Backpacking - how does this look for a food plan?

[Castle]

So I'm going backpacking with a group for a few days, and I'll be able to use hot water in the morning/evening to rehydrate food. I was wondering what opinions were on how this looked W30-wise? The trip is short, but still plenty of time to mess up my W30 so far.

Note about snacks: The snacks aren't built in meals, more emergency food for if I get really hungry on the trail (or for actual emergencies). Also, the fruit would be in small quantities - never been a huge fruit fan except for cherries

DAY ONE

Breakfast: LARGE COOKED BREAKFAST [won't have left yet]

Lunch: 4oz beef Jerky, veggies chips [yam, squash], Coconut butter packet, dried fruit

Dinner: Dehydrated Koorma with ground meat,+ misc. veggies,

Snack: Jerky, dried fruit, coconut butter packet

DAY TWO

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs [4] with smoked salmon, peppers, onions

Lunch: 4oz beef Jerky, veggies chips [yam, squash], Coconut butter packet, dried fruit

Dinner: Pesto spaghetti squash with meatballs, veggies, balsamic

Snack: Jerky, dried fruit, coconut butter

DAY THRE

Breakfast: Mashed yams with dehydrated ground poultry and eggs

Lunch: 4oz chicken/turkey Jerky, veggies chips [yam, squash], Coconut butter packet, dried fruit

Dinner: Spaghetti squash, meatballs, veggies & and marinara

Snack: Jerky, dried fruit, coconut butter

DAY FOUR

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, peppers, onions

Lunch: 4oz chicken/turkey Jerky, veggies chips [yam, squash], Coconut butter packet, dried fruit

Dinner: WILL BE BACK

Snack: Jerky, dried fruit, coconut butter

Thanks!

[Moluv]

Impressive!

[Susan W]

Wow! You'll be able to pack all that? To quote Moluv..impressive.

[Castle]

Nearly all of it will be dehydrated, and there'll most likely just one or two snack bags for use on any of the days.

[annabel]

Looks good, so long as that's enough food to keep you going for the four days. Where you going backpacking to?

[missmary]

This looks really good! The only thing I would add is some sort of recovery beverage--a little sea salt or electrolite drops + a small amount of fruit juice or coconut water diluted with water. I've been on trips where even experienced people got caught needing electrolytes and it's scary, so I'm careful about that one. http://whole9life.co...e-electrolytes/

Any reason you are avoiding nuts? I usually throw some macadamia nuts, cashews or sprouted almonds in with the dried fruit (also coconut flakes) for some more good fats. Throw some sea salt on this mixture too. Maybe it's just me, but when I'm hiking I drink a lot of water (well always) but I feel like I need extra salt on the trail--those people eating the commercial backpacking food have plenty of salt, but the home-prepared stuff doesn't

[Castle]

Looks good, so long as that's enough food to keep you going for the four days. Where you going backpacking to?

The Porkies. Never been there before, so I'm super excited.

This looks really good! The only thing I would add is some sort of recovery beverage--a little sea salt or electrolite drops + a small amount of fruit juice or coconut water diluted with water. I've been on trips where even experienced people got caught needing electrolytes and it's scary, so I'm careful about that one. http://whole9life.co...e-electrolytes/

Any reason you are avoiding nuts? I usually throw some macadamia nuts, cashews or sprouted almonds in with the dried fruit (also coconut flakes) for some more good fats. Throw some sea salt on this mixture too. Maybe it's just me, but when I'm hiking I drink a lot of water (well always) but I feel like I need extra salt on the trail--those people eating the commercial backpacking food have plenty of salt, but the home-prepared stuff doesn't

I was avoiding nuts, in the hope that doing so would help improve my digestions (not to mention that given a 1lb bag of nuts, I can eat the whole thing and not feel like I've eaten at all. It's happened before.). I may decide to bring some sprouted nuts along with me, though - and coconut flakes is a great idea.

As for electrolytes, in that past I've always used Gatorade powder, but I obviously won't be doing that now. I just ordered some elete - hopefully that will get here in time.

[1Maryann]

Don't skimp on snacks, or meal sizes. As a former Trail hiker, I can tell you that you will need to consume far more calories than you think you will. Mountainous terrain, a heavy pack, and constant movement require far more food than you normally eat. We used to break for a small snack almost every hour, and I'd still come home several pounds less than when I left. I used to love it, because I could eat non-stop and still lose weight, while having fun. It's hard to tell because you are vague on portions except for meat, but that menu doesn't look much different than the amount I would eat sitting home for the week.

[missmary]

Don't skimp on snacks, or meal sizes. As a former Trail hiker, I can tell you that you will need to consume far more calories than you think you will.

Ha. My experience is SO NOT THIS. I do a lot of backpacking, but I have trouble eating a lot on the trail. I can't explain it, because intellectually I know I'm burning more calories, but I just can't get it in my stomach, so I'm always packing out a bunch of stuff I couldn't choke down. I do eat a lot right after I get home, though.

[1Maryann]

Ha. My experience is SO NOT THIS. I do a lot of backpacking, but I have trouble eating a lot on the trail. I can't explain it, because intellectually I know I'm burning more calories, but I just can't get it in my stomach, so I'm always packing out a bunch of stuff I couldn't choke down. I do eat a lot right after I get home, though.

You must come home looking like a stick! I could eat 24/7 on the trail and still lose weight.

[GoJo09]

I spent 6 days hiking over Christmas and came home with my pants just as tight as when I left. I feel ripped off!

Your meal sizes look similar to what I would eat, but I would have a lot more snacks. Perhaps that's why I didn't lose any weight...

I was avoiding nuts, in the hope that doing so would help improve my digestions (not to mention that given a 1lb bag of nuts, I can eat the whole thing and not feel like I've eaten at all. It's happened before.). I may decide to bring some sprouted nuts along with me, though - and coconut flakes is a great idea.

If you have all your snacks portioned in to daily snack packs, there's not much chance that you'll overeat on them. That doesn't address the digestive question though.

[MrsStick]

Maybe I'm missing something...but I'm curious as to how you're transporting the eggs you'll be using on days 2 and 4...silly question? Maybe.

I'm impressed; I haven't gone backpacking in years (since hubby proposed on a trip in December of 08) and definitely since going whatever I am (not Paleo, kind of primal, gluten free, limited grains?). I'll be interested to hear how it goes because we're thinking about going backpacking in December for the 5th anniversary of our engagement, provided my shoulder is healed up in time (just had shoulder surgery last week...).

[missmary]

Maybe I'm missing something...but I'm curious as to how you're transporting the eggs you'll be using on days 2 and 4...silly question? Maybe.

I'm guessing the eggs are dehydrated/reconstituted like all the other food. Although I've taken hardboiled eggs on backpacking trips in the past, I would not recommend eating them past the first day or so.

[Castle]

Yep, dehydrated eggs. I won't have anything to cook the eggs in or use except hot water and some ziplocks, so fresh wasn't an option and I was leery of taking hardboiled for the next day's breakfast.

[annabel]

I can't stomach big meals when I'm out hiking either, so try to up the fat content and calories in what I do eat.

The lightest I have ever been was after 6 months hiking in New Zealand and that was with constant consumption of new and exciting flavours of Cadburys chocolate and gingernut biscuits.

I quite fancy giving the Appalachian Trail a go in a year or two, but no idea how I'd manage it without a grain-based diet.

[Castle]

I think the AT would be perfectly doable without grains. Dehydrated meat, sweet/white potatoes, or jerky (pemmican would be awesome for the AT) - I'm not quite sure that there's really something all that special you would get from grains.

[jlb111]

this is so helpful as I was just entertaining heading out for theMogollon Rim for several days but wondering how i was going to stay compliant and once again I am reminded how little I plan and how much this adventure Whole 30 requires planning

thanks for the increased awareness.

[GoJo09]

The lightest I have ever been was after 6 months hiking in New Zealand and that was with constant consumption of new and exciting flavours of Cadburys chocolate and gingernut biscuits.

I always manage to come back from New Zealand heavier... could be do with the fact that I eat the gingernuts but sit on my parent's couch instead of hiking! (BTW Griffin's Gingernuts are the best biscuits in the world - and it's a good thing they're hard to come by in Australia.) I have no idea how I'll manage to stick to Whole30 principles while I'm home next time with all those "But I never get to eat these" foods around...

[annabel]

I think the AT would be perfectly doable without grains. Dehydrated meat, sweet/white potatoes, or jerky (pemmican would be awesome for the AT) - I'm not quite sure that there's really something all that special you would get from grains.

I'm not sure about getting through customs with six months of dehydrated meals.

I always manage to come back from New Zealand heavier... could be do with the fact that I eat the gingernuts but sit on my parent's couch instead of hiking! (BTW Griffin's Gingernuts are the best biscuits in the world - and it's a good thing they're hard to come by in Australia.) I have no idea how I'll manage to stick to Whole30 principles while I'm home next time with all those "But I never get to eat these" foods around...

The first time I went home after a long time abroad I wanted to eat everything I missed (and did), but having been away for over ten years now nothing tastes as nice as I remember it tasting.

[Castle]

I'm not sure about getting through customs with six months of dehydrated meals.

Oops, didn't notice your location. Could you either make the things when you arrived in the US, order pre-dried ingredients to a place in the US and mix them there, or just order pre-prepared meals (there are several sites which offer options that are close, if not entirely W30 with the addition of white potatoes)?

[GoJo09]

The first time I went home after a long time abroad I wanted to eat everything I missed (and did), but having been away for over ten years now nothing tastes as nice as I remember it tasting.

I've been away 7 years now, you'd think I'd learn (AND things are available in the "international aisle" at the supermarket. And you're wrong - that first bite ALWAYS tastes as good as I remember. And if I just stopped at one bite...

I don't know about in the US, but there's a company in Aus that would prep the meals and dehydrate them the way you want. I used their standard meals at Christmas and they were far superior to the commercial dehydrated meals available.