I am continuing to pack for the trip and this evening I tried to come up with a type of food plan. Typically, I try to have a couple protein items (tuna pack, power bar, protein pack) per day to supplement the simple meals I eat with the villagers or as a fallback in case I don’t get a meal. Most of the time I do get fed by the host village (it is part of the agreement) but it is always good to be prepared. In addition, the regions I stay in are very poor so the meals are usually a starchy carb and my body is used to having lots of protein each day. This time, since I will be on the ground for 40 days, there is no way I can fit enough food in my backpack so I am planning to pack enough so I have one source of protein every other day. The smallest items are my “Amazing Grass/ Amazing Meal” protein packs (yup, taste like grass….and a wee bit of dirt which they try to make you think is “chocolate”…uh huh, they can’t fool me). Although it is the easiest to pack, 20 servings of the grass would not be fun so I am packing half grass, half tuna. Tuna is my favorite protein source because it gives me the salt I need to restore some of what I sweat out during the work day and it is packed with protein.
I would like to say “I subconsciously eat more right before I trip because in the back of my mind I know I will not have as much food out in the field” but, the truth is, I put on the extra pounds in a very conscious way. I consciously chose to get dessert after dinner tonight! Obviously I am still feeling guilty over my choice since I felt compelled to mention it in this post. But, I bet there won’t be a chocolate caramel cake thingy in a little glass served with a dab of ice cream and chocolate sauce over in the project villages … ; )
How Many Cows 