light. It's especially nice that all of the ingredients are disclosed. Anyone with experience with this let me know. They even have TVP at really low prices. I used to own a restaurant, but I know nothing about bulk dehydrated foods other than what I read on here.
minnesotasmith
04-13-2008, 20:44
Feel free to look up some of my posts on trail nutrition. I make the very same point as you, and list options to improve the situation (many of which I followed during my thruhike).
KarenM982
04-13-2008, 20:49
The Annie's website has organic white cheddar cheese powder that you can buy by the pouch:
http://www.annies.com/organicmacandcheese
They also have the family size cheese powder pouches but I dont think they are organic.
I'm not 100% organic- but when it comes to prepared foods I prefer it as they generally tend to have fewer dyes and chemicals added to them. Most of the cheese powders I've found so far are full of extra dyes, which I'd like to avoid.
I do buy bulk dried and freeze-dried foods and then make my own versions of things like lipton packets, pot noodle, and moutain house food. Much healthier when you can control exactly what goes into them.
As far as the "hike to camp" or "camp to hike" it depends on the trip I'm on. I know that my AT thru-hike (still in planning) will be much more 'camp to hike' but I don't think that means I should sacrifice my health to do that. It seems counter productive, in fact, to overload ones body with salt, MSG, dyes, and chemicals when you're relying on it so heavily to accomplish your goal.
It isn't hard at all. I do it 365 days a year now for both hiking and at home. Nearly everything can be found in an organic version or at minimum a natural version. Many times the natural brands are lower in sodium as well.
For convenience products brands like Mary Jane's and Simply Organics are great. For vegetables, fruit and dried beans (instant) check out Just Tomatoes and Harmony House Foods. Fantastic Foods also has a great line out there.
I've noticed a lot of foods that people take for long-distance hikes tend to be very heavy on the scale of what I tend to call "plastic food". High in sodium, artificial flavorings, MSG, preservatives, and dyes.
I've been investigating this as well. The worst things we can eat are white flour, industrial oils and sugar....all of my staples while hiking. I'm beginning to think that mail-drops are going to be the key. Either that or the 'mono-foods' Matthewski asked about in an earlier thread. A decent peanut butter with honey, dried fruits and beans/hummus until I get to town and then find a grocer.
TWS
Wise Old Owl
04-13-2008, 21:31
Healthier? Tastier? Try www.maryjanesfarm.org (http://www.maryjanesfarm.org). Yum :)
Bulk & individual sizes.
Thank You! I just spent half a hour and now I am very hungry, (right after dinner) - Great post.
Tipi Walter
04-13-2008, 22:18
Several years ago I made a large bulk order from Mary Jane's Farm and can recommend her stuff. All told, when bought in bulk her meals come to about $2 per meal. Another good source is Frontier Herbs. They sell all sorts of dried beans and herbs, egg powder and tomato powder, etc.
Eating healthy while living out of a backpack can be a challenge, more so on a tight budget. Here again the choices devolve down to oatmeal, bulk uncooked beans and brown rice, but who wants to cook for an hour every day? But it's cheap and healthy.
Small rural stores can really be rough, I bought some cream cheese in one that was almost 3 years out of date. At least oatmeal, raisins, some nuts, beans and cheese are readily available.
Currently on my trips I take what I can find at our local mega-grocery store, and they have a wide selection of organic whole wheat breads, pasta, brown rice, tofu, cheese, hummus, raw cashews, the werks! For me the secret to backpacking food is VARIETY, and I've been known to take out almost anything once. Even a whole watermelon. I still hump avocados, grapes, pears and apples, sliced pineapple, purple cabbage, baby carrots, broccoli, you name it. Even 6 raw eggs.
For those who don't know, Frontier Foods is the parent company of Simply Organics :)
http://www.frontiercoop.com/
And I should add:
Any bean, rice, pasta, or funky grain like quinoa, etc can be cooked at home and dehydrated in a dehydrator or oven. That way you can have good grains and still have 'em instant!
I have played the funky music, done the funky chicken and listened to G. Clinton sing "make my funk the P. Funk..."
but...
what makes a grain funky? ;)
Quinoa is funky. Millet is funky.
Odd to my taste by flavor and texture. Just different.
Lol...yeah Mudhead has it right :D Teff is funky. That is one weird ol' grain :D
Quinoa is funky. Millet is funky.
Odd to my taste by flavor and texture. Just different.
:D Teff is funky. That is one weird ol' grain :D
This is beginning to sound like the lyrics to a song! :)
max patch
04-14-2008, 12:18
You don't have to eat crap on the trail -- pre-cooked bacon, snickers bars, the list goes on and on -- unless you choose to.
You don't have to eat crap on the trail --
Remember kids: scat is not healthy :eek:
Oh, I crack myself up :D
To respond to the original post here is a link to frieze dried cheese. Not organic but the ingredients are normal.
https://beprepared.com/product.asp?pn=FN%20C115
Not to be confused with Krafts infamous "cheese food".
Ether,
know yourself out http://www.ultralightbackpackingonline.info/specializedfood1.html
sofaking
05-01-2008, 22:11
kraft now sells 3 oz. jars of their orange cheese powder, just like their mac n cheese stuff...looks stunning in my beard, when nobody tells you for a few hours...oh, we're talking about healthy food? mix it with red wine from the bag, now it's healthy...
Feel free to look up some of my posts on trail nutrition. I make the very same point as you, and list options to improve the situation (many of which I followed during my thruhike).
MS, for those of us relatively new, would you be willing to make a couple of specific links to posts that encapsulate your views? Using search terms like "Minnesota Smith" and "trail nutrition" in the WB search engine bring up quite a lot of hits... thanks!
anyone carry wheatgerm out there? it's quite light and would really help w/ the 'negatives' of white flour, etc...
sofaking
05-06-2008, 12:45
milled flax seed makes for a pretty good fat/oil substitute, but it ain't evoo
anyone carry wheatgerm out there? it's quite light and would really help w/ the 'negatives' of white flour, etc...
Sure, just don't carry it for super long in hot weather as the oil can go flat and or rancid.