Vegetarian lightweight food, important ingredients?

[Lasse]

A couple of months ago, I decided to be a semi-vegetarian (veggy with sometimes fish) but now that I'm thinking about a next trip (a day or 5 in the mountains) I'm starting to wonder what I'll be eating... Up to now my diet on trekking trips has usually been a lot of meat, bread, pasta and rice. As always, I'm carrying everything on my back so weight is an issue... Being a beginner I don't really know which ingredients are most interesting, they need to provide quite a lot of energy and everything else I'd need when hiking all week long. So far I know dried mushrooms and nuts are a good choice, but that can't be enough for a healthy diet right? (in combination with bread, rice, pasta and couscous)

So can anyone help me find some lightweight, healthy, veggy ingredients on which I can live (and sport) comfortably while in the outdoors?

Thanks in advance!
Lasse

 

[SimonM]

Over view of what you need and why:

• Carbohydrates will provide you with the "instant" energy that you require. The more active you are, the more carbs you need. Where possible stay wholegrain as these are digested slower giving you an even release of energy. e.g.Porridge oats for breakfast, pasta for main courses
  
• Protein is needed to repair damage to your body, and for growth. You can get this from nuts, pulses, eggs & fish.
  
• Fat is used as a store of energy, for when you don't get enough carbs in your diet. Get this from butter, cooking oil & cream.
  
• Vitamins & minerals are only needed in small amounts, and going short for a week shouldn't do you any lasting harm. Get these from milk, fruit, vegetables, salt & seafood.
  
• Fibre keeps your intestines healthy and helps keeps you regular! Vegetables, fruit & cerials are a good source.
  
• Water - drink little and often.

Types of products available:
(Most supermarkets will stock)
Packets of dried fruit (mango is nice)
Dried mixed veg
Dried onions
Pouches of tuna with different dressings.
Dried pulses (but often need soaking)
Dried tomatoes
Pasta
Rice
Cup a soup
Noodles
Nuts
Porridge oats

I'm not a veggie, but this crops up quite a bit with D o E groups, HTH....

Simon

 

[locum76]

get TVP for protein, its cheap and dehydrated and can be used for chilles etc.

 

[robin wood]

For 5 days you will not die for lack of vitamins or even protein or fats. I always carry lots of dehydrated carbs in the form of cheap noodles. The benefit of this is you can carry enough to feed an army and they weigh nothing and are very cheap and tasty. If you take 5 packs more than you need no problem, if I carry 5 tins of beans up a mountain and back I feel a bit silly. Aldi spicy Tai are my fave about 20p a pack, boil some water, pour into bowl, wait 3 minutes, scoff. Dried fruit and nuts is a good idea for snacking. I like trail mix made with salted peanuts and raisins, gives you everything you need when expending a lot of energy. Sardines are good too but the tins are a disposal problem, not nice in the pack and not easy to wash.

 

[xylaria]

get TVP for protein, its cheap and dehydrated and can be used for chilles etc.

And stuff to flavour it, dried tomatoes & mushrooms, packet soup mix. Dried potato is good as well. If you worry about calories wrap a mars bar in rehydrated potato and then fry it until the chocolate is soft. I find vitalite can go funny in warm weather, so I use oil or butter. Apart from TVP most camp food is the same meat eaters. Lidl do some fab dried pasta meals.

 

[ForgeCorvus]

The word you're looking for is "Pescatarian"
http://www.reference.com/search?q=Pescatarian (if you're interested)

My SOP is one (I'm still demi-veggie, in that I eat meat sometimes)

How about trying those foil packets of Tuna mixed with dressings (like the cat food pouches...only they smell better when open ) Low weight and minimal packaging to bring home *

Other then that, dried fruit (my fav is dates) and vege as well as the bread,pasta and rice that you're all ready eating should be fine

Have a look at 'Fruit Leathers' if you're interested , there should be some stuff about them on here

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is an idea, but I've never cooked with it I have eaten it, and its pretty good....but nearly tasteless so you'll need to spend some kitchen time experimenting before you go bush *

* I really should read all the posts before replying

 

[reddy]

Try noodles, quick pasta, biscuits, oatcakes, loads of nuts, dried fruits (prunes/ apricots/ cranberries), packet of grated cheese, and everything else that's been mentioned. Beanfeast (ie that dried meat free mince) is ok, but needs flavouring!

Just a quickie; if when you are out in the mountains, you start feeling weak and a little unwell it may be an idea to re-introduce some meat into your diet until you get home. I've known a few vegetarians, who (for the 1st few months) felt really off colour and quite unwell for a while, especially when doing exercise. Not sure exactly why, maybe some thing to do with animal protien being different (and we're more used to digesting) than nut/ plant etc? The unwell feeling goes away after eating meat again. My veggie friends reckon weaning off meat slowly to stop any ill feelings, then you're fine

I'm not saying that being a veggie is bad for you btw (I very rarely eat meat myself nowadays, just fish ) just listen to your body and how it's behaving/ feeling, especially in the outdoors/ wild/ under heavy exercise and on a new diet . Heck, there's nothing worse than feeling ill when your out and about!

 

[Lasse]

Thanks for all replies guys!

Cheers,
Lasse

 

[robin wood]

Just noticed where you are from, do you have mountains in Belgium.?

 

[Lasse]

Just noticed where you are from, do you have mountains in Belgium.?

I wish! Hardly any nature out here really...
But luckily we're able to get to French or German mountains in a couple of hours by car