From my post above, "...a mix of Carnation Instant breakfast, Nido, and instant coffee/expresso." The 'coffee' I use is Medaglia D'Oro Caffè Espresso Instant and I premix all three ingredients at home and carry one or two cup servings in baggies on the trail.
During the mixing I sift the stuff with a flour sifter...it reduces the lumping when stirring up the brew on the trail.
FB
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"...inalienable rights...include the right to a clean and healthful environment..." Montana Constitution
When I don't want to take time or dirty a pot, I use Bear Valley Pemican Bars or Meal Packs. In a single bar, they have about 450 calories, using dried fruit, nuts and flower. No unpronounceables. (REI sells them on their web page, but I've had problems with running out at the stores. They are about $1.50 unless you buy them 12+ at a time when the price drops down to just over $1. REI will ship to your nearest store for pick-up and not charge shipping.) I add gorp, energy bars etc. for another 300 calories.
A good cereal meal is 1.5 c Quaker Oatmeal & raisins for 450 calories , with 2 pkgs Carnation Instant Breakfasts instead of milk for 125 calories. I add .25 cups or 5.8 oz raisins for another 125 calories. 700 calories will keep me going until lunch. I follow the European style and don't cook the oatmeal, so there is no messy pot to clean up.
BTW I've been told walnuts have the one of the highest ratios of calories per ounce for backpack foods, about 200 calories per .25 cup or 4.4 oz.
My trail mix/snacks have been heavy on nuts for awhile. Now my lunches lean that way too. The bars I use for breakfast are heavy on dried fruit and nuts as well. Nuts are very healthy, walnuts in particular, and I think the salt from the mixed nuts I use in my gorp is a help on the trail.
But the calorie story is much better than what your were told. Nuts are very calorie dense...approaching that of butter. Walnuts run 185-190c per ounce...more than four times what your told.
FB
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"...inalienable rights...include the right to a clean and healthful environment..." Montana Constitution
I am learning to eat anything for breakfast. Long as its remotely healthy. I thry and eat some where around 1000 calories for breakfast. An easy way is to add pop tarts to any breakfast meal! I heat them on top of the lid when heating water Hot coffee and pop tarts, which fruit and granola never gets old.
Haven't done a hot breakfast (unless tea counts!) for a long time, but last summer on the JMT, I did start soaking one of my 2 food bars in the tea & then ate it with a spoon out of the bottom of the cup. These are homemade food bars, strongly gingered, with loads of nuts, seeds & grains, carrots, apples & dates. You can find the recipe & a link to the nutritional value at my non-commercial backpacking food blog Red Elephant Eats
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