Meals For Thru-Hike

[llano]

I agree wholeheartily with Johnny about packing what you like to eat versus stuff that is supposedly good for you. One thing I have learned about food on the trail is that if you can't stand it at home it will not taste any better on the trail (I have never found oatmeal edible, except in cookies ). So pick things that you like.

[ShelterLeopard]

Same with me, except I love oatmeal, and HATE HATE HATE GRANOLA... OH MY GOD I HATE GRANOLA. Just a warning to all 2010ers, if you offer my granola, I will vomit.

Just wanted to make sure my message was clear.

But I love oatmeal.

[AzWildflower]

I have lurking for several months now and have learned much. Thank you everyone for all the good advise.

I was not going to use food drops until I realized I needed to mail my ATC maps to myself, so I am planning 10 resupplies.

I will not send food that can be easily obtained on the trail - ramen, sides, energy bars, oatmeal, raisens, candy, etc. These will not be included.

Instead I am dehydrating pintos, black beans, homemade humus, homemade salsa(goes on everything, well almost), fresh and frozen vegetables, lots of spaghetti/sauce(because I like it on the trail). I have loaded up on pecans (tis the season they are on sale) which I will add to most meals along with walnuts and almonds. Also I have tried Starbuck's Via. This will also go into my boxes. In hot weather it can be easily mixed with cold water and CIB.

At home I do not eat the Lipton and Knorr sides, so I bought some to try. Yuck. But that is my taste now, I might get to like them on the trail. I think if I fortify them with nuts and vegies they would be much better.

I am not a vegetarian, but I do not eat much meat either. I plan to eat animal protein, fresh vegetables and fruit in towns or where ever I can find it.

On the trail I like to carb load in the mornings, snack throughout the day (this includes calorie dense junk food, yet making sure I get nutritious food also), and then cook my dinners.

Cooking in late afternoon is sort of a ritual for me. A time to socialize and relax, wind down, reflect on my day. A time to take inventory of my food bag and plan for the next day. Decaf herbal tea after dinner is my custom also.

I also use olive oil. I add this to my humus, beans, wraps, and dinners.

I like orange juice. It is the best energy drink for me. Glucose and potassium. So I plan to pick up a bottle or fresh oranges any time they are available at a road crossing.

This has been a long post for one of my first. I welcome useful critiques.

I hope this has been helpful to the OP or to anyone else.

[Graywolf]

Kinda funny, I love cream of wheat and on my section hike in August, I took along single packs..Thinking I would have some for breakfast..Instead I found myself just eating a breakfast bar, drinking some english breakfast tea, then moving on..

I just didn't seem hungry..

I came home with all the packs I left with...mmmmmm...

Graywolf

[Jester2000]

AZWildflower -- sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck!

[mudhead]

I have loaded up on pecans (tis the season they are on sale) which I will add to most meals along with walnuts and almonds.



T

FYI-Hard to find good pecans up here. Peanuts yes. Good pecans no.

[takethisbread]

I give this subject a lot of thought.

I have several thoughts that shape my food philosophy

1. I hate mail drops. I much prefer resupply in towns and at outfitters.
2. Weight is my major issue with food. It's the heaviest thing in my bag.
3. Simple steps. I like one step cooking
4. Hate energy bars, but they are useful.
5. Ramen noodles are king, light and easyg, just not nourishing enough
So here would be a basic 4 day diet
Breakfast:
Whole wheat bagel all four days
Lunch:
Odwalla superfood bar all four days
Dinner:
Very heavy
Mountain House Lentil Soup
And 1 package of Ramen for one night.
Dehydrated Vegetarian Chili and Ramen Noodles for night 2
Mountain House Chicken Ala King and Ramen Noodles night 3
Mountain House tuna cassrole and ramen noodles night 4

Snacks; gummy bears, fritos, popcorn, a couple of protein bars

I know it's boring but it works for me.

I have found some ramen noodles that are healthy and organic. They have lots of seaweed in them and taste good, which helps.

I admire people who have all these ingredients, and cool sounding meals (yea I am talking about you Frito Bandido!), but for me, food on the trail is mostly about filling up)


Good luck folks!

[BrianLe]

Hate mail drops, but Mt. House meals for most dinners? And a specific brand of trail bar for lunch? I don't mean this as criticism, I just don't see how that works, but perhaps this is just my own inexperience with the AT. I know that thru-hiking is a better-known concept along the AT, but apart from the expense, I wouldn't have guessed that Mt. House would be readily available in small-to-medium sized grocery stores, especially when specifying a limited subset of the 20-some flavors of Mt. House dinners.

For me it comes down to finding things that are sufficiently healthy, filling, calorically dense, easy to prepare, not too expensive, readily available, and of course, taste at least "ok" if not always fantastic. A lot of bullet points to hit there (!), so the old standards work well for me ... Lipton/Knorr, instant potatos, ramen "with stuff", etc. Then for a little variety some Mt. House or the like in a very limited set of resupply boxes (5 for me for this coming years thru attempt).

[takethisbread]

Yes it seems extreme and that was a sample I would use for a four day hike not a thru hike strict diet, as on that you must deviate quite often. It's what I am packing for my hike Jan 16-20.

If I can't find a dehydrated meal on a thru hike, (simplicity!) I will use one it two knor or Lipton meals. As for one energy bar, sorry I only like a few, and that is one. I can replace it with a Black Dog Bar which is really tasty, or another brand with few nuts in it.


It's just a sample, like I said. I have no problem eating a bagel for breakfast a hundred times. And it's easy to get. The other stuff is interchangeable, but it's part of my one step cooking philosophy.
My negative with the knorr packets is one is not enough for me, which means I need a second package.

Side note;
I don't actually use mountain house but rather if possible, MaryJanesFarm brand. It's an organic line of dehydrated meals.

Hate mail drops, but Mt. House meals for most dinners? And a specific brand of trail bar for lunch? I don't mean this as criticism, I just don't see how that works, but perhaps this is just my own inexperience with the AT. I know that thru-hiking is a better-known concept along the AT, but apart from the expense, I wouldn't have guessed that Mt. House would be readily available in small-to-medium sized grocery stores, especially when specifying a limited subset of the 20-some flavors of Mt. House dinners.

For me it comes down to finding things that are sufficiently healthy, filling, calorically dense, easy to prepare, not too expensive, readily available, and of course, taste at least "ok" if not always fantastic. A lot of bullet points to hit there (!), so the old standards work well for me ... Lipton/Knorr, instant potatos, ramen "with stuff", etc. Then for a little variety some Mt. House or the like in a very limited set of resupply boxes (5 for me for this coming years thru attempt).

[BrianLe]

"My negative with the knorr packets is one is not enough for me, which means I need a second package."

Don't get me wrong here, I agree with the vast majority of what you're saying, or rather, your approach and mine are quite similar. I assume your comment on the knorr packets is when you're up to thru-hiker hunger. Adding some TVP helps this, and for me it's just then a matter of eating other stuff until I'm full. A Knorr packet plus TVP and olive oil go a long way to filling me up even when "the hunger" is upon me; add a king sized snickers or the like and I'm generally good for the night.

And MJ Farms is the other brand that I too like. Big knock on both alternatives is the cost; Knorrs with TVP or something like an Idahoan brand instant potatos with (of course) olive oil and some shredded jerky is a lot cheaper calorie delivery system, apart from being more readily available.

[Blissful]

Sounds like a good meal plan AZ wildflower.

[daylaandjasper]

I hiked before in 01, I am not a really picky eater, I did almost no mail drops the first time, this time I am doing mostly mail drops in order to eat a little better quality food.

1. How often throughout the day do you eat?

I eat every two hours or so, typically a mid morning snack, then a lunch stop, then a mid afternoon snack, I often stop and cook dinner and then keep hiking, have another snack later before bed.

2. On an average day what do you eat for each meal? (Curious as to what particular foods/brands you are thinking of purchasing/eating)

in 2001, breakfast was a poptart pasty swirl or two, maybe a granola bar. Snacks were candy bars, granola bars, gummy candy, double stuf oreos. Dinner was a lipton/knorr, or mac n cheese, often with a ramen added later on. drinks- herbal tea, hot chocolate when cold, gatorade powder when warm.

what I'm planning this time: breakfast Carnation instant breakfast made with Nido and possibly adding protein powder (probably not soy tho- I'm not supposed to eat soy supplements since I had breast cancer last year), mixture of hot cereals (oatmeal, precooked and dehydrated quinoa, barley, cream of wheat, sweetened with dried fruit and honey powder).

Snacks: gorp/trail mix with a lot of variety, granola bars, candy bars in moderation, energy nuggets mix, dried fruit, chewy fruit snacks, cookies,

Lunch: tuna or chicken pouches with packets of mayo and relish on tortilla, peanut butter, cheese on bagels, summer sausage, crackers, powdered hummus.

Dinner: mac n cheese (I never get tired of it!), bulk pasta (we had a bunch already- one of the primary reasons for us to do drops), powdered cheese, spaghetti , alfredo sauce mixes, lots of parm, the occasional ramen, sometimes with peanut butter and red pepper for Thai peanut dish. Also rotate through a veggie/rice meal a couple times a week- sorta a stew. And another meal called thanksgiving on the Trail- mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, pouch of chicken or dehydrated ground turkey. I want to make pudding and jello maybe other desserts as well.

one thing I found before- I really craved protein, I only had tuna once or twice a week - this time we will have tuna and chicken pouches every day, add tvp to a lot of our meals, summer sausage more often, cheese more often. My husband is a lot more into cooking than I am. We'll probably cook at lunch often too. For variety we'll carry chili powder, garlic, pepper, salt, maybe curry powder.

I got some shaker lids for film canisters to hold spices. We still plan to buy a significant amount of food along the way- namely lunch stuff like tortillas, bagels, cheese. I plan to make our snacks a little light in our mail drops in order to be able to satisfy some cravings/add variety. I am sending mail drops to non- post office places whereever possible in order to avoid the post office push (trying to make it there before it closes/during the week)

One thing I want to do often is carry food out of town to make unique meals the first night out- like hot dogs on the campfire, dumping canned veggies into a ziploc.


3. Is some sort of trail mix a good substitute for a meal(s)? I use it as a snack only.

[Dogwood]

Aside from breakfast and dinner, throughout the day I prefer to eat using the drip method. About every 2-3 hrs or as often as I feel it's needed I'll usually nosh on the go w/ handfuls of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, trail mixes, and nutritional bars like Raw Revolution, BumbleBars, Prana, Nicole's Nutty Goodness, or Go Raw. Often, I supplement my water w/ Lemon/Lime Emergency w/MSM or Cytomax. On short sections of trail between resupplying I'll take an apple, small orange, carrot, or avocado to the trail.

[ShelterLeopard]

Lipton and Knorr sides- I LOVE 'em. Really, I do. I tried them on my section (traded another hiker Mountain House for his Korr side- he didn't want to take it cause he thought he'd be gyping me, but I hate pad thai. And realized that I LOVE Korr sides. So I made sure not to eat any more at home (tried a couple) and found a lot of good ones for the trail. I'm only doing food maildrops for month one, to get into the swing of things. After that, who knows what my appetite will be?

I just didn't seem hungry..

I came home with all the packs I left with...mmmmmm...

Graywolf

On shorter sections, I'm never very hungry. On a three week section I actually started to get hungry after about week two. I did it with a group, and after the third week was over, the 10 of us went to a pizza place on the way back and ate 12 pizzas between us.

(I got really sick, but the moral of the story is, my appetite began to kick in. But that was when I was thinner, so maybe it'll take longer this time, who knows?)

[Doctari]

This is a great topic that too few hikers spend enough time to research.

One issue I discovered (and others have agreed)...you will not have a big appetite for the first fews days of hiking. I found this to be true every time I started a section. Don't overpack the foodbag starting out & that is hard to accept.

I agree, in fact here is what I pack for the first day on the trail: 3 candy bars. That's it! Usually don't eat all I have packed that first 3 - 4 days.

BUT, as I get along: I eat breakfast, usually; 4 packs of grits, a slice of Spam, 2 servings Carnation instant breakfast. Then I pack the rest of my stuff & eat a candy bar (or granola, etc) then it's about 1 snack each hour, I rarely stop to eat a traditional lunch, most of my breaks are less than 15 minutes, I just "graze" all day.

Dinner is usually something like (set up hammock so I have a place to sit): Liipton Noodles & sauce, often with some kind of meat cut into it (I just changed to Vegetarian, so that will change,,, somehow) 2 - 4 candy bars, Gatorade, GORP. Then I set up the rest of my camp & eat a candy bar (or similar) just before going to bed. Sometimes I eat a snack during the night.

As I am leaving town, I sometimes carry a chicken breast or 2 in aluminum foil for that first night on the trail. Just for that, I carry a zip lock of Italian seasoning; sprinkle on liberally, add salt, wrap in TWO layers of foil. In camp, place on fire, turn a few times, eat, wish you had brought twice as many, vow to do so next time. Next time, "That is too much weight". Repeat to infinity.

[ShelterLeopard]

takethisbread- where do you find things like Mountain House type meals on the trail? It seems to me that most resupply places carry a couple, but they're always the same. (If you want to live off of pad thai, go for it.)

[ShelterLeopard]

Oh, and I load up on candy bars too. I try to keep a bit of variation- snickers can get a little hard to swallow after two weeks. Snickers, Twix, MilkyWay, MilkyWay Midnight, all differnent ones.

[Brass Rat]

5. Ramen noodles are king, light and easyg, just not nourishing enough

Don't underestimate the nutritional value of Ramen Noodles, one package gives you almost 400 calories @ 59% carb and 33% fat; pretty close to an ideal food source. You also get to consume a bunch of water along with them, useful for maintaining hydration.

A lot of sodium, though. And I agree with the need to add other stuff for taste.

[takethisbread]

takethisbread- where do you find things like Mountain House type meals on the trail? It seems to me that most resupply places carry a couple, but they're always the same. (If you want to live off of pad thai, go for it.)

I will send em in maildrops, and I'm not picky. Actually I prefer the organic line MJF, but I would eat ramen if I had too. For me it's about speed and ease.
It's a preference, more than a scheduled meal. I go with the flow, what's available.
I'll eat frito's every day if I had too. No complaints.

[takethisbread]

Don't underestimate the nutritional value of Ramen Noodles, one package gives you almost 400 calories @ 59% carb and 33% fat; pretty close to an ideal food source. You also get to consume a bunch of water along with them, useful for maintaining hydration.

A lot of sodium, though. And I agree with the need to add other stuff for taste.

the sodium is the issue. I am trying out these organic ones tonight. Let u know