What To Eat While You Trek

By siliconindia   |   Friday, 14 October 2011, 23:34 IST
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Bangalore: All geared up to go backpacking with friends over the weekend but confused what foodstuff to carry?? There are just two ways to get energy during a trek - food and sleep; and nobody can say no to food, especially while you are on a trek. Considering you would have other important belongings to carry and you want to keep your bag as light as you can, it gets a bit difficult to pick up food. Mainly, the food has to be light and compact, take up less space, high on energy amd most important of all it should have the right balance of nutrients. Water - If your team assures you to provide fresh water en route your trek, then you are lucky! Do not take much. Carry enough water just to last during the pit stops. Meals - Start your day with a heavy breakfast as it is the most important meal of the day. You cannot afford to begin the trek on an empty stomach. Since you will be hiking the whole morning, have a light lunch to save some energy on digestion. It will also keep you going without feeling too full in the belly. Let your lunch consist of some precooked food like mashed potatoes or noodles, sandwiches, fruits and some oatmeal. Generally cooking is done in the evening for dinner. So here you can add up on some carbohydrates, nutrients and proteins. The simplest of the carbohydrates you have is the sugars. Those found in unprocessed food are considered better as they contain more minerals and vitamins. Snacks - Keep your chocolates and biscuits aside for the weekend and add in some high energy snacks like nutri bars or energy bars, nuts, legumes, grains, dried fruits(black plums, apricots, dates, figs) and some sweets. Instead of milk, carry milk powder and some tea bags. Divide all the groceries among the whole team in order to make the climb easier for everyone. Don not Take - * Canned food/drinks. * Say no to meat/chicken while trekking. * Bagged such as chips and other junk. * Avoid all fat and starch items as much as you can as they contain complex carbohydrates and take longer to digest.