Backpacking meals are essential to a hikers nutrition but pricey, and accessible cheap options like ramen noodles and crushed chips and nuts only help so much. Making these meals at first seems like a simple task but if you don’t have a dehydrator, DIY meals seem impossible; but don’t fret, here are easy Backpacking Meals for those without a dehydrator. Not only will there be recipes for a full day of eating, but cost and nutrient breakdowns alongside and resources for sourcing your indegrients. These meals also are PoTS friendly and help people with PoTS feel their best on the trail.
“ A DAY OF EATIN’ IN THE BACKCOUNTRY”, “PoTS Friendly”, “Lexie Dellinger”
But before we get into the recipes and why they help me, a person with PoTS feel good, first we must answer, what is PoTS?
POTS is a chronic illness and stands for Postural tachycardia syndrome.
Common- PoTS affects arounds 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 Americans, with 80-85% being female (Dysautonomia International)
May be an auto immune condition
Don’t know the cause
Newer discovered syndrome, term first used in 1993. (Federowski)
Has Multiple Symptoms- including, “tachycardia, palpitations, chest pains, lightheadedness, fainting, nausea, fatigue, gastroparesis or rapid gastric emptying, migraines, blood pooling in the extremities, Raynaud’s, tremulousness, sleep abnormalities, cognitive impairments”(Dysautonomia International)
As someone who has PoTS my diet has a huge impact on how I feel, and if I don’t eat the right meals, I can trigger flareups and during those I can easily become unconscious, which is not ideal, especially while in the middle of nowhere.
Because of my condition, I’m interested eating smaller meals that are protein based, to keep you fueled and full for longer, and have low GI (glycemic Index) carbohydrates, meaning they take longer to breakdown and metabolize, with also including good sources of iron and salts.
Title:Backpacking with PoTS: Food As Medicine, Symptoms of Pots alongside their Food Solutions. Other images “.
To help mitatigate Symptoms, eat foods/meals that are high in protein, and fats (particularly fatty acids). Also try to not eat a lot of foods with a high GI, to not spike your blood sugar, when this happens you will lose energy, and might feel tired and light-headed, since most of your blood is going to your stomach to digest/absorb those sugars.
Also people with PoTS tend to be more dehydrated then the average person, so drinking lots of water, especially when active, is a must!
Another thing to make sure your foods are important nutrients like Iron, Vitamin K, and Vitamin E, and Vitamin B12. People with PoTS tend to have these nutrional defecencies which can exaspeate symptoms and or cause more.
All though it’s important to bring the right foods on your trip, it’s arguably more important to bring the right gear. Backcountry Cooking for Backpacking is different than what some are used to as camping cooking. All the gear for backpacking is small, sturdy, and light weight. Saving weight in your pack can be easily done through purchasing the right gear. But keep in mind, the gear’s longevity, and price which are some of the most important factors.
Backcountry Cooking:Supplies listed and illustrated
If you’re just getting started and want some affordable gear, I highly recommend Looking on Facebook Marketplace in your area (especially if you live in an outdoor community or highly dense area)!
If you can;’t find anything on FB Marketplace and have some money to spend, I also recommend going to your local outdoor sporting store.
Other places to get good cooking gear would be REI, and Backcountry.
In general and for these recipes, you’ll need:
Camping Stove
Pot with a Lid
Container with a Lid
Wooden Spoon
Fuel Canister (that’s compatible with your stove)
Water Filtering System (I recommend buying new)
There are a few items you can get from most stores which include
Timer/watch
Plastic Airtight Bags (ziploc works)
Food Scale (unit of oz)
If you have no way of measuring water on the Trail with your gear I also recommend getting
This Apple Pie Oatmeal is tasty and full of energy and the important nutrients to keep you fueled and feeling strong. Perfectly convenient for early mornings when you just want to get started in the trail and not have to get your stove out, or for when you want to have an easy morning at camp.
Breakfast: Apple Pie Oats, Ingredients listed and illustrated. Step I listed.
I only had to go to 2 stores to source all the ingredients for the cheapest end cost, and those stores were my local Winco, andDollar Tree
INGREDIENTS:
Rolled Oats (3 oz)
Chia Seeds (.3oz)
Hemp Hearts (.3oz)
Freeze-Dried Apples (.5oz)
Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon (.17 oz/ 1/2 tsp)
Salt (a pinch)
Water (3-4 fl oz) (on TRAIL)
Stevia (optional)
Once you’ve measured/weighed and gathered your ingredients, EXCEPT your water. Put them into an air-tight bag together and label the date you packaged your meal and the name of the recipe: Apple Pie Oatmeal. You are now ready for breakfast on the trail!
Steps 2 illustrated with cold soak option directions
On the Trail:
Cold
Pros– uses less water, ‘cooks’ on trail, doesn’t require stove + saves on fuel
This meal takes less than 5 minutes to make and not only is it tasty but it will also keep you feeling energized and satisfied. For this soup I visited three stores to source my ingredients, two in person, my local Co-op, and Winco, and one online for the Olive Oil packets .
Lunch: curried Split Pea Soup, Ingredients listed and illustrated
INGREDIENTS:
Freeze-Dried Split Pea Flakes (3oz)
Dehydrated Onion Flakes (.1oz/2tsp)
Freeze-Dried Garlic (.05oz/1tsp)
Curry Powder (1/2 tsp)
Vegetable Bouillon (.2oz)
Dehydrated Vegetables (.4oz)
Black Pepper (a pinch)
Olive Oil (.4oz/1 packet)
Water (on trail)
* I really recommend purchasing the olive oil packets: they are a perfect amount and you don’t need to find a small dark container to store your oil in. Just remember to not use them a lot, they do add waste!
After you’ve Gathered and Measured your ingredients you can put them into an air-tight bag and labeled it Curried Split Pea Soup with the date.
Your lunch is now trail ready !
On the Trail:
Snacks examples, listed and illustrated
Once you’re feeling hungry after your breakfast have a couple morning snacks like, salted nuts, and fruit leather. For snacks stick to the general rules for eating with PoTS but don’t have to follow them as strictly. For example fruit leather and honey which are a majority of simple sugars, are still ok things to have while exercising, just remember moderation. Most importantly eat what makes you feel good!
Steps 1 -4 listed and illustrated with mountain goat character
Make sure you have a good place to stop to make your food and that you’ve already collected enough water or are near water to collect and filter. Once your water is filtered and collected you can start on step 1.
Boil 12 fl oz of water
Add bag of soup + olive oil
Simmer and wait 3 minutes
Uncover, Stir, and Enjoy
Nutrition Breakdown listed and illustrated
Nutrition
Overall:
Kcals- 450 Kc
Carbs- 61 g
Protein- 23 g
Fat- 12.5 g
Sodium- 40 mg
Fiber- 15.5 g
*If you need more food then play around with doubling the recipe or making it 1.5x the normal amount
Here’s a filling Veggie Chili you can enjoy for dinner for less than $2.00 a serving! For this Veggie Chili I went through 6 different versions which was based off of a modified family chili recipe.
I could source every ingredient for this recipe in store, and I only had to go to two stores to get everything, those stores being, my local Co-op, and Winco. After sourcing your ingredients, before hitting the road and the trails, measure and pack everything together. Similar to my other recipes, I like to store my meals in plastic, air-tight bags. For this recipe you will need three bags.
Dinner:Veggie Chili Ingredients listed and drawn
Before Backcountry:
INGREDIENTS:
Quinoa (1.6oz)
Freeze-Dried Garlic (.1oz/2tsp)
Dehydrated Onion Flakes (.2oz/1Tbs)
Tomato Powder (.4oz)
Taco Seasoning (.2oz)
Chili Powder (.1oz/1tsp)
Dehydrated Tofu Bits (.8oz)
Freeze-Dried Pinto Bean Flakes (.8oz)
Freeze-Dried Black Bean Flakes (.4oz)
Dehydrated Veggies (.5oz)
Pepper (a pinch)
Step 2 + 3 illustrated, Other Ingredients drawn
At Home/Pre Backcountry:
First: Measure Quinoa + put it into separate bag
Second: Measure Tofu, Onion, Garlic, Tomato Powder, Taco Seasoning, Chili Powder + put into a second separate bag
Third: Measure Pinto and Black Beans + put into a third separate bag (big enough to fit the other two bags in it)
Last: Put the Quinoa bag + Tofu/Seasoning bag into the bigger Bean bag
On Trail:
Step 4 + 5 + 6 illustrated. Mountain Goat character enjoying their chili.
Table Salt is composed of two elements, Sodium, and Chloride. Sodium has an important role in blood volume since a key in fluid retention. Whenever a sodium ion is absorbed into the bloodstream through the kidneys, a water molecule is paired with it, due to osmosis. This then makes the body retain more water and in doing so, increases blood volume. Blood volume is important for PoTS because 70% of people with PoTS have low blood volume (Professional ) which is to be hypovolemic. Being hypovolemic causes you to feel dizzy, faint, have muscle cramping, have a harder time urinating, and feel fatigued and weak (Professional ), no wonder people with PoTS like salt!
Why Does Protein keep me fuller?
Proteins are made up of amino acids which fold on one another, creating complex structures. Hundreds or even thousands of amino acids can make up these big, complex molecules (Carpi).
fig. 3. Levels of Protein Organization, Primary, Secondary, Teritary, and Quaternary protein structures.
Carbohydrates on the other hand are composed of simple sugars. A complex carbohydrate is a long chains of connected simple sugar molecules make up complex carbohydrates. But unlike proteins, they are smaller and don’t fold (Carpi), therefore they take shorter to digest.
Because of this proteins can digest considerably more slowly than carbohydrates, taking around 4-4 hours (Joslin)
Why Fiber?
Carbs with higher fiber content digest more slowly than those with lower fiber content (Joslin).
More stable blood sugar levels can be achieved by combining carbohydrates high in fiber, lean protein, and healthy fats, which in return helps your body maintain blood pressure by not allowing blood to pool in your stomach.
Why Iron?
PoTS is linked to low iron and moderate anemia, indicating that low iron is a symptom of PoTS (LK). Iron has the important role in creating hemoglobin; a molecule that carries oxygen throughout the body. Because of the connection with anemia and PoTS, its recommended to be aware of your iron intake, trying to make an effort to hit your daily Value, which is 18mg for those with XX chromosomes, 9 mg for XY, and 27 mg for Pregnant people (iron).
CI;, H. (n.d.). Covid-19 increases the prevalence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: What nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners Need To Know. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35697326/
Harris , C. I., & 1. (2022, June 10). Covid-19 increases the prevalence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: What nutrition and dietetics practitioners need to know. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212267222003422
Atal S;Agrawal RP;Vyas S;Phadnis P;Rai N; (2012). Evaluation of the effect of piperine per se on blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23061294/
Atal S;Agrawal RP;Vyas S;Phadnis P;Rai N; (2012). Evaluation of the effect of piperine per se on blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica. Accessed February 12, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23061294/
