SUBSCRIBE | NEWSLETTERS | MAPS | VIDEOS | BLOGS | MARKETPLACE | CONTESTS
Full Name:
City:
Address 1:
State:
Zip Code:
Address 2:
Email: (required)

If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $12.00, and receive a full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 73% savings off the newsstand price! If for any reason I decide not to continue, I'll write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing.


Offer valid in US only.
Canadian Subscriptions | International Subscriptions

CLOSE WINDOW

Also on Backpacker.com


Enter Zip Code
Editors Choice

EDITORS' CHOICE AWARDS 2011: THE BEST NEW GEAR




Flash Map

OVER 3,000 GPS-ENABLED TRIPS!



Daily Dirt

DAILY DIRT BLOG: THE LATEST OUTDOOR NEWS



Ask Kristin

GEAR PRO: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED



Ask Buck

MEDICINE MAN: ESSENTIAL SKILLS REVEALED



Backpacking 101

BACKPACKING 101: GET STARTED NOW!



Videos

VIDEOS: FEND OFF A BEAR, PACK RIGHT, AND MORE.



Photos

PHOTOS: FEAST YOUR EYES WITH THESE SHOTS



Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more. Get Started

Backpacker Magazine – May 2008

Eat Better

Want to hike farther, explore tougher terrain, and carry big loads without bonking? To achieve your biggest backcountry goals, you have to change how you eat.

by: Dorothy Foltz-Gray and Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Photos by Justin Bailie

PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Photo by Justin Bailie
Photo by Justin Bailie

Sport-Specific Nutrition | Snack For All-Day Energy | Balance Your Backcountry Diet | Food Expert Q & A | The 10 Best Backpacking Foods | The Perfect Menu | A Day of Eating Healthy | The Burning Curve... | ...And a Radical Deviation

Sport-Specific Nutrition
Tailor your body for the trail with our perfect backpacking diet.

Sport-specific nutrition–eating strategies tailored to the demands of your activity–is all the rage these days, and with good reason. Knowing the best foods for your sport lets you turbocharge your engine for peak performance. As a backpacker, you log long days at moderate intensity. You grunt up heart-pounding climbs with 40-pound loads. And you do it at altitude or in marginal weather. These factors create significantly different nutritional dilemmas than running or cycling. Our experts scoured the latest nutrition research and turned it into a comprehensive plan for backpackers. You'll discover the best balance of carbs, protein, and fats for long-distance treks; get clear information about your calorie intake; and find out exactly what to eat for big climbs, high-altitude trails, and cold temps. We'll share their advice for men and women, then boil everything down into the ultimate backpacking menu–complete with delicious recipes.

Sport-Specific Nutrition | Snack For All-Day Energy | Balance Your Backcountry Diet | Food Expert Q & A | The 10 Best Backpacking Foods | The Perfect Menu | A Day of Eating Healthy | The Burning Curve... | ...And a Radical Deviation


PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating: -

READERS COMMENTS

I think Craig is funny. He made me laugh. Thank you Craig. And you do bring up some very good points. Thank you again, Craig.
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 Josh

Two useful expert sources of fitness & nutrition:
1. U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion & Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM) - Hooah Health: http://www.hooah4health.com/ http://www.hooah4health.com/body/default.htm

2. military.com: http://www.military.com/military-fitness/ http://www.military.com/fitness-center/military-fitness/nutrition/archive
Posted: Nov 06, 2009 JMP

I don't want to eat what Craig eats. It appears to make you grumpy.
Posted: Sep 09, 2009 George

Ground flaxseed goes rancid in no time. Take the seeds whole and grind them yourself.
Posted: Jul 11, 2009 CB

You really need to check your nutritional consultants credentials as she appears to be an imbecile.
Posted: Jul 11, 2009 Craig

Complex carbs breaking down slowly has absolutely nothing to do with why marathon runners eat it the night before a race. The reason they do that is to make sure their bodies' reserves of glycogen are full. The speed at which carbs are digested has nothing at all to do with how effective they are at replenishing glycogen, given that length of time. Stick to pitching tents and leave the nutrition to the experts.
Posted: Jul 11, 2009 Craig

Most retards who try their hand at being nutritionists these days are absolutely obsessed by carbohydrates. It's laughable that the only advice you have to offer is whether to eat simple or complex carbs. Here's a few facts for you about carbohydrates. 1) The human body can survive indefinitely with a bare minimum of carbs (even none) whereas eliminating protein or fat will result in certain death. 2) The diet our bodies evolved to eat and thus the one most conducive to good health consists of around 35% carbs, comprised from large amounts of vegetation and a moderate amount of fruit. 3) ALL the cereal grains you idiots are obsessed with are inedible in their natural state and are only made edible by heavy mechanical processing. I'm reasonably sure they didn't have the ability to process food when Palaeolithic humans were around and therefore these foods are ill suited to human consumption (regardless of how many dumbasses would claim otherwise).
Posted: Jul 11, 2009 Craig

Cheddar can go 4-5 days w/o refrigeration, it just gets oily and melty, but still tastes good (makes the best mac and cheese)
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 ellen

These are great recipes! One question though, how do you keep the cheese in the Tuna recipe cold on a muli-day trip?
Posted: Jul 16, 2008 JP

These are great recipes! One question though, how do you keep the cheese in the Tuna recipe cold on a muli-day trip?
Posted: Jul 16, 2008 JP

ADD A COMMENT

Your Name:

Comment:

My Profile Join Now

Most recent threads

Gear
backpacking partner
Posted On: Feb 09, 2012
Submitted By: City Man
Trailhead Register
Contador Appeal Denied
Posted On: Feb 09, 2012
Submitted By: wildlifenate
Go
View all Gear
Find a retailer

Special sections - Expert handbooks for key trails, techniques and gear

International Travel
From Nepal to New Zealand, we have stories and tips to help you plan the perfect 'life list' trek abroad.

Navigation Center
Learn how to orient a map, navigate any terrain, and the ins-and-outs of GPS devices.

BACKPACKER's Free Smartphone GPS App
Record and share you adventures with our new, free navigation app. Plus, discover thousands of GPS-enabled hikes in national parks and major cities.

Green Guide
A backpacker's guide to environmental issues and "green" gear.

Follow BackpackerMag on Twitter Follow Backpacker on Facebook
Name:
Address 1:
Address 2:
City:
State:
Zip:
(required) Email:

If I like BACKPACKER, I'll pay just $12.00 and receive a
full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 73% savings
off the newsstand price! If for any reason I decide not to continue, I'll write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing.

SUBMIT MY ORDER Offer valid in US only.
Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions

Pay Now