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Some Call It Adventure I Call It My Way Of Live 

 Foodstuff

          

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier


A principle of any expedition where physical work (paddling, cycling, etc.) is at the forefront of the daily routine:


If you have enough and varied food to eat, you won't argue with your travel partner and the team spirit will be better!


Many expeditions have experienced this. But this also applies to single travellers...

 As a point of reference, it can be said that on top of the basic daily requirement of around 1700 kcal for sporting performance, there is an additional requirement of around 2000 kcal.  In very cold temperatures, you can add up to an additional 2000 kcal due to the temperature.


I used up to 6500kcal on my 2009 recumbent trike tour !

Food and drinking water are much more important when travelling than at home, in fact almost everything revolves around food and drink!
That's why you shouldn't save money and make as many variations as possible.
There's nothing worse than having too little to eat when you're travelling!
This can lead to serious mistakes and the wrong decisions being made.
And if you are hungry, there is nothing left of the good mood and fun of the expedition!

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

My advice:
Better to pack too much than too little food!  
   

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

If there is too much food, there is always a grateful recipient in the bush.
Starvation on a trip is usually a sign of poor preparation and planning!
Of course, there are some trips where you simply can't take enough to last the whole trip. For example, on cycling trips you have to go hungry. I've had to do that enough on my travels. It doesn't hurt, but it's educational!
You will never waste food again...

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

 Surely you can also buy some meat (elk, bear, beaver, seal...) or even smoked salmon on the way from the locals. 

 My provisioning list, which varies greatly from trip to trip !

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

 There are clear differences in the composition of a winter and a summer tour!
In winter, the fat content of the food should be much higher due to the much higher calorie consumption! 

On the subject of trekking food 
     Save your money ! 

        

On Expeditions in a boat or with the motorcycle absolutely unnecessary, only with a backpack or with  a bicycle it makes sense! 

You only enrich the companies who earn a golden nose with their stuff and their absolutely excessive prices!

 

One or two bags for the Survival - Kit is OK but nobody needs more !

 

If possible, buy fresh food on the local market.

 

It tastes better it is much healthier and above all saves you a lot of money and supports the locals!

 

Food in bags like Maggi or Knorr are much cheaper, taste good and fill you up, for a fraction of the price of the trekking food!

( although it is not much healthyer... )

 

The only thing I can really recommend to you is to buy packs of  Cathay Pemikan

There the price / benefit ratio is right



 

Pemmikan is the energy bomb for Nordland travellers and is one of the most nutritious foods ever. There are different versions of Pemmikan, they contain highly concentrated nutritional values and can serve as the only food for a long time without any deficiency symptoms.

Pemikan can be eaten raw, fried or cooked. 

 

Trail Snacks 

 

The Trail Snack is for the small (mostly BIG) hunger in between, it gives you the consumed energy quickly back .

During physically strenuous activity in wind and weather the importance of such small snacks for maintaining performance can hardly be underestimated.

The supply of carbohydrates should come as quickly as possible on the way. The longer you let your body wait for it, the longer it needs to regenerate, in a few days it can lose more than half of its capacity.

This does not only mean that you feel a lot more exhausted on the way, but it also increases the risk of hypothermia! 

The small trail snacks on the way are therefore vital and must contain decent carbohydrates, mainly fructose, which quickly passes into the blood as well as minerals that replace the losses through sweating.

Dried fruits and muesli bars with some fruit are therefore ideal. 

One carries/stores them close so that they are quickly ready to hand with each rest.

 

This foodlist is for boat tours, for bike tours you have to limit yourself a bit (unfortunately) ! 

Whey protein

 

Whey isolate is produced from whey protein and is considered today to be the best protein for muscle building. Whey Protein Isolate is a whey protein and highest anabolic protein with biological value and faster than normal whey protein. 

Important when taking protein shakes, a lot of drinking otherwise you ruin your kidneys!

 My personal list !

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

I don't give any quantities, because surely each of you knows much better what he needs ! 

I try to bring as much variety as possible into the menu. 

One should repack all things to produce less garbage during the expedition !


In Alaska and Canada, mushrooms, berries, fish, geese and ducks are also on the menu.  


My Food List

Multivitamin/Mineral
Pemmican  
Ovaltine
Jerky - dried meat 
Pancake mix  
Oat flakes
Maple syrup for the pancakes
Honey, I haven't taken harmful sugar in years.
Wholemeal wheat flour 
Dry yeast 
Baking powder 
Pudding powder (mixed with milk powder) 
Sauces powder 
Salt, pepper, paprika powder, curry... 
Maggi cubes (broth) 
Coffee 
Tea 
Drinking chocolate 
Drinking powder in various flavours 
Mashed potato powder 
Ready meals like Maggi, Knorr etc. (are much cheaper than special trekking food.)  
Bag soups 
Dried vegetables 
Spaghetti 
Noodles 
Wholemeal rice 
Mustard 
Concentrated tomato paste 
Ketchup with it you can save everything... (lol) 
Mayonnaise keeps very long in the folding boat ! 
Butter in the tube bottle is available in the USA and Canada. 
Parmesan cheese delicious on noodles
(Full) Milk powder 
Egg powder 
Peanut butter 
Nutella 
Jam 
Marzipan (a true energy bomb) 
Jelly babies 
Various chocolate bars, a little too much sugar, but (Sometimes the soul needs it...) 
Energy bars 
Muesli Bar 
Trail mix 
Organic muesli / bar
Raisins /Prima to add to the Bannok ! 
Dried banana chips 
Various dried fruits 
Nuts 
Ascorbic acid powder (vitamin C) can be used very well as a vinegar substitute for salads! 
Cheese
Potatoes 

Carrots 

Garlic (I cut fresh garlic into small pieces and give it a screw container with oil!)  

Onions (You can also put these chopped in oil ! ) 

Cold pressed olive oil is unlike most other vegetable oils, which are produced by refining, a pure natural product. Despite its relatively low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, it is recommended by nutritionists. Cold pressed olive oil consists of 77% monounsaturated, 9% polyunsaturated and 14% saturated fatty acids. 

Smoked bacon (packed in an airtight tin) 
Baked beans 
Cans corn

 

Basic substances of the food

 

Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

 

The carbohydrates:

 

Are found mainly in flour products, bread, cereals, rice, fruit as well as in all kinds of sugars. Digestion leads to the degradation of glucose and the transition into the blood, then the energy supply/storage takes place in the form of glycogen. Two thirds of the glycogen reserves are contained in the musculature, one third in the liver and can be two to three times that of untrained people, depending on the state of training up to approx. 2000 kcal ! 

 

The fats:

 

Are found mainly in oil, margarine, nuts, butter, cheese, sausage and fatty meat. The water-free and therefore weight-saving fat reserves of humans are the largest energy store with approx. 50,000 kcal. 1 g fat produces 9 kcal and therefore has by far the best efficiency, but needs much more oxygen for combustion. Therefore, fats are less economical as well as difficult to digest and for summer tours less recommendable than carbohydrates. But on hard winter tours it's the other way round !  


 

The protein

 

It's mainly in meat, milk, eggs, cheese. The protein storage is only used in an emergency for the fuel metabolism, but is very important for the building metabolism. Proteins are the basic building blocks of muscle fibers, scaffolds and protective substances of most other tissues and are involved in the formation of enzymes, hormones, blood components and antibodies.  

1g protein yields approx. 4 kcal of energy. An addition of protein in the form of special protein drinks is very beneficial on any expedition! 

 

The vitamins

 

Vitamins serve to regulate all our metabolic processes in the body, so that their consumption increases enormously during exercise. 

A wholefood diet with a high nutritional value is important for athletes or travellers. There is no risk of a vitamin deficiency in shorter trips, a balanced mixed diet is normally sufficient.

Multivitamin tablets, on the other hand, are more than useful in cases of increased physical activity and reduced fresh food intake, in cases of predominantly canned food and dry food during long expeditions.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has a very varied effect and activates, among other things, the immune system. Therefore, increased daily amounts during expeditions are very useful as a preventive measure to increase resistance to infections.

Vitamin C is supposed to improve the oxygen utilization in the muscles. 

 

 Ideally one should be well trained!

But I have to admit that I'm hardly ever trained when I go on expeditions.

For me, training comes from travelling ....


Yukon River © Copyright by Ch. Breier

© Copyright by Ch. Breier

 On my 2009 recumbent trike tour through the Yukon & Alaska

I lost over 20 Kg. I had hardly any body fat left ...

Although I must honestly say that I always reach that score only after my expedition...

At the start of any of my expeditions I am always about 10-20 KG above the level, but during the first 4-6 weeks I can live very well from my body fat ...  

 

The German Nutrition Society recommends eating at least 30 grams of dietary fiber a day. 


Dietary fiber promotes health

Dietary fibres are vegetable fibres with many good properties: they regulate digestion, reduce hunger and keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check. They also prevent bowel cancer, diabetes and arteriosclerosis.

Particularly many ballast materials are in whole grain bread, Müsli and legumes, linseed, Sojabohnen, almonds, oat flakes, whole grain noodles. But also berry fruits, dried fruits and some vegetables are good dietary fiber - suppliers. 

However, those who eat high-fibre food should be aware of some things: 

Fibres swell up in the stomach and intestines and withdraw water from the digestive system.

It is therefore very important to drink enough. Especially linseed, dried fruit and wholemeal products can otherwise cause constipation and unpleasant abdominal cramps. Choose low-calorie thirst quenchers such as water, tea or diluted juice spritzers.

 

Oat flakes

are absolute all-rounders and an ideal nutrition that should not be missing on any expedition ! 

 

 

Until the 19th century, oats were one of the most important staple foods and were widely known for their healing properties. 

 

 Oatmeal provides more energy:

Oats can boast a number of possible variations:

oat flakes, oat porridge, oat bran, oat bread and oat biscuits, the possibilities of this cereal for nutrition are manifold. In addition, oats are considered the most valuable cereal in nutritional terms. This is mainly due to its high protein and fibre content as well as the minerals and vitamins B1 and E it contains. This combination ensures a regulated blood sugar level and a strong immune system. Athletes in particular can make use of this natural energy supply.

 

 Oat also supports skin health:

The B vitamins contained in the oat flakes not only provide more power, but together with trace elements such as zinc, manganese and copper also ensure strong fingernails and pure, healthy, beautiful skin. Already 40 grams of oat flakes cover 20 percent of the daily requirement of zinc and copper.

 

Grandma already knew that oatmeal helps with gastrointestinal problems:

 

Oat flakes are still considered a proven household remedy today. They can alleviate discomfort, especially in gastrointestinal diseases. The indigestible ballast substances contained in the oat flakes keep the acid gastric juice away from the mucous membrane like a protective layer. The proportion of LDL cholesterol in the body can also be reduced by eating oat flakes. In addition, boiled oat porridge with water or milk stimulates digestion.

Oatmeal doesn't make you fat either:

Although oat flakes contain many calories, they do not necessarily make you fat. They provide a lot of energy, but they also satisfy for a long time. This is mainly due to the ballast substances they contain. 

 

Dietary fibres are vegetable fibres with many good properties: 

Among other things, they regulate digestion, reduce hunger (even considerably) and keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check.

So a very good reasons to have a large stock of oat flakes with you on any expedition!

For me mixed with raisins, nuts and honey one of my favourite meals !  

 

 

  Continue with: Clean drinking water
 

 Only those who risk going too far, will discover how far they can go!

Expedition in USA, Alaska & Canada, Scandinavia with folding boat, motorboat, catamaran, motorcycle, off-road vehicle, bicycle ...