I'm pretty new to this board and was wondering if there are any other backpackers out there following a low-fat, unprocessed, and/or vegan diet out there? Maybe we could share tips or something? There doesn't seem to be many of these people in the hiking community. In fact I haven't met any yet...
There are plenty of vegan hikers that I have met. Whether or not they go the unprocessed/lf route is up to them. For example....at home we eat lower fat but there is no way I can do that while hiking. We eat a mostly unprocessed diet but are not vegan.
_________________________
Freezer Bag Cooking, Trail Cooking, Recipes, Gear and Beyond: www.trailcooking.com
Not vegan but tend to eat vegetarian a bit because I like the food. Not completely unprocessed but tend to eat that way because it is cheaper and tastes better. Can't cook that way totally on the trail but tend to actually cook, not rehydrate, from basics like rice and oatmeal.
_________________________
If I wouldn't eat it at home, why would I want to eat it on the trail?
I definitely make compromises by using instant stuff, but I recently got a dehydrator and it's great to pack some veggies. A whole bag of spinach dehydrates to practically nothing. It takes more fuel to cook from scratch but I'm willing to carry it.
The low cost of whole, veggie food is definitely a bonus. A meal or two at even a cheap restaurant will be equal to a camping fee or the gas to get out there and not be very healthy. Instant food like Mtn House is, what, like $5 or $6 for 2 servings (I've seen it at $7.99!) that are actually 1 serving, versus $1 for a bag of lentils and some spices that you can buy anywhere, will last for three meals, produce less trash, and make your pack feel significantly lighter every day.
There are plenty of vegan hikers that I have met. Whether or not they go the unprocessed/lf route is up to them. For example....at home we eat lower fat but there is no way I can do that while hiking. We eat a mostly unprocessed diet but are not vegan.
That's something I've thought about--how sustainable a low-fat diet would be with heavy hiking. On the AT I was dropping weight very fast. (I've regained it all by falling off the wagon after the trip, unfortunately.) That's not a bad thing for me right now, but eventually I might have needed to add in more calorie-dense foods like nuts or oils. I would think though that if I less fat on my body, the extra would just be burned for energy, and if I wasn't eating a lot of saturated fat my cholesterol wouldn't suffer.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!