Now for a bit of food talk. Friend Ed. S of Northland Adventures suggests planning on eating 2lbs of food per day while I'm up north and reducing it to about 1.5lbs/day as I get further south. He explains that "all days are not equal...colder days require more food than warmer days."
I plugged my numbers into Ed’s equation and it turns out that I should require 2lbs of food/day for the 1st 2months and about 1.5 for the remaining 4 for a total of 300lbs of food for my 6month long trek.
It is weird planning what you are going to eat for 6 months in less than 30 days.
Today I pick up my 235lbs of nuts, lentils and grains from my local natural food store.
My dad joked and said that the boxes were going to bottom out my roller skate.
My package will consist of: 25lbs brown rice, 50lbs red and green lentils, 25 lbs barley, 30lbs peanuts, 25lbs quinoa, 25lbs peas, 25lbs beans and 30lbs raisins. I realize that a lot of this food does not have a lot of flavor so I am going to invest in some spices to flavor my nutritional meals. There is also a thing called nutritional yeast which replenishes all of your B vitamins which comes in sprinkle form.
According to the article published on WhiteBlaze.com, "Food, protein, greens, and digestion: OVERVIEW," by Yerba Jon:
- Many hikers fail to eat enough calories on the trail.
- Many hikers fail to eat enough protein on the trail.
- Most hikers fail to eat enough vegetables on the trail.
- Most hikers fail to get enough calcium on the trail.
Since meats and jerky are expensive and I dropped the ball in terms of dehydrating my own meat, I am planning my meals as if I am a vegetarian. By combining vegetable proteins such as rice and beans I will be replenishing my body with all 9 of the essential amino acids found in meat and other animal products (which are considered to be "complete proteins." Quinoa, aside from soy, is one of the only sources of a complete protein from a plant source.
My 30lbs of dehydrated veggie soup is on the way and I still need to order 50lbs of fruit.
Ed says that "food is everything, it makes fast friends, bad days turn good, and it puts the pep in your step."
I was planning on living off of Ramen and gorp for 6 months but after a trip to the natural food store, I realize that nutrition is extremely important. I am my own vehicle and beans and lentils have a higher octane. I see my trip as a retreat from luxury, something my pallet will have to get used to, but I am optimistic.
Below are a couple comments and websites suggested by friends on FB:
ReplyDeleteEd S.-Took a quick look at your food list... and the calories seem light. Figure out your calorie needs. So, first figure out how much you and your gear weigh. Then calculate out how long you expect to hike in a day. Then consult this chart: http://www.dietbites.com/Pyramid-Diet/calories-burned-backpacking.html
CHeck him out at Northland Adventures.com
Ed S-The number will surprise you. But, its soooo important to make sure you get enough calories. The first thing your body will eat when starved for fats (which you have none of in you food planning) and calories is your brain. So, do your b...ody and brain right, and plan some fats into your diet. I suggest canned/bagged tuna or salmon, more nuts, and meats like Salomi or summer sausage. For calories think of adding peanut-m&m's they are very high in calories and are "healthy" sources. I'll get back to you on increasing your protein requirements and other considerations for "athletes", I have that information stored in a file cabinet somewhere around here.
ReplyDeleteThru-Hiker Moss- Hot sauce: if you like it, it could be your new best friend. Your diet sounds great, I'm jealous! But you might get sick of the same old. A small thing of hot sauce, or a few packets in a mail drop here and there might help.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.minimus.biz/Condiments.aspx
Thru-Hiker Fox- get some nutella to dip your snicker bars in!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with you hike, I started long distance hiking in the early 70's.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestions, check out Ocean state Job lot, great foods to choose from, there everywhere now.
I would suggest adding high Glycemic Index foods for the AM, to get going, my favorite, Oatmeal with brown sugar. I used to carry a pound per 10 days. I always had a water bottle with dried beans soaking. There is now a fair amount of pasta and Orzo available as whole wheat, those can be a good choce. I always had salami or dried meats, a small piece cut up into pieces adds a good amount of fat to a pasta or grain meal. Maybe I will see you on the Long Trail this summer.
One other thing, never refuse a free meal or portion from another non thru hiker, you will need the calories. Watch your belt, if you lose more than 10% of your pre hike weight you could get into trouble. Arrange meetings (with family/friends) along highways where the trail crosses, you can get new clothes, and get rid of out of season clothes.
Hi David,I know that it is normal to lose weight while doing a thru-hike but would you be able to explain the 10% weight loss factor in more detail?
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of your suggestions, I will definitely soak my beans during the day.
Since I have never seen you, I can't estimate a body fat %, but that is actually where the concern is. If you are an average athletic woman, and aprox 25% body fat,so the concern is dropping down below 15% body fat. Of course, if you do drop below a certain point, you might not have to worry about a period for the second half of your hike. (you may have already planned this with a med.)
ReplyDeleteRemember you will need carbs at a high enough level, and keep your daily calorie at a approapriate level to be able to maintain a close caloric balance. It would just be a guess, but keeping in mind you need to do almost 20 miles a day, your daily cal out should be in the 7,000 to 8,000 range.
A good site to read about this is:
http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Weight_Loss/Weight_Loss.html
Again good luck, let me know if you have other questions.