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  1. #1
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    Default Nutrition mistakes I'm seeing on the trail

    Felt the need to write this after talking to a 24 year old who thought that his daily allotment of 5 granola bars, trail mix, and 2 packets of ramen was "probably close to 6000 calories and I just dont know why I'm so tired".

    The two big mistakes I see is one not enough fat, and two not enough nutrition.

    Gram for gram fat has 9cals/gram while protein and carbs have 4cals. So a pound of fat has more than double the calories. I've been throwing an entire stick of butter or 4ozs of olive oil into my dinners for an additional ~800 cals.

    Ramen, pasta, tortillas are all fairly devoid of micronutrients. Throw in some flax seed, sardines, almonds, quinoa, etc. And supplement with multi vitamin and magnesium.

    Magnesium is essential to healthy functions. When I was trainer I put every athlete on magnesium and they all reported improvement in mood and energy levels. Our primary dietary source for mag is green leafy veggies so you can bet your ass any thru hiker will be deficient unless they supplement.

    I've been on the trail for a month now carrying between 44 and 49lbs(camera gear weighs me down) and have only lost 3lbs. Came into hot springs yesterday and wasn't even hungry for real food lol. So it is very possible to meet your caloric needs on the trail.

    I'm 195lb male so I've been shooting for 5k cals/day. Able to make that with all the fat I eat, going through half a pound of cheese and 8-12 Ozs of butter and olive oil in addition to 1lb of trail mix(mostly cashews and almonds) then half a sleeve of pasta(800 cals 200g carbs) some tuna/sardines and bagels/tortillas.

    IMO malnutrition is probably one of the leading causes of dropouts on the trail. If you're starved your motivation and energy drops to nothing. That's why they starve you in the military, it's a great way to induce extra stress. So eat more and you'll have a much better time on the trail!!

  2. #2
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    Default Nutrition mistakes I'm seeing on the trail

    There's actually a way to take cheese and butter backpacking? I couldn't imagine adding a,whole stick of butter to a meal, tho.... Just sounds like a recipe for a heart attack! 😠 Actually, they did make me eat a stick of butter after I pulled a little mischief at military school. YUCK!!

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    Default Nutrition mistakes I'm seeing on the trail

    I agree about the mag. I used to get terrible cramps in my feet and hands, practicality every time I either exercised too hard or got too cold. No way I could have started backpacking. I started taking calcium and magnesium supplements and it's no longer an issue. Well, I still get em, but much less often and much less severe.

  4. #4

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    Lately I've been taking raw sunflower and raw pumpkins seeds in ziplocks and these are super foods for fat and nutrients. On my last trip I had 2 lbs bags of each and they make great snack foods to munch either on the trail or in camp.

    Otherwise (being a vegan) I always take natural peanut butter (crazy richard's), almond butter and cashew butter which augments my oatmeal and is eaten on Ezekiel bread with blueberry/strawberry jam. Almond butter is excellent with fresh red apples of which I always start a trip with 3 or 4.

    My latest craze is Ezekiel bread sandwiches with sliced raw tempeh (it lasts a long time in the field) on bread liberally coated with eggless mayonnaise. I take this stuff packed in a 3 lb plastic container (old honey container) and believe it or not it lasts 21 days without spoilage. I add this mayo to all my cooked meals as a sort of garnish like butter or cheese. Excellent stuff.


  5. #5

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    "Felt the need to write this after talking to a 24 year old who thought that his daily allotment of 5 granola bars, trail mix, and 2 packets of ramen was "probably close to 6000 calories and I just dont know why I'm so tired".

    Strongly doubt it. It would assume close to 4000 cals/day in trail mix. Possible but unlikely.

    "The two big mistakes I see is one not enough fat, and two not enough nutrition."

    In general I'd agree but optimal diets can vary so widely depending on many factors. Could be a trail mix does have a very high fat content(160 cal/oz+ ratio).

    Glad to hear your hike is progressing well. Seems like your'e being observant. That's good. Not saying you're doing this but don't get into being harshly judgmental about other's approaches as a matter of habit.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by jefals View Post
    There's actually a way to take cheese and butter backpacking? I couldn't imagine adding a,whole stick of butter to a meal, tho.... Just sounds like a recipe for a heart attack! 😠 Actually, they did make me eat a stick of butter after I pulled a little mischief at military school. YUCK!!
    You may not like butter, but the assertion that butter consumption is linked to heart disease reflects conventional wisdom that was based on flawed reasearch and is not consistent with recent data. Check out myth #2 in this article.

    https://authoritynutrition.com/11-bi...eam-nutrition/

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by jefals View Post
    There's actually a way to take cheese and butter backpacking? I couldn't imagine adding a,whole stick of butter to a meal, tho.... Just sounds like a recipe for a heart attack! 😠 Actually, they did make me eat a stick of butter after I pulled a little mischief at military school. YUCK!!
    Oh yeah butter and cheese will keep at least 5 days even in fairly hot temps. Just be sure to bag the butter 😂

    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    Lately I've been taking raw sunflower and raw pumpkins seeds in ziplocks and these are super foods for fat and nutrients. On my last trip I had 2 lbs bags of each and they make great snack foods to munch either on the trail or in camp.

    Otherwise (being a vegan) I always take natural peanut butter (crazy richard's), almond butter and cashew butter which augments my oatmeal and is eaten on Ezekiel bread with blueberry/strawberry jam. Almond butter is excellent with fresh red apples of which I always start a trip with 3 or 4.

    My latest craze is Ezekiel bread sandwiches with sliced raw tempeh (it lasts a long time in the field) on bread liberally coated with eggless mayonnaise. I take this stuff packed in a 3 lb plastic container (old honey container) and believe it or not it lasts 21 days without spoilage. I add this mayo to all my cooked meals as a sort of garnish like butter or cheese. Excellent stuff.

    [IMG]http://followyrheart.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/product1.png[/IG]
    Ah mayonnaise! How have I forgotten that delicious fatty addition... lunches are gonna be way tastier now. Thanks for the recipes.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    "Felt the need to write this after talking to a 24 year old who thought that his daily allotment of 5 granola bars, trail mix, and 2 packets of ramen was "probably close to 6000 calories and I just dont know why I'm so tired".

    Strongly doubt it. It would assume close to 4000 cals/day in trail mix. Possible but unlikely.

    "The two big mistakes I see is one not enough fat, and two not enough nutrition."

    In general I'd agree but optimal diets can vary so widely depending on many factors. Could be a trail mix does have a very high fat content(160 cal/oz+ ratio).

    Glad to hear your hike is progressing well. Seems like your'e being observant. That's good. Not saying you're doing this but don't get into being harshly judgmental about other's approaches as a matter of habit.
    Oh for sure, I used his example because he thought be was getting 6k when it was probably closer to 2k and that's why I wrote this - a lot of the people I've encountered seem to be doing okay carb wise but could perform way better if they got more fat cals.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Odd Man Out View Post

    You may not like butter, but the assertion that butter consumption is linked to heart disease reflects conventional wisdom that was based on flawed reasearch and is not consistent with recent data. Check out myth #2
    Hey, I like butter. But if I'm gonna eat a plate of pasta, or butter my toast - I'm not gonna use a whole stick!
    And , regarding that link - well, there's lots of less than accurate stuff posted out there on tge internet. I bet it wouldn't be hard to find reputable folks who have posted opposing views..

  9. #9
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    For us non vegans, regular mayo is emulsified with whole eggs. Egg yokes are loaded with nutrients and healthy fats. Efficiency whites are complete protein. See myth #1 in my link above about eggs. Also contrary to popular belief, mayo (like butter and cheese) are not particularly perishable.

    BTW I'm not knocking vegans. Tipi gets all this nutrition with non animal sources. But non vegans should not be frightened off by egg myths. Also, I may try that Ezekiel Bread instead of tortillas on my next hike. I got some single serve packages of Justins natural PB for lunch.

  10. #10
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    Default

    Nutrition aside, I've never understood why some hikers like to eat all that crappy processed food. My guess is that they eat crappy food at home too.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by imscotty View Post
    Nutrition aside, I've never understood why some hikers like to eat all that crappy processed food. My guess is that they eat crappy food at home too.
    I eat pretty crappy food on the trail. I don't always eat crappy at home, but it depends on how busy I am, and I am frequently busy.

    I experimented with heathy food this weekend on a quick section and when I sat down to eat, nothing actually appealed to me. I wanted a snickers and a tortilla and ramen, not nuts and couscous.

    My beef jerky was good though. Whoever recommended Krave brand was spot on.

    FWIW, I'm on the low end of a healthy BMI and my blood work is spectacular. So you can't say my love of McDonald's has made me fat and unhealthy


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by imscotty View Post
    Nutrition aside, I've never understood why some hikers like to eat all that crappy processed food. My guess is that they eat crappy food at home too.
    I'm just the opposite!!! Only time I allow myself to eat the garbage is when I'm burning it off of a long hiking trip!!! I try to balance good nutrition with the empty calories though....I had never had a pop tart before I started hiking....


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    I duinno, I guess I'm a little leery of a guy toting 45+ lbs. on the AT, telling the rest of us we're doing it all wrong.

  14. #14
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    Default cholesteral question

    Quote Originally Posted by SGTJones View Post
    I'm 195lb male so I've been shooting for 5k cals/day. Able to make that with all the fat I eat, going through half a pound of cheese and 8-12 Ozs of butter and olive oil in addition to 1lb of trail mix(mostly cashews and almonds) then half a sleeve of pasta(800 cals 200g carbs) some tuna/sardines and bagels/tortillas.
    I'm an older hiker, and my doctor is pestering me to lower my cholesterol. If you were concerned about cholesterol levels, what (if anything) would you change in your trail diet?

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    I duinno, I guess I'm a little leery of a guy toting 45+ lbs. on the AT, telling the rest of us we're doing it all wrong.
    A bit of a heavy load, but not sure that invalidates his reasonable claims about fatty food and nutrition. Not that I want to eat a stick of butter...

  16. #16

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    I like Tempeh burgers. I purchase them in the freezer section of the grocery store.

    Tipi Walter,They don't require refrigeration?

    If so, they are going in tortilla "wraps", with salad dressing and any fresh veggies.

    I also found out I like a hummus spread, and, I like couscous with basil pesto.


    SGTJones,

    I can add olive oil to almost any entree, but a stick of butter??? I will stick with Jello cheescake.
    Last edited by Connie; 06-06-2016 at 13:37.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    I duinno, I guess I'm a little leery of a guy toting 45+ lbs. on the AT, telling the rest of us we're doing it all wrong.
    I'm carrying 45lbs because I have a bunch of camera equipment shooting a documentary. Totally worth it, the photos I've gotten alone are worth the weight. Here's some of my favs: a few of my favs from the Appalachian trail so far https://imgur.com/gallery/QThG3

    Without camera gear my packs dry weight is about 18lbs. Also carrying a lot of food as you can see from the OP lol. Took 16lbs from Gatlinburg to Hot Springs and ate almost all of it. But again worth it to me - I'd rather be full and a little uncomfortable then light and hungry but to each their own.

    Also I only mentioned pack weight because at 195 with 45lbs I'm probably burning more than most on the trail, so if I can get enough cals in anyone can.

  18. #18
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    How about too much sodium? Any one getting too much sodium on the trail?

  19. #19
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    Interesting. I was wrong for 2000 + miles.

  20. #20
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    What do you think of the Ezekiel tortillas? I only find this stuff frozen but I want to try something like that but bread takes up a lot of space.

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