Food on the hoof

[Munrobspierre]

Hey fellow walkhighlanders

, just curious as to what everyone eats when they're Munro bagging or general walking.

I tend to go for a big cooked breakfast, then stop at a supermarket to pick up a couple sandwiches, some m and ms and some Lucozade. Occasionally I'll grab a couple of glucose tablets.

Am I doing it right? What does everyone else to for?

[Scottk]

Depends how long I am going for but usually just take homemade trail mix, oatcakes and cheese with an apple and a snickers. Colder weather it's nice to take a flask or stove so I can have soup and tea/coffee.
Best to take whatever works for you and you enjoy.
I also have extra food in the car for my return. Getting something in you after exercise is supposed to aid recovery and I'll take whatever help I can get!

[Mal Grey]

Mostly its obvious stuff like sandwiches, but I normally have a banana, some oatcakes, a bit of choccy and ideally something like a flapjack/granola.

In winter, I carry a flask of soup as well, and quite often a pork pie or sausage roll. I'm not sure why I don't often carry the latter in summer, and may just have to give myself a telling off and carry pie more often...

[abbruce]

I usually take a small malt loaf or home made sandwich for the slow release & a couple of chocolate bars for the sugar hit.

South Glenshiel Ridge on Saturday was fuelled by 2 tuna & boiled egg rolls, a small snickers & 2 small Lees mint cream bars.

I used to take sports mix drink, but now take 2 bottles of diluted High Juice with a pinch of salt. In winter, one is swapped for a flask of soup, usually tomato.

[Fiona Reid]

I struggle to eat a cooked breakfast then go up a hill, I just feel ill. A bacon roll I can manage but a full on lardy is best (for me) saved for the drive home. I tend to have muesli or v. occasionally porridge for breakfast.

On the hill, a bagel for lunch and a few chocolate biscuits/trail bar type things throughout the day. For a 6 hour walk, one bagel, maybe 3 biscuits/trail bars (about 25-30g each) and a about 75gr of haribo/jelly babies suffice. For a 6 hour day I don't really think a whole lot about nutrition as I'll be eating something decent in the evening so basically have what I'd normally have for lunch on a work day (bagel filled with cheese/pate/peanut butter or whatever) and add some sugary snacks.

For longer days e.g. 8 hours+ then 2 bagels and some extra biscuits etc. If I've been organised I'll take home made flapjack in place of the biscuits.

Monster days (e.g. Cuillin Ridge Traverse): 3 bagels, salted peanuts, more sweets, more biscuits, mini pepperamis.

Drinks: just plain water in summer and a filter bottle to drink from on hill - with the exception of the Cuillin Ridge I never carry more than 1l in summer and just use the filter bottle to supplement as required. In winter a small amount of water (hot) in an insulated container plus .45l of ribenna or similar in a flask.

[Coop]

Rolls and gammon/ cheese ( normally eat 1 or 2)
Flapjack
Couple of bars of chocolate/ mint cake ((ill eat one normally)
Bag of jelly beans/babies ( never normally eat them until I'm on the way home)
Pork pie or 2 small small sausage rolls

I try to not have a curry or bolognese or chilli the night before

[weaselmaster]

Porridge with some kind of sweet thing or fruit in it for breakfast.
Sandwich thin with peanut butter & jam, bag of crisps, cereal bar (like Aldi's Paleo Bar or Trek bar) and coffee for lunch
Another bar or bag of crisps later sometimes.

[Mal Grey]

Some of the comments above reminded me that what you eat the night before is pretty important, certainly plan to eat well! On a multi-day trip, we tend to have quite large evening meals, good old spag bol or other pasta, chilli, curries etc mostly, but seem to easily burn off the calories! Also make sure you're well hydrated before you start, not just whilst on the hill, so if you have a few drinkies the night before (it can happen ) drink plenty of water before bed and plenty of liquid in the morning.

Breakfast wise, as I'm often on holiday as opposed to just a day trip, regular bacon sarnies feature strongly, but I normally also eat some cereal, plenty of orange juice, and perhaps a banana at the start of the walk.

[Veryhappybunny]

On the hill: A flask of mint tea and a bottle of water, sandwiches/rolls - usually homemade cheese and pickle or chutney and hummus. Nut/dried food mix, bananas, crisps (ideally seabrooks!), or salted nuts, chocolate.

Have been known to have hot apple pie and ice cream afterwards, or a nice scone and tea, or beer and nuts at home.

[walkingpoles]

Hope dies last, they say. But if you run out of chocolate, life will really be bitter. Marzipan is great, too.

[BobMcBob]

Huge meal the night before has always been my rule. Then porridge for breakfast, and I'll take cheese sandwiches, cereal bars, crisps (for salt), salami etc with me.

Generally I avoid sugary things, although I get a burst of energy I pay for it with greater fatigue later. Better to eat lots of slow-releae carbs (oats are good) and drink plenty of water - I usually reckon on 1 liter every 3 hours but if it's hot then I'll drink much more. I have a Lifestraw filter bottle that I can fill from pretty much anywhere.