Backpacking

[brownek]

I recently started the McDougall diet after many years of being a vegetarian, and I can already say that I will never go back. In just three weeks of eating this way the moderate acne that has plagued my skin for about seven years (since entering high school) has almost completely vanished, and I look forward to parting ways with the expensive Proactiv system.
Starting this summer I intend on doing a great deal of backpacking, leading up to my goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015. It is generally recommended that backpackers eat about 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day to stay healthy on long trails like this. I contribute the skin related benefits I have been experiencing to my low consumption of fats and so would like to continue cutting them out, but I am having a hard time brainstorming vegan foods that are very caloric, relatively convenient and light weight, and low in oil and fat.

I guess that my question for you is if you think it is important to continue to watch fat consumption when engaging in such strenuous physical activities, or if it would be more reasonable to add in a lot of nuts and seeds to meet calorie requirements more easily.

Thank you, and I hope this is the right place for my question!

[Chumly]

Dried fruit and rolled oats would make a high-calorie trail mix you could easily carry on long hikes.

Michael

[Lani Muelrath]

I recently started the McDougall diet after many years of being a vegetarian, and I can already say that I will never go back. In just three weeks of eating this way the moderate acne that has plagued my skin for about seven years (since entering high school) has almost completely vanished, and I look forward to parting ways with the expensive Proactiv system.
Starting this summer I intend on doing a great deal of backpacking, leading up to my goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015. It is generally recommended that backpackers eat about 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day to stay healthy on long trails like this. I contribute the skin related benefits I have been experiencing to my low consumption of fats and so would like to continue cutting them out, but I am having a hard time brainstorming vegan foods that are very caloric, relatively convenient and light weight, and low in oil and fat.

I guess that my question for you is if you think it is important to continue to watch fat consumption when engaging in such strenuous physical activities, or if it would be more reasonable to add in a lot of nuts and seeds to meet calorie requirements more easily.

Thank you, and I hope this is the right place for my question!

Hi Brownek!

So excited for you doing so well. Congratulations! And I'm excited for you with the upcoming hiking plans!

It is entirely possible to keep fueled with high energy foods without having to overdo the fat. Dried fruits with moderate amounts of nuts and seeds can be put together in such a way as not to overdo the nuts and seeds. Whole grains and beans are going to be your best friends. You can get dehydrated bean flakes that easily hydrate for bean paste or soup. Pack bulgur wheat, which is precooked so that you can soak it just like oatmeal for robust meals along with the bean concoctions you come up with. The McDougall bean soups you can also take out of their cups and put into small baggies to slip into your pack. Find some dense grainy bread for lots of energy in little space. You've probably sought out some resources for dehydrated vegetables, too. Yes, you'll need a lot of volume but luckily all of these dehydrated items are the lightest things you can pack.

Hope this helps! Let me know how your training and trip go!

Lani

[brownek]

Thank you very much! This is all very helpful and I'll post a link to our travel blog when we leave! (I'm going with a friend and I've convinced her to eat this way with me!)

[Lani Muelrath]

Thank you very much! This is all very helpful and I'll post a link to our travel blog when we leave! (I'm going with a friend and I've convinced her to eat this way with me!)

Happy Trails brownek!

Lani