The choice of hiking food and drink depends on how serious and long the hike is, whether you are going to a local forest trail on a summer weekend or a difficult mountain hike in another country. The general rule is that camping food should be tasty, nutritious, balanced and as light as possible. Perishable food should not be taken on a hike, emphasize Kaarel and Signe Adamberg, researchers at Tallinn University of Technology.
What should I keep in mind when it comes to food and drink?
- The most important thing about hiking is water!
Water bottle must always be within reach, because water is the best thirst quencher and we sweat more water when we move, especially in hot weather. Mineral water or an isotonic drink that restores the mineral balance is also not bad. In the case of mineral water, the salt content must be taken into account, in some cases it can be over 2 g/L, which is not a good solution for quenching thirst. During cucumber season, the liquid can be partially replaced with cucumber. Cucumber is 95% water and 100 g of cucumber contains the same amount of potassium (200-300 mg) as there is in one liter of sweat. Mineral water has enough sodium to cover the salt loss caused by sweating, but only 10-50 mg/L of potassium. The amount of liquid could be considered 3 – 5 liters per day, taking into account that there will also be some well or spring on the way to refill the bottle.
2. A good hiking drink is tea, which can be brewed at the place of accommodation from plants growing in the surrounding area, e.g. raspberry stalks, mulberry leaves, plantain leaves, St. John’s wort, yarrow, etc., but also green tea or any other tea brought with you is easy to carry. Tea can also be taken with a thermos for the day. Lemonade, sweet juices or coffee are not the best choices for a hike, because they can make you more thirsty, you can get sweetness from food. At the same time, a smoothie (puréed berries and fruits diluted with water) would be a good snack on a hot summer day.
3. A person in good shape can withstand a two-day summer trip with muesli bars, nuts-raisins and salty snacks, as well as dry foods and sandwiches. For quick energy recovery, you could have, for example, muesli and berry bars, smoothie, raisins and dried fruits, halva, chocolate (not in very hot weather), hematogen with vitamin C in your pocket. In the case of bars, it should be ensured that they contain enough vitamins, trace elements and little additives and sugar, since the main part of the energy should come from starch. Such bars can be recognized by the high content of whole grains (at least 50%) and berries (at least 20%). Humans also get energy from fiber thanks to beneficial intestinal bacteria. Therefore, fiber-rich foods support energy metabolism especially during long-term physical exertion.
4. For a shorter meal break, a piece of smoked sausage, cheese, sandwiches-sandwiches, and warm tea are good. If the hiking trail leads through the forest or over a clearing, it is also worth eating berries – strawberries, blueberries, pohlis, raspberries and blackberries – to replenish your vitamin reserves. Hare cabbage is also an invigorating forest salad. A late summer hiker is always happy about an apple tree along the way.
5. Take breaks!
Besides food and drink, rest is also important. After an hour or two, you can take a short break to have a little drink, rest, admire nature and put something in your cheek. This is especially important if there are children in the group.
6. For a longer trip, you need to take more food with a well-thought-out composition, including foods eaten warm. Classic camping foods are canned food, to which delicious, light and quick-to-prepare dry foods have been added today.
7. Decent breakfast gives strength for the first half of the day, so you can go on the road with a smaller supply of food. Morning porridge with honey or jam and muesli are the best sources of energy and nutrients. You should choose dry porridges from whole grain products, because it is whole grain that contains vitamins and trace elements necessary for energy and energy is released over a longer period of time. If you cook the porridge yourself, it is good to bring powdered milk and a little butter. You could eat a sandwich with canned fish or pate and drink enough. In the case of pates, it would be good to read the composition of the food on the box, how much liver or meat is actually there, how many fillers.
8. A good hiking meal is soup, which can be cooked from a wide variety of ingredients and with different flavors. Dry soups are an easy solution for a shorter hike, but most are salty instant noodle broths or pureed soups thickened with thickeners that are low in nutrient density. Fishermen can cook fish soup, but if you go with this plan, you have to take carrots, onions and potatoes with you. You can buy suitable quick-to-make soups from camping shops.
9. Depending on the nature of the hike, hot meals can be prepared in the morning and evening at the accommodation and eaten more lightly during the day. Regular warm food is important and provides warmth even in cooler weather. Camping meals can be pre-processed (steamed and dried) staples such as buckwheat, spelt, rice, couscous or macaroni (preferably from whole grains), which can be eaten with canned meat or fish. NB! Some seasonings could also be included just in case, for example salt, sugar, pepper. A simpler, but slightly more expensive solution is freeze-dried ready meals, to which you only need to add hot water, mix and wait a few minutes. The advantage of freeze-dried foods is that some of them also contain vegetables and fruits that cannot be taken fresh. Such foods can be purchased from camping equipment stores.
Source: online.le.ee
