Baby Food?

Max, you are overthinking this again.

Those baby food pouches have good nutrients, but they are not very lightweight, nor are they cost effective.

Many years ago, baby food was also sold in the form of dehydrated flakes, probably freeze dried. That form beat the weight problem, but I haven't seen those in years.

–B.G.–

SPIRULINA!! Makes that baby food look like, well baby food ;)

Get Nutrex brand from Hawaii, it's the best of the best quality. Highest % of protein in the veg kingdom, massive vitamin content, all B's, essential fatty acid GLA's, chlorophyl, beta-carotene, most of the minerals and trace minerals, etc etc… I've been eating it for 20+ yrs and I no longer get sick, no cold or flu in a couple decades!!! Nothing will equal it's nutrition content. And it's light. I do much more than the recommended amount, up to 15-20 gm a day (30-40 500mg tabs)so don't worry about taking to much, it's got no side effects other than health and vitality. I buy direct from Nutrex and get the 5lb bag!! Sometimes Nutrex has 20/30/40 % off sales, so get on their mailing list.
Try it, I bet you'll like it. But start at the recommended dose and slowly ramp up, as all that chlorophyl etc may create a slight cleansing reaction as toxins are released and carried through the blood for filtering and elimination.

PS…most triathletes here in Hi use it. As well as Bio-Astin which I also highly recommend (also by Nutrex) It is the most potent antioxidant known, and more importantly it has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier as well as the blood-retina barrier. Very few antioxidants can do that. My vision has def improved since I started on it a year ago.

best deal in town…
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=KH-1009#.Ug6JpT_OCSo

the company…http://www.nutrex-hawaii.com/

I was an Outdoor Rec major at Greenfield Com Col, a million yrs ago!

Actually, the squeeze pouches are GREAT! Go wander any grocery store or chain store and check out what you can get now – quinoa, millet and more. They all taste great too. I know, I have 2 under 4 ;-P

I'm not overthinking much, Bob. I just saw these on the shelf and thought "Oh, is that a serving of vegetables I can carry for a few days?"

Weight isn't a huge issue. I just need a quick way to get veggies and nutrients where keeping fresh veggies doesn't work, like Day 3 of a long push away from towns. I think V8 might be my backup plan.

I also need it to be available on the road, so i can't mail-order. Is Spirulina sold on shelves anywhere?

"Weight isn't a huge issue."

Heresy at BPL.

–B.G.–

Put it this way. By price, weight, and nutrients, I'm sure there's better.

However, when I'm walking around a grocery store for convenience, these are hard to beat. They're pretty light, easy to carry, and they look tasty.

But if it's the equivalent to eating 1/4 of a sandwich (I.E, not nearly enough food for an adult) I won't bother buying more.

The stuff has the consistency of apple sauce, so you are buying some water in that packet.

–B.G.–

That's ok, as an american, I buy sugar I don't need in damn near everything.

Any insight on serving size?

Most of those little packets that I've seen in the store hold 3.2 to 3.4 ounces. Then yesterday I saw some new ones that were 4.4 ounces. That's fluid ounces.

–B.G.–

Looks like that's less than the 5.5oz can of V8, which is a full size serving of vegetables. I know very little about nutrition, so I kind of use the "shotgun method" of eating more than I need to make sure I don't have too little of anything.

So here's what I'm wondering:

1. Is the 4.4oz squeeze bottle a full serving of vegetables/fruit for an adult?

2. Is there a difference in nutrition between solids and liquids for veggies?

3. Is there a lighter, dry source I'm overlooking that's readily available at a grocer?

Spirulina is available in every Health food store and Nutrition store. Lot's of Supermarkets and other places carry it too. Look for Nutrex brand. Along with whatever else you have, it's a great addition. In daily life too! In a store It may be 2x as expensive as at the online link I posted (shipping is free for +$25)

If you're talking about getting your fresh foods 3 days out from a town and you say you're not that worried about weight…most fresh foods work fine for longer than that. On the last group trip in the Sierra I did Tom and Adan were a little surprised to see me breaking out cucumbers and tomatoes on day 4.

Personal experiences with fresh foods (I know some of these could go much longer, but these are the longest times I've personally carried these backpacking).

-Persian (small, skinny) cucumbers: I've carried them up to 5 days
-Tomatos: I've carried up to 6 days
-Avocado: I've carried 4 days
-Kalamata (or similar) olives: I've carried 3 days
-Bell peppers: I've carried 4 days
-Apples: I've carried 6 days
-Oranges: 5 days
-Grapes: 4 days
-Bananas: 2 days (they go soft fast in the heat).
-Kiwi: 4 days

The list goes on and on. If it keeps at home, it'll keep on the trail, just keep it in the darkest, coolest part of your pack. The biggest issue in carrying fresh fruits or veggies is not letting them get crushed or get their skins broken. Tomatoes and cucumbers, for example, go bad really quick as soon as the skin breaks.

Edit: Don't forget the onion!

The kids ones do NOT have sugar added. They are pure fruit and veggies, some have gluten free whole grains or yogurt added.
They are a serving size for anyone really.

We use these for our 17mo old to supplement the home made baby food and for convenience when we're out and about. You might look at some of the stage 2 or stage 3 options for more nutrients and thicker consistency. I've looked at these as a means of carrying shelf-safe berries+yogurt to mix in with granola, etc for breakfast. Very convenient and they pack up pretty small from a waste perspective. taste is pretty decent.

Max… are you using panniers? My husband Bryan and I bike-packed the Laurentiens in Quebec this summer. Instead of panniers Bryan towed a BOB Ibex as did our 12-year old. I towed the pre-schooler. We treated food similar to backpacking trips because we were camping along the way and because of space considerations due to gear for four needing to fit in a small area.

I used a product called Energy Bits. They are odd but lightweight and compact. I was able to keep them in the seat bag. Bryan hates them… they taste “green”.

I also made fruit/vegetable leathers and veggie chips to ensure that we all got the nutrition we needed. I also added ground vegetables (spinach/kale) to some of the dehydrated meals we made. I often grow sprouts in a water bottle to fulfill some of our veggie nutrition needs. If it is a short trip then I start them at home. If you search out “water bottle sprouting” on these forums the thread on that should come up.

Because of the type of trip – we were travelling from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier – there were small villages where we could pick up fresh produce along the way and twice we were able to stop at a little trail-side cafe for a lovely lunch.