An Ultra Endurance Camping Nutrition Challenge

I am sure there will be some 'fancier' campers than me who will give you something on the more interesting/tasty side.  I'm just out for food. 

But, anyway, you don't need milk for oatmeal.  Instant is the way to go in the outdoors.  Heat water and eat.  Some nuts and/or dried fruit will jazz it up nicely.  You can also get pancake batter that all you need to add is water (they even make some in contaniers where you just add the water in the container & pour so no other 'mess' to clean).  But, if you like, you could bring powdered milk and substitute.

Rice & beans is an easy one.  Add some pre-cooked chicken or any other goodies you like that are easy to carry/store.

Peanut butter and whatever with a loaf of your favorite bread.  Bring crackers too and you also have a snack.  Ingredients for a tuna/chicken salad can accomplish the same thing (though you probably want to finish off the tuna as you make it and not try to save it for later).

Any vegetables that can be eaten raw or steamed in water (beans, broccoli, squash, baby carrots, etc.).  A bottle of Italian dressing or something to your taste if you want to flavor them a bit.

With pre-cooked chicken or canned tuna or lunchmeats (or something similar) and some lettuce, you can also mix up a pretty good salad.  Add some of your nuts & dried fruit, maybe some veggies and cheese and toss with dressing.

I'll second the rice & beans. I have cooked for MTB/Cyclocross races before where there were all sorts of dietary requirements (vegan/glutten-free)

In a big pot

saute some onions and garlic salt/pepper oregano and cumin in olive oil
when they clarify add can(s) of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis
drain the liquid from canned beans (red and black) and add them to the pot
add some molasses, onion powder and worsteshire(sp) sauce (w-shire is NOT vegan) or red wine, or beer
a bit of tomato paste or tomato powder.

This can simmer all day, or for several days probably. With a separate pot of precooked rice, or some good bread/tortillas and cheese this is really hearty and good.

My erstaz French onoin soup is another one

several pounds of onions sliced
stock (now sold in groceries in nice re-sealable box/bottles
butter
clarify the onions in butter, add stock

Bread and cheese, tortillas, salsa and chips, salami? olives.

Meat-wise, smoked and/or cured will keep better. You could pre-cook and freeze something like pork bbq and it would either thaw slowly in the cooler or you could cook it toorder by re-heating. I really like sardines and kippered herring, but that's not for everybody.

 ETA:

How could I forget about the vaccum-packed bags of tuna? That's what got us through out Blue Ridge Parkway through-ride. The keep well, require no refrigeration, come in several flavours, and go great on crackers or salads or sandwiches.

Edited by ride_like_u_stole_it 2009-08-24 10:43 AM

I make this stew while camping with friends, it tastes great and is very filling.

2 large red onions peeled halved and sliced
6 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
2 large bunches kale washed and chopped
5 large potatoes washed and cut in a large chunk
2 cans of garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
1 large and 1 small can crushed tomatoes
2 cups stock (chicken or veggie)
olive oil
pepper
salt

Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Saute onion until it starts to brown then add garlic and stir. Add potatoes to pot and stir to coat with onions and garlic. Add kale, tomatoes and stock to pot, stir and cover bring stew to a boil then turn down to simmer and allow for kale to cook down and potatoes to soften. Once potatoes are soft add garbanzo beans, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 5-10 more minutes then serve stew with hearty bread, corn tortillas and a sprinkle of cheese (leave cheese out if refrigeration is an issue).

I have also added chunks of pre cooked chicken sausage to this stew (add with onions).

Heh, my specialty. (lessee, 34+ hours backpacking just in August? Oh, wait, that's missing the latest trip...)

You have three categories: one, major meals, to be left over a low-heat pot for everyone to dip out of as they can; two, made-fast individual meals; and three, grab-n-go unheated stuff.

First category: Major meals
Make these all ahead of time. Seriously, no need to add cooking to your list of to-do items at the race, and NO ONE will feel like cooking. Freezers are your friend, as are crock-pots or a large pot. Make up stuffed gallon-sized bags and freeze them, then dump into pot, add a little water, and heat until edible. Use Boca ground for these unless you know they'll stay frozen/cold. If you have all the frozen stuff in one cooler with ice, though, you should be totally fine with beef and/or turkey.
- American Chop Suey (also known as goulash)
- Chili, mild and maybe a touch sweet, add PB as thickener and extra protein/fat if no allergies. Easy on the beans
- Chicken noodle or rice soup
- beef stew (mmm, so filling and homey in the middle of a loooong night...)

Second category: Individual meals
On the trail, we use quart-sized freezer bags for this to eliminate dishes. You can just have bowls. All of the following are made with the addition of boiling water and a few minutes of soaking time. All you need is to keep a pot of hot water handy (if you have electricity, a hot pot/electric kettle is perfect) with a one-cup measure, and then everyone grabs a pouch, dumps it into their bowl, add the appropriate water, stirs, and they have a steaming hot meal. Perfect for everyone to grab whatever food they want at a given time ("But I don't WANT oatmeal right now!!!"). A NOTE: write the water and soaking time ON THE BAGGIE that you've put these in! It really stinks to add the two cups of water the couscous needs to the potatoes, which only need one cup...
- oatmeal, multi-flavor packs
- couscous with dry veggie soup mix pre-mixed. Can also add canned/pouch chicken right before adding water - one pouch is plenty to split two, three, or four ways.
- ramen (though takes a lot longer to "cook" and has a different texture than boiled, but it works)
- Instant mashed potatoes, pre-seasoned. We do the Loaded Baked Potatoes and add more bacon bits for more protein and taste, but they are perfectly fine on their own. We use Idahoan brand, and they have lots of other flavors. You can also make up your own.
- Old El Paso Fiesta Rice, Mexican Rice, etc. (with the taco/Mexican stuff in the store). Worked perfectly to set the pouch in a pot of boiling water and let it heat through - took maybe five minutes at a simmer. I rinsed off the package, too, and had no problem drinking up the water that it heated in. Same with Tasty Bite's Indian food, for those who like spicy (and they do have a kick, unlike the Old El Paso stuff!).
- Healthy Choice Mixers (that's SW chicken, but there are other flavors) work to just add water, without nuking.
- finally, just spend some time in the store looking at ALL the "instant" type dinners. Be careful to avoid anything that says "boil for X time" unless it is under about 2-3 minutes. I don't remember if Zataran's works, but there are TONS of brands and flavors out there - it is well worth the time, and you can fully customize to everyone's individual tastes. Plus, it is all "normal" food, so you can take the leftovers home for subsequent dinners and not feel weird serving it up to the fam. Don't forget to look through all the ethnic and organic aisles.
- and if you STILL need ideas, there is a whole industry of backpacking meals. Just start cruising REI and you will be overwhelmed at what people eat in the middle of nowhere (don't forget to check out the side dishes and desserts, too).

Three: Grab-n-go
These are things that are not heated and durable. They can be set down without all the dirt in the campground sticking to them, fixed and eaten with grubby hands without too much contamination.
- Arnold's Sandwich Thins - moist, durable, excellent base. Much better than pitas or bread, at least for the rigors of living in a pack
- hummus in various flavors, with provolone cheese if desired
- pepperoni with romano cheese (or another hard cheese)
- PB&J is always a good standby, again if no allergies
- crackers or Sandwich Thins with chicken salad or tuna salad (you can get pre-made kits, or buy the pouches and grab a couple relish and mayo packs from a fast food place)


Okay, hopefully you'll find something in there that can work. I have done WAY more research for this than any one person should, mostly because I have to work around allergies to all nuts and all seafood. It makes one get AWFULLY creative!

PM if you want even more ideas, but I figured I probably shouldn't blow the servers up entirely. LOL!

Oh geeze, I can't believe I forgot about drinks! Look to smoothies or drinkable pudding to get more calories in a stomach-friendly way. I can send some recipes if you'd like. I also have recipes for desserts if people have a sweet tooth. Again, in something like this, getting calories in is of the utmost importance, so get it any way you can!

x2 on Slugger's suggestion to make a bunch of stuff ahead of time. Frozen stews/soups keep great, and the more frozen stuff you pack into your cooler, the longer it will stay cold. Chicken & wild rice soup. White bean soup with leafy greens like kale and chard. Farro soup with mushrooms, sausage, and spinach or escarole.

Pisto with chorizo or eggs is a great and very easy one-pot dish, and you can buy pre-cooked chorizo links. Crusty bread is a good accompaniment.

This pasta dish is one of my favorite one-pot meals, and would probably keep just fine outside, to be reheated as necessary. You could cook the chicken ahead of time, and the milk isn't crucial if you decide not to bring any. The notion of cooking the pasta in exactly as much liquid as it needs to cook properly is pretty brilliant if you're looking to shed extra equipment (like a colander).

Also: cold salads. Orzo with a spinach "pesto," pine nuts, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, onion, diced feta or mozzarella, and a red wine or balsamic vinaigrette. Black beans and wild rice with fresh mango, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, and a chili-lime vinaigrette. Bulgur and lentils with minced carrot, celery, shallot, and parsley with a lemon vinaigrette. These can also be made ahead of time, and keep for days in the fridge (or a cool cooler).

Good call, wurkit. I love those things, though I desperately wish they had them in non-fat, not just whole, 2%, and chocolate. I always keep some on hand for when I run out of real milk (which is cause for a tragedy alert in my house).