If you are real interested in this method you can buy their cookbook. Most REI stores carry it.

Sorry - the WORD table did not copy with columns.

Example Ration List (for 2 people)

Food Type 1 day 1 wk 2 wks
FD meat, fd eggs ,soy* 0.122 1.0 2.0
Nuts, seed, legumes 0.306 2.0 4.0
Dry milk products** 0. 390 2.75 5.5
Cheese*** 0.322 2.25 4.5
Dry and fd veg,
mushrooms, potatoes 0.284 2.0 4.0
Dry and fd fruit 0.254 1.75 3.5
Flour, biscuit mix **** 0.442 3.0 6.0
Cereal, granola wheat
germ 0.442 3.0 6.0
Pasta, rice, barley,
main dish grains 0.442 3.0 6.0
Margarine and olive oil 0.320 2.25 4.5
Sugar and honey 0.320 2.25 4.5
Sport drinks, Jello,
pudding 0.388 2.5 5.0
TOTAL 4.0 28.0 56.0
• * soy – TVP and soy nuts – spoon of TVP added to each meal
• ** dry whole milk and coca mix made with dry whole milk
• *** real cheese, not dry
• **** assumes you make your own trail food – usually flat breads

Other items not listed above:
Flavor bases – bullion cubes, dry soup mixes, salt.
Spices – cinnamon, curry, basil, pepper, garlic, chili powder, oregano, mustard powder
Tea and coffee
Vinegar

The 2 person, 2-week ration used to be considered the “standard” ration for a one-time resupply on a month-long course. I really do not know how often NOLS resupplies nowadays.

Within each food type we had lots of variety. We bought bulk from natural food stores – similar to grains you can find now at Whole Foods bulk bins. I am not sure where the whole dry milk was purchased from. We would mix our own coca. Sharp chedder cheese primarily. Soft cheeses do not keep as well as hard cheese.

Lunch --This list is from the “old days” when we actually cooked our trail food. We had the ability to bake – so made biscuits and cakes. Flat breads were fried. Nuts and dry fruit and some cheese were added to lunches. Nuts included peanuts, almonds, walnuts, Brazil Nuts, cashews. Raisins, prunes, dried apples, dried peaches, dried pears, etc. strawberries were the only FD fruit. Now trail bars are issued and trail food is not made in the field much any more.

Breakfasts were primarily cereal, and a few times eggs and pancakes. Nuts, fruit, dry milk, TVP and margarine were added to cereal.

Dinners were one-pot meals made from the bags of basic ingredients. Examples;
Macs and cheese - very popular
Sweet and Sour Curried Rice
Cheesy Rice
Fish and Rice
Beefy rice or noodles
Chicken rice or noodles
Fish patties or potato patties
Baked desert – cake or pie (graham /butter crust- and pour in fruit compote)

Supplemented with a wild green salad (dressing made of oil and spices and vinegar)
In season whortleberry pie!
In season – lots of wild mushrooms
And LOTS of fish!

Prime items that everyone ate up quickly were cheese, coca and dried fruit.

Cook groups were 4 people. Each group carried one large Teflon frying pan with lid (used this to bake), 2 large pots (used to use #10 tin cans), one wooden stirring spoon, one large capacity stove. Cooking was shared and rotated – so you would cook for everyone one meal, and then not for another 3 meals. Like I said before, everything at NOLS is VERY group oriented. Teaching how to function in a group (expedition) is a primary goal of NOLS.