rebeltart Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 So... A few months ago I did the whole 30 and I loved it. I felt good, was beginning to look better -complexion wise. Then I moved from IL to UT (hooray) for a new job. However, new job has a set menu. I am working as field staff for a wilderness therapy company. I spend 8 days in the field at a time. Love the job, hate the food. Later I will elaborate on the menu, but first I will get to the point. I have been told I can substitute products, as long as they look close enough that the clients cannot tell the difference between theirs and mine. Please keep in mind I have one small quart pot to cook with over a camp fire with 8-10 other people. We are allotted about an hour for each meal. I'd love to make this work as well as I can, and any input or creativity you guys can offer would be so much appreciated. Here is what we are given on a weekly basis powdered milk powdered butter ( in cold months, we get real butter) flour masa corn meal cream of wheat Quick oats baking powder salt brown sugar pepper cinnamon cayenne pepper powdered cheese product salted sun dried tomatoes dehydrated refried pinto beans 2 potatoes onion garlic two apples two carrots lime orange two tuna pouches apricots OR figs sweetened craisins OR raisins soy nuts OR sunflower seeds pasta quinoa rice or brown rice sweetened puffed rice style granola Mondays we typically get another banana, orange and apple & more oatmeal we also get a service meal that changes weekly So, as you can see, it's starch and grain laden. I've figured out maybe a few substitutions for the flour I can use, but I would love to make this healthier. What i'd really love for is the whole organization to put a little more time/effort into nutrition, but that's a whole separate battle. For now I would love to hear this groups ideas/suggestions. Otherwise I will end up eating primarily oatmeal and fruit and seeds for 8 days, and pasta. Remember; the key is that the clients should not be able to tell what I have is significantly different from standard looking products. They will be repackaged into baggies. Thank you so much in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Floyd Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 This is going to be a tough one for a couple of reasons; first there isn't a ton of vegetables which as I'm sure you know you are suppose to have 2-3 cups of EVERY meal. Then there isn't any meat. My only "creative" suggestion would be jicama "oatmeal". I've never made it but my friends told me it was pretty good and it does look oatmeal-ish. You could probably make it ahead of time and package it up. There are also lots of breads, biscuits, pancakes and muffins you can make with almond and coconut flours but I do not like the texture or taste of almond or coconut flour so I haven't done much with them. Also, I'm sure none of them are Whole30 compliant. Hope that helps a little...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheba-kitty Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Wow, that sounds rough! What kind of therapy? Clearly not related to eating healthy, body image or improvements... I get when you are backpacking, fresh veggies are pretty hard to pack, transport and cook.. Is that part of the issue? I am sorry to say I don't have a lot of suggestions for you other than fighting to get more veggies added to the list! Can you make some cauliflower rice ahead of time to make it look like rice? Can you bring in beef jerky and nuts? Those are typical camping foods that you can make healthy that are missing from this list. Can you explain/claim a medical condition that requires a different food option? Swap the sweetened dried fruit for any kind if unsweetened dried fruit? Where the heck is the protein? I am guessing you are doing a lot of physical stuff, hiking, climbing etc. how can people, your guests, do all this without proper protein? Good luck and keep us posted! Send pictures, it does sound like a cool job! Except the food part... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizitea Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I keep checking this conversation, to see if anyone added because my daughter does this kind of work ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 So, I haven't come up with many improvements. Aside from replacing the powdered milk with powdered coconut milk. And replacing the flour with coconut flour. The group I'm in can no longer have apples (allergies) and Bananas are out for the season, but we will soon be getting real butter, instead of the powdered butter. We've also been given cashews or almonds in place of the soy nuts! This shift my plan is to bring limes 2 oranges 2 carrots 1 onion 1 bulb garlic sun dried tomatoes 2-3 white potatos (I know this is a nono, but with the general lack of anything fresh, i'm opting to eat the fresh potatoes in lieu of grains) craisins or raisins figs or apricots dehydrated refried beans (another nono, but trying to find even small amounts of protein in lieu of grain) cashews or almonds sunflower seeds two sunkist tuna packs quinoa ( yet again, another nono, but i have to eat something) oatmeal cinnamon cayenne salt pepper baking powder so I'll be leaving behind couscous ( though i may bring these for an emergency moment because they cook fast) white rice pasta brown sugar flour matza corn meal puffed rice trail mix powdered butter powdered milk cream of wheat powdered cheese I'll be visiting whole foods, and potentially swapping out the regular flour for coconut or almond flour, and the powdered milk with powdered coconut milk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 This is going to be a tough one for a couple of reasons; first there isn't a ton of vegetables which as I'm sure you know you are suppose to have 2-3 cups of EVERY meal. Then there isn't any meat. My only "creative" suggestion would be jicama "oatmeal". I've never made it but my friends told me it was pretty good and it does look oatmeal-ish. You could probably make it ahead of time and package it up. There are also lots of breads, biscuits, pancakes and muffins you can make with almond and coconut flours but I do not like the texture or taste of almond or coconut flour so I haven't done much with them. Also, I'm sure none of them are Whole30 compliant. Hope that helps a little...... It IS really hard to adapt to this diet. My insides hate me for it. When I get out of my shifts I go right back to the whole 30, and it helps a lot. I'll have to give the jicama "oatmeal" a try. It's a challenge to prep ahead of time. It has to look nearly identical to what the company provides, and i have to repack it into ziplock bags and then put it in my food bag. Aghhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 Wow, that sounds rough! What kind of therapy? Clearly not related to eating healthy, body image or improvements... I get when you are backpacking, fresh veggies are pretty hard to pack, transport and cook.. Is that part of the issue? I am sorry to say I don't have a lot of suggestions for you other than fighting to get more veggies added to the list! Can you make some cauliflower rice ahead of time to make it look like rice? Can you bring in beef jerky and nuts? Those are typical camping foods that you can make healthy that are missing from this list. Can you explain/claim a medical condition that requires a different food option? Swap the sweetened dried fruit for any kind if unsweetened dried fruit? Where the heck is the protein? I am guessing you are doing a lot of physical stuff, hiking, climbing etc. how can people, your guests, do all this without proper protein? Good luck and keep us posted! Send pictures, it does sound like a cool job! Except the food part... The transporting/keeping fresh is a big issue, which is why their is so much dry product. I love the idea of the cauliflower rice, but the kids would smell that, so It's too risky. i can only use what is provided meat/nut wise ( though I can swap out the salted for unsalted variation) So depending on what we are given, I can swap the salted cashews/almonds for unsalted/raw and for the dried fruit i can try to find unsweetened. I would love to find a way to sneak protein in. Sorry I can not provide photos, it's against HIPPA laws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizitea Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Obviously you have thought of jerky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 Obviously you have thought of jerky? Yes. It is not allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 So last shift I brought out coconut sugar, and coconut flour. I premixed my baking powder with my coconut flour. It was a complete failure. Trying to work with the flour was impossible It was like handling feta cheese. I ate a lot of soup. I think that will be my strategy this next shift also. It's quite a challenge turning down service meals, but sometimes I can eat parts of them. I think on thanksgiving they give us ham and sweet potatoes! Hooray... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 All I can think of is dehydrated veggies and/or growing something in the wild (if that's an option) for the future (carrots, zucchini, onions) I'm not sure I understand what a "wilderness therapy company" is, but it sounds like an upsell/product opportunity to offer a different menu to clients with dietary restrictions. You could offer to be the guinea pig for the new product Is jerky banned because of what it looks like? You might be able to shred it in a food processor so it looks closer to a flour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 All I can think of is dehydrated veggies and/or growing something in the wild (if that's an option) for the future (carrots, zucchini, onions) I'm not sure I understand what a "wilderness therapy company" is, but it sounds like an upsell/product opportunity to offer a different menu to clients with dietary restrictions. You could offer to be the guinea pig for the new product Is jerky banned because of what it looks like? You might be able to shred it in a food processor so it looks closer to a flour. Haha, i think you've misunderstood in a very big way. The kids I am working with are troubled kids who've been sent away by their families for therapy. Similar to a therapeutic boarding school or residential rehab facility.....but out in the middle of nowhere wilderness. After the kids/young adults finish the program they move onto boarding schools, RTC's or theraputic boarding schools. These kids hate the food they are given usually. We use a bow-drill to start a fire, and then every member of the group cooks what they want from the ingredients they are given (see the list a few posts up) Some of the kids haven't cooked a day in their life. As a show of solidarity and encouragement, staff gets the same items. In fact, staff is encouraged to be as primitive as possible (i.e. we don't have "industrial" backpacks, we use sticks, leather and sinue to build a primitive A-frame pack, attach a dream catcher to hold the weight, and then roll our stuff up in a tarp) We sleep under a tarp at night, or sometimes just out in the open. The kids have to carve a spoon to eat, or can be gifted spoons by other group members. We're together 24 hours a day. I can't hide much from these kids - they are sharp, and it would be wrong. I'm trying to substitute as low key as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I did a couple of trips with similar companies in Colorado a few years back. I was able to carry a bit of jerky and fruit leather for my own health (I have diabetes). I remember my initiation being the same as that of the kids and that it was humiliating, terrifying, and not at all therapeutic. I ended up leaving because it simply wasn't what I wanted to give kids in nature. That said, aside from dehydrated veggies, perhaps you can have powdered eggs in one of your baggies. You could dehydrate your own veggies to add to soup. I'm not sure where to get powdered eggs, but I know that they exist. And, know that you can't help them if you aren't taking care of you first. If that means a bit of nourishment on a trip to a cat hole, I don't see it as being a big ethical issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellyc Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 What about dehydrated white mushrooms. You could dehydrate them and then grind them to a powder that you could make into a soup. I just put a few white mushrooms in my dehydrator to see if they stay white. I think I used kuzu root to thicken soups before. Powdered eggs may ook like the corn meal and are easy to make in a dehydrator. There is also a pumpkin seed powder on amazon that is high in protein. The price is high, I would probably also try to dehydrate some pumpkin seeds and then put them in a coffee bean grinder and try to find a way to get them into a soup or bread as a way to add some protein into your meals. If i have time next weekend I will try out some of these, It would not hurt to have some dried soup mixes on hand for quick meals. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellyc Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Another item that you may consider is dehydrated bone broth. momsneverendinglist has a dehydrated recipe she calls traveling bone broth that has very detailed instructions. The picture she shows on the site is a yellow color that may look like corn meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ! Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 What a mixed message your employers are sending these kids - carve your own spoon to eat your highly industrialized food - seems like a problem in ethics more than a whole30 topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeltart Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 I'm loving some of these ideas! While I agree about the diet, I'm not about to start a fight with the state over it. I don't have the time or energy to throw into a project like that ( not that I wish someone else wouldn't ) Last shift was a 12 day shift complete with a snow storm. I got frost bite on my feet and currently can not walk (temporary) due to pain. I've been given Gabapenthen, ibuprofen 800's, and percoset. It really sucks, anyways. Thanksgiving turned out to be really nice, the company supplied us with ham,mashed potatoes, yams,stovetop stuffing (gross), salad, rolls and pumpkin pie. Yep. I ate a third of a cost-co pumpkin pie. I was disappointed, but at that point I wasn't even really thinking clearly due to circumstances being absolutely insane. Poor excuse I know. Due to the frostbite, I have my next shift and then the holiday off! So I've got some time to internet shop and experiment. I've decided that in the future, I will sneak out a few food items for myself and be very careful to remove them from original packaging and keep them separate fro my food items around the kids. My altruistic tendencies and motivations, while good, are preventing me from being as healthy as I can/want to be. If that means sneaking a few extra tuna packets, then so be it. I can't wait to experiment with powdered eggs. I love eggs and if I could somehow get those I would be a pretty happy girl. Also the broth idea is wonderful. I would much rather use that as opposed to the salty mess they give us chicken bouillon Thank you for the suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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