Nutrition mistakes I'm seeing on the trail

[SGTJones]

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!!

[jefals]

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!!

[Odd Man Out]

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/

[REB]

Good information in this article. Thanks

[misprof]

You could also carry bacon grease instead of butter. It also keeps. I usually carry coconut oil for short trips and olive oil for longer ones and added to just about anything but the peanut butter.

[Riocielo]

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!!

We always carry butter and cheese on our section hikes and make quesadillas for dinner.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jefals]

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.

[Tipi Walter]

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.

[backtrack213]

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.

[Dogwood]

"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.

[SGTJones]

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 😂

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.

"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.

[Malto]

Oh yeah butter and cheese will keep at least 5 days even in fairly hot temps. Just be sure to bag the butter 



Ah mayonnaise! How have I forgotten that delicious fatty addition... lunches are gonna be way tastier now. Thanks for the recipes.



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.

Somebody will bonk from lack of carbs not from lack of fat. On the other hand, the addition of fat will keep long term weight loss to a minimum which is why long duration hikes need much more fat than shorter durations. I hiked with a hiker on my thru that could hike circles around me in the morning yet I left him in the dust in the afternoon. It was a lack of calorie intake, specifically carbs that caused him to fade. He also didn't meter his calories in during the day.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Somebody will bonk from lack of carbs not from lack of fat. On the other hand, the addition of fat will keep long term weight loss to a minimum which is why long duration hikes need much more fat than shorter durations. I hiked with a hiker on my thru that could hike circles around me in the morning yet I left him in the dust in the afternoon. It was a lack of calorie intake, specifically carbs that caused him to fade. He also didn't meter his calories in during the day.

Malto, I'm curious to know what you would consider the rough time/distance where a hike becomes a long distance hike

[Malto]

Malto, I'm curious to know what you would consider the rough time/distance where a hike becomes a long distance hike

For me it would be about two weeks but I t really depends on how much body fat one has. I could go two weeks, burning about a pound of fat a day and be fine (and really skinny) Beyond that duration I would add more calories per fat primarily in fat. (I actually take low calorie Spam vs. regular because I really want to train my body on how to use my body fat.). Also, people generally have more fat than they think. I just had a whole battery of tests done and it has confirmed the two week mark.

[jefals]

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..

[Odd Man Out]

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.

[Greenlight]

He's right. Doctors are finally admitting they've been feeding us a line of B.S. for the past 50 years. Fat does not make you fat. Empty carbs, sugar, and highly processed foods are what has been killing us. Want to eat a healthy diet? Mostly salad and as wide a variety of both raw and cooked veggies as you can get, beans, fungi ('shrooms), onions, nuts, berries, seeds, and about 4 ounces of meat per day. If you're sedentary, watch the salt intake. And yes, animal fats are fine. Be more worried about all the hormones and antibiotics they're putting in your meat if you have a local supplier of grass fed beef or bison, chickens, pigs, ect...make sure they're only giving them antibiotics if they get sick, and no growth hormones.

As I have said before, I dehydrate greens (collard, mustard, turnip, spinach, etc) scrunch them up and pack them in a gallon zip lock baggie and take them on my hikes. You can add them to anything you're putting water in, just add a bit more water and you have all the greens you can stand every day!

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..

[JC13]

What about liquid carbs? A liter of water mixed with 2/3 cup of maltodextrin gives you 250 calories, 63g of carbohydrates, and only 2 g of sugars. Much slower energy burn than the pure sugar honey bun. Perfect for a no cook meal plan.

Might be a good option, would have to use water bottles though. I could mix it in the blender bottle I am bringing for my shakes and refill it from my bladder.

I guess I didn't even think about doing gatorade or some similar type of electrolytes. Bottle of course required there as well.

[imscotty]

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.

[la.lindsey]

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