Thru Hiking as a Vegan

[lukejmills]

There's tons of people who hike it vegan, and who don't have Youtube channels.

Just eat vegan food.

Haha, that's what I'm gathering. Her video basically outlined all the specialty vegan food she used ($$$!) on her thru-hike. Not trying to break the bank with all those specialty meals.

I'm looking to do more like lentils and grains and such (lentils, surprisingly, are just over 100 calories/ounce, so they're not that heavy).

The more I look at this, the more I realize this will be less of an issue than I thought. The specialty meals just throw a wrench in the works.

Definitely will be supplementing with a protein powder of some sort and vitamin B12 though.

[lukejmills]

A jug of this added to ramen, mashed potatoes, etc. would work.
https://naturesplus.com/products/pro...ctNumber=45951

It works for me and I am not even close to vegan. But I met one once.
Wayne

That pea protein looks like exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

I dig the Grateful Dead quote in your signature by the way! They're my favorite band.

[Dogwood]

Many fortified foods contain B12. They are not only marketed and recommended to Vegans or vegetarians either. One example is b-fast type cereals meaning it is not just Vegans and vegetarians that can be lacking in this vitamin. Brewers and nutritional yeast are another example but they do tend to be marketed to Vegans and vegetarians rather than to the general public. Some certainly healthy non sick Vegans and Vegetarians aren't on a B12 supplement g etting this vitamin through those sources so to state absolutely that Vegans and vegetarians all need to take a B12 supplement or they will get very sick is inaccurate. Having close Vegan and strict vegetarian as well as health conscious omnivore thru-hiking friends that is how they sometimes get B12/added B12.

[Dogwood]

I did my thru hike with someone who is pestitarian <sp> (allowing fish), and it was no problem for her on the AT and most of her stuff was not fish. Obviously vegetarian would be harder and vegan harder still.

Even El Camino, in a very meat centric Spain, has a vegetarian option now (ok not vegan, but a good start for a country that normally if you ask for a vegetarian meal they would say just don't eat the meat on your plate).

It's also sometimes referred as being a pesce vegetarian which is what I am. Additionally a majority of my diet is raw food and whole food. I have few significant problems resupplying anywhere in the U.S. employing a hybrid resupply approach. I do often mail some resupply boxes. I take no supplements and have no known vitamin or mineral deficiencies because of my dietary choices. I never have had those deficiencies in nearly 22 yrs of being a pesce vegetarian. I recently had a rather intense medical check up. SWODaddy's Web MD article details partly why I chose to include limited seafood and fish as a vegetarian both on and off trail.


LOL. That's what my father says if I'm over for a meal he's prepared. In S. America it's also more difficult on trail being a vegetarian as being offered food is a hospitable act, it's a privilege if it contains meat or animal products, and it can be perceived as rude to decline the offer.

[Venchka]

That pea protein looks like exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

I dig the Grateful Dead quote in your signature by the way! They're my favorite band.

You’re welcome! That particular brand is tasteless and invisible when add to other foods. 75% protein by weight!
I was very fortunate to see the Dead in the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. A very intimate setting.
Good luck!
Wayne

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Haha, that's what I'm gathering. Her video basically outlined all the specialty vegan food she used ($$$!) on her thru-hike. Not trying to break the bank with all those specialty meals.
I'm looking to do more like lentils and grains and such (lentils, surprisingly, are just over 100 calories/ounce, so they're not that heavy).
The more I look at this, the more I realize this will be less of an issue than I thought. The specialty meals just throw a wrench in the works.Definitely will be supplementing with a protein powder of some sort and vitamin B12 though.

If you are cold-soak cooking, I bet throwing in your lentils way early (read after breakfast) would work nicely. Or even the night before. Add lentils and water, then at mid-afternoon break add your tvp, etc. By dinner time it should all be sorted. Add olive oil from your platypus, maybe some spices, yum.

[Venchka]

TVP??????
Why?
Macadamia nuts and pecans top the calories per ounce chart.
Bob’ Red Mill products turn up in the most off the wall places. Watch for them.
TVP???????
Wayne

[Venchka]

Bob’s
https://www.bobsredmill.com
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
https://manitobaharvest.com/products...ze=4&flavor=39
The stuff is everywhere. Don’t forget rice noodles.
Tofu not required.
Wayne

[perrymk]

I've just started reading The Dietitian's Resupply Box: A Guide to Thru-Hiking on a Plant-Based Diet. It might be something that interests you also.

[CamelMan]

I haven't thru-hiked, but I'm vegan and have no problems whatsoever, except pack weight and space because the food tends to be less calorie dense and I refuse to live on nuts and oil. If you're worried, punch your choices into cronometer.com and you'll see you can resupply at any grocery store as well as anyone else. Feel free to PM me.

[JJ505]

I don't know if B12 supplements are needed or not, not going to get into that. However if you want to take one, Kal (a vitamin company) makes a micro B12. I don't think it's sublingual, more of a coated tab. They are so small 100 of them would fit in a tiny ziplock. UL B12.