Is it possible to maintain a plant-based diet when you're traveling/backpacking ultralight?

I've pulled several vegan backpacking trips in the 15 to 20 day range (without resupply) and if you can stand living without cheese and eggs it's not hard. I focused on brown rice and bean mixes (Seeds of Change pouches and Tasty Bite meals), homemade brown rice cooked up and ziplocked and put in freezer for later use, tempeh and baked tofu paks, nuts and nut butters like cashew and almond butter, whole grain breads (Ezekial comes to mind), hot teas and honey, figs and dates and raisins, rice crackers, etc etc.

But on my next trip I'm taking eggs---either organic whole powdered (Frontier Co-Op) or a dozen scrambled at home and ziplocked and frozen for on the trail eating. It's a drag to haul fresh eggs as they always seem to get hairline cracks. No cheese though as I am lactose intolerant.

Edited by TipiWalter on 02/06/2012 07:15:36 MST.

Outdoor Herbivore is a company that makes vegan and vegetarian meals. You may want to check them out. I tried a few, makes quite a bit of food for 1 person. I didn't care much for the flavor on some, but they do have great choices. It may give you an idea or two.

http://outdoorherbivore.com/about/

I never take any meat backpacking

My longest trip is 5 nights

I do put one egg in my cookies but wouldn't have to, otherwise vegan

Normally I'm a meat eater

I eat cookies made from whole wheat, oatmeal, peanuts, raisins, chocalate, sugar, egg, spices

and raw vegetables, oatmeal, raisins, nuts, legume soup

Jerry, getting rid of the egg is easy (if you want to) in cookies. Just use a flax seed meal slurry :-)

Anyhow, yes, it is easy to be a vegan when traveling - if one does all their food prep and isn't eating out on the trip....and further more, the food can be very shelf stable since their is no dairy involved.

I kept mostly vegan on my 900-mile AT section hike, and I made most of my food on the dehydrator. Breakfast was cereal with soy milk powder (I love Better Than Milk--others I've tried were not great). Lunch/snacks included dehydrated hummus (from Fantastic Foods), dried apples, granola, and tofu jerky (which I stopped eating after a while because I got tired of all the chewing). Dinners were couscous/dried beans, rice/dried beans, and pasta with dehydrated tomato sauce.

It is probably easier. Check into dehydrating your own stuff too-- lots on info here.

Seriously, get a couple book on foraging. That is one of my projects for this summer. We're fussing over grams and walking by *tons* of edibles. I'm in the Pacific NW and there's no reason not to have a nice green salad every night :)

Donna C---I went the Outdoor Herbivore route a couple years ago and ordered many different meals and was disappointed with their taste---due mainly to using nutritional yeast---a yellow powder. Not my favorite source of protein and definitely not edible in my opinion.

Chia is actually a much better egg replacer than flax and it isn't as susceptible to degradation by light. Also, it's a great energy drink when mixed with water and lime. Great nutritional benefits.

If you own a dehydrator it is super easy to be vegan on the trail and still be lightweight. Look at complete proteins like amaranth and quinoa. I wrote a book, as many here already know, that is geared to vegans and vegetarians. If you go through some of the archives you can see some of the recipes.

Hummus is a great lightweight choice too. Rehydrates very quickly and you can bump up the calories with a little olive oil.

Here's a favorite of ours... and a light one.

When making it for a vegan or cutting pack weight, I use the nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Unless, like Walter, you aren't much for it. I find it tastes good in moderation. I use Bob's Red Mill brand and it is a flake rather than a powder.

Unstuffed Peppers with Quinoa
copyright 2008 Laurie Ann March
from Another Fork in the Trail

Dehydration Time: 6-10 hours
Makes 4–6 servings

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed (measure after squeezing out the excess liquid)
1/2 cup canned tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved
1/4 reserved tomato liquid
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red chilies
1 cup black beans
1 cup carrots, coarsely grated
1 3/4–2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 medium sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
2–3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or a small block of vegetarian or regular mozzarella

At Home
Place the quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse for at least 3 minutes to remove the bitter coating. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and reserved tomato liquid. Simmer for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the basil, oregano, dried crushed red chilies, quinoa, black beans, carrots, and 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes on medium-low heat. Check partway through cooking and if necessary add a bit more stock.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the peppers in a single layer in a baking dish. Top with the quinoa and vegetable mixture, cover with foil, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Let cool.

Measure the unstuffed pepper mixture and write this measurement on a sticky note. Dry the mixture on lined dehydrator trays for 6 to 10 hours. Put the pepper mixture and the sticky note in a ziplock freezer bag. If you are using nutritional yeast, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the bag with the pepper mixture. If you are using cheese, wrap the cheese before you leave for your trip.

At Camp
Add enough boiling water to the dried mixture to equal the measurement on your sticky note. Be sure to account for and add your dried ingredients to the rehydration container prior to adding the water. You can always add more water if you need to. Once the unstuffed peppers have rehydrated, you might have to reheat the mixture. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and serve.

If you are using cheese, put the hot pepper mixture into your backpacking pot or freezer bag, stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese, and then top it with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover it and let sit until the cheese melts.

Edited by Laurie_Ann on 02/07/2012 06:59:29 MST.

Here is a link to an article on Chia seeds (you'll find the egg replacement instructions in there too).

Chia - it's not just a novelty gift

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/quick_healthy_meals_with_an_ultralight_cook_kit.html

Laurie---I get chia seed oil from this source and it is outstanding---

http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/store2/product.asp?id=218&catid=30

But it's very expensive.

AND---on my next trip I am taking quinoa---any suggestions? Is it a good protein food?

Quinoa is great. It's very nutritious and cooks up quicker than most other grains. I usually take quinoa and red lentils( which also cook quickly). Throw in some spices and boil in water for a for a healthy and tasty camp meal.

mmm chia oil... now there is an ingredient I've never tried

I could write an entire book on quinoa. The flakes are great in place of or mixed in with oatmeal. I sometimes pre-cook and dehydrate whole quinoa to make a cereal or pilaf. I use it in trail salads, with lentils, in unstuffed peppers, in bars and the list goes on.

The quinoa soup in this article is my meatatarian hubby's fav and it dries beautifully. Rehydrates nice and fast too. In place of the feta you could add about 10 chopped capers - they are the brined bud of a plant and would give the same flavor but make the dish vegan.

Quinoa - A Superfood for the Trail

You'll also find a bar recipe and a breakfast flaked cereal one in the article.

And there is this one...

Quinoa and Bean Chili with Tomatillos

PS I realize I've posted these another time but it saves people having to dig.

Walter...thanks for identifying that taste. It seemed bitter to me, so I guess it's the nutritional yeast. I generally dry my own meals but I wanted to try something different.

I also posted this under "best breakfast bar" subject and noticed "being vegan on the road" so I thought you may be interested in this. I am always looking for better supplements to put in my pack that don't take up much space and provide as much nutrition as I can find. I also use these protein bars after workouts or as a meal replacement and they're incredible. They are called Dale’s Raw Protein Bars. They come in a 3" x 3 1/2" pouch and weigh @ 60 grams or just over 2 oz. They range from 240-280 calories, 22 g protein, 12-28g carb, 12-16g fat depending on which flavor you choose. They are like cookie dough consistency. I have tried the blueberry machadamia and the cafe mocha ones, both really good. They are vegan, gluten free, dairy free, no artificial preservatives or sweeteners! He uses all fresh ingredients and actually makes them after you place your order.This guy started this biz less than a year ago and it has exploded. He owns a gym in Florida and started making these protein bars for himself. Once a few people tried them they convinced him to make them to sell. You can't buy them at any store just at his website (link below). A little pricey but worth it. Make sure you hide them from your kids or they will inhale them ) Rather than bash all of the other products I have carried in my pack I suggest you take whatever you currently like and compare ingredients. Please forward this link to any other friends that may be interested. These have found a permanent spot on my backpack checklist. Enjoy…

Dale's Raw Protein Bars - Best on the Planet!

yes, absolutely possible and very easy to do. I just posted on another thread for how many calories can be put in a medium flat rate box and saw this old thread. Good to renew it.

quinoq and hummus mixes are great sources of protein along with nuts, legumes etc. Also, check out Garden of Life's organic Raw Meal is a meal replacement powder that is really great. 3 ounces of powder contain 33 grams of live food protein.

just eat healthy. No need to consume mass quantities of junk calories.