Vegan backpacking

“My 14 year old son has decided to be a Vegan. I am used to using things with animal fat when I backpack (high calories per ounce). Any advice, or recipes on how to plan for a vegan diet on the the trail would be much appreciated.”

“Lotsa P.B.”

“Does this mean no leather or down either?”

“For protein use TVP, soymilk powder, tofu, total soy meal replacement powder,dried beans and peas and other legumes and nuts. That's basically what I do and just bring the regular carbos and fats that you normally would eat. Check your natural food store for other lightweight vegan food. Also a place called the mail order catalog has a lot of backpackable vegan protein.”

“yeah, just go to a natural food store, there're tons and tons of things you could bring backpacking. since he's that into it, i'm sure he'll be looking for recipes himself, anyway. and just because it's vegetable-based does not necessarily mean it's low-cal/low-fat. i should know, i successfully (?) gained the Freshman 15 while a vegan!”

“Couldn't he just graze along the way?”

“ha!! yeah, like twigeater! ;-)”

“take a piece of pork sausage, wrap some lettuce around it, and tell em' it's a new vegetable.”

“rice and beans with olive oil and spices”

“Decided to become a vegan, eh?
14, you say?

Boy is your house gonna go through some changes.”

“Or tell him that everything that goes into a cow is vegetable, so it must be virtually a vegetable product, too. J/K.

Oriental food markets may be a supplementary source of dried vegetables and mushrooms besides tofu. We had wonderful textured soy protein "meat" dishes in a Buddhist temple vegetarian restaurant. So check Chinese/Oriental cookbooks for quick-cooking simple recipes using all vegan ingredients. He could carry a small wok instead of a pot then.”

“I like Buddha Bears idea!

8)”

“Check out "The Well-Fed Backpacker" by June Fleming. Found the book at REI. Has lots of meat free recipes. It's not vegan, but some great stuff.

ISBN 0-394-73804-7”

“I should have said not ALL vegan”

“Your family will be in for a change. In providing for your son's nutritional needs, you'll have the opportunity to really broaden your diet and try some good and interesting things.

I trust that your son has researched into this and knows that there's more to it than just not eating animal by-products. It can be really tough. The rest of your family, if you've not already done so, should study up on it a bit to understand where he's coming from.

ANYWAY, backpacking foods...Lyra gave some good advice on looking at health food stores. Also look at MSR's Mountain Gourmet line. It's all vegetarian, and lot of it is vegan.

MSR Mountain Gourmet”

“Don't worry about him.

At age 14 they go through fads and change preferences on a weekly basis.


"I mean it this time. I'm serious. I am making a lifelong commitment to [fill in the blank daily]"”

“That is true they do change there minds quite often!

It may pass.

8|”

“Let him wake up to the smell of sausage gravy, biscuits, eggs, bacon, and hashbrown potatoes cooked in oil.

He will forget about such strange ideas.”

“btw pedxing - who is the girl your son is trying to impress?”

“Is that what it is?????

8o”

“What makes you think he is not trying to impress a boy?”

“8o”

“LOL! Lots of helpful and funny responses. Some are both. Thanks. He has been a vegetarian for years, so he may stick to it.
He already has a girl friend, but I don't think she's vegetarian.

I am reading up on the nutritional issues for off trail life.”

“Cool!

8)”

“Lots of good (and some funny) posts already. Not much else to add except good for him and I hope he sticks with it.

peace.”

“What da hell ia a vegan?”

“Sounds like a Vulcan but a bit on the gay side.”

“Darth Vegan is their leader”

“LMAO LMAO walkin'dude! Too damed funney, sorry it's at your kids' expense ped. I'm sure he's a great kid, but you outta know this crowd by now.

"Vulcan, but on the gay side" LMAO!”

“ask Jeeves: What's a Vagan?”

“A vegan is a vegetarian that has never had sex.”

“LOL again!

TT dictionary definition: fanatic(n): a person who would let their beliefs, values or feelings get in the way of a joke.

Anyway, I can take a joke. So if 'dude ever falls off the side of a mountain it'll hafta be cuzz he wuzz drunk, not cuzz I held a grudge. Wait... the dude don't drink... Well, I'll come up with an explanation when I need one if such a tragedy should ever take place.

BTW: A vegan is someone who won't consume animal products such as milk and eggs.”