The keto diet is exploding right now. Which is obviously one of the reasons that I wanted to try it out. To see what all of the rage was about. It’s all over the place. I see it on the cover of magazines, on TV talk shows, and it’s even the topic at hand on a plethora of podcasts. While this diet didn’t work for me personally, there are many out there that thrive eating keto. If they are a backpack hunter though, I think one question constantly pops up. That question is “How do I eat keto on a backpack hunt?” I asked the same question. Keto, in my opinion is a very involved type of diet. The thought of doing that in the backcountry kind of made my stomach turn to be honest. I assure you that it can be done though!
Breakfast! The most important meal of the day! At least for me it is. With keto though? That can be somewhat of a different story. Lots of keto advocates actually don’t even do breakfast and just do their keto coffee. If that is the case, then this is super easy. Pack in a small container of either MCT oil or Coconut Oil, with some butter packets. Throw that in your preferred backcountry coffee and you’re set! For me, that would be Dark Timber Gravity Packs. Absolute money for coffee on the hill! I like to eat something in the morning though, so I didn’t go the no food route. For me, I’d just pack a few cheese sticks and almonds along with my coffee of course. Gotta get those fats! Pretty simple yeah? There are also some prepackaged options from Next Mile Meals. You are going to hear that company mentioned more than once here, as they focus specifically on keto backpacking meals.
In the backcountry snacking is huge, keto or not. One of the benefits of keto though is that oftentimes, you aren’t really that hungry. Because, you are taking in so much fat, those fats tend to stick with you way longer offering that “full feeling” you get after stuffing yourself with carbs! I believe that this is also one of the reasons folks lose so much weight on keto. With that being said, if you want a snack or two throughout the day, I’ve got you! A great snack was an Epic meat bar with a cheese stick. I know this doesn’t sound much like a diet, but it is! I also really enjoyed Pili Nuts. These are great with a low carb count and higher fat content. Whatever you choose for snacking, just make sure you aren’t taking in too many carbs or protein. That was definitely a mistake that I made while out and about.
I’ve heard of some folks actually packing in avocados on hunts. However, those are fairly heavy. So, I suggest if you want to try and keep the weight down, which who doesn’t, that your horizons broaden. One of my favorite keto lunches was a packet of tuna with either a quest bar or roasted salted almonds. Almonds are a staple in keto, at least they were for me. Another thing that you could try is actually dipping an Epic bar in a prepackaged guacamole. Starting to hear the same things over and over again right? This is kind of what did me with the diet. There are only so many options that are easy for backcountry living and time efficient.
While breakfast is the most important part of the day, dinner is the most exciting if you ask me. Remember that company Next Mile Meals that I mentioned earlier? This is the choice of choice for keto backpacking entrees. Their whole get up revolves around keto. They make things way more convenient in a delicious package. While they have quite a few different options for dinner, I went with both the Italian Meatball and the Chicken & Broccoli. Of course if you didn’t want to go this route, homemade is another option. If you’ve got a dehydrator, I don’t see why one couldn’t make their own dehydrated meals.
Boom! There it is. A glimpse into keto life in the backcountry. If you are committed, this is absolutely possible. I went as convenient as I could with foods, but I’m sure that one could take this to a whole different level if they really dove in head first. Keto wasn’t something that really worked for me though, so it was hard to be that invested in what I was bringing with me. I talked about this in a post a few weeks back called “Keto Diet Week 3 – 3 Reasons Why I Quit.” If you’ve got any questions, drop them down below. Also, I’d love to hear about your keto backpack hunting experiences! How was it? Good or bad? Again, drop the comments down below!
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