Ketogenic meal plans - What do you do in the backcountry?

[THBZN]

I have been doing modified Ketogenic/"slow carb" eating for about 2 years now, and it works great for maintaining body weight, energy levels, keeping overall bloodwork numbers in check, etc. I can eat however much I want of the preferred foods. No watching portions, and all of that nonsense.
On the weekends, I throw in a 'cheat day' to stay sane, and have some pizza, some ice cream, the usual bad stuff. Back on the program come Monday. Works well.

But, when I go on backcountry hunts (3-6 days) I have found it really tough to stick to keto meals, and be able to bring the right stuff with me so I don't bonk after a big day covering lots of miles. I feel like maybe it isn't a big deal to deviate for hunts, where I am burning a lot of calories, and need the food to keep me going. My usual food consists of Mtn House meals, nuts, jerky, nut butter, a few GU packets, etc.

Does anyone have any other really good high fat/high protein/low carb snacks or meal ideas that might be a bit more on track with keto-style meal plans?

 

[BuckSnort]

I'll be following this as I have been meaning to post the same question, sort of...

I too have been doing Keto for close to 3 months now, down 30 lbs and wanna lose 20 more.. I have been hitting the hills with weight lately and when I go real hard I bonk pretty hard sometimes, my legs act like they have no more go in them when this happens..Maybe I need to eat more fat on the day leading up to the hard climbs? There's so much conflicting info it's hard to find reliable info other than trial and error..

I'm thinking it will be even harder to get the keto type of nutrients on a 3+ day backpack hunt.. I'm thinking I'll have to switch back to being a carb burner a week or two before season starts so I can pack and eat the normal backpacking food (high carb) not only for sustained energy/fuel but for ease of packing and meal planning as well..

Hope I didn't just hijack you're thread...

I'm curious to what others say..

 

[FreeRange]

My go to is some variation on dehydrated venison, red peppers, onions, spinach, other veggies etc, re-hydrated and add a bunch of powdered butter, ghee or olive oil. I'll also do the foil bagged tuna with dehydrated veggies. Many nights I'll just snack on what I eat all day, lots of nuts, salami, cheese, high-fat meat sticks (jerkey is not that high in fat), powedered coconut oil in my coffee or tea.

I have found I'm very carb-tolerant while backpacking because I am burning so much energy. I try and stay in ketosis while on a trip though and find it pretty easy.

Lately my wife has been making a "keto" granola which is just tons of ghee, various sliced nuts, cocount flakes, dried berries and some agave sweetener all baked together. Before keto, granola with powdered milk and water was my go-to breakfast, looking forward to adding granola back into the backcountry meal plan this weekend when we pack in for the turkey opener.

 

[THBZN]

I was digging around and recalled this recipe, which I have used the last two seasons. These things are great, taste good, and I usually carry three per day. While they are not 100% "keto approved" they are heavy on good fat, and really work well to give long lasting energy. Also, they are pretty easy to make, and you could tweak the recipe as you see fit.

Got Fat?

Any high fat, easy to carry snack ideas, put them out there.

 

[rhendrix]

You gents have any links to learn how to start a ketogenic diet? I've been googling and am really interested in trying something but I need a certain amount of carbs to function at work (I'm a firefighter), just not sure what that amount should be.

 

[bobinmi]

You gents have any links to learn how to start a ketogenic diet? I've been googling and am really interested in trying something but I need a certain amount of carbs to function at work (I'm a firefighter), just not sure what that amount should be.

The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson is the one that I just started on. He also did a podcast with Joe Rogan that was excellent. He has a website as well called Marks daily apple.

 

[2hand]

I've been planning on adding Quest powdered MCT oil to a lot of meals. 90 cal per scoop and it's about tablespoon size.

Secondly, powdered coconut milk & PB fit both will be with me while I'm out.


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[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

You gents have any links to learn how to start a ketogenic diet? I've been googling and am really interested in trying something but I need a certain amount of carbs to function at work (I'm a firefighter), just not sure what that amount should be.

While paleo and keto are not exactly the same thing, they usually go hand in hand so this is a good resource.

Paleo diet recipes & tips | Paleo Leap

As mentioned the primal blueprint by Mark Sisson is kind of the bible for it.

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[Poltax]

I have been on the Keto Diet for the last 30-40 days. I have lost about 12pds. Usually feel fairly well. I eat a breakfast and then use the Keto drink around 11:00. Then have a dinner. If I am not feeling hungry in the morning I will have a small snack and then the Keto drink at 11:00. Also to note is that I will be 60 in a week or so. My hunting partner is in his mid 30's. On the flats and slight incline I can hang with him hiking. However if the mtn gets steep its a bit harder to keep up, although I am not too far behind. My hunting partner is in construction and is a roofer. He can hike all day long in tennis shoes and not be tired. I do not know how he hikes in tennis shoes....HaHa!

On Thursday my Elk hunting buddy & I went and placed trail cameras out. We dropped 1300 ft then climbed another 200 to leave the cameras. I felt pretty good until I got to the bottom and then I kind of bonked. I did eat before we left around 4:30am. Did not eat anything else until about noon. Had a Costco Protein bar and then headed back up. Half way up I had to have an emergency GU packet. I made a steady slow pace back out but was pretty disappointed in my performance. All I could do was slog along at about half speed. I do not think I had planned on enough food to get me thru the day. Nor did I use the Keto drink. Having not used it under stress conditions I was not sure how it would sit with my digestive system. We will be going back in to retrieve the cameras in about 30 days, so I have some time to plan and get better prepared.

I road cycle and have been on 2 hour rides climbing and flats and have been able to go pretty strong. Which I was really surprised at due to cycling being a high carb/food sport. I have raced in the past and also done long distance races. So I am familiar with food intake and water intake. Not really sure what to do for the hike and the archery Elk hunt for daily food.

Any ideas or comments would be great.

 

[The Doob]

When you refer to a "Keto" diet, is that basically an Atkins diet plan?

 

[Weekender]

When you refer to a "Keto" diet, is that basically an Atkins diet plan?

Similar but lower proteins. Low carb 5%, medium proteins 20-35%, high fats 60-75% is the keto balance.

 

[Ray]

I have been on the Keto Diet for the last 30-40 days.

Any ideas or comments would be great.

Everything I have read over the last five years about high fat-low carb eating is that it takes several months to force your mitochondria to make the change to fat metabolizing. Paleo eating for fat loss with 50 grams of carbs a day helps ween the body slowly into fat metabolizing. This can take just 30 to 40 days to alter the body enough to show a significant result. For high energy work you will still need carbs. You will still bonk without them.

Mark's Daily Apple has two recent ketogenic diet blog posts. He discuses his recent work on the subject related to his upcoming book on it after being keto for the last year. Many HF-LC eating system practitioners do not support drinking your food. For keto, Mark also supports not drinking your food. Our bodies were made to eat food. Drinking food doesn't allow it to work the way it is meant to work.

For anyone wanting to read up on athletic performance under a ketogenic system go to this link

 

[KNPV PSD]

Breakfast I do a dehydrated Keto coffee like Fat Fuel - Instant Keto Coffee with Grass Fed Butter Powder

Lunch will be pemmican or Products – Paleo Angel which are only 4 net carbs per 2 balls.
These are great as well No Bake Peanut Butter “Granola” Bars | Swerve Sweetener

Dinner is some home made keto version of chili or spaghetti with zucchini noodles that I dehydrate and then rehydrate.

Usually I am only in backcountry 2-3 days so it's not too hard to go like this but a longer trip would require some planning.

 

[ndbwhunter]

I've been following the primal blueprint for about a year now. I've had a few hiccups, but have stayed on track for the most part. It's amazing what one cheat meal will do you though. It's like a food hangover that's almost as bad as alcohol. I'm starting to get burnt out on the food that I'm eating. How can I change things up? Need some different veggie ideas and some other sources of good fat. My protein intake consists primarily of chick, steak and ground beef. What else could I throw in there? Turkey?

 

[KNPV PSD]

Elk and deer?

I am being serious but definitely add in fish especially halibut and salmon.


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[ndbwhunter]

Elk and deer?

I am being serious but definitely add in fish especially halibut and salmon.


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Most of the steak and ground meats come from deer/elk/moose. Unfortunately, I'm out of the last two right now. Any ideas on some different veggies to incorporate, or different methods of preparation?

 

[KNPV PSD]

Most of the steak and ground meats come from deer/elk/moose. Unfortunately, I'm out of the last two right now. Any ideas on some different veggies to incorporate, or different methods of preparation?

I just do roast vegetables and load them up with butter. And I usually have a big ass salad every single day. Not a lot of variety but I mostly use vegetables for filler.but obviously that's at home not in the back country


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[Ray]

Insta-pot pork shoulder carnitas out of Nom Nom Paleo. My issue with the insta-pot is that it's a pressure cooker and it really draws any moisture out of the meat which tends to dilute the spices. However, it does cook quickly and creates easy to use base materials. I always refry the carnita meat with additional spices.

I am tempted to get into pork belly more. Costco sells large bricks of the stuff or a whole side. The few times I had it in a hipster restaurant I didn't like the texture, but I have found some other ways to cook it by dicing and frying that make it more tasty. Cooking it as a block is just not appealing. Reminds me too much of eating fresh muktuk in the village.

As for vegetation, I don't have the "my food is boring" issue that most folks do. My one issue is that I get tired of being the primary cook in the family. Sheet pan baking with a wide variety of spices tends to be a lasting trend. Same stuff, but with different flavors each time. Bake a head of cauliflower soaked in curry/oil mix.

When I started LC-HF in 2012 I noted that even a year later I could really hurt myself with carbs. Two days of poor eating while out of town and it was very much like a hang over for two to three days later. I found that after about two years my insulin resistance started to finally improve enough that I could have a problem day and not be impacted for days afterward. I had regained some flexibility. I have found that good carbs like sweat potatoes are not brutal like rice is. Fixing your body takes time, keep it up.

 

[gauge]

I have been on the Keto Diet for the last 30-40 days.
Any ideas or comments would be great.

Poltax, plus 1 on the idea of not drinking your food. Eating whole foods, healthy fats, and quality protein is more of a lifestyle and way easier to sustain than a "diet". The keto drink seems too much like a Slim Fast diet to me. Just my opinion, obviously. Sure you will lose weight, but is that a lifestyle that you want to continue?

A Costco protein bar is not going to help your body stay in ketosis. Protein bars are typically moderate carb with sugar, low fat, and high protein. High protein can increase insulin secretion. Try an eggs and bacon breakfast. Snack on nuts, nut butter, jerky, tuna, or cheese.

As far as bonking out when you are truly in ketosis, I would take a serious look at what electrolytes you are getting. I struggle with this at times. When I feel "bonked" it doesn't have anything to do with blood sugar and glycogen levels but with my electrolytes being off. This is the only negative I have found with LCHF.
I do not agree that you need carbs for high activity. Crossfiters, cyclers, and even ultra runners are effectively preforming at a very high level in ketosis. If you are fat adapted your body does not need carbs for fuel. That is essentially the point of being keto.

 

[jorgensen.travis]

I've been on the keto diet for 1-1/2 years now. It's true that it takes a while for your body to start running efficiently on fat. You also need to break your addiction to glucose in the beginning, so there will be some withdraw. It's important to consciously eat a lot of fat. This is where most people go wrong. Since they want to loose weight, and they've been told their whole life that fat makes you fat, they usually end up not eating enough fat and being low on energy. There should be no lack of energy on a ketogenic diet. I don't believe the idea that short term energy comes from carbs. My son wrestled at a high level while on the diet with great success. I've also wrestled on it as well as ran up to 13 miles without loading up on carbs. In my opinion short term energy is mostly mental. As far as backcountry food, I bring the tuna that comes in bags, protein powder, nuts, almond butter, coconut oil, and coconut butter. I've found that I can almost substitute eating for coconut butter and protein powder. At least for a few days.


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