Just returned from a 3-day tour and have decided I can’t stand any more Hormel Compleats chicken and roast beef dinners, nor Campbell’s bean and pea soup, convenient thought they are.
I need ideas for protein for touring. Criteria:
Low fat and healthy fat (That rules out sausage.)
Easy to prepare
Doesn’t need to be kept cold
Not junk food. Something healthy.
The challenge is to find protein for 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. That’s 5 protein sources per day.
If you’re tempted to suggest eggs or hard-boiled eggs, don’t forget that even hard-boiled eggs aren’t supposed to be left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours according to the USDA.
Raw eggs properly sealed last for weeks. So you have a great protein source for meals if you want it.
For snacks tuna fish, sardines, canned refried beans, jerky,nuts their are so many choices.
In reality I eat most of my protein as sardines, nuts and peanut butter while camping. I have gone days with justs gorp amd been fine. I think trips less than three days you just need to make certain you have enough carbs and you’ll be fine.
The usual suspects Tuna, sardines, herring - watch the salt content.
Cheese - was invented to preserve milk without refrigeration.
Peanut Butter - (I buy a brand without sugar and salt in it.)
Peanuts, Almonds, Black Beans, good brands of beef jerky.
Have done Spam and Canned Corned Beef hashes.
Fajitas made with canned chicken are good and easy too.
My favorite is fresh caught fish.
Discovered something amazing on a trip to New Zealand -Lobster and Fresh Green Lipped Mussels …
When paddling or hiking I eat salami too, lots of fat but if you are working hard probably a decent food, because it keeps well, and has fueled many an expedition.
Entomophagy Learn your bugs! Best source of untapped, readily available, ecologically friendly protein we have. You pick the right ones, they taste good too!
Generally, we pick off the legs and wings, and the most they need to be wonderful is a roasting or frying with a little salt.
vigoro makes a nice size package. you add water and cook. it's like rice a roni only its beans and rice. nuts are also a good source of protien .i believe tuna comes in a packet now as well. mayo comes in individual size packets too.all these pack real light.
What does “properly sealed” mean? From USDA website: "After eggs are refrigerated, they need to stay that way. A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the growth of bacteria. Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than 2 hours. "
In the U.S. commercial eggs are washed, which removes the outer coating that protects the eggs from bacteria.
canned tuna canned tuna works well. Really do you need that much protien though? For a 3 day trip you should be fine with little or none. If you really want protien in quantity, get canned tuna, I usually carry 1 can per day and mix it with mac and cheese at the end of the day for my evening meal. Eggs will keep just fine. Remember that when a hen lays an egg, she does not immediately hatch it. A hen will lay roughly 1 egg per day, until she has about a dozen or so in a nest before she will incubate them. Thats 12 days minimum with no refrigeration and they are viable. Get some farm fresh eggs, not, “store bought” and they will keep for a week with no refrigeration. Boil them to eat. If they float when you put them in water, throw them away. Jerky keeps great if it is dry, and you can cut it up and add it to mac and cheese, Rice a Roni, Zatarains, etc and make kind of a meal.
Wilderness tripping is not gourmet, it’s fuel. Sometimes you have to eat stuff that is gross but has the required nutrients. But on a three day trip I wouldn’t even worry about protien at all. Throw in some protien powder from a health store and have a shake if you are concerned.
Naturally! You’ll find that those involved with entomophagy are generally very well versed compared to the public, even the ‘outdoorsy’ types. Especially given the abundance of viable, tasty insect protein, there is no reason to go after endangered species of any sort (compare that to fisheries…). In fact, there is ample opportunity to dine on what are otherwise considered ‘pests!’
Just have to get over common western notions. Not only do many insects taste downright awesome, they’re hugely more sustainable than any type of livestock or fishery.
Protein powders and dehydrated milk my wife and I use these on almost every trip. Very economical (compared to high protein alternatives). If your lactose intolerant many of the newer protein blends mix great with water and actually taste very, very good. They are also much easier to digest than meat - especially dehydrated. I like BSN Syntha-6, it tastes great when mixed with water, and also contains some good fats. A small protein shake with some ramen for complex carbs and you are good to go for lunch. After dinner, NOTHING beats oreos and milk!