Final Say on Food

I neglected the food section during the hike. I barely had time to get a basic post up during town stops so this section went to the back burner. This post will recap lessons learned on this subject during my thru hike.

I'll start out by saying that my body weight was up10-15lb throughout the hike, and up 13lb when I finished, making me an anomaly on the trail. I think this is an indication that the food I chose worked since most folks lost at least that much weight. I shipped myself food boxes and, for the most part, I happily ate everything in each box for each section.

One important lesson I learned early on is that climate and terrain affect dietary preferences and needs. The food I craved and consumed most in the desert was not appropriate in the High Sierra, and visa versa. In the desert I was constantly sweating and losing salts and my cravings reflected this need for salt. The dried fruit that I carried became unappetizing and the salted nuts I packed weren't even close to salty enough. I wanted spice and salt and strong flavors. I went through more hot sauce in this section than any other. I regularly packed out multiple bags of Cheetos and blocks of the spiciest cheese I could find. It became clear why cultures from hot climates developed spicy cuisines.

My High Sierra diet changed with my cravings. My pack was heavier, the elevation changes were more drastic and the temperatures were lower. My tastes suddenly moved towards the sweet end of the spectrum and I craved cheap breakfast pastries, Pop Tarts and peanut butter. I imagine this was my body seeking more calories. At one point I was making peanut butter and Nutella burritos with peanut M&Ms inside - it doesn't get much sweeter than that! Hiker hunger reached its peak in this section and I barely packed enough.

I didn't foresee this drastic change in preferences when I packed all of my resupply boxes uniformly. A common critique of this resupply strategy is it doesn't account for changing tastes. I don't regret packing my food ahead of time, but if I could do it again I wouldn't waste time and money prepackaging snacks and just buy those along the trail. I'm glad I packed my entrees, some snacks, and drink mixes ahead of time. I think one of my most important additions was my whey protein powder/Nesquik mix that I had twice a day. I suspect that supplementing at least 50g of protein per day may have been the difference between gaining and losing weight. Near the end I would regularly drink delicious breakfast protein shakes with NIDO (high calorie powdered whole milk) and instant coffee.


Favorite Entrees

Fantastic Foods' Black & Refried Beans are great bases for backcountry meals. They are easily cold soaked and I used the no-cook option on them a lot. Here are some great bean-based entrees:
         - Back Country Burritos - I packed out an avocado, block of cheese, tortillas and hot sauce and had this meal most days leaving town.
         - Back Country Garbage Bowl - My take on Rochester, NY's infamous "Garbage Plate". Mix beans with Ramen and add beef jerky, cheese, a few mayonnaise packets, and hot sauce.  

Idahoan Mashed potatoes are versatile. Here are a few good entrees:
        - Bacon cheddar mashed potatoes - Crumbled bacon bits and cheese
        - Trail Thanksgiving - Cook up boxed stuffing, potatoes, a gravy packet, and find some packaged turkey or chicken
       
Tortellini is a fantastic dinner. Pack out a dry pesto seasoning, olive oil, and add some kind of meat like sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, or a salmon packet. Add Parmesan cheese and sun dried tomatoes if you want to get really classy.

Ramen is incredibly convenient and versatile. It's an easy no-cook meal and goes with just about everything. It's tasty with any meat added, but I generally added a salmon packet and olive oil.