View Full Version : Nutritional value compared to weight
As the main pleasure , for me anyway, is to be on the trail rather that in town, has anyone got any good ideas on which foods are the lightest to carry yet still retain good nutritional value, such as plenty of protein and carbs e.t.c.?
I'd pack for at least ten days at a time if it were possible...
See you out there...
SGT Rock
02-13-2010, 08:42
Olive oil and add it to almost everything.
Peanut Butter is my staple. 170 cal. per oz.
Olive oil 240 cal. per oz
angle hair pasta. for carbs.
a dried cheese soup mix for mixing with pasta
dried meat for mixing in pasta
Nito for milk
oatmeal 1 min. cook var.
nesquick for a hot drink
raisins
sugar
pepper
I try to carry 2700 cal. for each day
I try to average 150 cal. per oz with my food
That comes out to about 12lb for 10 days
Thats a lot of peanut butter
Thats just me..I love peanut butter.
I once lived for 5 days on two large jars of peanut butter and water.
I agree with Rock. You can add olive oil to anything. If I feel I need a cal boost I add olive oil to my morning mix of raisins and oatmeal. I use raw sugar in that mix also.
Fiddleback
02-13-2010, 11:46
Mixed nuts. Especially when used as the base/majority of trail snacks and/or lunch. On a per-ounce basis, they are high in calories, high in fats, and high in protein. They make for good electrolyte replacement, too.
Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts -- new mix
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1oz (28g/about 19 pieces)
Amount per Serving
Calories 170 Calories from Fat 140
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 2.5g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 100mg 4%
Potassium 170mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 1g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4%
Iron 8%
Vitamin E 10%
Magnesium 20%
Copper 25%
Manganese 30%
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 79.4% Carbs 14.1%
Protein 11.8%
Olive Oil, mixed nuts and peanut butter - sounds pretty good to me
Thanks for the breakdown folks !
Squirrel food it is...
Also add powdered whole milk to your diet. Nestle Nido is one example, and you can get it at Walmart and ethnic supermarkets. Milk already has a decent mix of carbs and protein, and being whole milk helps to add dense fat calories and lots of flavor. That's something you can add to protein shakes, oatmeal, macaroni, etc. Just make sure you get your bowels used to handling all that milk....or bring lots of toilet paper.
Cool AT Breeze
02-13-2010, 22:03
The big frosted honey bun has 865 cals. 440 fat cals. Eat one of them in the morning with a cup of coffee and you get a caffeen sugar rush that will push you up the trail. About the time that burns off the fat kicks in and and burns till lunch.
double d
02-13-2010, 22:15
Mixed nuts are the best (as others have indicated). High in "good" calories, lightweight and good for you.
Mountain Wildman
02-14-2010, 00:29
What brand is The big frosted honey bun ?
trailangelbronco
02-14-2010, 00:52
I just got home from the supermarkey where I found the coolest thing, I bought 10 of em for this hiking season!
Bumble bee tuna salad with crackers. Comes in a little box with a little can of tuna salad and six crackers. 300 calories, and only $1.06 per box. Very light and small way to get a quick 300 calories. I bought them at Winco, don't know if Winco is back east.
I just got home from the supermarkey where I found the coolest thing, I bought 10 of em for this hiking season!
Bumble bee tuna salad with crackers. Comes in a little box with a little can of tuna salad and six crackers. 300 calories, and only $1.06 per box. Very light and small way to get a quick 300 calories. I bought them at Winco, don't know if Winco is back east.
I'd have to eat 20 of those a day to meet my dietary needs. $21.20 a day. No thanks.
trailangelbronco
02-14-2010, 01:33
So, just how in the heck do you carry 6000 calories of food per day on you over 3-4days without resupply? What is your pack, 50 lbs?
i must be missing out on some really great lightweight food!
I like to make up hamburger gravel to add to noodles and mac and cheese for a little red meat gradification...of course olive oil in everything (haven't gotten a taste for it in the coffee yet) and packs of tuna offer variety. Of course during the lean times there are the shelter mice...............:banana
You do it by looking for foods with a high density of calories and nutrients, not by looking for foods that are lightweight.
People have already suggested peanut butter. About 3 large jars of peanut butter has all the calories you need to get 6000 calories a day.
People have already suggested peanut butter. About 3 large jars of peanut butter has all the calories you need to get 6000 calories a day.
Wow.. You must be on a weight gaining plan. Unless you are Shaq size.
My ontrail cal. intake is about 2800. I start on the trail at 195 and loose about 1 lb per day until I reach 175. I hiked 10 miles a day for 6 months on this diet and the least I weighed was 171. This was walking in FL. so no mountains of course.
Tuna is real good for you but you need larger quantities and crackers really don't have much nutritional value.
So we're back to Olive Oil, Peanut butter, Mixed Nuts and Nestle 'Nido'milk.
Ialso like 100% Whey, made by Gold Standard, lots of good protein that can be carried in a snappy bag.
garlic08
02-14-2010, 10:15
Who's to say a head of cabbage or a bunch of carrots isn't more "nutritious" than an equal weight of peanut butter or olive oil? Sure, one has more calories or carbs and provides immediate fuel and you really need that, but I think you need the other, as well. Depends on how you define nutrition.
Concentrating on maximum weight/calorie ratio might make you sick. I know a couple of powerhouse hikers in their 40s who have suffered serious coronary artery problems, and both attribute their illness at least partially to their crappy trail diets.
I met a very serious hiker who told me that my habit of carrying fresh vegetables was "worse than useless". Not all advice you hear is good advice (including mine).
Homemade granola is tasty.
Who's to say a head of cabbage or a bunch of carrots isn't more "nutritious" than an equal weight of peanut butter or olive oil? Sure, one has more calories or carbs and provides immediate fuel and you really need that, but I think you need the other, as well. Depends on how you define nutrition.
Concentrating on maximum weight/calorie ratio might make you sick. I know a couple of powerhouse hikers in their 40s who have suffered serious coronary artery problems, and both attribute their illness at least partially to their crappy trail diets.
I met a very serious hiker who told me that my habit of carrying fresh vegetables was "worse than useless". Not all advice you hear is good advice (including mine).
I think you are spot on correct. I would never just take peanut butter on a hiking trip. Most nutritional models say 20 persent of cal. from protein, 30 percent from fat and 50 percent from carbs. One of the things you can make at home to get the veggies and not carry so much weight is patato bark with carrots, peas and such mixed in.
Wow.. You must be on a weight gaining plan. Unless you are Shaq size.
My ontrail cal. intake is about 2800. I start on the trail at 195 and loose about 1 lb per day until I reach 175. I hiked 10 miles a day for 6 months on this diet and the least I weighed was 171. This was walking in FL. so no mountains of course.
2800 calories is simply your intake. Anyone can force themselves to consume that much, whether they are Shaq, a smurf, or you. It's what you choose to eat, not at all what you're actually burning.
And you're on a malnutrition plan by starving your body of the nutrients it desires. I understand the desire to lose weight. I also share the same desire. Just make sure you take measures to prevent injury while starving your body.
If you with to simply maintain all your muscle mass without forcing your muscle to resort to feeding off internal energy stores, then you'll need around 6000 calories.
That said, it's VERY difficult to consume 6000 calories a day under any conditions. I've been working on shakes to allow me to down over 3000 calories a day without much effort. The rest would come from meals and snacks. Unfortunately these shakes are rather expensive, at least to me. Roughly $5 a day just for the shakes.
Cool AT Breeze
02-14-2010, 16:40
What brand is The big frosted honey bun ?
The brands change as you move north. I think they weigh 5.5 oz.
trailangelbronco
02-14-2010, 18:20
When I hiked the 100 mile wilderness in 1984, most folks were just eating Ramen noodles.
Mountain Wildman
02-14-2010, 18:21
The brands change as you move north. I think they weigh 5.5 oz.
Ok, I know the ones you are referring to.
Thank you!
CampGirl
02-15-2010, 10:43
We posted a nutrition per ounce (http://www.packitgourmet.com/Nutrition+Per+Ounce-sp103.html) chart recently that you may find helpful. It lists nearly 200 trail-friendly items broken down by the amount of nutrition contained in once ounce of that item.
The chart that you can preview shows the food listed by most to least amount of calories but if you download the excel sheet you can sort by fat, sodium, etc.
If you really want to pack in the protein and calories, go with pemmican.
Appalachian Tater
02-15-2010, 12:37
Dehydrated fat-free refried beans are relatively high in protein, calcium, and iron and very high in fiber. They are easy to reconstitute, better than canned, and fairly lightweight. Even better as far as protein if you pair them with corn tortillas or chips.
garlic08
02-15-2010, 12:42
Dehydrated fat-free refried beans are relatively high in protein, calcium, and iron and very high in fiber. They are easy to reconstitute, better than canned, and fairly lightweight. Even better as far as protein if you pair them with corn tortillas or chips.
Not only that, they will even reconstitute in cold water, making an excellent stoveless meal with the corn chips. The only drawback is they're a little harder to find in groceries along the trails. (I see them more often in hiker boxes!)
brooklynkayak
02-17-2010, 12:12
I once lived for 5 days on two large jars of peanut butter and water.
When I was young and between jobs, nothing but Peanut Butter and flour tortillas for a week.
Both are dense foods that are great when you don't want to cook.
brooklynkayak
02-17-2010, 12:15
I find dehydrated cooked lentil's to reconstitute faster than refried beans. Basically the same thing otherwise. They are easy to make and dehydrate.
Make sure you add lots of olive oil when you prepare them.
Dehydrated fat-free refried beans are relatively high in protein, calcium, and iron and very high in fiber. They are easy to reconstitute, better than canned, and fairly lightweight. Even better as far as protein if you pair them with corn tortillas or chips.
Nuthatch
02-17-2010, 19:15
I met a very serious hiker who told me that my habit of carrying fresh vegetables was "worse than useless". Not all advice you hear is good advice (including mine).Most veggies are mostly water, so it's probabaly best to either gorge on those in towns or dehydrate them for use in meals. They're certainly not "useless" though. Vitamin pills hurt my stomach, so to get enough vitamins on the Trail I force myself to eat large amounts of veggies when I'm in towns. Kinda hard to eat a huge salad and a baked sweet potato when I really want a pizza, but if I dont eat the veggies first, I just wont' get around to it later.
That said, I did have a very bizarre conversation with a hiker one time - she was appalled that I would bring "junk" like Snickers bars with me. She, on the other hand, had...several eggplants. Eggplants. Which are about 95% water and have very minimal nutrition and almost no calories. I mean, I can understand maybe taking nutrient-dense veggies like sweet potatoes or kale but...eggplants?
Oh well, HYOH and all that.
Nuthatch
02-17-2010, 19:27
If you really want to pack in the protein and calories, go with pemmican.Mmmmm, pemmican.
Actually I had one of these Pemmican brand bars once; it was great http://www.mealpack.com/ But they can't be bought locally only shipped from somewhere in CA. Am still tempted to order a variety pack though.
Hemp Hearts -
You'll have to buy bulk (http://hempoil.tng-secure.com/categories.php?category=Hulled-Hemp-Seeds) and use maildrops.
Mild, pleasant flavor, since it's a seed, it's hard to beat the nutrient / weight profile.
Easy to add to your diet.
garlic08
02-17-2010, 19:42
Wow, she must just really like the taste of eggplant. I can't stand the stuff, myself.
I heard good advice from a married couple hiking together who were concentrating on their health more than most. They each carried one fresh item for every day, even just one carrot or stalk of celery or green pepper. It wasn't weighing them down excessively and it wasn't their whole diet, just a moderate addition. I started doing that, too, and found that my cravings for greens and gorging on same in towns went way down.
I believe if you start binge eating (except Ben & Jerry's pints), something is wrong with your diet.
Here is my latest theory on figuring out macro nutrients.
Pro: 10% of total energy expended
Car: 30% of total energy expended
Fat: 60% of total energy expended
Now some calculate protien as a percentage of body weight, or as a percentage of daily calories. I think doing it as a percentage of energy expended is better because the more energy you expend, the more you need to repair and rebuild your muscles and other tissue. 10% doesn't seem like much, but at 4000 kcal/day it would be 100g. If you are building muscle, or maintaining alot of muscle mass, it could be higher, but I think for running and hiking 10% of energy expended is pretty good. If you find yourself losing lean body mass, or if you wanted to gain some, you could increase it to 15%, but any surplus will just be converted to carbohydrates, which can be hard on the kidneys.
As far as the ratio of carbs to fats go, it depends on how much energy you are expending below 50% VO2Max, and how much you are expending above 80% VO2Max. Hiking averages 40-50% VO2Max, so you should be burning mostly fatty acids. If you choose to fuel it all on carbs your food will be heavier, and your blood sugar level will be up and down more. If you choose to fuel it all on fatty acids, that is also kind of rough, because your brain needs carbs, and your muscles prefer carbs for stuff like steep hills. For hiking and rest of day activities I think 1:2 is good, as it probably matches demand most closely, even though the body will pretty much burn what is available, and make conversions as needed. I would reduce the fat and increase the carbs if I found the high fat diet hard to stomach. I don't have that problem however, because I am currently losing weight, so I reduce the fat consumed and make upve the difference with body fat.
Body Fat to be burned while losing weight:
If you have some excess body fat you can burn some of that. How much body fat can you burn each day? Well, the best answer I have seen so far is 1% of your total fat reserves. I am currently about 25% body fat, of 50 pounds, so I can burn 0.5 pounds of body fat each day, equivalent to 200g of dietary fat. So I can reduce my fat requirements up to 200g, as long as I don't go below 20g because I think you should always have at least that much in your diet, for various reasons.
Daily Food Requirements:
Base Met + Rest of Day: 2000 kcal (roughly 10kcal per pound of body weight)
Average Hiking Activity: 3000 kcal (depending on how long and hard I hike)
For myself at 200 pounds, 1000 kcal is about an hour of running at 10km/hr. Once a week I might be able to double that, for 2000 kcal of exercise. Hiking I can do much better, like maybe 400 kcal/hr for 10 hours for 4000 kcal of exercise. I am not sure how many days I could maintain that, as I haven't done more that 2 or 3 such days in a row. So let's use 3000 kcal/day + 2000 kcal base = 5000 kcal, and see how that works out in terms of food requirements...
Total Energy Expended = 5000 kcal/day
Pro = 10% x 5000 kcal / 4 kcal/g = 125g Protien
Car = 30% x 5000 kcal / 4 kcal/g = 375g Carbohydrates
Fat = 60% x 5000 kcal / 9 kcal/g = 333g Total - 200g Body = 133g Fat
Fibre = say 10g per 1000 kcal = 50g
Moisture = say 10% of protien and carbs = 50g
Total Weight = 733g /454g/lb = 1.6 pounds
So the daily hiking diet becomes 3200 kcal/day, because 1800 kcal comes from body fat.
The pro/carb/fat ratio becomes 19/56/25 as percentage of energy consumed.
Lately I've been averaging 1000 kcal/day in exercise, running/walking/skiing.
So I only average 3000 kcal/day, which is less than I would hiking.
So here at home my food requirements are reduced to...
Total Energy Expended = 3000 kcal/day
Pro = 10% x 3000 kcal / 4 kcal/g = 75g Protien
Car = 30% x 3000 kcal / 4 kcal/g = 225g Carbohydrates
Fat = 60% x 3000 kcal / 9 kcal/g = 200g Total - 180g Body = 20g Fat
Fibre = say 10g per 1000 kcal = 30g
You see I left 20g of fat in my diet, as a minimum. In theory I should be losing 3 pounds a week on this diet, 1 pound of which is due to exercise. In practice it is less than that. Partly because of cheating now and then. Partly because I need an extra rest day now and then, due to sore feet/ankles/knees/hips/whatever. Another reason I think hiking is alot better than running for losing weight, as long as you have the time.
Have a good hike everyone.