1. Outdoor Food Planning and Prep

2. Food – What is it? Fuel (calories/ energy)
Macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs)
Nutrition (vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants)
Comfort
Shameful
Painful
Lethal

3. Weight - Do Carefully consider proportions/ quantities Few to no cans
Bulk staples
Dehydrate wherever possible

4. Weight – Don’t
No glass containers

5. Packaging - Do
Remove food from original packaging and re-pack only what you need
…but cut out and include any cooking directions on the package
Consider disposal of waste in field
Wash ziplocs and re-use after trip
Pre-cut cheese and meat into small squares
Add spices to meals before packing
Pre-mix any baking dry ingredients
Bring a knife with a can opener if you have cans as part of your meals

6. Packaging – Don’t
Bring original containers that are bulky and more than you need

7. Storage - Do Waterproof every meal using TWO plastic bags
Use waterproof plastic screw top lid containers of an appropriate size for any liquids
Cache food together at night as directed to minimize the risk of a wildlife encounter (bears, rodents)

8. Storage – Don’t Pack food and cook stove fuel together Bring a cooler
Sleep with any food in the spring/ summer/ fall

9. Labelling - Do Label bags and/ or use colour coded stuff sacs
Include cooking instructions

10. Labelling – Don’t

11. Quantity - Do
Aim for ~ calories per day (1 kg dry food/ person/ day)

12. Quantity – Don’t
Pack too little
Pack too much

13. Nutrition - Do
High fat foods (cheese, nuts) supply twice the calories per gram as other types of foods
Eat higher fat foods to keep you warm overnight
Eat higher carbohydrate foods for short term energy
Include fruit/ veggies in your meals

14. Nutrition – Don’t
Bring excess candy, chocolate and junk food

15. Spices - Do Add salt to your water when boiling pasta/ other grains
Bring extra salt/ seasonings for people to add (a pinch of spice in a small square of plastic wrap)
Bring extra cooking oil/ butter if you are frying anything

16. Spices – Don’t

17. Beverages - Do Have a hot beverage with breakfast and supper
Beverage options – herbal tea (with/ without honey), warm gatorade, hot chocolate, apple cider
Bring electrolyte powder or other flavouring
Bring large mouth water bottles on all outings/ trips (1-2L)

18. Beverages – Don’t
No beverages other than water in tents during spring/ summer/ fall
No caffeinated beverages
No energy drinks
No juice boxes/ drink containers other than your water bottle(s)

19. Dehydration - Do
Dehydrate meals/ meal components to save weight/ space and prevent spoilage
Dehydrate meals in advance – school dehydrators are not available for loan

20. Dehydration – Don’t
Buy Mountain House meals – not permitted

21. Winter - Do Bring more calories Pre-cut everything
Bring frozen fruit/ veggies

22. Winter – Don’t
Bring cliff bars unless you want to break your teeth

23. Water - Do
Boil/ filter all water before consumption except snow which is safe upon melting

24. Water – Don’t
Drink directly from water sources

25. Field prep - Do Wash/ sanitize your hands before handling food
Cook on a flat surface
Use pot grippers to handle hot pots
Have some way of measuring quantities (i.e. markings on water bottle)

26. Field Prep – Don’t Cook on highly flammable surfaces
Put your stove directly on snow
Cook on picnic tables

27. Clean up - Do Scrape dishes of excess food prior to washing
Scrub pots, dishes and utensils using soap and warm water
Dump grey water in designated area/ pit

28. Clean up – Don’t
Leave food in pots/ on stoves

29. Breakfast All breakfasts must include a hot drink.
Adding nuts, coconut and dried fruit to your breakfasts is an easy way to get more energy and nutrients in the morning.
Drinks: herbal tea, hot chocolate, hot Gatorade, etc.
Instant Oatmeal: 0.5 cups/ 2-3 packets per individual
Granola and powdered milk: cups per individual
Cream of wheat: cup per individual
Cous cous and dried coconut: cup per individual
Breakfast wrap – egg, bacon/ sausage, potato, peppers, onions
Bagels and cream cheese/ nut butter/ jam

30. Lunch/ snacks
All lunches should be considered all-day affairs that you nibble on over the day
Minimize candy/ junk food
Consider spoilage factor
Variety is key

31. Lunch/ snacks Examples Granola bars Hummus and pita bread/ vegetables
Wraps with nut butter and jam/ honey
Fruit
Jerky
Dried fruit
Crackers and cheese
Pepperoni
Sandwiches (no tomatoes, limited condiments)
Dry soup packets for rainy or cold days
Leftovers
Trail mix
Sticky rice balls with nori/ seasoning

32. Supper
All suppers should include a hot drink, an optional appetizer (soup packets, crackers and cheese, nuts, veggies), main course and an optional small dessert
Avoid fried foods due to bear safety (i.e. cook bacon at home/ buy pre- cooked)
One pot meals are easiest to clean up and prepare
Use the following supper planning tool to help you put your meals together

33. Supper
Protein/ fat souce
Nutrients
Seasoning
Base starch

34. Supper – Base Starch
Pasta
Rice
Rice noodles
Potato flakes
Cous cous

35. Supper – Protein/ fat source
Shrimp
Lentils
Wild game
Beans
Chicken
Cheese
Turkey
Coconut
Bacon
Coconut Milk
Sausage
Pine nuts
Cashews
Peanut butter/ peanuts
Tofu

36. Supper - Nutrients Dried veggie mix Tomato sauce Sundried tomatoes
Dried berries
Pineapple
Olives
Dried mushrooms
Dried veggies of your choice in a dehydrator

37. Supper - seasoning Garlic Ginger
Italian (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)
Curry
Turkey dinner (sage, thyme, rosemary)
Mexican (cumin, coriander, chili mix)
Thai
Pesto
Teryaki