Food

Dinner with a view!

I love to eat. When I am at home I am fairly picky about only eating organic, healthy foods. If I’m not out hiking or running with Roxy, then I am usually at home cooking or baking. So I knew transitioning to a world where I have to carry all my ingredients/kitchen supplies and cook every meal in one pot was cooking to take some creativity. After my shakedown trip to the smokies, I am very optimistic about meal time on the Appalachian Trail. 

All my meals were prepared in a Primus LiTech Kettle. I love this pot/pan combo because it is large enough to prepare enough food for me and Roxy, and it has a non-stick coating that makes it really easy to clean. 

Cook system: Primus LiTech Kettle, MSR Pocket Rocket and Primus Gas (this pot contains breakfast)

Breakfast: Every morning started out with a cup of instant coffee. If anyone is feeling generous and wants to make my day while I’m on the AT, I would love to have Starbucks Via Instant Coffee every day. Since I only had one pot I had to wait to prepare breakfast until after I finished drinking my coffee. This was a pain, so I ordered a 16oz mug from REI so that I can have coffee and breakfast at the same time. Some people might consider this unnecessary weight, but my pack is so light that I’m happy to carry the extra weight for this little luxury.

After coffee, I made either oatmeal or granola each morning for breakfast. Bob’s RedMill dry milk powder was the staple of every breakfast. It made each dish creamy and delicious. I usually added a handful of dried blueberries or cherries (from Bob’s RedMill) or goji or mulberries (from Foods Alive)  to my breakfast dish. 

Lunch: Cheese and crackers were the standard lunch of choice. However even ultra-pasteurized cheese doesn’t last too long without refrigeration so after all my cheese was gone, lunch was just a combination of crackers and dried fruits.  Foods Alive Flaxseed Crackers were divine for lunch. They come in a variety of exotic flavors that really satisfied my cravings for different foods. The coconut curry flavored crackers were by far the winner of the flavor contest. 

Foods Alive Coconut Curry Flaxseed Crackers were to die for.

Dinner: My favorite part of the day :) Before our trip I prepared several single-serve portions of grains, dried veggies, beans, and spices. These dinners all revolved around Bob’s RedMill quick-cook grains like buckwheat and couscous. I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful and satisfying all my meals ended up being. A lot of hikers live off Ramen Noodles and Knorr Pasta Sides, but my palate is a little more refined and I require more pizazz from my meals. Bob’s RedMill and Harmony House are by far my two favorite companies. Their products let me make home-style on pot meals while on the trail.   

Typical dinner: Buckwheat with peas, carrots, and curry powder.

Desert: After dinner I always need desert. Tru-Nut powdered peanut butter mixed with water and dry powdered milk made a delicious after dinner snack. Another favorite was Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered power berries. 

All in all eating on the trail was very similar to what I eat at home. Thanks to amazing products from great companies, I didn’t feel like I was missing any sort of nutrition or flavor. Next weekend I am going to begin mass production and packaging of my single serve dinners for the Appalachian Trail. I’m sure my cravings and tastes will change while I am on the trail so I will be sure to keep everyone updated. Happy hiking!