Need some new hunting foods

[gouch]

Mixed nuts (no salt) with dried cherries mixed in. I smoked and canned 15 pints of trout this summer so I got plenty of fish. But I still need my summer sausage and cheese. Add apples, pears and plumbs from my trees and tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden and my wife's famous zucchini cookies and I'm all set.

 

[Sawtooth]

You should take up kokanee fishing during the spring and summer. Makes some great smoked salmon. Dried fruit, apples and peanut butter also taste great.

 

[hank4elk]

I had to do same years back for similar reasons.
Nuts & dried fruit. I dry quality fruit I get . Homemade jerky...lots with low sodium. I freeze my elk jerky as it can get rancid ez & I use 1/2 the salt recipes use & less seasoning. Smoked trout & salmon,also lower sodium. Farmstead cheeses the Doc will OK. Old world type bread & crackers.
Then I chow down on frozen food from home in camp,a la BF's wife....good elk stew,green chile stew,elk chile, add a slaw style salad from store that will last a couple meals.
Cutting out the usual store bought foods completely,has allowed me to still eat quality bacon,ham & sausage occationally too....just don't eat the whole sausage or pound of bacon at once.
I have been toying with homemade pemmican. But so far a handfull of nuts & fruit with jerky does the trick

 

[Irrelevant]

Yep. Smoked fish is ok. It's pricy but worth it.

Like others have said. brook trout, smoked, canned bones literally dissolve in the vacuum. I'm eating a jar right now (with an avocado)

 

[Nameless Range]

Health is a good reason to change up your diet. I hope it goes smoothly. I’ve been trying to do something similar

If you are a Costco member, the Kirkland canned chicken breast in water is only 60 calories. I drain a can and smother it in Siracha and it is a good chunk of a satisfying meal. Low-fat, high-protein, and the only thing negative about it is the sodium in the hot sauce.

A canned herring fillet is also a good backpack meal. They come in lots of different flavors for varieties sake and are 160 calories.

Also a bag of carrots. Tasteless and vacuous of nutrition as they are, are good belly fillers.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Costco also has a Kirkland organic salt free seasoning that is pretty tasty.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Costco also has all those free samples to let you know what you will be missing out on.
Best of luck with the new diet. We try to increase our enjoyment of a healthy diet with an emphasis on herbs and spices rather than dairy and animal fats.
Is the sausage prohibition because of the fat or the preservatives included during processing?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Costco also has all those free samples to let you know what you will be missing out on.
Best of luck with the new diet. We try to increase our enjoyment of a healthy diet with an emphasis on herbs and spices rather than dairy and animal fats.
Is the sausage prohibition because of the fat or the preservatives included during processing?

It's both. Had some fat on my.liver, as well as wanting to avoid the nitrates/nitrites, etc.

Great tips guys. Many thanks. Totally forgot about the canned chicken!

There's some wild sockeye at Costco, so I'm going to pick up that and hit up belly for the recipe. Hunt talk continues to provide.

 

[wistowy]

Find a new doctor.

I know more old backpackers than old doctors...coincidence I think not Great thread though, good luck Ben

 

[Hunting Wife]

Those tuna pouches are great for backpacking...all kinds of flavors now, shelf stable, low fat. Make a wrap with some veggies and low carb or wheat tortillas and it is actually pretty dang good. I’m addicted to the buffalo style tuna myself. They apparently also make some similar pouches of flavored salmon, but Eastern Montana grocery stores haven’t discovered these yet apparently.

I make my own trail mix with walnuts and almonds, dried cranberries and dates. More omega-3’s that way. Sausage with less fat, jerky with less salt....you can eat most of the same stuff but healthier if you can find a way to make it yourself. Plus swap out the carb-y fillers (pasta, white rice) for quinoa, other neutral flavored grains, or veggies. There are simple things you can do that let you keep most of the flavors but trade out some of the fat and carbs in your favorite foods. I found I actually really like zucchini instead of pasta in dishes with marinara sauce, for example.

It will take some experimenting, but you don’t have to resign yourself to a handful of bland foods to eat healthy. Just think of it as a culinary adventure.

Good luck! If you find some winners, please let us know.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I don’t know how they fit into your diet but kippered herring snacks are delicious. I eat those a lot during hunting season.

 

[Gellar]

I bring smoked salmon and the tuna packs. The spicy flavors are my favorite in a tortilla with a mayo packet you get at fast food joints. The pack of tuna weighs 2.7 oz and has 14-16 grams of protein.

 

[Gellar]

I’ve never had them but heathers choice packaroons look good. They wouldn’t be hard to make yourself if you wanted too.

 

[cedahm]

For backpack hunting lunch I have gone almost exclusively to Salted Nut Rolls. Cheap, super simple, lightweight and plenty of calories and protein for mid-day.

Has been my vice candy since I was a kid. I make a trail mix version that’s cheaper and can be done in bulk.

1 ‘bottle’ Planters dry roasted peanuts (the generic ones aren’t the same - buddy does the low salt version)
1 bag Candy Corn (buy it by the ton on Nov1 each year - not like the stuff goes bad)

Portion into ziplocks.

Some days it is a couple meals. Probably doesn’t meet the ‘nonprocessed’ Criteria (since who the hell knows what’s in a candy corn - the comedian Lewis Black has a bit on it where he postulates that all the candy corn ever made was made in 1945 and is just rounded up and repackaged yearly), but it is easy, cheap, tasty and portable.

 

[rtraverdavis]

If you are going to hit Costco, check out the organic dried mangos if they have them (not the sugar infused kind). While not a sausage and cheese replacement, they are outrageously good for curbing sugar cravings, which you might have if you’re going to lay off drinking. I quit drinking years ago, and when I did my sweet tooth went through the roof.

 

[marshman]

I did the same. Dinty Moore was the stew of choice. Now, it's out due to chemicals & sodium. I'm thinking about canning some soups to take with, so I can control what's in it better than pre-made stuff. I've done that before with Turkey-Noodle soup & it worked out well.

My wife cooks up venison stew, Ham and beans, and shrimp Alfredo I vacuum seal these into meal size bags and just boil to reheat. No processed food or high sodium in these foods.

 

[jryoung]

Doctor's orders were: "If you can kill it, pick it or grow it, you can eat it."

There's a really pretty, smart and talented Doctor here in CA that tells all her patients: "If you can’t tell what it was when it was picked or killed don’t eat it. For example, there is no pasta tree or chip tree, everything should appear in its natural state. If you follow this 80% of the time you are doing great."

You've got a good list going, but be careful on the trail mix. Raw almonds or cashews are a better option without all the sneaky sugar, salt and carbs snuck in. Pro-bars and RX are my go to. Make sure you aren't shorting yourself on fiber too, it is often overlooked in many diets.

That same, pretty, smart and talented Doctor tells her patients need to be held accountable...

5 Ways to Build Accountability
Here are a few suggestions for building your wellness and weight loss accountability team:

1. Admittance of guilt. Recently, I had to exercise this one. I just spent 6 weeks on a medically supervised weight loss plan, HcG. I told all of my friends what I was doing and why, I then asked for support from my friends – it went something like this “I’m on my punishment diet. I’ve been eating like crap. Please do me a favor and only invite me on a walk or for coffee in the next few weeks. I am trying to avoid a heart attack.” Sounds dramatic doesn’t it? IT IS and it works. Telling your friends and family your plan for losing weight helps them help you. In all seriousness keep it positive you may even help them in the process.
2. Use an app. There are many apps available to help you track your diet and exercise and stay accountable to your health and wellness goals. As someone to make you show it to them weekly.
3. Schedule time to be well. Food prep and finding time to exercise are critical to wellness and weight loss. If you plan for this time you will succeed.
4. Work with a health coach. This is hands down the best diet accountability solution I’m aware of. A good health coach will take your doctor-prescribed diet and give you practical help in following it, along with the personal guidance and support you need to really nail your wellness goals.
5. Like heals like – hangout with like-minded people who are looking to be well they will help you on your path!

 

[thusby]

Buy a dehydrator. Slice and dehydrate a bunch of chicken, fruit, tomatoes, kale. Throw it in a Ziploc and pack it up.

 

[Jape]

Raw nuts are always good (although I get the lightly salted ones ) and I prefer bringing fresh fruit instead of dried. I have taken apples/oranges on 7-day hunts and they have not spoiled.

 

[idnative1948]

My doc said told me to buy unsalted nuts in bulk and throw in some dried cranberries.