Some of my favorite lightweight foods are ones you can get at the grocery store and there's no need to do your own dehydrating. I like to save work when I can, so I'm wondering if others have discovered foods at the grocery store that are light, easy to make and tasty.

A few examples are:

- Pancakes (buy the mix that only requires water). Sometimes I add wild blueberries. I pack in a small thing of maple syrup.

- Instant Mashed Potatoes. These can be darn tasty (especially the garlic ones and the ones with dehydrated gravy).

- Sidekicks (and imitations) that don't require milk like parmesan pesto etc.

- Rice dishes that don't require milk...there are those Uncle Bens Express ones or whatever they're called that seem quite light and easy.

What are some more?

Much of my first book was about what you could find and do with grocery store purchases ;-)

Where is the info on your first book?

I love the buttery mashed potatoes by idaho. 4oz just add 2 cups boiling water makes 4 serving sized each serving is 120 cal. I usually eat the whole package myself (which is 480 calories alone). Its fast and easy, only problem is the packaging you have to hike it out :(. Knnor(formally lipton) makes some great pasta dishes that only require water (you can optionally add butter flakes). Of course everyone eats ramen :) The "asian sides" I forget who makes them, but they are awsome just add boiling water it has the veggies and meat already in it.

if you want to go ul then do what I do

my JMT 9 day hike includes glazed peanuse, macademia nuts (220 calories / ounce wow), famous amous cookies, banana chips (fried), almonds, and other costco products. go to costco and look for items that are 150 calories per ounce, and dont forget the yummy peanut m&m's that have about 145 c/o.

sarah's book can be found at www.freezerbagcooking.com or www.trailcooking.com or at an REI near you. Search "Freezerbag Cooking"

Edited by rooinater on 07/10/2009 17:30:06 MDT.

Couscous - Dried granular pasta
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couscous

Quinoa - Dried grain, high protein with balanced amino acids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

Gram flour - Cooked dried and ground chick peas, make trail hummus, or Socca (french savory pancake snack)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickpea_flour

Maple Sugar - Crystallized maple syrup, Very high in minerals, more portable and light than liquid maple syrup for trail pancakes

Instant bean dip - eat as dip or make burritos

Quinoa has to be one of my favorite grocery store finds. If you can find it, get the red. It has a milder flavor and is quite delicious. You can make a trail soup with it, eat it like oatmeal, use it in place of rice or pasta or add it to bannock and the like.

Laurie,is quinoa like couscous, where you can just pour boiling water over it and wait a few minutes or does it require more preparation?

My entire book is dehydrator free, grocery store finds. :)

Quinoa is a good find, BUT it is NOT instant (unless you cook then dehydrate it). It can take up to 20 minutes to cook. Some brands may require rinsing as well, prior to cooking.

Other favorite finds of mine? Durkee onions - fried! High calories for the weight. Coconut creme powder (Asian markets and higher end grocery stores or Sarbar's website). Chow mein noodles.

Mexicali Rose instant (dehydrated) refried and/or black beans. a walmart exclusive, the package makes about 5 good sized burritos and costs near $2.50. (amazon and other markets are almost 2x this price)
I will mix 50/50 w/ some Four Cheese mashers and a Fire sauce from the bell.

i found a good deal on #10 freeze dried chicken, and combined with mixed veggies, rice, quinoa and other grains/pastas can add a bit of flair to boring dishes. compare this price to Mtn House ($46-50)

http://cgi.ebay.com:80/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390031746387

Fantastic Foods brand can often be found in the grocery store.

Black beans
Refried Beans
hummus
tabouleh mix

Good stuff!

+1 on the Fantastic Foods.

Great instant meals and all vegetarian too. Don't forget the instant vegetarian sloppy joe (just repackage with some tomato powder) and instant vegetarian chili (not the most trail friendly but doable).

I've found these items at the following stores in the greater Puget Sound area to be quite palatable and convenient:

Local Food Co-op's (Olympia, Port Townsend, PCC)
- Instant Mashed Potatoes
- Bulk Dehydrated Organic: Beans, Chili Mac + Cheese, Soups, Mixed Veggies, Lentils, Curried Lentils, etc.
- Instant Polenta (1 min. cook time)
- Instant Quinoa, Brown Rice, + Spelt "flakes"
- Instant Hummus

Fred Meyer
- 3.5 oz. Foil pouch sealed smoked salmon
- Pamelas GF/DF Chocolate Cookies (my favorite)
- Baked Guiltless Gourmet Corn Chips
- "Just Tomatoes" line of dehydrated fruit + veggies
- Tasty Bites Indian Food
- Instant Miso Soup packets
- Emergen-C drink mix
- smoked Tofu

Metropolitan Market
- cinnamon apple chips
- Sushi to go, for the first day
- Mary's "Gone Crackers"

Trader Joes
- Nova Smoked Salmon
- Freeze-dried fruit
- Trail mixes
- Raw nuts
- Raw almond butter
- Sunflower-seed butter
- Tasty Bites Indian food, or similar
- Instant rice

I'm always keeping my eye out.

From the bulk foods section of the local co-op:
- really tasty dried lental soup.
- dried green pea soup.

From Safeway, Fred Meyers, Bartell's, etc:
-Bowl Appetit, Thai-style rice and vegetables, 2.9oz, 330 cal.
-Nissin Chow Mein, various flavors, 4oz, 540 cal.

All of these are freezer bag cooking compatible and cook up in ten minutes with just hot water.

Dondo - sorry I missed this earlier. Quinoa cooking time depends on the brand. The brand I use takes about 10 minutes. I still prepare it at home first if I am not dehydrating it. I rinse the quinoa for 3 minutes under cool running water. Unless you are buying a more expensive pre-rinsed variety, this is necessary to remove the saponin. Then I toast it in a non-stick frypan until the little seeds start to pop/bounce. I let it continue to air dry and then put it in mason jars so I always have it ready to cook with. While it does take a while to cook, and I realize this thread is about making it easy, you can turn it into a great meal by cooking and drying it first. You don't need a dehydrator - the oven will do.

You can also bake with it in it's raw state.

Fred Meyer has Quinoa Flakes.

Think oats : instant oatmeal = quinoa : quinoa flakes.


I've used them as a substitute to oatmeal very successfully, but haven't tried them with more savory combos, although I'm sure it would work well. One thing you do sacrifice is the great fluffy texture of freshly cooked quinoa, but the taste is almost verbatim.

PCC also sells the quinoa flakes :-) I would suspect Whole Foods does also.

I have used them in savory meals and it works. Think like a "polenta"!

This is my favorite kind:



polenta

The most underrated food of all:
canned sardines (the ones in the small tin)
-as much protein as a protein shake/bar without the sugar and other junk
-very high in b12 and selenium

check out the calamari and oysters in the tins as well.