Many bushwalkers put a lot of effort into reducing the weight of the gear they carry but fail to bring the same discipline to their food planning and packing. This article suggests ways in which the weight of the food you carry can be sensibly minimised.
Calculate your daily energy usage
As the first step in your food planning, you should calculate the average daily amount of energy you will use on your trip. Your average daily energy use will be a factor of your gender (men use more than women); weight (the heavier you are the more you use); height (the taller you are the more you use); and age (the older you are the less you use). You can calculate your average daily energy use by using one of the following formulae :
- Men: E = [66.47 + 13.75W + 5H / 6.76A] x 4.2 x F
- Women: E = [655.1 + 9.56W + 1.85H / 4.68A] x 4.2 x F
Where E is your average daily energy use (in kilojoules); W is your weight (in kilograms); H is your height (in centimetres); A is your age (in years); and F is an appropriate activity factor for the trip (1.375 for a very easy trip; 1.55 for a moderately active trip; 1.725 for a very active trip; 1.9 for an extremely active trip).
Example 1
John is 40 years old, 180cm tall and weighs 85 kg. A typical day on his trip would be a medium-paced 15km walk on a well-graded, undulating foot track (moderately active). His average daily energy use would be: E = [66.47 + (13.75 x 85) + (5 x 180) / (6.76 x 40)] x 4.2 x 1.55 = 12140kJ
Example 2
Ellen is 60 years old, 160cm tall and weighs 55kgs. A typical day on her trip would be a fast 20km walk in rough country with steep climbs (extremely active). Her average daily energy use would be: E = [655.1 + (9.56 x 55) + (1.85 x 160) /(4.68 x 60)] x 4.2 x 1.9 = 9540kJ
Set your daily energy intake target
Once you have estimated your average daily energy usage, you need to set the daily energy intake target that will form the basis of your food plan. If you set a target that matches your energy usage, your weight will remain stable. If your target is less than you use, you will lose weight. If your target is more than you use, you will gain weight. A daily shortfall/excess of ~4000kJ/day will lead to a weight loss/gain of ~1kg/week. A daily shortfall/excess of ~2000kJ/day will lead to a weight loss/gain of ~0.5kg/week. The experience of some members has been that a food plan based on an energy intake that is ~2000kJ/day less than their average daily energy usage provides enough energy for walking and does not leave them feeling hungry.
Prepare your daily food plan
Once you have set a daily energy intake target, you need to prepare a daily food plan based on this target. This can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. Below is a food plan used by some members with target energy intake options ranging from 8500 to 12000 kJ/day and daily food weights ranging from 500 to 700 grams/day) that you may wish to consider as a starting point. Alternatively, you could start from scratch by choosing your own food types and working out a mix of serving sizes that will give you your energy intake target. If you opt for the latter option, you will need to know the energy value of each of the food types that forms part of your plan. You can get this information from the nutrition labels including on processed food packages and/or from a good diet guide. It will probably take a bit of experimentation before you can settle on a food plan that works for you but it’s worth persisting until you get it right. The result should be a satisfying and varied diet that does much to increase the enjoyment of your time on the track whilst at the same time reducing the weight of the food that you carry.
Suggested food plan for an example target energy intake
| Energy value (kJ/100g) | Serving for target of 8500 kJ per day | Serving for target of 9000 kJ per day | Serving for target of 9500 kJ per day | Serving for target of 10000 kJ per day | Serving for target of 10500 kJ per day | Serving for target of 11000 kJ per day | Serving for target of 11500 kJ per day | Serving for target of 12000 kJ per day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | |||||||||
| Muesli | 1500 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 100 |
| Powdered milk | 1950 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 |
| Dried fruit | 1000 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Mid-morning | |||||||||
| Nuts and fruit | 2350 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 | 70 |
| Lunch | |||||||||
| Crispbread | 2350 | 30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Peanut butter | 2600 | 30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Muesli bar | 1830 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Dried fruit | 1000 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 | 80 |
| Mid-afternoon | |||||||||
| Black tea/coffee | – | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Dinner | |||||||||
| Packet soup | 2000 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Dried protein | 1840 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| Dried vegetables | 1320 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 50 |
| Carbohydrate | 1500 | 70 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 100 |
| Chocolate | 2100 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Total grams/day | 500 | 520 | 550 | 585 | 615 | 635 | 670 | 700 |
This suggested food plan is around 70% carbohydrates, 20% protein and 10% fat.
Some foods to consider
Breakfast. Choose full cream milk, and muesli with high nut/seed/coconut content, for maximum kilojoules. Home-dried fruit can include strawberries, rock melon, bananas, pawpaw, rhubarb and plums, dried to brittle chips.
Mid-morning snack. For maximum kilojoules, choose a mix with a high proportion of nuts.
Lunch. Vita Wheats are the most energy-dense readily-available brand of crispbread. Toppings other than peanut butter include: salami (1770kJ/100g); cheese (1670); honey (1250); jam (1040); tuna in oil (870); vegemite (500); and tuna in brine (480). The most energy-dense readily available topping is macadamia nut paste (2800kJ/100g) 9. Use strongly flavoured fruit (eg crystallised ginger) as part of mix to maximise satisfaction with a small serving.
Dinner. Protein can include home pre-cooked and dried meat (eg chicken, lamb, beef mince) or products from an Asian grocery (eg shrimp, mussels) or beef jerky. Vegetables can include home pre-cooked and dried (eg broccoli, capsicum, corn) or from a supermarket (eg peas, beans, carrots) or an Asian grocery (eg mushrooms, red dates) or a Lebanese grocery (eg okra). Carbohydrates can be home-cooked and pre-dried e.g. brown rice, basmati rice, barley, millet) or be supermarket products (e.g. 3-minute pasts, 2-minute noodles, instant couscous or instant polenta.
The author, CBC member Terence Uren, is neither a dietician or a nutritionist but simply a bushwalker who has done a bit of research.
