• Bran flakes: outer coating of the whole wheat berry. Good laxative, high in iron.
• Bulgar or pilaf or ala: all of these are the same thing-cracked wheat that has been parboiled and dried.
• Carob powder: or St. John’s bread, is the ground pod from the honey locust tree. High in potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. While chocolate takes away from your system, carob adds nutritional value.
• Chia seeds: the Indians used chia to sustain them on their long marches during migration. Concentrated in protein and food energy, these little seeds may be added to almost anything.
• Date sugar: ground up dried dates. A good sweetener to begin to get more familiar with.
• Dried fruits: apricots, peaches, pears, apples, dates, figs, raisins, currants, prunes. Unsulphured, quick, sweet energy.
• Fish: clams, shrimp, tuna, bonita, anchovies, fish flakes, trout, iriki.
• Flaxseed: untreated, high in phosphorus and niacin. Its mucilaginous quality aids in digestion and has a laxative effect.
• Fruit juice concentrates: liquid concentrated juice from fruits and berries found in natural food stores. Somewhat expensive, but a little bit adds a lot of fresh vitamins. A good thing to take along on winter trips.
• Garlic, garlic granules, garlic powder: fresh garlic is lightweight and easy to carry. Garlic is a good body builder and cleanser. We carry lots of it and use it freely. If it’s inconvenient to use fresh garlic, you may substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules per clove of garlic. Garlic powder is dried ground garlic and garlic granules are garlic juice dried and ground.
• Herbs: parsley, dill, tarragon, sweet basil, thyme, oregano, chervil, rosemary, bay leaf, cumin, sage, savory.
• Honey: natural, raw. Honey not only takes the place of sugar, but has added food value. It’s easy to carry in a plastic bottle and its weight comes out about the same as refined sugar because of its concentrated sweetness. Generally, substitute half as much honey for sugar.
• Legumes: lentils, kidneys, pintos, garbanzos, soy, mung, peanuts.
• Milk powder, noninstant: whole, low-fat, or skim. Good to fortify most foods; adds protein and calcium. Instant: instant powdered milk may be used, but has slightly lower food value.
• Miso: a salty paste made from fermented soy beans, rice, or wheat; highly concentrated protein.
• Nuts and nut butters: almonds, pecans, pine nuts, cashews, brazils, filberts and walnuts raw. Another highly concentrated food, rich in protein, calcium, and phosphorus. Use sparingly, a little every day. Almonds and pine nuts are the highest in protein.
• Oils, vegetable, nut, and seed: unrefined, unhydrogenated. Some recipes call for a specific oil as we feel that it has its own taste and food value. However, you may substitute your favorite or a general mild-flavored one like safflower or corn oil.
• Parmesan cheese: highest in protein of all cheeses. Also lightweight and easy to carry.
• Polenta: dried corn that has been ground to an even consistency. Sold in Italian food stores.
• Rose hip powder: the fruit of the rosebush, dried and ground. High in vitamin C.
• Seaweed: hijiki, nori, kombu, wakame. Lightweight and very nourishing. Don’t take them along and then experiment with your taste. Try them before you go, as their unusual flavor is delightful to some and overwhelming at first to others.
• Seeds and seed butters: like nuts, seeds are concentrated protein, only easier to digest. High in vitamins and minerals. Use freely.
• Sesame seeds: unhulled, raw. Higher in calcium than milk. A good source of potassium and phosphorus. An excellent backpacking food as the body needs more of these minerals when exerting energy.
• Soy grits: cracked soybeans, making a good source of protein; quick-cooking.
• Soy milk powder: milk powder made from the soybean.
• Tamari soy sauce: a salty, tasty condiment made from soybeans. Good on grains, noodles, patties, and in soups.
• Vegetable-seasoned broth powder: makes a balanced potassium broth. May be bought in bulk in most natural food stores.
• Wheat germ flakes: the untreated embryo of the wheat berry. High in B vitamins.
• Whole grains, whole flours, whole-grain and vegetable noodles: untreated, unrefined wheat, rice, corn, rye, buckwheat, barley, millet, oats. High in B vitamins, protein.