one day's menu?? how much

[clayrfarris]

I am planning and packing. When I combine what I think is enough for me for one day's worth of food I am coming up with 2000 calories. First I will say I am not a cooking freak. As long as it fills me up and tastes at least good enough to stay down I am happy. Here is a sample of one days food for me:

Breakfast:
two instant oatmeal 200 calories
2 x 1/3 cup powered milk 160 calories
one hot chocolate 80 calories
1 x 1/3 powered milk 80 calories

Lunch / mid day:
8 oz. gorp 600 calories
two energy goop 200 calories
1 energy bar 200 calories


Dinner:
One Ramon noodles 380 calories
One tuna packet 205 calories

Total 2105 calories

Is that adequate? If I am burning the reported 4000 to 5000 calories a day it sure doesn't look like it. This menu has served me for 3 day trips lots of times, but granted I usually tried to fill up before and after the trips. Opinions and advise is appreciated. Give me your sample one day menus.

thanks,


Clay

[Jack Tarlin]

Clay:

Most folks eat more, and many eat LOTS more.

Some suggested supplements to what you're bringing:

*Cheeze
*Pepperoni
*Crackers, pita, tortillas, or bagels
*Peanut Butter
*Sardines or other fish
*Granola bars, Poptarts, candy bars, Sports Bars
*Fresh fruit (always bring some when you leave town)
*Instant soups
*Gatorade or Kool-Aid

I suggest you eat often during the day, using the above for your snacks; adding some cheese and crackers or a cheese sandwhich to dinner will also help fill you up.

But in my opinion, your present daily "menu" does NOT supply enough energy to keep you going, and you will need to supplement it somehow.

[weary]

I am planning and packing. When I combine what I think is enough for me for one day's worth of food I am coming up with 2000 calories. First I will say I am not a cooking freak. As long as it fills me up and tastes at least good enough to stay down I am happy. Here is a sample of one days food for me:

Breakfast:
two instant oatmeal 200 calories
2 x 1/3 cup powered milk 160 calories
one hot chocolate 80 calories
1 x 1/3 powered milk 80 calories

Lunch / mid day:
8 oz. gorp 600 calories
two energy goop 200 calories
1 energy bar 200 calories


Dinner:
One Ramon noodles 380 calories
One tuna packet 205 calories
Total 2105 calories
Is that adequate? If I am burning the reported 4000 to 5000 calories a day it sure doesn't look like it. This menu has served me for 3 day trips lots of times, but granted I usually tried to fill up before and after the trips. Opinions and advise is appreciated. Give me your sample one day menus.
thanks, Clay

Early on that probably will be plenty of food. But as your body uses up its fat and energy reserves, it won't be.

People who have studied the question have argued that 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day are needed. In these new days of ultralight hiking, that estimate tends to be high. Certainly, it's far more than I've ever been able to eat. But your appetite will quickly kick in and tell you that you need at least 3,500-4,000 calories to stave off hunger.

I suspect most hikers make up the calorie deficit with town stops with beer and all you can eat restaurants and salad bars.

Weary

[neo]

I am planning and packing. When I combine what I think is enough for me for one day's worth of food I am coming up with 2000 calories. First I will say I am not a cooking freak. As long as it fills me up and tastes at least good enough to stay down I am happy. Here is a sample of one days food for me:

Breakfast:
two instant oatmeal 200 calories
2 x 1/3 cup powered milk 160 calories
one hot chocolate 80 calories
1 x 1/3 powered milk 80 calories

Lunch / mid day:
8 oz. gorp 600 calories
two energy goop 200 calories
1 energy bar 200 calories


Dinner:
One Ramon noodles 380 calories
One tuna packet 205 calories

Total 2105 calories

Is that adequate? If I am burning the reported 4000 to 5000 calories a day it sure doesn't look like it. This menu has served me for 3 day trips lots of times, but granted I usually tried to fill up before and after the trips. Opinions and advise is appreciated. Give me your sample one day menus.

thanks,


Clay

i lost 19 lbs in 12 days in vermont and newhampshire,i ate like a hog,i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,anyway i would plan on eating more,i always carry to much food i hate starving,my diabetes has been in perfect control
and i am taking very little medication now neo

[neo]

I am planning and packing. When I combine what I think is enough for me for one day's worth of food I am coming up with 2000 calories. First I will say I am not a cooking freak. As long as it fills me up and tastes at least good enough to stay down I am happy. Here is a sample of one days food for me:

Breakfast:
two instant oatmeal 200 calories
2 x 1/3 cup powered milk 160 calories
one hot chocolate 80 calories
1 x 1/3 powered milk 80 calories

Lunch / mid day:
8 oz. gorp 600 calories
two energy goop 200 calories
1 energy bar 200 calories


Dinner:
One Ramon noodles 380 calories
One tuna packet 205 calories

Total 2105 calories

Is that adequate? If I am burning the reported 4000 to 5000 calories a day it sure doesn't look like it. This menu has served me for 3 day trips lots of times, but granted I usually tried to fill up before and after the trips. Opinions and advise is appreciated. Give me your sample one day menus.

thanks,


Clay

are you trying to lose wieght? neo

[Tractor]

Your sample of one days food might do for a first day or so or for a slow day but you will need to add "snacks" for most days. After the first couple of days I tend to stop and eat maybe 5-6 times a day, or every 2 or 3 hours after breakfast.

[JojoSmiley]

A couple other things I don't see on Jack's list is nuts of some sort, dried fruits, and cream cheese which will keep rather well on the trail. If you like it yogurt can be carried out of town as well as fried chicken.

[The Solemates]

Heres what my typical day looked like on my thru (no idea on the calories):

Breakfast
2 cups Instant Oatmeal
2 Pop-tarts
1 fruit bar
1 cup hot cider

Snack 1
1 giant size honeybun with icing
1 handful of candy

Lunch
1 pack crackers (peanut butter, cookie-crackers, the like)
1 package of tuna
8-10 Fig Newton bars
1 granola bar
1 candy bar
2-3 handfuls of mixed nuts
3-4 handfuls of candy

Snack 2
1 granola bar
3-4 handfuls of mixed nuts

Supper
1 family size (ie, 4 servings) Liptons noodles dinners (or the like)
1 package of chicken
1 cup hot cider

My wife didnt eat as much. Often we shared dinners, but we wwould cook more than one package, and I would always normally eat 3-4 servings.

[Spirit Walker]

After you've been hiking a while, snacks will become more important to your diet than the main meals. They're heavy, but they provide the calories you need. We eat every couple of hours - at every break. And still we are constantly hungry.

Our usual diet:

Cereal (raisin bran or granola usually)

Snack 1 - granola bar or pop tart

Snack 2 - gorp, dried fruit

Lunch - sandwich, cookies, dried fruit

Midafternoon snack - chocolate, gorp

Dinner - soup, liptons, cheese crackers, hot chocolate, cookies

[hobbit]

thats a hard question because everyone eats differently but that seems more than adequate compared to that i eat hardly anything
breakfast 1 package of oatmeal
1 flat wrap with peanut butter

1st snack granola bar

lunch 2-3 flat wraps with peanut butter and maybe some honey
maybe a granola bar or gorp

2nd snack some gorp

dinner is usually different everytime but generally consists of mac n cheese or cous cous and a snack plus a chocalate smore dessert (home made) that i'll usually just give to some thru hikers (they usually need it/want it way more than i do)

[clayrfarris]

Thanks for all the replies. I will add more calories to my diet. Peanut Butter, Hard Cheeze, Pop Tarts,etc... I guess I just need to wrap my head around trail eating (everything you can carry) as opposed to regular life eating (don't eat like a pig). I hit the trail next week, all the advise will help.

thanks.

Clay

[Peaks]

I guess I forgot just how few calories are in a package of ramen noodles: 380

Compare that with a box of Annies Mac & cheese: 810

Or liptons: about 600

True that a package of ramen weight about 1/2 of liptons. Just means that if you want calories (and salt) from ramen, you need to eat a lot of it.