I met a guy in GSMNP this fall who shared his latest nutrition/hiking menu with our group...basically it is called the "Paleo diet".. when you understand it, it really makes the whole issue of trail food much easier to deal with

"Paleo man" was so easy even a caveman could do it... the Paleo-diet was high in protein (wild game), nuts, berries, roots, whatever Paleo-man could kill or gather while out in the wild. Paleo man was fit, lean and mean. He had to run, jump, leap high and be fast and quick to survive the paleo world.... he did not suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and other modern man diseases, which occurred later as man moved into villages and cities, growing crops on farms, where diseases and plagues appeared.

I told this guy that modern man could easily simulate the "Paleo-diet" in our modern society by leaping up onto the McDonalds counter as he eats his Big-Mac.

the Paleo-diet lends itself well to trail food and if followed, by the end of your thru hike you will be lean and mean.