A very healthy camping food!

I just came back from a fantastic trekking tour in the marvelous forests and mountains of South Islands of New Zealand. We did a Routeburn + Greenstone + Caples trek of 7 days and 6 nights, camping in the most beautiful spots that nature offers in this part of the planet. 

Three of us, one tent, a total of 148 years of age, all fit but not athletes, normally spending most of our time on books, computer or in labs, being three scientists in different disciplines: fisheries, genetics and natural medicine. 

While planning for things to put into the packs before leaving Matapouri, one of the major issues was the weight that food items for 7 + 1 (emergency day!) would have and if we could manage more than 100 km charged like donkeys. We browsed the different possibilities for feeding while tramping in the market of camping food (very few options indeed: one brand in New Zealand?) and we distorted our noses from reading labels on freeze-dry food packages for campers. I am after all a nutritionist and things like preservatives, artificial flavors, thickeners, sugar, salt, vegetable oil (not better identified), hydrolysed vegetable protein from maize and soy, glucose, fruit oil (?), milk powder, acidity regulators…did not have the sound of healthiness. 

I decided to ask Google for help in finding the easiest, lightest, and healthiest way to feed three hard walking people in the bush. I ended up preparing my own menu, using my knowledge of what is a real good food (for your belly and for your arteries), my Italian cooking tradition and a little bit of creativity, along with tidbits from Universities on how to dry your own food! It took a few hours of shopping in supermarkets, bulk shops and health food shops and a day in the kitchen and our meals were ready, individually packed in ziplock bags for each of us, breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner, and even a dessert and cordial for the harshest days! 

I did it for fun, economy (freeze-dry food IS expensive – this is the common comment you get on the web), and to test if we could construct a good enough diet to feed and satisfy ourselves in our little camping-trekking adventure! What I did not expect was the enthusiasm and acclamation form my trekking buddies (well, a bit of a skewed sample of reviewers since one is my husband and the second one a dear friend of mine who came all the way from UK to visit NZ!). Nevertheless everybody enjoyed the fresh gingeroot tea and sweet and spicy sugarless porridge in the morning, the fruity-chocolaty-nutty snacks, the lovely hearty homemade cookies, the buckwheat and quinoa with veggies as well as the polenta with mushroom for the cold nights! Not to speak about our dark chocolate and finally grappa…for when a herbal tea was not enough to put us to sleep!

I loved everything about this trip, the people, the environment, the forest – rivers – mountains – bush, sleeping out, and eating our funny savory and nourishing meals!
 
I am also grateful to Kinesio-tape that protected my usually fragile knees and the back of my thighs. No lactic acid could stop us with the help of this protective and corrective tool!