most calorie and nutrition dense trail mix.... recipes.
Printable View
most calorie and nutrition dense trail mix.... recipes.
Nuts, rasins and chocolate, preferably M+M's as otherwise you get a sticky mess. Using chocolate chips in GORP was a serious mistake.
Lately I've been ditching the GORP for Corn Chips, especially when it's hot and need the extra salt.
It's the one that you'll eat and won't get sick of. Nutritional needs will vary between the needs of individual, and the activity they're doing, long hike, short hike, etc. I like to make granolas, because it let's me put more healthy things in. Nuts, seeds, protein powders, can be great additions if you're building or maintaining muscle. Can use different spices, different sweeteners. Grains and fibers to aid in digestion and provide a more constant energy throughout the day. It all "seems" very healthy, but it's high calorie, to the extent that I have to be careful not to consider it health food, when I'm off the trail.
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-ad...recipe-article
I'm not a huge fan of basic trail mixes, which always seem to just end up being nuts and candy. I enjoy nuts and candy, but I can get really sick of the specific mixture of them in every handful. I'd rather keep the items separate, as I find myself picking through the mix for the yummy bits I'm in the mood for.
Basically, nothing has more calories per gram than fat/oil. So food with a high fat content (nuts, dark chocolatewill increase cal/g. Water will decrease cal/g, so just make sure everything is dehdrated.
Add nut butters to the list of ways to eat nuts. Seeds, sunflower and pumpkin, for filler with the nuts. Peanut or Almond M&M’s. Macadamia nuts top the nuts for calories per ounce.
The internet is full of lists of foods with calories/ounce figures.
Raisins for potassium.
70% Cocoa Chocolate.
Wayne
I don't know about most plain to fame but I know I can getcha at close.Quote:
Originally Posted by petedelisio
Readily available, try a combination of hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower. There're some suggestive studies that point to higher nutrient levels in sprouted nuts, grains, and seed. FRESH and RAW should be emphasized. Flax, Chia, sesame, pomegranate are other seeds available with the first three readily available in bulk bins. You might look into sacha incha seed although for the nutritional trade offs for the maybe lower price and easier to find aspects I'd stick with hemp hearts instead. Shelled hemp seeds(hemp hears) push priciness though. Although not thought of as seeds, to trail mixes I mix in sprouted almonds and cashews, or plain brazil "nuts" for Omega 3 fat contents and other nutrition. Pine nuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts(actually a seed?) are good but tend towards priciness. Pine nuts, pepitas(pumpkin seeds), dried mulberries, dried blueberries, and coconut flakes are a fav. Macs have the highest fat content of any nut. I like adding dried just plain no sugar added coconut shavings, NOT CHEAP shredded bagged coconut which often has nasties in it found in Wally World warehouse baking aisles. Edwards & Sons is one brand I seek. OR, I might sprinkle in plain coconut milk powder(no sugar added) to a trail mix during cooler periods not desiring a gooey mess. In coconut large fakes(shavings) or count milk powders I like adding in Ceylon cinnamon(Saigon is acceptable in lesser amts). I might put a few drops of 100% REAL vanilla into trail mixes. Another idea is to sprinkle in unsweetened cacao powder or cacao nibs or high quality(non U.S. brand) dark chocolate pieces or for an Indian twist cumin, turmeric, and ginger powder or unsweetened crystalized ginger. People often ignore spices being added to trail mixes as the U.S. masses are so accustomed to GORP. Since the nibs and cacao powder are somewhat bitter I sweeten the mixes up naturally with the coconut milk powder or by adding dried fruit and berries. If going in the direction of a Himalayan or Hunza trail mix I add dried mulberries and goji berries. I've been seeing in the last several yrs goji berries showing up more frequently in bulk bins possibly bringing down the price although I do see the price going down some compared to when goji were new to the U.S. market. For a wide variety of flavor, texture, nutrition, and to offer some naturally occurring NO SUGAR or sweeteners added! I often include various berries like blue, straw, cherries, and black currants. Trail nutrition and nutritional density is MORE than maxing out calories(cal.oz ratios)!!!
There are basically an infinite variety of high nutritional density trail mix options IF one can be creative enough to look beyond pre packaged mixes!
I feel the same way. Kudos for mentioning spices.Quote:
Originally Posted by Puddlefish
One way to not get bored is mixing up variety and approaches. We live in the U.S. with access to so much variety of choices. IMO, there's no one most right way or healthiest way for all.
Not bad, Dogwood. So many trail mixes are glorified candy.
I go back to real foods, as primitive as possible. Foods we evolved on can't be wrong. Conversely, we should avoid it if it rots our teeth and causes metabolic mayhem in the long run.
One thing I keep coming back to is that we don't need to get a huge amount of energy from our food. We all carry around a huge amount of energy, if we train our bodies to burn our fat. But we shut off fat burning as soon as we eat sugar and refined carbs.
A trail mix I've started adding into resupplies is based on dry roasted garbanzo beans(nuts) for their high fiber and protein content. You can make them from dry bagged or canned beans in your own oven or buy ready somewhat cheaply. But the fat content isn't there so I might drizzle some flax seed oil or EVOO on them and mix in pistachios, chopped Mission figs, mulberries, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon and maybe coconut shavings. You could go sweeter with chopped dried apricots or also drizzle the garbanzo nuts with a high quality honey. Personally, for the enhanced nutritional, anti viral, and anti bacterial benefits, and as Foodie, I prefer RAW Manuka Honey from New Zealand added in trace amounts. Maybe, real maple syrup used in moderation is an alternative. One can add the dried crunchy garbanzo 'nuts' to dried mango, dried cherries, dried peaches/nectarines, dried chopped figs, sliced or slivered almonds, hazelnuts, citrus or lemon peel(dried citrus/lemon zest can work found in the spice aisle) and cinnamon and or a small dash of cardamon(great for digestion). Cardamon seed is less expensive and pods very inexpensive are found in Indian and Asian food markets. A bit of vanilla and dried pomegranate seeds or if you can find pomegranate powder and a bit of sesame seeds added can deepen the flavor and nutritional profile. You can also go in the savory direction going with EVOO, dried garlic, red curry powder, turmeric powder, dried Parm cheese, and one of my favorite cal/oz ratios, a seed butter such as tahini made from sesame seeds or simply some sesame seeds. Most if not all these are found in bulk bins and places like TJ's.
Probably most in the U.S. have never thought of garbanzo beans as a trail mix/street/in the home snack but that's what they do in the Middle East, Turkey, India,...
Most of these trail mix recipes I gleaned from wanting to expand from what I thought was boring GORP or, as Puddlefish stated, moving beyond what I saw as trail mixes often based on some nuts and or fruit mixed with what I saw as candy. By walking around looking at gourmet products on shelves at places like WholeFoods, EarthFare, Sprouts, TJ's, Health food stores, hoity toity high priced snacks and trail mixes at REI, etc we can get ideas and make them ourselves tweaked to more specifically represent what we want. Good ideas are all around us. Run with it.
BTW, if wanting to try packaged already prepared dry roasted garbanzo bean snacks they double as meal additives going in the direction of chana marsala.
Sesame sticks and salted dry roasted peanuts. Both are 160 calories per ounce at nuts.com where I get them. Sometimes I add salted pumpkin seeds which are also 160 calories per ounce. I want sodium in my trail mix because I need to replace the salt I sweat out while hiking day after day. If you are someone who craves some sweet stuff in your trail mix M&Ms are a good suggestion -- 140 calories per ounce.
No, and no.Quote:
Originally Posted by RockDoc
We dont all carry around a huge amount of fat
We cannot eat enough to shut it down anyway, more than temporarily.
When you talk about a day or two , or a marathon....yes.
When you talk about hiking for weeks or months straight....no. Even for average people, after a few weeks any calories are better than no calories. The best, .....is the one you eat the most of.
I took some nasty organic mix with me once, 2 week trip. Nuts, cranberries mostly. Ate none if it. Give me walmart mountain trail mix instead anyday.
Just as bad as not eating it, is carrying it 250 miles.
Map Man:Quote:
Originally Posted by map man
Southern Style Hunter Mix at Sam’s Club. All of the above and a few more goodies too in 36 ounce container.
Habit forming and addictive.
Dogwood:
Thanks for the dissertation on Unobtainium Trail Mix. Many of us live hours, or days, away from Whole Foods, TJ’s, Harris Teeter, Earth Fare, etc. But some of us have access to local honey, regional fried pecans, and other indigenous goodies. I do have access to a pair of Natural Grocers stores each about 35 miles away. I visited one of the stores once. The only thing that I found of value were several varieties of dehydrated fruits which I couldn’t find anywhere else. Nice to have but not indispensable.
Me, I’ll stick to the inorganic bulk food dispensers. The only coconut I trust comes in Almond Joy and Mounds wrappers. 😀
Enjoy Y’all!
Wayne
Bruce, c'mon many of the named items are found in mainstream grocery stores. We live in the modern interconnected world and abundant U.S. I simply said I get IDEAS - INSPIRATION - for concocting trail mixes at those places.
It's no different than accessing recipes and ingredient lists for Mountain House or Backpackers Pantry either in person OR ON LINE, AS YOU ARE NOW, and considering your own way of doing food things. I never pushed Organic either so c'mon man. Eat whatever way YOU want but the OP asked a specific food question - "most calorie and nutrition dense trail mix.... recipes?" It was being answered. If you don't like options presented fine. It's simply put out there as suggestions, AS OPTIONS. I thought that was clear?
Why does this defensiveness about food options need to occur every freakin time here on WB? Does food need to be added to too controversial WB taboo topics?
Macadamia nuts, almond butter, ghee to add to my hot meals, most fats are very calorie dense-add them to other foods. Butter makes it better!
I’m all about state of the possible in backwoods versus state of the art in the big city.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogwood
I also wonder why folks need to ask questions about food? The internet has a bewildering amount of information on food. Like “Foods high in Omega acids”
And why the term Trail Mix? What if you don’t mix it? Hiking Food better describes the type of food and how I consume it. Between camps while hiking.
Dogwood, thanks for your in-depth analyses for the folks who need the information.
I try to keep it simple. Cheers!
Wayne
Said no cow, ever. Plenty of healthier alternatives!Quote:
Originally Posted by kestral
What are you currently stationed at a remote Antarctic outpost subsisting off whale and seal blubber while relying on aviation twice yearly food drops? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Venchka
Like I said in my first post, I’m 100+ miles from a Whole Foods Store and 2-3 states away from TJs, Earth Fare, etc. Thank Goodness I have 2 local “health food” stores and 2 Natural Grocers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogwood
I still prefer to Keep It Simple. And local honey as opposed to New Zealand Honey.
It’s all good. You eat your food and I’ll eat my food.
Thanks to you I have incorporated some new items in my diet. If they are budget friendly.
Wayne