Sample Menus
General
When you're out backpacking all day, your body burns large amounts of calories to sustain its energy expenditure. Because of this, food can become somewhat of an obsession. It's difficult to describe just how satisfying a hot meal can be after a long day of hiking. In fact, you may actually remember certain trail meals more fondly than dinners you've eaten at a fancy restaurant after a sedentary day at the office.
How Meals Are Chosen
Our meals are subject to 4 constraints: Tasty, Lightweight, Healthy, and Non-Perishable. Stir-fry is tasty and healthy, but it's heavy to carry and can spoil quickly. Mac-n-cheese is tasty, lightweight, and non-perishable, but most people wouldn't consider it the healthiest meal ever. Grits are lightweight, healthy, and non-perishable, but not everyone thinks they taste great. So each meal is an amalgamation of compromises between these constraints.
Dieting
We don't believe in dieting. You must feed your body in order to carry 40 pounds through the mountains all day. We eat small amounts frequently. This doesn't mean to overeat (you can only eat what we're carrying anyway) just don't starve yourself and collapse on the trail.
Note: There will be no food in our tents at night (it attracts animals) so there are no "overnight snacks" .
Special Requests
We will accomodate most special requests from the serious (peanut allergies) to the whimsical (no watermelon). Most of our food is vegetarian, but we can also accomodate vegans. We always bring along some jerky and/or salami as a supplement for non-vegans. We can also provide a gluten free menu for those who actually have Celiac. We will give a half-hearted attempt at doing so for those that just saw a Facebook post disparaging gluten as your preferences impact others in the group.
Guides Steve & Kia prepare a stir-fry dinner in the Black Hills, South Dakota
Dinners
Dinners are typically a combination of a starch (Brown Rice, Pasta, Cous Cous, Stuffing, Potatoes, Ramen, Lentils), a sauce (Chili, Pesto, Red Sauce, Cheese etc), spices, and mix-ins (Carrots, Onions, Mushrooms, Pine Nuts, Almonds, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Corn, Peppers, Garlic etc.)
Sushi (Avocado, Daikon, Carrots, Cucumber, Ginger, Sesame Seeds, Wasabi)
Stir Fry Vegetables (Peppers, Carrots, Onions, Pea Pods, Tofu) over Stuffing or Rice
Paad Thai, Garlic, Scallions, Pea Pods, Sprouts. Tofu, Peanuts
Bangain Bharta or Dhaipur Vegetables over cous-cous
Penne with Marinara, Pine Nuts, Mushrooms, Garlic, Sun Dried Tomatoes
Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Mushrooms, Carrots, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Almonds
Mac & Cheese w/sun dried tomatoes, parsley, carrots, and peas.
Vegetarian Chili and rice
Pasta with pesto, pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and garlic
Broccoli Cheese Soup with European Vegetable Blend
Red Beans and Rice with onions and celery
Pea Soup (Sham (Soy Ham), Pea Soup, Egg powder, Quinoa, Rice Flour)
Taste of the Forest (cous-cous based dish)
Trail Pizza
Ramen, TVP (textured vegetable protein), parmesan cheese, garlic
Guide Heather makes tuna wraps on the beach in Olympic National Park
Lunches
Lunches are almost always no-cook and are prepared (assembled) and served by the guides during the day on the trail, hopefully at a scenic area
Tofurky & Mustard Wraps
Swiss / Gouda / Cheddar Cheese on Crackers
Hummus and Sprouts
Guacamole & Cheese Wraps
Tuna Wraps
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Peanut Butter (avert your eyes British people)
Tabbouleh
Grape Leaves on Pita
These may be supplemented/interchanged with the following items:
Mountain Bread / Wraps / Pita
Wasa Crispbread (cracker)
Jerky
Mango Slices
Sprouts / Cucumbers / Carrots / Broc Slaw
Fresh-Picked blueberry pancakes in Maine's 100 Mile Wilderness
Breakfasts
Breakfasts are usually hot, cooked breakfasts or breakfasts that require only hot water. Occasionally we have cold breakfasts -- typically cold cereal -- that do not require much in the way of preparation or clean-up, however hot tea/coffee/cocoa are part of every morning. Expect cold breakfasts on days when we must break camp early to get long mileage in or on the last day of a trip when we are motivated to get back to civilization.
Hash Browns and Soysage (vegetarian sausage)
Grape Nuts w/ milk powder, sugar, raisins
Oatmeal w/cranberries, powdered milk, sugar, cinnamon, salt
Trailside Breakfast Rice (Rice, Berries, Pudding)
Cold Cereal (generally granola) w/milk powder
Bagels, cream cheese and lox
Taco flavored egg and cheese burritos
Pancakes with blueberries or trail mix ingredients
Grits Bar (choice of milk, salt, craisins, cheese, bacon bits, maple syrup, butter, miso)
Quinoa with brown sugar (gluten free)
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Trail Mix
Every trip's menu is augmented by Trail Mix. Trail mix is a mixture of proteins, starches, carbs, sugars, and salt and is typically eaten at rest stops. However, it can be eaten any time of the day to supplement your diet or as an alternative to meals that don't appeal to your palate. The day before setting out, we will make our own trail mixes consisting of your own personal mixture of the following items. Ingredients will be subject to availability in the locale of the trip, thus some of these items may not be present on every trip, while others that are not listed here may be.
Granola
Peanuts
Raisins
Dried Peaches
M & Ms
Dried Ginger
Cashews
Almonds
Dried Apricots
Pretzels
Craisins
Banana Chips
Pecans
Walnuts
Soy Nuts
Wasabi Peas
Dried Apple Rings
Chopped Dates
Licorice Bites
Jelly Beans
Dried Pineapple Chunks
Corn Nuts
Dried Pears
Sea Crackers
Dried Cherries
Dried Blueberries
Goldfish
Cajun Mix
... and much more
Drinks
Many people drink only water when backpacking. It's a good way to break your caffeine
addiction and it just feels "clean" somehow. Also, the more water you drink, the better your
body burns fat. However, it's unrealistic to expect anyone to give up caffeine, especially
because of the good short-term feelings it can provide as well as prevention of the withdrawal
symptoms it averts, so coffee and hot chocolate are staples.
While much of the water encountered on the trail will be delicious,
crystal clear
mountain water
like you've never tasted, on some trips the taste and clarity of certain water sources may not be
to your liking. In order to overcome this, some people enjoy powdered drink mixes that sweeten the
water and provide electrolytes. Drinks we bring may include:
Starbucks VIA instant coffee
Hot Chocolate (sometimes with marshmallows)
Caffeinated Tea
Decaffeinated Herb Tea
Hot Cider Packets
Gatorade Powder
Crystal Light / Propel / Emergen-C
Desserts
Dessert is served sporadically, maybe once or twice a trip, sometimes more and sometimes not at all. Examples include:
Smores
Popcorn
Scrambled Brownies
Molten Lava Chocolate Cake
Hot Fruit Compote
Halvah
Raspberry Crumble
Dark Chocolate