Taking with you the right food for your outdoor trip plays a central role in determining the success and experience of your adventure. This is the reason you need to prioritize meal planning for any backpacking trip. The food you pack will rely on your taste, preference, nutritional value, caloric intake, ease of preparedness as well as the number of days you will be in the wilderness. The emphasis should be to pack well-balanced food that will let you enjoy a quick, easy, and nutritious meal when on the trail. Where you plan to spend more than a day in the outdoor, a well thought outdoor meal planning is needed. You need to think of breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner for the period you will be there. This article outlines a few ideas you can use to plan your outdoor meal.
The first consideration you need to make is the amount of food to pack. This is basically determined by several factors such as the number of days you will be in the wilderness, the intensity of outdoor activities, your body size, and the number of calories you burn. There are no accurate recommendations for the amount of food you should pack but take food that can supply between 2 500 to 4 to 500 calories per person per day. You need to recognize that the nature of the outdoor trail will determine the energy you expend to a great extent. A mountaineer will sure use more calories than someone exploring a flat trail on the plateau. It is better to carry excess food than run out of meals when in the wilderness.
The other vital consideration is the type of outdoor food to pack. Generally, you can pack most foods, but it is good you prioritize portable, lightweight, and nutritious ones. It is also good to pack a range of food to make sure you have enough choices. Eating the same food over and over can be boring and make you lose appetite. Take with you some spices condiments such as pepper, and olive oil, fresh food such as apples, carrots, oranges, and snap peas can give you the nutritional value that you need. The fresh foods can last a couple of days at moderate temperatures. The perfect outdoor foods are dehydrated meals that you can DIY if you have time. The water is taken out of fruits, vegetables, and meat to make a perfect trail meal that can last a good number of days. Soup and warm beverages are excellent in preventing dehydration that is commonly experienced outdoors, and they provide you with necessary energy especially during chilly days. It is important to note that alcohol should be taken with caution. Desist from taking alcohol right before you go to sleep because it can interfere with your sleeping cycle. However, some wine and whiskey with friends is a good way to pass time for a casual outdoor trip. It is also good to mention that where possible avoid canned foods because they are way too heavy, and you do not need a bulky backpack during your outdoor adventure. Those are a few things we thought you should know about outdoor meal planning.