To eat or not to eat? That is the Q!

To eat, or not to eat? That is the Q!

It seems like my days of multi-day trekking and camping trips on foot have paid off by making me learn how to pack, small.  This is particularly true and useful when it comes to food and rations. Yes, I could buy food everywhere I stop, since this trip was not going to be off road or all that remote.  However the cost of feeding oneself can soon rack up.

It seems like my days of multi-day trekking and camping trips on foot have paid off by making me learn how to pack, small.  This is particularly true and useful when it comes to food and rations. Yes, I could buy food everywhere I stop, since this trip was not going to be off road or all that remote.  However the cost of feeding oneself can soon rack up.

Being celiac is a royal pain in the butt when touring because that pretty much deletes all the local bakeries and about 95% of all pub food – all strictly off limits 😦 .  Being celiac I would not wish it upon my worst enemy.  The gut aches it causes, the uncomfortable feelings throughout and the fact that it means having to strike out most dishes when you go travelling, really cuts down on your enjoyment and even education, in some cases, in culinary delights.  Life is about living and food is a big part of that.  Food can ignite your senses in so many ways.  It can change your mood, give you feelings of contentedness, warm you up, give you feeling of energy and wellness…. But not when you have to restrict yourself severely.  I do feel like I miss out on a lot of these things; but hey… Me not being able to eat gluten, means more gluten-y goodness foods for the rest of you to enjoy!

So I digress.  I decided that I needed to take most my own food on this trip, since I was now unemployed and on a tight budget.  I needed to make my dosh last as long as possible, and spending it on food rather than travel, was not on.  So this is what tight-arse food rationing looks like for 7 day’s worth.

I know this looks like an Isagenix advertisement; but for any celiacs out there – this is a life saviour! At $12 of food a day it helps save you some $$.   You can use any brand of meal replacement sachets that you like the flavour of – the goal here isn’t to loose weight (but it’s a bonus!). For variety add in also some local fresh fruit from honesty box food stalls, a bag of trail mix nuts & some fiber drink mix to replenish electrolytes and…ehem…. Help you move along regularly when not eating too much ‘real’ food for days straight.  Not to mention this type of food doesn’t get squashed (too much) in your baggage, doesn’t matter on the temperature changes, and the only thing you need for it is a shaker and water.  

What does it consist of? A protein bar for breakky and a piece of fruit. Morning tea is a peanut butter or gluten free muesli bar. Lunch is a protein shake with combined meal replacement powder. Same for dinner. For variety, I mix flavours of protein powders and add to then psyllium husks (to bulk up the meal and keeps you regular), powdered greens / spirullina other gross-tasting but good-for-you-stuff.  If access to it, dried crackers and a can or sachet of tuna work a treat. Need to keep up strength and health on extended trips!  Recommend this type of foodstuffs to save on money and when space in your luggage is a premium.  

I’ve found this is quite ok for 1-2 weeks and it helps you loose weight when touring! 🙂 However, it is nice to treat yourself with a proper meal every once every few days when on the road.