Food Information
Why are food choices important? - Eating the right kinds of food (and plenty of it), as well as staying hydrated, are two of the key components to a successful DofE expedition. As your body will be using much more energy whilst out walking, it’s not enough to simply eat what you would on a ‘normal’ day. Sometimes participants can feel sickness, lack of energy and discomfort due to dehydration, and in the majority of these cases the situation could have been avoided if more consideration had been given to the intake of food and water.
How much food should I take? - You should eat approximately double the amount that you would on a normal day. This will vary from person to person, but you will need between 3000 - 4000 kcal per day. Although your rucksack may feel heavy when you leave home, the volume of food will quickly be reduced as you eat it.
Cooking - You will be cooking using a trangia stove at the campsites in the morning and in the evening. While out on expedition during the day you won’t be able to use your stove, so you will need to pack cold lunch items for during the day.
Consideration of what food to bring
- High calorie and slow-release carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, rice, wholemeal bread)
- Can it be cooked on a trangia stove?
- Will it be quick and easy to cook?
- Will it be easy to clean the pans?
- Is it heavy or bulky? Will it get squashed in your rucksack?
- Is the food long life and won’t go off during your expedition?
Breakfast Ideas
- Porridge sachets
- Cereal / muesli portions with powdered milk
- Individually wrapped items such as cereal bars, croissants & brioche
- Dreid fruit
- Pittas or bagels with portions of spread (jam, chocolate etc)
Lunch Ideas
- Packed lunch on day 1
- Pittas, bagels, wraps
- Indvividual portions of spreads (jam, cheese)
- Individually wrapped cheeses (e.g. Babybels)
- Crackers, oat cakes, pringles (think about packing)
- Individually wrapped cured meat such as Pepperami
Dinner Ideas
- Pasta with sauce sachets or pre-flavoured
- Noodles with sauce sachets or pre-flavoured (avoid pot noodles)
- Rice with sauce sachets or pre-flavoured
- Individual sauce sachets to add to your carbohydrates
Snack Ideas
- Flapjack or similar
- Cereal bars
- Biscouts
- Chocolate
- Sweets
Drinks / Extra Ideas
- Tea bags
- Powdered milk
- Hot chocolate sachets
- Salt, pepper, sugar sachets
- Small bottle of concentrated cordial
Expedition Meal Pouches - You can buy expedition type meal pouches from outdoor shops. Adventure Expeditions stocks Wayfayer and Firepot branded meals. You will receive a food information sheet upon booking which explains how to order these with us.
If you are struggling to come up with your menu for your expedition, especially if you have certain dietary requirements, please give us a call and our team will be able to advise.