Food, glorious food

Another of the obvious basic elements of a good hike is proper nutrition before, during and after your trail time. The kinds of food you eat play an important role in helping you be successful as a hiker.

It is important that you have a good understanding of the food groups. You know, what we heard about in elementary school but never learned. Check out http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html for a more detailed look at the food groups.

Obviously, pre-trip nutrition makes a big difference on the success of your hike. But let's talk about nutrition during your trip. There are plenty of options for packable food products and here are several to choose from:

• Commercial dehydrated/freeze dried meals- just add water. These are relatively light weight and easy to use although somewhat pricey. Some are good while others have a poor rating. You'll have to experiment to find the ones you like
• Canned this or packaged that- you can develop a menu that includes common products from the grocery store. These might include pastas in a bag that need cooking on the trail. Canned or foil packed meats are also available. These items are more economical but may require extra cooking gear and extra clean-up after a meal. Take a field trip to your favorite grocery store, pad and pencil in hand, and walk the aisles making notes of potential trail foods
  
• Prepare at home, pre-trip, the ingredients that will be easily hydrated on the trail and produce a tasty meal with little clean-up. Check out Sarah Svien's website www.freezerbagcooking.com She has some great recipes that only require boiling water while on the trail
• Breakfast & lunch- these meals can be simple. Instant grits or oatmeal, pre-cooked bacon or protein bars and hot chocolate as a beverage can serve as your morning meal. They are quick and easy. Lunch might include some hard cheese and tortillas with your favorite gourmet mustard. You might consider little packages of crackers with a spread. Dried fruit also makes a mid-day meal
  
• Use a sherpa or pack llama- weight won't be an issue for you but the expense might ruin your trip
• Trash- be prepared to either pack out all your spent containers and packaging
  

Experiment with different trail foods before you venture into the wild. There's nothing worse, except wet underwear, than not having good nutritious food available on the trail.