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Food is one of the most important and surprisingly not well understood components of our life. We try to optimize nutritions, cost, and time. I have gone through significant changes over time. I wish I could have learned these considerations many years ago.

Yea re living at a time where we have more food choices than ever in human history. This is very good news. The concerning change is that we are leaning toward more processed food and unprocessed information. What follows, is my personal experience. I am not a food expert. Some of these items are just a personal preference. Please note that my choice does not include many canned, ultra- processes, fast foods. I don’t mind eating crappy food every now and then, but I don’t actively include them in my diet. If you plan to save time and spend it outdoor instead of cooking a complete meal, that sounds good, but in many cases I find myself saving time by avoiding something, just to waste it on something else, equally bad. So I choose heavier fresh fruit over lighter sweetened dehydrated and 15 minute traditional oatmeal over powder instant oatmeal. That’s just my choice, and modern fast foods are healthier than they used to be. My main recommendation is : DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, and DO IT THROUGHLY. I have been hurt by many inaccurate and incorrect recommendations. Especially don’t forget many of those un-processed quick revenue seeking YouTube videos have hardly your best interest in their minds.

No-Cook Recipes:

• Cheese sandwich: Simple cheese and tomato sandwich. I add some veggies as well. Note: Most greens will stay safe and fresh for a few days. The only advantage of dehydrated veggies is the weight saving. The shelf life is important if you store at home for a long time. I personally prefer fresh veggies/fruits. A few days outside is long enough shelf time to me.

• Peanut butter- jelly sandwich/tortilla

• Peanut butter banana sandwich/tortilla

• Jerky sandwich

• Pre-cooked sandwiches (like BBQ, hamburger, fried chicken,…). They don’t last very long time in a hot weather, but they work good for the first day. You can also carry an extra food after a restaurant/city stop in the beginning or middle of your trip/hike.

• Home cooked food: I enjoy a small cup of home made stew. I carry it in a leak-proof plastic container. Another option is boiled eggs and potato.

• Hiking goo: You can find many different recipes online, with the same name. I guess everyone has their own version. I first saw this in ultralightbackpacker.com, and it was called Ultralight Joe’s Moose Goo. I use a simple version of mixing peanut butter, Nido, Honey, raisin or chocolate chips, fine corn flour (any form of fine corn flour, not corn bread flour). The ratio is like: 2 Parts Corn Flour 2 Parts Honey, 1 Part Peanut Butter and mix it well. I remember Andrew Skurka wrote about had cookie dough in his list, and I think it is the same idea. If I have this for multiple meals, I would replace corn with other options.

Tip 1: I love chocolate spreads and honey, but in a cold weather they will become rock solid. Peanut butter on the other hand will remain soft at low temperatures.

Tip 2: For sandwich or bread I use flat bread, pita bread, tortilla, or crackers.

Add-Hot-Water Recipes:

• Oatmeal: Old fashioned oatmeal (not instant, or even quick cook). I add some Nido, Chia seeds, Raisins, Peanut butter, and a little honey or sugar, cinnamon powder, cocoa powder to oatmeal.

• Nut powder mix: I mix Nido, ground peanut, ground walnut, cane sugar, cocoa powder. Add water in filed and eat it directly or use it as tortilla spread.

• I have used other dehydrated foods. They work fine, but I don’t enjoy them these days. They take a long time to prepare. My favorite dehydrated foods were: dehydrated fried beans (full beans rehydrate very slowly and I didn’t like their harness), dehydrated Mac and beans.

One-Pot Recipes:

• Oat and meat: I add potato, meat, onion, and tomato paste to steel cut oat. 5 minute simmer for quick cook and 15 minute simmer for traditional oat.
• Chicken and rice. I love rice, but reduced it in my meals after reading about the arsenic content in rice.
• Mac and cheese
• Flour grit
• Meat sandwiches, just fry some meat (chicken, burger, thin steak) and make a sandwich.
• Bannock with added nuts and …
• Egg and tuna (yes, canned tuna)

Tip: Slow cooker is a good camping option. It doesn’t use a lot of power. It is relatively safe. Above all, you can let it run, go for a hike and return to a ready hot meal!

Drinks:

• Tea: I carry green tea, mint and thyme. It might be cheaper if you buy a jar of these herbs from the spice section, instead of pre-bagged packages.

• Hot Cocoa

Good source for different recipes : thru-hiker recepies

Some thought by Frank Revelo: Frank Revel - Food

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