Food for Ultalight cross country touring

[Sapi Plate]

I am completely new to cross-country mountain biking, however not new to extended cross county travel on foot (40-100lbs 12 miles a day).  What are your thoughts about High calorie protein shake mix as a source of food to offset weight? Most of my experience comes from being in the military for some time.

My thought process is this.

It's light.. just add water... designed to aid in recovery after heavy exercise... Loaded with protein... some have a ridiculous amount of calories

I haven’t actually sat down and measured any out yet to see how much would be required, or have tested it. 

Is this a horrible idea? 

[DaveB]

Are you considering this as a supplement or as your sole source of food?  I suppose for a few days it might work but as a steady diet for a longer time it sounds like a terribly unbalanced diet and a route to malnutrition and constipation.  What about fiber,  Vitamins, etc.?

[staehpj1]

Where are you riding?  Does cross country mean coast to coast?

Most routes in the US will allow you to buy food at least every few days if not more frequently, so there is no real need for carrying much food unless you will be somewhere unusually remote.  I'd say carry regular food and buy frequently, daily if possible.

Things that work well if you do need to carry them are stuff like foil packed tuna or salmon, boxed rice or potato dishes, soup or chili mixes.  Things like hard cheeses and hard salami or pepperoni work well too.  They may get greasy and nasty looking but remain tasty.  Crackers, tortillas, chips, bagels, and other bread type foods keep well.  Peanut butter, honey, and jelly all travel well.

Fresh veggies when you can get them and canned or freeze dried when you can't.

Of course power bars and cliff bars travel well as do gels and other energy snacks, but they tend to get tiresome pretty quickly.  I like fig newtons, jerky, gorp, or baked goods for snacks.

In any case I'd stick mostly with real food and skip the protein shake mixes.

[kstarmac]

Depending on how hard the ride, it wouldnt be a bad idea to have a protein shake after your done riding for the day for muscle fuel and recovery. As far as on the bike, some protein shakes usually consist of 40 or 50 grams of protein and could upset your stomach while riding. Good idea for post workout/riding. I use protein regularly after a hard ride or workout and find the muscle recovery speeds up a bit.

[sackcycle]

I just stopped at Costco they had Mountain House freeze dried dinners. 10 meals, 2 servings per meal, all for $39.99 Weight for carry the pouches 2.98lb

[Patco]

I like Mountain House. After a great deal of experimentation, with some exceptions, that is what we generally use when backpacking. Easy cleanup; light weight; easy to pack out. Their granola and blueberries, in which you just add cold water, is very nutritious to get one moving in the morning.  My significant other swears that the chicken breast and mashed potatoes helped her recover faster from hypothermia after falling during a stream crossing.

[tonymason]

In my experience these instant foods (ie everything from protein shakes to freeze dried dinners) all lack one essential ingredient: calories. We burn an incredible amt of calories biking all day so it is best to supplement them with calorie dense foods (ie fat) like nuts, cheese, peanut butter while on the road/trail and burgers, fries and milk shakes in town.

[rvklassen]

There are three things to consider when it comes to food for touring (in my opinion). 

1) Calories / $
2) Calories / g
3) Nutrition.

In the last category, you need about the same amount of protein, fiber, vitamins and such as you would when reasonably active but not on tour.  Somewhat more protein if you're actually building muscle, but you don't do that for an entire tour, unless it's a short tour. 

In the second category, fat is your friend.  Healthy fats are a good idea, but fat has about twice the calories per gram that either protein or carbohydrates have. 

The first category is how you decide whether you're blowing your budget or not.  Mostly I prefer to put the extra $ into category 3, and for pure fueling, emphasize getting more calories/$. 

[paddleboy17]

In my experience these instant foods (ie everything from protein shakes to freeze dried dinners) all lack one essential ingredient: calories. We burn an incredible amt of calories biking all day so it is best to supplement them with calorie dense foods (ie fat) like nuts, cheese, peanut butter while on the road/trail and burgers, fries and milk shakes in town.

Sodium levels tend to be through the roof too.