Announcement: I will be publishing a NEW BOOK on backcountry nutrition soon. It will include tried and true recipes and a good deal of information about the nutritional needs of backpackers and hikers - especially long distance hikes - to maintain optimal performance and enjoyment while out on trail through what we eat. AND, if that's not enough, I address specific needs for those who are pescatarians. I can hardly wait to get it out there. So, here's a excerpt to tease you a little:
Like any diet lifestyle, pescatarians need to be selective about the food they eat within their general diet constraints. But considering all other types of diets, pescatarians seem to have the best opportunity of all. They have all the benefits of a plant-based diet that vegetarians and vegans enjoy. Plus, they also gain the omega-3s, protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, and niacin from fish and seafood that is lacking in many vegetarian and vegan diets but are abundant in meat-eating diets. And they do not introduce health risks that many processed meats introduce into omnivore diets. A pescatarian diet, done correctly, seems to be the perfect middle ground between the two primary options: meat-eaters and non-meat eaters.
With an astonishing 38% growth of the plant-based (meatless) food industry over the past couple years, it is only a matter of time before hikers turn to these options for their trail food supply or become more creative in preparing meals for the trail. Anecdotally, I suggest that the tide is already turning, as hikers represent a subset of our entire culture, and I’ve seen an increased volume of non-meat-eating hikers ask about meal tips on social networks.
It is time to address this topic head-on through education and by providing easy to prepare meals that offer healthy and good tasting alternatives for pescatarians, while maintaining optimal performance levels and enjoyment from the trail experience. I had to learn most of this on my own, as I was unable to find any menus for backpackers that directly suited my dietary choices. It took me years of experimenting, with much trial and error. I have had some mighty bland and unsatisfying meals through this process. But today in this writing the reader will reap the rewards of what I have learned along the way.
Stay tuned for the release of the new book!