imi

I eat pretty much the same meals day after day on tour. Just did a calculation. Came out at $7/day.

Breakfast: Oats, banana, apple juice, coffee. (18%)
During the day: PB sandwiches, fruit, trail-mix. (53%)!!
Evening: Beans and rice. (29%)

I found it interesting that over half of my food cost goes into the high energy, (but less nutritious) daytime munches.
Any suggestions as to (vegan) alternatives?



p.s please don't turn this into a veggie vs meat thread (heard it all before).

Machka 

Can you eat cheese and other dairy products? On day tours and longer tours, we like to stop at a grocery store for lunch where we pick up rolls, cheese, tomatos, lettuce, and other raw veggies (we'll pick up some sandwich meat too, but you don't want that), and we make sandwiches. We'll also pick up yogurt or ice cream for desert.

imi

Hi Machka, no, I've been a strict vegan for 30 years. Before that as a lacto-vegetarian I more or less lived on bread and cheese on the road. Different cheeses are the only thing I miss (there are vegan substitutes,, but not like the real thing ) - Ah, camembert, baguette and a cheap red wine in a sunny park in the south of France!

Sorry, I digress. I think I'm trying to mostly find an alternative to white bread, peanut butter and jam sandwiches... is this heresy in the touring forum?

BigAura

sweet potato

Machka 

Well, the rolls Rowan and I choose for our sandwiches are usually whole wheat. We rarely eat white bread.

I can't eat peanut butter ... haven't touched peanut butter in almost 20 years. But nutella is OK. That might make for a little bit of variety.

And what about something like hummas on a whole wheat roll with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, etc.?

imi

Hummus, of course! Thanks! I forgot to mention, when it comes to food I have zero fantasy :/

Sweet potatoes? Cook them the evening before and eat cold the next day?

More salad and raw veggies: check. I do at home but forget about them on the road.

Nutella is unfortunately not vegan. I sometimes eat dark chocolate sandwiches for a quick energy fix.

Machka 

If you go to a deli in a grocery store, you can get various salads ... potato salad, several kinds of pasta salad, coleslaw, etc. Some of them might not work, depending on what's in them, but some might work.

Sometimes for lunch (both at home or while travelling) I'll have one of those salads ... with olives (because I love olives and they add a bit of extra flavour).

In our grocery store, we can also get several different kinds of veggie burgers (some are in the deli, some are in the frozen goods section) ... they're nice for a bit of dinner variety.

Ekdog

Can't you get whole grain bread? The white stuff lacks fiber, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, and so on.

I make sandwiches out of raw vegetables like sweet red peppers and carrot sticks. I love eggplant sandwiches, too, but it must be cooked, of course. A good French or German mustard and a swig of red wine make these sandwiches quite palatable

imi

Excellent! Raw veggie whole wheat sandwiches with mustard! I hear you!
Maybe some hummus in there too...

Honestly I find it hard to believe myself how culinarily challenged I am!

I occasionally treat myself to fried tofu or soja sausages (love the ones in Aus, Machka).

Keeping the cost well down is part of it too.

mm718

Veggie sandwiches with avocado. Couscous is a nice alternative to rice and uses very little fuel (bring to boil and let sit for 5 minutes). Quinua is another option. Hummus is a staple for me. Potato flakes for a potato based meal. I try to add spices, olive oil, beans, and fresh veggies to my one pot dinners. Tortillas and bagels pack well for lunches and dinners.

After a long day of riding I sometimes blank out in the supermarket as far as vegan dinner ideas so I think I might carry a laminated card with a list of options.

imi

Great ideas here guys, really appreciate it! Not that I haven't thought about some alternatives, but I needed a kick up the proverbial to make some changes... and your input is just that. Cheers!

andrewclaus

For stoveless options, the potato flakes mentioned above work with just a few minutes soaking in cold water. Ramen noodles are already fried and can be eaten out of the package like a large cracker, or soaked for a while in cold water. Instant bean flakes are difficult to find on the road, but they work well with about 20 minutes of soaking. Rolled oats are cooked during processing and can be eaten out of the box or with a few minutes of soaking.

My staple while hiking or cycling is a muesli I make on the road out of rolled oats, lots of walnuts, and raisins. I eat a cup, with cold water, several times a day. I can find those ingredients in almost any store in the US and mix them in a ziplock bag. I used to add powdered milk but I find it just as tasty with plain water.

I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter, and I usually try to stock up on tree nuts instead. I can almost always find cashews, almonds and walnuts in US grocery stores. Walnuts for some reason are cheaper in the baking aisle. I'll buy a jar of PB every week or so for an extra boost of fat and salt, but it's not my favorite.

I always eat some raw veg every day, even if it's just a few stalks of celery or some carrots or a pepper. I never pass up fresh fruit. I love touring during local harvest season, when fresh stuff is literally falling off trucks. I try to convince myself that the minute amount of fresh food I consume is somehow making up for all the processed crap I'm eating on tour.

I'm not as strictly vegan as you are and will sometimes carry cheese, especially in dairy-producing regions with small farms and you get the really good stuff. I'll eat an egg dish at diners sometimes.

My last two-month tour also cost US$7 per day in food. That's also the average I spend on long (up to five month) trekking trips. That does not include town meals eaten while resupplying and that's a different story. Thanks for the breakdown by food type--I haven't looked at it that way before.

Niles H.

If part of your interest is in lowering the cost (with nutritious vegan alternatives), one option is to find more ways of enjoying oats. Bread, store bought, is much more expensive and usually less nutritious. Oats can be excellent. They are more versatile than people think.

You can make your own oat bread with them, sweet or savory. There are all kinds of savory possibilities that are unknown and underappreciated. And many variations on sweet as well.

Bulk organic oats are often reasonably priced.

There are different ways of saving on fresh fruits and vegetables as well.

Organic savory oats can replace rice. Price, nutrition, and cooking time are better.

Lentils cook much faster than most beans, and have more protein.

Familiarizing yourself with the 'clean fifteen' and the 'dirty dozen' can be helpful.

Acquiring an appreciation for the more subtle natural flavors that many foods have in their native unseasoned state can be helpful too.

imi

Interesting Andrew and Niles (as always). Thanks.

It's not so much about lowering the cost, $7/day is well within my food budget. It's just when I calculated my daytime costs, I realised that there might be more nutritious, high energy, even tastier, cold food alternatives for about the same cost.
If it ends up cheaper too, then hey...

I'm fine with my hot breakfast and evening meal menus, though there is definitely room for variation there as well

Niles H.

You're welcome. Glad to share positive ideas.

One change in diet for me came fairly recently after doing a lot of research on high-fruit diets and nutrition. Bananas typically have about 1.2 grams of protein each; oranges are about 6-7% protein, as percentage of calories - which is actually a bit above the WHO guidelines.

So fruits are not nearly as weak a protein source as usually assumed.

These and other new points or understandings have changed the way I view fruit. It used to be a kind of side dish - maybe one or two pieces per meal. Now I feel free to eat a lot more.

Never before in my life had I eaten more than one or two (and only very rarely two) oranges or apples or bananas or kiwis or persimmons at a time. Now I'm eating many, at times, and it's been a real change.

*******
Also wanted to mention that I've found that very well designed and prepared mueslis can be really fine, both nutritionally and gusto-gustatorily/enjoyably. Great taste, very enjoyable.

Latif

I find almond butter to be a great alternative to pnut butter but wanting to do only organic it is about twice the cost. Check out Brendan Braziers Thrive books which have lots of tasty vegan recipes as well as nutritional tips for vegan endurance athletes.

Ciufalon

Falafel and pita bread sandwiches? Can put lots of different things in pita to add variety to what you eat.

Papa Tom

Are restaurants out of the question for you? I mean, will you only eat what you can carry with you? I'm also vegan and I LIVE on a simple three-ingredient burrito from Chipotle Mexican Grille. It's white rice (cooked in water, not chicken stock), black beans (no lard or bacon, unlike their pinto beans), and guacamole. This is the absolute tastiest food item I have ever experienced, and these three ingredients are only very mildly spiced. Best of all, Chipotle uses primarily organic ingredients, grown locally, when possible. When I plan a tour, the first thing I do is check out where all the Chipotle restaurants are located along my route.

Otherwise, try to get some single-serving packs of Sabre Hummus and a package of whole-wheat mini pitas.

shipwreck

Just to be clear, I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian. But I have dated some, so learned to cook that way.
One thing that I take on tours is Nutritional yeast. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast Not sure what it would be called in sweden, possibly Bjast.(sorry cant get the keyboard to get the a right) You can mostly get it at health food stores, and a fast google seemed to indicate that in Sweden its the same?
I use it as an ingredient or a condiment. It has a cheesy sort of taste, I imagine that its much stonger tasting to someone who does not eat real cheese. It would be good to add to your beans and rice. I put it in quinua with black beans and that powers me through the night. Its very very light weight.

Do the supermarkets sell bagged salads there? I like to get a bag of greens, some crutons and a cucumber, tomato, and the like. For variety I will get some three bean salad in a can, and throw that in with the greens, or a jar of pickled cauliflour, whatever. Small tin of tangerine chunks thrown on also works. I don't do it every night of course, but it breaks the monotony throwing a salad course in once in a while. I can't believe that a vegan forgets about salad, I get kind of hungry passing cattle on a tour but go nuts without some broccoli or something now and again!

I actualy eat eggplant raw(It can cause upset stomach in some people). sliced or Diced into medium chunks and toss it with olive oil(or just poured on, it soaks it up well) whatever all purpose seasoning I have, and either in a tortilla or pita with whatever, be it beans and couscous, tomato, anything. And the nutritional yeast tastes great on that as well.

Northwestrider

Are most whole wheat breads in fact vegan? It is my understanding that most have egg or honey if bought in typical grocery stores. Is there a specific brand / brands that you use, or are they all vegan ?

Ciufalon

I think most whole grain/whole wheat breads are vegan. I try to get bread that is organic too. I don't think eggs are used to make bread; for cakes yes. The bread I buy is made with agave nectar, but I think honey is OK for vegans isn't it?

Machka 

There's also Vegemite (and possibly Marmite).

Go for a wander through your local grocery store and see what's there. As you tour, chances are you'll be able to find many of those things in the grocery stores you come across.

chasm54

Dried figs. Currently my go-to snack for road racing, as well as touring. On the raw veggies theme, cauliflower florets are pleasantly crunchy and surprisingly nutritious. Strongly support the avocado/guacamole idea.

Machka 

There are all sorts of dried fruit a person could go for. I like dried mango, papaya, apricots, dates, raisins, apples ...

I haven't looked at the ingredients of veggie dips and dressings (like ceasar dressing), but occasionally we'll do raw carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. and a little container of dip for a pre-dinner snack.

Ekdog

Yes! They're my favorites, too. I eat a lot of fresh ones as well when they're in season as I often come across fig trees that are loaded with them here in Spain and especially in Portugal. When I was a kid in the States I loved Fig Newtons:



Dates are another favorite of mine.