I have been a lot of research for food for the upcoming season. Typically when I'm elk hunting calorie intake is the farthest thing from my mind. The way I look at it, it's just adding wood to the fire. Now my question; Is it as simple as seeing what snack has the most calories and going with that? Or do I need to factor in calories from fat? Thanks guys!
I eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich every morning before i go out , and i bring one or two with me , i pack um thick , and i also bring some different flaver power bars , that usually holds me over pretty good when i go on my day long spot and stalks .
I usually pack a peanut butter, bacon, and honey sandwich on a jalapeno bagel. Lots of protein and calories! I have also been making my own trail mix.
When picking snacks/food for caloric intake you should look at other aspects as well as you have implied. first of all when you think of hiking and camping snacks you first probably think of trail mix and or some type of jerky/ dry meat. Jerky and Trail mix isnt just for yuppies there is a reason that they come to mind first. They are good if not great sources of nutrition when trying to consumer high calories quick without eating junk. A Big Mac prob wouldn't go over to well stalking a 350 bull regardless of how many calories you can pack in with a punch. so think trail mix: one cup of trail mix can run you to 700 cals if not over depending on the mix. we're talking high carbs 60g+, high fat 40g+, and a good amount of protien- 20g give or take. one way to think about why this type of mix is beneficial is to think of the longevity of the nutrient in your system. for instance your body is going to burn off the carbs quickly, basically carbs are caffeine for the body, while fat and protein are going to take a while longer to synthesize. While hiking and sweating you are doing two things burning muscle (yes muscle) faster than you are fat, and depleting your body of water and electrolytes. the salt in trail mix combined with lots of fresh water can be the most important aspect as salt plays a key role in terms of electrolytes. The protein is going to help with the re synthesis of ATP- the chemical that your body breaks down in muscle to use muscle protein as an energy source. Thus Jerky being a valuable source of protein becomes a valuable source of calories while hiking/hunting. Consider this when searching for foods to eat; calories from 1g of Fat= 9cal. 1g of Protein= 4cal. and 1g or Carbohydrate= 4 calories as well. you are going to burn roughly 3000-4000 cals per day depending on your pace, elevation, and age/level of fitness. Aim for ~180g protein, ~200g carb, ~150g fat. that along with calories from other nutrients will put you, I would think around 3500cal. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nutritionist, dietitian or anything of the like. I have taken classes in nutrition, sports nutrition, conditioning, strength and conditioning and so on. (I graduated with a business degree, go figure) I am not an expert but those are the rough guidelines I would follow and for said reasons with the knowledge that I personally have. If someone knows better, feels they knows better or disagrees please add some insight... and good luck on your hunt, I'm jealous, someday... someday!
Yeah , i take trail mix also , i make up a big bag and usually just keep it in my pack it lasts me awhile
Kyle's post is excellent. As active as stalking elk can be you want to make sure you have a good mix of carbs, proteins and fats. The only thing I would add is you want to make sure those carbs are good carbs. Whole grain stuff and not sugary simple carbs like M&M's, etc.
Kyle good job. Only a couple of comments. I am an exercise physiologist with the Cleveland Clinic and want to hit on a couple of things Kyle said. 1. Your substarte utilization is based on your Heartrate the higher the HR the more Carbs you will be using for energy. Its the difference between Anaerobic and Aerobic. 2. ATP is the major energy currency of the cell, providing the energy for most of the energy-consuming activities of the cell. Its not just in Muscle it is in all cells. 3. Your are going to need Carbs that is the main energy substrate you use for Brain activity. So it will be very important when it comes to making the correct shot and focusing in on the sight picture. 4. You are also going to want to know your RMR or Resting Metabolic Rate this is the amount of calories you expend per day at rest. It does not include your movement. Here is a link that will help calculate and also help determine your expendature during activity. http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
great advice for those that do not know how to calculate or even the proper way to eat prior to a hunt (or any physically demanding activity). Plust it does not help to be sedentary 8 months out of the year then do strenuous activity for 4 months. fitness is a year round thing.
This post has some great advice and I agree with most of what has been said, but I also want to add to it. Make sure you are going to like the food that you bring! When I first started hunting I would overthink all the calories and other stuff my body needed. Now I make sure that I am getting what my body needs as well as something that tastes good. An example would be that I used to bring powerbars with me on all hikes, I never really liked the way they tasted and so after a while I just stopped eating them when I was out. Now I bring a Snickers bar with me and I can tell you that it helps my tummy as well as my head. Don't ignore the mental aspect of eating some food that you really enjoy! I usually carry plums and snickers because I really like them, as well as other items that my body needs for fuel.
Thank you CMT for the professional critique, like I said i'm no expert but thought I could break it down a little. And good point on ATP, all of the classes that I have taken for the most part concentrated on sports thus the nutrients specific roles were usually focused towards muscular function, not that we didn't discuss otherwise.
Yeah, those who say anything with peanut butter know what they are talking about. Just try not to eat a turkey or ham sandwich or something like that, It will make you sleepy. lol. My favorite snack is this: take a tortilla and put peanut butter on it, then put trail mix in it. Wrap it up and pack it up. Great snack because it has calories and energy.
