Originally Posted by Shifty
Food is the fuel that keeps you riding, depending on how far, and hard you ride you'll burn fuel. Dry meat alone won't work very well. You'll need breads, fruits and veggies also. Pita, chipati or crackers are easy to carry and good. Fresh and dried fruits help the body and spirit, and all kinds of durable veggies are easy to carry and eat along the way without cooking.
I read "The Buffalo Hunters" by Mari Sandoz several years ago. In it she describes a condition that the hunters called "buffalo fever". It came from eating only the hump meat of the bison and none of the visceral material. The condition she was describing was a combination of scurvy and ketosis. Diets high in protein, like the Adkins or a complete meat diet, cause the blood pH to lower (more acidic) because the metabolism of protein causes the formation of ketones. These ketones, and a low blood pH, can cause all kinds of problems with internal organs and even lead to organ failure - particularly the kidneys - just ask any type I diabetic.
Lack of proper vitamins can lead to all kinds of other issues that wouldn't be good in the long run also. A balanced diet, especially during heavy exercise, is far more important than convenience.
Stuart Black