Finding foods out here that are light weight, yummy and have enough fat in them to keep me going is tough! I’ve been making my own trail mix which consists mainly of M&M’s, gummies and some nuts. I eat so much of this stuff and it really weighs down my pack.
For breakfast I try not to eat anything that requires cooking because I want my stove gas to last me a long time. This week I am planning to eat pop tarts with peanut butter spread on them. Gross! You may be thinking, but honestly, I’ve tried oat meal and I want to gag, I’ve tried granola and its ok, but not enough calories, I’ve tried beef jerky but it costs too much, and I am running out of ideas. My friend was telling me she was eating beef jerky for breakfast and I said, “Hmmm… that’s odd.” to which she replied “Well… Shit gets weird out here.” Which I think pretty much sums up the trail in one sentence.
Usually about 2 hours after breakfast I am hungry again and I end up eating most of my allotted trail mix for the day right away. The M&M’s are the first to go. Gummies second, and of course peanuts and other seedy type things are left for last.
For lunch I have a block of cheese, a German hunter sausage (Thanks Dad!), more trail mix, a bar of some sort, sometimes more chocolate and perhaps some crackers or flat bread. This week I also bought some peanut butter, although it is very heavy and I’m not really a big fan of it. Everyone keeps eating it with a spoon and says it is full of calories, so I hope it serves me well. Lunch seems to be the heaviest foods that I carry, but as I hike more, I get hungrier, and I can’t stop eating!
Dinners are pretty easy to plan. Quinoa, ramen noodles, side kicks, soups, tuna, and my favorite, Instant Mashed Potatoes! They are so warm, fluffy, salty and fast to make. I could just eat potatoes every day if it would give me enough energy. Every dinner I make is in one pot only. I don’t have a bowl or cup, I just eat out of my pot. For most of my dinners I simply boil water, add the food and let it sit for a few minutes to cook. When dinner is done, I usually sneak more trail mix. I usually brush my teeth early to prevent myself from eating more of my food.
Any suggestions of low cook time, light weight, high calorie/fat semi-nutritious hiking food?