Portable food choices

[Donna Sch]

Less than a week to go so I'm thinking about food. I'm doing the VDLP so there will be some stages where there won't be a friendly tienda or bar handy despite long distances so some days I need to carry it all.
I know I do best if I eat a high protein, lower carb, healthy fat diet so I can see myself boiling lots of eggs for along the way. Dried fruit and nuts are energy dense and I love them although I pity the person in the bunk below me if I hit the too much dried fruit limit. All that sulphur is not good.
I usually try to eat vegetables at every meal when at home but that is probably not so practical and not calorie dense enough.
I'm normally vegetarian but will be eating meat in Spain. But that doesn't mean I want it with every meal. And no tuna. Tinned fish reminds me of cat food. Sorry.
How do hard cheeses survive the summer heat?

Ideas?

 

[Lachance]

Ideas?

I'm interested in this too, but planning on spring, so heat's not such an issue. Dried fruit has a pretty high carb load. (I thought sulphur was only in dried apricots to stop them going that yucky brown colour). To me the problem looks mainly to be breakfast and snacks. Usually skip breakfast anyway. Snacks can be cheese, hb eggs, canned fish - I love it all, meeow - jamón, queso, nuts. What more could you want? Well, leafy greens, but apparently they're not much in evidence even on CF. Maybe canned asparagus, artichoke hearts? Heavy though.
Edit: just had a thought, nori and miso paste! Bacalao, biltong. Sundried toms.

 

[gerardcarey]

'Tux' brand salted crackers give a platform for anything. One of my favorites is the little jars of pate.
Regds
Gerard

 

[VNwalking]

I love it all, meeow

Is it time to change your avatar, by any chance, Lachance?
Spain has great almonds and sunflower seeds. And fresh fruit, bread, the odd carrot or tomato...and of course olives. All that is a flesh-free fantastic lunch. Cheese in the heat? Well, make your sandwich in the AM, put it on the top of your pack and have grilled cheese for lunch....

 

[GAUVINS]

I think that your selection is best (gorp & eggs). I boil my eggs (and carry only 2 at the time) to avoid ruining the content of my pack, and eat them for breakfast. (do you carry a stove?)

I also pack one or two servings of hot noodle soup (ramen) Weighs next to nothing and makes a filling meal.

Serious backpackers suggest olive oil as it has one of the highest calories per gram ratio. Problem is that drinking raw oil doesn't appeal to me and if you can buy bread to go with it, you don't have to carry calories in the first place...
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Never carried cheese on the trail except babybel (small pieces of Gouda sealed in wax) - they should keep for a couple of days even in the heat. You may also want to try processed cheese (sold as triangles packed in a round carton) Until opened, each triangle doesn't require refrigeration.

Goat cheese is another interesting option. You can get some that are very dry and hard as a rock. They should survive anything.

Depending on why exactly you want cheese - I carry powdered milk. Weighs very little and provides proteins.

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I believe that Spanish shepherds survived on jamon (cured ham) and wine.

And don't worry about sulfur. Explain the situation and you'll win the argument for the lower bunk

 

[Carol06]

I carried salami and hard cheese. Both survived well. And there are many places to buy dried fruit.

 

[wayfarer]

I carried peanuts and sultanas mixed for emergencies and also some choritzo, it gets you out of trouble.

 

[Liina]

I think I'll bring some raw fruit bars with me - I'm loving those!
For example: http://www.powerthemachine.com/images/uploads/Beond Bars.jpg

Small, light, fruity, healthy and - a little change from dried fruits

 

[Lachance]

Is it time to change your avatar, by any chance, Lachance?

Haha. But how crass of me to besmirch the memory of my dear Bella with cat noises. She absolutely has to stay as avatar. I need to channel that indomitable staffie spirit to brave a camino. Also love looking at her sweet face. She's much better looking than I am.
Deb

 

[Donna Sch]

I'm not sure if it is good or bad that I am at my ideal weight and I can't afford to lose more than 2-5 kg without losing muscle mass. The good thing since I love food is that I need to double my food intake just to maintain my weight. I tend to eat 40% carbs/30% protein/30%fat which translates to normally eating 100g+ protein daily. That's the equivalent of a dozen eggs. I'm used to manipulating my weight for sport but I don't have the same foods available. And I'm certainly not going to lug a bag of protein powder around. But I'm looking forward to trying out the local foods.

 

[Anniesantiago]

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html

I did this blog on the food along the Camino Frances, but you can find the same food plus more on the VDLP

 

[William Garza]

Nothing better than salami,cheeze and crackers under a tree

 

[William Garza]

I'm not sure if it is good or bad that I am at my ideal weight and I can't afford to lose more than 2-5 kg without losing muscle mass. The good thing since I love food is that I need to double my food intake just to maintain my weight. I tend to eat 40% carbs/30% protein/30%fat which translates to normally eating 100g+ protein daily. That's the equivalent of a dozen eggs. I'm used to manipulating my weight for sport but I don't have the same foods available. And I'm certainly not going to lug a bag of protein powder around. But I'm looking forward to trying out the local foods.

Was about to ask if you carried whey protien isolate,low fat anti catabolic

 

[Lachance]

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html
I did this blog on the food along the Camino Frances, but you can find the same food plus more on the VDLP

This is fantastic, so much really useful info and pics. Are you much of a wine drinker? Many years ago, they used to sell v cheap vino tinto in coca cola bottles, and frankly it was pretty rough.

 

[NicoZ]

I tend to eat 40% carbs/30% protein/30%fat which translates to normally eating 100g+ protein daily. .

There are proteins in most things.

100 grams of bread will be about 10 grams.
100 grams of hard cheese closer to 30.

You're at about 40 grams with a cheese sandwich.

Grab a couple of cups of yogurt in the morning and you're more then half way to that 100 gram target.

OTOH if you're walking so much you'll hit 100 grams by accident. It's hard not if you consume enough calories to keep going.

 

[Coleen Clark]

Nothing better than salami,cheeze and crackers under a tree

Never say nothing.

 

[Coleen Clark]

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html

I did this blog on the food along the Camino Frances, but you can find the same food plus more on the VDLP

Anniesantiago! What great info! Thank you very much. I will picnic my way along the Camino Francis, and hope I do not pick up canned cat food (cat in Spanish is "gato" right?) when I mean to pick up tuna (atun). But if it's **high quality** gato food I probably won't know the difference. Hey, it's an adventure, right?

 

[Icacos]

Nothing better than salami,cheeze and crackers under a tree

Sardines packed in olive oil and a baguette is high on my list. Although the OP did say 'no' to canned fish!

BTW, what is the Spanish equivalent to 'baguette'? And please don't tell me it's pan.

 

[William Garza]

Ooohhhhh
Sardines n saltines...
But with a fresh baguette? Sounds yum!

Hmm..that " nothing"is echoing..
A little local cheeze perhaps,.
I am partial to olive oil and balsamic vinigar with hot fresh bread..

 

[Donna Sch]

Sardines packed in olive oil and a baguette is high on my list. Although the OP did say 'no' to canned fish!

BTW, what is the Spanish equivalent to 'baguette'? And please don't tell me it's pan.

I hate the smell of tuna but I do love sardines. Especially on toast smpthered with lots of butter. I like things like rollmops too. Do the Spaniards have anything similar?

And bagette is la baguette or la barrita de pan (Question for the Spanish speakers - does barrita mean a little bar of bread or does it derive from barritar , to trumpet?)

 

[Henry Appelt]

Bananas. I never walk anywhere without a couple of them in my pack. Slow release and helps prevents cramp.

 

[Liina]

Bananas are awesome choice! I loved to hear when my fitness instructor said that I have to eat one banana after every training - lot's of energy that body needs to recover and also quickly. And it's so gooood!

I myself are a little bit worried that there is a different eating culture - I have learnt to eat in the mornings (yes, I didn't eat in the mornings for years and had to learn it, and now I have fried-boiled eggs, omelette, smoothies, spinach..), a good warm lunch and salad with some protein in the evening, during the day some good snacks like peanuts, almonds, fruit, etc. And I read that there is very common not to eat straight in the morning but few hours later, and then there is white bread.. that evil thing But I understand that there is something else to choose from also?

 

[Luka]

As a vegetarian, I always carry whey protein in my pack for after walking. During walking I survive on fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, cheese and salted peanuts mostly. Sometimes I have some carrots or a red pepper in my pack, just to get some vegetables.

 

[Icacos]

Bananas are awesome choice! I loved to hear when my fitness instructor said that I have to eat one banana after every training - lot's of energy that body needs to recover and also quickly. And it's so gooood!

I myself are a little bit worried that there is a different eating culture - I have learnt to eat in the mornings (yes, I didn't eat in the mornings for years and had to learn it, and now I have fried-boiled eggs, omelette, smoothies, spinach..), a good warm lunch and salad with some protein in the evening, during the day some good snacks like peanuts, almonds, fruit, etc. And I read that there is very common not to eat straight in the morning but few hours later, and then there is white bread.. that evil thing But I understand that there is something else to choose from also?

I will admit that I fell very easily into having café con leche y tostada for desayuno. And, yes, that tostada is that evil white bread. There may have been other choices around but I did not see them - tostada or a sweet roll of some sort seemed to be the norm. If you want to supplement your meals with other healthier choices you can easily do so by purchasing whatever you want from the tiendas along the way. The only time on the Francés, that I saw, where healthier options were available was the buffet breakfast provided to the peregrinos by San Antonio de Pádua albergue - three types of cereals, brown bread, juices ... I can't remember if there was fruit. In any event, their breakfast was a very welcome treat.

At the albergue in Castrojeriz there was offered up, I think, just a hot drink and some crackers and tostada. Believe me, that and a bit of fruit or yoghurt you have stashed in your pack is more than enough in the morning if you just want a quick bite before you hit the trail. [edited]

 

[Castilian]

BTW, what is the Spanish equivalent to 'baguette'? And please don't tell me it's pan.

Baguette. It's pronounced either like in French or ba-GUE-te (as those syllables are pronounced in Spanish being GUE the stressed syllable); depending on the specific speaker.

Question for the Spanish speakers - does barrita mean a little bar of bread or does it derive from barritar , to trumpet?

Barrita=a small bar
In other words, barrita is a diminutive of barra.

there is white bread.. that evil thing

...but you can find wholemeal bread at any panadería (bakery) in towns and cities.

café con leche y tostado

Be careful with spelling. What you mean is tostada. Tostado means roasted...

 

[Icacos]

Baguette. It's pronounced either like in French or ba-GUE-te (as those syllables are pronounced in Spanish being GUE the stressed syllable); depending on the specific speaker........

.........Be careful with spelling. What you mean is tostada. Tostado means roasted...

Gracias y gracias. [Post edited.]