In Praise of Junk Food

I’ve never been known for moderation.  When something interests me, I tend to go off the deep end, flinging myself totally into the task.  So it’s only natural that given my lifelong interest in nutrition and facing an upcoming AT thru-hike (a grueling, six-month long endurance event) I’d be spending my final weeks of preparation obsessing about food.

food3The problem thru-hikers face is this: when you’re hiking upwards of fifteen miles a day for months on end – and hauling all your food on your back – you have to make every calorie count. Meals have to be easy to prepare, unlikely to spoil, and lightweight.  They also have to carry out a lot of functions — repairing your exhausted muscles, replacing lost minerals and electrolytes, and giving you both the long and short-term energy you need to fuel your hike.  Hopefully, they’ll taste good, too.

Luckily, I don’t have any food allergies or special dietary requirements, so that part has been easy.  But I’m not proud to admit that I don’t handle hunger well.  I metabolize my food quickly and get very cranky fast. Add in the infamous “hiker hunger” that eventually kicks in — where famished hikers can’t consume enough calories to ward off starvation mode — and you can see why I’m concerned about the food supply.

So for the past few weeks, I’ve been chowing down on a veritable list of superfoods I plan to take on the hike. In my usual gung-ho manner, I’ve turned every meal into a nutrient-dense experience, trying to cram as many “health foods” into my day as humanly possible, just as I expect to do on the trail.

For breakfast, for example, I’ve been eating a granola concoction made with chia, buckwheat, hemp, flax, pumpkin seeds, oats, coconut, brown rice, sunflower seeds, amaranth, millet, and quinoa topped with whole milk. I have protein bars for snacks. Or gorp made with a variety of nuts and dried fruits.  Lunch is either a peanut butter/coconut oil sandwich on 16-grain bread or a protein shake with blueberries. Dinners feature quinoa, tofu, olive oil, and beans.food1

The result? Well, I’m certainly glad I bought a trowel!  And I suspect that my good cholesterol level is one for the record books. I’m also no longer hungry. Despite increasing the mileage on my training hikes, all those healthy fats and calorie-rich superfoods seem to be doing the trick.  I used to be ravenous after hiking five miles.  Now I’m only mildly hungry after ten.

But the bad news is that I’ve gained five pounds.  Seriously, all this healthy food is making me fat!  (And sadly, it is not an increase in muscle.)  So I guess it’s time to go lighter on the quinoa and pack some good old junk food instead.  Any suggestions?  My gurgling stomach will appreciate any tips you have!dawn12

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

Comments 6

  • Linda Vance : Feb 4th

    Have you tried overnight oats? I’m just reading about it. It sounds horrid (cold oatmeal? Really?) but I doubt it would be such a rage if it weren’t good….

    Reply
    • Gail Barrett : Feb 4th

      I’ve never heard of that, Linda. I’m not much of an oatmeal eater, though. One day a week is about my limit.

      Reply
  • Karen : Feb 5th

    Love your plan. You’ll use those extra calories trekking so gaining weight won’t be a problem. Until then, try decreasing the carbs and if you are hungry, increase the good fats like true virgin olive oil, grass fed and finished beef, coconut, nuts, etc. Have been keto two years and it works. It’s not the calories, it’s the carbs that cause weight gain. Best wishes for your hike.

    Reply
    • Gail Barrett : Feb 5th

      Thank you for the tips, Karen! I suspect I’ve simply been eating too much. I might forget about lunch at the start of my thru-hike and just rely on my gorp snack during the day. Honestly, that breakfast granola mixture is so crammed full of nutrients that it really fills me up (and probably has thousands of calories!). Just cutting out lunch might do the trick. If I get really hungry as the hike wears on, I can pick up some peanut butter in town and add that to my menu. I was going to get packets of coconut oil, but I’m not sure if it is necessary now since I’m eating so many other oily/fatty foods. A question, though: what do you suggest doing about vegetables? I’m thinking about buying some freeze dried ones to mix with my quinoa at night.

      Reply
      • Karen : Feb 5th

        That makes sense. I’ve become a bit of a foodie. 😉 For veggies, I’m planning to either use freeze dried or dehydrate my own to add to hot meals. You can save a lot of space by using a blender or food processor to grind them down to powder if desired. I’d do that for longer hikes but like the texture of the chunks for shorter forays.

        Reply
        • Gail Barrett : Feb 5th

          Karen, if we ever do this again, I think we will invest in a food dehydrator. I don’t have the time to do that now, so I’ll probably just buy some dried veggies online, but doing it yourself seems to be the most economical thing to do. And that way you get the vegetables you like. I never thought about turning them into powder. I suppose if my backpack is full enough, they might turn into powder on their own by being crammed in. I guess they will taste the same, either way!

          Reply

What Do You Think?