Camping is for people who like hiking in cold weather and they need to plan their meals appropriately. You need to read this to understand what additional demands your body would need during this cold weather. Backpacking food for cold weather is different than warm weather. This is because your body would require extra calories to keep it warm and protect from this cold climate.
Your body would already be carrying this heavy footwear and clothing, plus the cold weather gear that you would be carrying on your back which includes a tent, sleep system, and some extra clothing, all together would make you feel sick. Hence in snow places, you would need extra calories i.e., about an additional 500 to 1000 calories per day.
Visit this page – Easy Campfire Recipes that can help you. You will find some easy and yummy recipes, which are nutritious and healthy too.
So, before you move out of the house, start planning for winter foods that would help you keep healthy even in that cold weather.
Types of Food:
- All foods have these 3 main nutrients- fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Each one of them is very important as they all turn into energy but at different rates. Out of these 3, carbohydrates are the quickest to turn to energy while fats are the slowest.
- Vitamins and minerals are present in most foods. So, their deficiency should not be of concern to you, but you need to eat a variety of food. So for backpacking, you can think of taking extra supplements to make up for this loss.
- Drink lots of water and fluids. Though this is not a food type, this is the most important part of your diet as it will keep you hydrated and improve digestion. Especially in cold weather, when there is dryness in the air, you need to get dehydrated. Drink lots of fluid such as coffee, soups, and any hot beverages. Avoid anything cold, as this would give you chills and make you feel cold and shivering.
Meal Plan for Your Cold Hiking:
- Everyone would love to eat something hot during this weather. But how to prepare such meals in such cold and dry weather? The reason for your thinking is simple, it is because in this cold weather it will take a lot of your time to cook meals. So here you have one option and i.e., to have a Freeze-dried one-pot meal. This is all quick with lightweight, quick preparation, and lightweight.
- You need to ensure that these foods you carry are not too heavy, are high in sodium and proteins, and are susceptible to freezing. An example would be oatmeal with rice farina and dried fruits for breakfast.
Additional things to keep in mind:
- Do not carry food that is high in water content as it may be a little bulky to carry. Also, avoid food containing extra oil as it may not sustain.
- Pack meals which you like, as in winter you tend to lose appetite. So carry stuff that would taste good.
