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Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

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    • Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      I love the vegetarian thread questions over on other websites and as big steak lover I honestly question it as soon as someone mentions no cook, paleo, etc, and confuses the issues, lets just say really bad threads. Might as well eat out of the White House official Garden... Well the owl prefers to keep an open mind. I am sure there are a few Vegetarians here, so let me suggest what my issues are and maybe you can help me. I will start seperate threads for Paleo and other ideas I want to keep this to Vegi if possible.

      If you hike 15-20 miles a day we could be burning up to as 6000 calories backpacking in a 8 hour period. This may suggest why folks are not so hungry the first few days out - you burn the excess energy we have but by day 4-5 there is a crash. (everyone experiences something different.)

      In order to replenish those calories a high caloric energy meal has to kick in... I understand there is protein in vegetables, and beans - but after a reply from a guy I know turns out he is eating raw oatmeal and nuts 1.5 pounds worth each day of the hike! He didn't mention anything about supplements. At first I was shocked. I can't eat a spoonful and keep in mind this is no cook! I suspect he is tanking up in trail towns. I can handle the bars and the gorp but that's the most left behind food in the swap bucket on the AT.

      Something that is rarely mentioned about vegetarians - My best friend has a wife and daughter from the Ukranine and they both consume tons of fresh vegs and fish - over $1000 dollars a month going to specialty stores and health stores. The daughter started to loose her hair, and other health issues.

      Final surprise Biomagnification is the buildup of heavy metals - Mercury from consuming too much fish. Lead & Iron from crops taken up in plants - ie. Spinach once you eat it - it requires a blood transfusion or blood letting to get it out of you. That same friend donates some 15 pints of blood per year as medically cannot get rid of Iron in is blood. No he isn't a vegetarian.

      costs- negative health-Biomagnification- weight-bulk.
      Pro's better energy-variety-????

      I would like to see what foods people take on the trail and an idea of a 1 day meal planner. I am not a convert but I did well on no cook for several days. I am incorporating these ideas into a better list and meal plan for packing.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I've been eating a lot of coconut oil the past several months. I put a spoonful in coffee, hot tea, and yogurt. I wonder if it would be a good source of calories on the trail for hikers trying to eat healthy.


      I think so, I like coconut oil but I have heard that olive oil is better for you. I take olive oil in a little 3 or 4 oz container and add a squirt to my dinners.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      Not sure what salt and pepper has to do with vegetarian Jimmy Jam I was looking for this.

      * bean, split pea, mushroom/barley soup with a good bread and a salad;
      * omelets made with interesting fillings - goat cheese, roasted peppers;
      * any kind of veggie Mexican - e.g. tacos or burritos with beans & rice, cheese and greens;
      * a big green chef-type salad with a couple different kinds of cheese, olives, pickled vegetables;
      * pasta dishes with veggies and cheese. Tonight we're having ziti with fresh mushrooms, spinach and Parmesan;
      * rice or quinoa pilaf.

      Do a google search for "pasta fagioli"
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      Citadel Spread. A high calorie food that can be a quick snack in it’s self or put on a bagel or Logan bread for a full sit down lunch. This is the recipe that Ed Garvey gives:
      Ingredients: 18 oz. jar Creamy Peanut Butter, 2-4 oz. Bacon Grease (residue from 6 to 8 slices), or Vegetable shortening ½ cup honey, 2-4 cups granular powdered milk.
      Instructions: Add Bacon Grease & milk to the peanut butter & stir until mix gets crunchy. Put in pint plastic freezer containers. It will keep in refrigerator indefinitely; it keeps for at least three weeks un-refrigerated. This from p.51 of Ed's book: Appalachian Hiker II. This can also be made on the trail if you can find bacon grease. The peanut butter, honey & powdered milk are usually available at many of the re-supply points.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      Farm fresh eggs that have never been refrigerated will stay fresh for weeks to months at a time with no refrigeration as long as you don't allow them to heat and cooltoo much. Also, you can coat them in mineral oil to increase how long they will stay fresh.

      I am taking a dozen eggs with me camping with no cooler. (I have a plastic "case" that is made for carrying 12 eggs and weighs ounces)

      So if you don't mind the weight, you can carry fresh eggs and a few bananas and do this all down the trail. (coconut oil doesn't need cooling either.)
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Farm fresh eggs that have never been refrigerated will stay fresh for weeks to months at a time with no refrigeration as long as you don't allow them to heat and cooltoo much. Also, you can coat them in mineral oil to increase how long they will stay fresh.

      I am taking a dozen eggs with me camping with no cooler. (I have a plastic "case" that is made for carrying 12 eggs and weighs ounces)

      So if you don't mind the weight, you can carry fresh eggs and a few bananas and do this all down the trail. (coconut oil doesn't need cooling either.)


      You said the magic words. I do mind the weight. It takes a weight sacrifice to enjoy many of the delicious alternatives that others enjoy on the trail. Many are willing to sacrifice this weight in order to enjoy these delicious foods. I am not. I would rather enjoy a lighter pack. It is a matter of priorities. It is not a superior choice. I choose to carry things like macadamia nuts (718 calories per 100 grams). I find on the trail that tree bark tastes good. You are making me hungry here though.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      I"m not vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, paleo, gluten free, etc. I'm not a long distance hiker and don't need 6000 cal/day. I do eat mainly vegetarian meals when I'm hiking.

      All dehydrated (except the quinoa of course)
      Quinoa
      Black Beans
      Pinto Beans
      Tomatoes
      Peppers
      Corn
      Seasoning

      Also, oatmeal, nuts, dehydrated fruit, and tortillas with chocolate hazelnut butter (yum!)
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      i made citadel spread a couple times until i decided that just having a peanut butter and honey (or jelly) sandwich gives you all the calories with none of the work. and as a bonus a whole lot less of the artery clogging saturated fat .
      2,000 miler

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Farm fresh eggs that have never been refrigerated will stay fresh for weeks to months at a time with no refrigeration as long as you don't allow them to heat and cooltoo much. Also, you can coat them in mineral oil to increase how long they will stay fresh.

      I am taking a dozen eggs with me camping with no cooler. (I have a plastic "case" that is made for carrying 12 eggs and weighs ounces)

      So if you don't mind the weight, you can carry fresh eggs and a few bananas and do this all down the trail. (coconut oil doesn't need cooling either.)


      I keep my coconut oil in the cabinet. The melting point is 76-78 F. I'm looking for a container that will work for when it's both solid and liquid.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I"m not vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, paleo, gluten free, etc. I'm not a long distance hiker and don't need 6000 cal/day. I do eat mainly vegetarian meals when I'm hiking.

      All dehydrated (except the quinoa of course)
      Quinoa
      Black Beans
      Pinto Beans
      Tomatoes
      Peppers
      Corn
      Seasoning

      Also, oatmeal, nuts, dehydrated fruit, and tortillas with chocolate hazelnut butter (yum!)



      Stumped - how are you doing black beans on the trail?
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Re:Re: Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I"m not vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, paleo, gluten free, etc. I'm not a long distance hiker and don't need 6000 cal/day. I do eat mainly vegetarian meals when I'm hiking.

      All dehydrated (except the quinoa of course)
      Quinoa
      Black Beans
      Pinto Beans
      Tomatoes
      Peppers
      Corn
      Seasoning

      Also, oatmeal, nuts, dehydrated fruit, and tortillas with chocolate hazelnut butter (yum!)



      Stumped - how are you doing black beans on the trail?


      Packit Gourmet sells freeze dried cooked black beans.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      TrafficJam wrote:

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Yea damn lot of soaking & cooking

      I use canned


      Yea I have too - They already have been soaked for 24 hours.

      My interest in beans is caloric and energy delivery they are the closest plant to delivery of the best energy and from scratch they are also the worst to work with.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Yea damn lot of soaking & cooking

      I use canned


      Yea I have too - They already have been soaked for 24 hours.

      My interest in beans is caloric and energy delivery they are the closest plant to delivery of the best energy and from scratch they are also the worst to work with.


      When I want to dehydrate some beans quickly I use canned but I also cook dry beans fairly often. I don't bother soaking them. I put them in a slow cooker around lunch time and they're ready by dinner.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Re:Vegetarian Diets on the trail - a good discussion

      TrafficJam wrote:

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Yea damn lot of soaking & cooking

      I use canned


      Yea I have too - They already have been soaked for 24 hours.

      My interest in beans is caloric and energy delivery they are the closest plant to delivery of the best energy and from scratch they are also the worst to work with.


      When I want to dehydrate some beans quickly I use canned but I also cook dry beans fairly often. I don't bother soaking them. I put them in a slow cooker around lunch time and they're ready by dinner.


      HUH? This is about Hiking - what slow cooker... seriously a water bottle with beans will soak 24 hours and deliver a meal.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      WiseOldOwl wrote:

      Not sure why I forgot about that - then got a dose of sticker shock


      You have a dehydrator, make your own :) 135 deg for 4-6 hrs.


      Ok lets exsplore this a little more lets say I have whole dried beans - I run thru a blender and add spices and salt...etc...

      Then I still have to soak from the morning to the supper meal and cook a little bit - will that work?
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • I'm not a vegetarian but thinking about my last hike, I didn't eat meat, except for some summer sausage.

      For dinners I ate beans and rice mixes, such as Zatarains. The box calls for 3.25 cups of water. I add 1/3 cup of basmati rice then divide in two. This gives two servings made with 2 cups of water. Basmati rice tastes good and cooks in 15 to 20 minutes in a cozy after boiling. These mixes are made with dehydrated beans. There are also red beans and rice mixes.

      Also I found a box of dehydrated black beans by Fantastic World Foods
      fantasticfoods.com/productlist…d=Entrees+and+Side+Dishes
      I got some dried soup mix (minestrone) and added extra black beans as a thickener.

      Another legume I've used with good success are lentils. They cook in 20 minutes in a cozy after boiling, along with basmati rice and curry powder and salt (A camper's version of dah bhat - the national dish of Nepal). The commercial mixes are heavily salted, so when making something like this "from scratch", you have to remember to add your own salt.

      Another good meal was this dried stuffed pasta from World Market with a package of Knorr Parma Rosa sauce mix. It came out a bit soupy, I think because I added the sauce last. Next time I'll add the sauce mix before boiling.
      amazon.com/La-Piana-Mezzaluna-Filling-16-Ounce/dp/B001EO7LKI
      knorr.com/product/detail/246091/parma-rosa

      After messing with a number of mixes, supplementing with dried beans, rice, or lentils, I found that I could figure on about 150 g of dehydrated stuff (from whatever source), with a slug of olive oil gave a nice dinner of about 750 cal.

    • odd man out wrote:


      Another legume I've used with good success are lentils. They cook in 20 minutes in a cozy after boiling, along with basmati rice and curry powder and salt (A camper's version of dah bhat - the national dish of Nepal). The commercial mixes are heavily salted, so when making something like this "from scratch", you have to remember to add your own salt.


      A big 'yes' to dal bhat tarkari on the trail. It's what powers the Sherpas - how bad can it be for hiking? :) I don't need to bring everything to a boil, because I dehydrate cooked lentils at home. Lentils and some sort of quick-cooking rice go in the cozy, and then I can whip up some sort of tarkari in the cookpot. I like mango, raisins, nuts, clove, coriander, ginger, asafoetida, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, turmeric, red, black and white pepper, a little cornstarch so it'll thicken fast. Oh, and olive oil of course. Pink salt if I can get it. Throw in pouch chicken or something if I happen to have a partner who insists on being an omnivore.

      Nearly the same spice mixture with dehydrated cooked peas and dehydrated potato dices from Harmony House becomes aloo chaat. Maybe some malabar leaves.

      Sometime, I want to see if it's possible to make sukuti ko achar from jerky and tomato powder, to round out the Nepalese menu. I'll draw the line short of putting salt and yak butter in my tea, though. :)
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • Both great posts...this was very productive... I thinking more along a Gnocchi idea over rice as it delivers more calories. Still good suggestions.

      On a side note on another site I picked up on a Junk Food hiking idea, without meat - I will explore that with a separate thread.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      My daughter's friend is vegetarian. I'm thinking meatless chili, pasta/sauce, and ramen for 3 dinners. Hazelnut butter/honey/tortillas for lunches. Granola bars, Mother Teresa's gorp, cheese, for snacks. Any other ideas?



      Sounds good. We're having some veggie chili tonight. You can make regular meals and substitute some TVP for the meat if you have some. Cereal bars or oatmeal for breakfast.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • I eat a paleo diet. I make a bar out of pitted dates, coconut, unsweetened cocoa, honey and either almonds, pecans or walnuts (usually walnuts due to availability) that travels well. I also tend to have salami and hard cheeses with me. For a long distance hike, I wouldn't think twice about caving in and adding non-paleo foods.
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.

    • Foresight wrote:

      I eat a paleo diet. I make a bar out of pitted dates, coconut, unsweetened cocoa, honey and either almonds, pecans or walnuts (usually walnuts due to availability) that travels well. I also tend to have salami and hard cheeses with me. For a long distance hike, I wouldn't think twice about caving in and adding non-paleo foods.


      Those bars sound good. Is the honey the only thing that holds it all together?
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Foresight wrote:

      I eat a paleo diet. I make a bar out of pitted dates, coconut, unsweetened cocoa, honey and either almonds, pecans or walnuts (usually walnuts due to availability) that travels well. I also tend to have salami and hard cheeses with me. For a long distance hike, I wouldn't think twice about caving in and adding non-paleo foods.


      Do us a favor start a new thread and feed us more information as to why you like it and how you are going to adapt this to the trail.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • TrafficJam wrote:



      Those bars sound good. Is the honey the only thing that holds it all together?


      The dates do most of the work. once it's all mixed together you'll have a lump that has to be placed between 2 sheets of wax paper to be formed. I heat up a bit of coconut oil and apply to each sheet to further aid in forming the bars. Once formed I place them in the freezer for a for a few hours then cut into individual bars. I also store them in the freezer as they do not "freeze", you can pull them out of the freezer after any amount of time and still simply take a bite. Also, they will hold their shape and texture well with heat (not microwave heat, but stuffed in a pack in the summer type heat).

      I'll start a thread soon :thumbup:
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.

    • Foresight wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:



      Those bars sound good. Is the honey the only thing that holds it all together?


      The dates do most of the work. once it's all mixed together you'll have a lump that has to be placed between 2 sheets of wax paper to be formed. I heat up a bit of coconut oil and apply to each sheet to further aid in forming the bars. Once formed I place them in the freezer for a for a few hours then cut into individual bars. I also store them in the freezer as they do not "freeze", you can pull them out of the freezer after any amount of time and still simply take a bite. Also, they will hold their shape and texture well with heat (not microwave heat, but stuffed in a pack in the summer type heat).

      I'll start a thread soon :thumbup:


      I had some paleo banana bread the other day, it was amazing.
      Lost in the right direction.