Alternative to Bread

Paul Saunders said:

Has anyone ever thought about taking rice cakes backpacking instead of
bread?

No 🙂

Quoted message said:

heavy and bulky for me now, especially with my 42L rucksack. So I tried
taking some rice cakes instead, very compact and light as a feather, and I

Compact!?

Quoted message said:

Bugger all calories though...

They must one of the foods with the lowest calorie-per-cubic-meter
ratio...
How about oat cakes, they should be quite dehydrated and have a good
nutrition per gram and volume ratio.

I have to take my first No back - the first couple of times we were
walking between huts in Norway me and my brother & sister used to carry
big bags of puffed wheat for our breakfasts. Good way to make a 10 yo
think they are carrying a big pack without actually adding much weight 🙂

Roos

Paul Saunders said:

On my last few trips I've been very fussy about cutting down on weight. I
often used to take half a small loaf of bread with me, but even that's too
heavy and bulky for me now, especially with my 42L rucksack. So I tried
taking some rice cakes instead, very compact and light as a feather, and I
do find them to be a pleasant addition to soups - adding a nice flavour and
doing well at soaking up the liquid.

Bugger all calories though...

But of course the "bugger all calories" means that the effective weight
and bulk is still probably greater than you want :-(

To cut the bulk factor of bread we often take pittas, which have the
double of advantage of not only not taking up much room but not minding
too much if they get squeezes between other things. It's a bit easier
to usefully thin out a packet of pittas than a loaf of bread too, and
they take stiff spreads with rather fewer structural integrity issues
than normal bread.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Paul Saunders said:

Has anyone ever thought about taking rice cakes backpacking instead of
bread?

On my last few trips I've been very fussy about cutting down on weight. I
often used to take half a small loaf of bread with me, but even that's too
heavy and bulky for me now, especially with my 42L rucksack. So I tried
taking some rice cakes instead, very compact and light as a feather, and I
do find them to be a pleasant addition to soups - adding a nice flavour and
doing well at soaking up the liquid.

Bugger all calories though...

If you like those light, crispy things then it's worth taking a look
at the new Ryvitas - there are some very yummy ones with pumpkin seeds
and things. A nice thing to do with Ryvita for walking is to sandwich
some cheese, or even cheese spread, between two Ryvitas. They weigh
very little and take up very little space. Mmmm :-)

Wet fishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Peewiglet said:

If you like those light, crispy things then it's worth taking a look
at the new Ryvitas - there are some very yummy ones with pumpkin seeds
and things.

Thanks for the heads up. Just nipped over to Tesco and bought some, haven't
tried them yet.

Quoted message said:

A nice thing to do with Ryvita for walking is to sandwich
some cheese, or even cheese spread, between two Ryvitas.

Actually I stopped eating cheese some time back, part of my new healthy
eating practice. However, since you mentioned it I was tempted and picked
up some stilton. A little bit won't hurt, will it?

Quoted message said:

They weigh
very little and take up very little space. Mmmm :-)

Cheese is hardly lightweight though, but a very high calorie to weight
ratio...

Paul

Roos Eisma said:

Quoted message said:

So I
tried taking some rice cakes instead, very compact and light as a
feather, and I

Compact!?

Well I'm not suggesting taking an entire packet! (130g) More like a quarter
of a packet. I don't drink that much soup!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Bugger all calories though...

They must one of the foods with the lowest calorie-per-cubic-meter
ratio...

Which is actually a good thing for me at the moment...

Quoted message said:

How about oat cakes, they should be quite dehydrated and have a good
nutrition per gram and volume ratio.

Yes, I take those too. Not so good for mixing with soup though. The rice
cakes really absorb the liquid and fluff up a lot, which is why I mentioned
them.

Quoted message said:

I have to take my first No back - the first couple of times we were
walking between huts in Norway me and my brother & sister used to
carry big bags of puffed wheat for our breakfasts. Good way to make a
10 yo think they are carrying a big pack without actually adding much
weight 🙂

Good idea!

Paul

Small crackers/water biscuits packed into an old Pringles container to keep
'em fresh and in one piece

At least you can still eat them if they go stale, unlike bread

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone ever thought about taking rice cakes backpacking instead of
bread?

On my last few trips I've been very fussy about cutting down on weight. I
often used to take half a small loaf of bread with me, but even that's too
heavy and bulky for me now, especially with my 42L rucksack. So I tried
taking some rice cakes instead, very compact and light as a feather, and I
do find them to be a pleasant addition to soups - adding a nice flavour

and

Quoted message said:

doing well at soaking up the liquid.

Bugger all calories though...

Paul

Peter Clinch said:

But of course the "bugger all calories" means that the effective
weight and bulk is still probably greater than you want :-(

Maybe, but like I just said, I'm trying to cut down on calories right now.
:-)

Quoted message said:

To cut the bulk factor of bread we often take pittas, which have the
double of advantage of not only not taking up much room but not
minding too much if they get squeezes between other things.

Good idea, just stocked up on some of those too.

Quoted message said:

It's a
bit easier to usefully thin out a packet of pittas than a loaf of
bread too,

But how does it work in soup?

Quoted message said:

and they take stiff spreads with rather fewer structural
integrity issues than normal bread.

Stiff spreads?

Speaking of spreads, what sort of things would you recommend for backpacking
(avoiding sugar), and perhaps more importantly, what sort of containers do
you put them in? Any suitable containers available for a small amount of
olive oil for example? Obviously glass is out.

Paul

Bryan Hall said:

Small crackers/water biscuits packed into an old Pringles container
to keep 'em fresh and in one piece

I can't even think of what a Pringles container looks like, never tried
them.

Paul

Paul Saunders said:

Peewiglet said:

If you like those light, crispy things then it's worth taking a look
at the new Ryvitas - there are some very yummy ones with pumpkin seeds
and things.

Thanks for the heads up. Just nipped over to Tesco and bought some, haven't
tried them yet.

V. nice, I think! I hope you enjoy them 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A nice thing to do with Ryvita for walking is to sandwich
some cheese, or even cheese spread, between two Ryvitas.

Actually I stopped eating cheese some time back, part of my new healthy
eating practice. However, since you mentioned it I was tempted and picked
up some stilton. A little bit won't hurt, will it?

Course not! A little bit must be good for you 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They weigh
very little and take up very little space. Mmmm :-)

Cheese is hardly lightweight though, but a very high calorie to weight
ratio...

Quite right.

Seriously, though, I think it must be quite a good thing for walking:
the new Ryvitas have all those healthy low GI seeds and things, and
the cheese is packed full of fat and calories for warmth and energy.
Yum! 🙂

Wet fishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 20:29:18 -0000, "Paul Saunders"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Speaking of spreads, what sort of things would you recommend for backpacking
(avoiding sugar),

I'm no sort of expert at this sort of thing, but I do love food 🙂 Do
you like fish? I know you said you're not eating (much) cheese at the
moment, but if you like fish then you can very easily make smoked
mackerel (or salmon) pate: just buy a low fat version of cream cheese
and whizz it up (either mechanically or by hand) with some scrummy
smoked mackerel (or other oily fish of your choice). Add a bit of
freshly ground black pepper and/or a squeeze of lemon for extra yummy
taste.

If you don't like fish but do eat meat, you could do something very
similar with (for instance) chicken livers. Mmmm :-)

Quoted message said:

and perhaps more importantly, what sort of containers do
you put them in? Any suitable containers available for a small amount of
olive oil for example? Obviously glass is out.

Some shops carry small plastic containers. If you just want a little
bit of olive oil, though, you could make use of some of those film
cannisters that you must surely have lying around at your place:
they're great for carrying small quantities of foody things. If
anxious about the lid, just tape it on with a bit of sticking plaster
🙂

Wet fishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Peewiglet said:

Quoted message said:

Just nipped over to Tesco and bought some,
haven't tried them yet.

V. nice, I think! I hope you enjoy them 🙂

Oh yes, luvverly! I've always been a fan of Tesco's Sesame & Poppy Thins
(crackers).

I'm pasting them with Roasted Red Pepper Houmous, ever tried that? Tesco do
an excellent variety of different houmous flavours, including sun-dried
tomato which is probably my favourite.

Quoted message said:

Course not! A little bit must be good for you 🙂

Moderation rules!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cheese is hardly lightweight though, but a very high calorie to
weight ratio...

Quite right.

Seriously, though, I think it must be quite a good thing for walking:
the new Ryvitas have all those healthy low GI seeds and things, and
the cheese is packed full of fat and calories for warmth and energy.
Yum! 🙂

Probably, except that I need to cut the calories a tad at the moment. Oddly
enough, I never seem to get very hungry on camping trips these days,
compared to my earlier "ravenous" years. In fact, I tend to eat a lot less
whilst camping than I do at home, I wonder why? I just don't seem to get
very hungry in the outdoors these days, whereas at home I feel a regular
urge to "snack".

Paul

Peewiglet said:

I'm no sort of expert at this sort of thing, but I do love food 🙂

Same here. The fascinating thing was that making the transition to healthy
food didn't mean having to live off rabbit food, there's actually a lot of
really nice tasting stuff out there. Healthy eating isn't just about giving
up things, it's about discovering loads of new cool taste sensations.

Quoted message said:

Do you like fish?

Luvvit!

Quoted message said:

I know you said you're not eating (much) cheese at the
moment,

Well none actually, totally gave up on it for most of the past year, until
tonight's stilton.

Quoted message said:

but if you like fish then you can very easily make smoked
mackerel (or salmon) pate: just buy a low fat version of cream cheese

That's quite nice.

Quoted message said:

and whizz it up (either mechanically or by hand) with some scrummy
smoked mackerel (or other oily fish of your choice). Add a bit of
freshly ground black pepper and/or a squeeze of lemon for extra yummy
taste.

Hmm... Interesting. Not sure I've ever noticed mackerel pate.

Funny you should mention that actually, since I just bought some "Tuna
Crunch", which is a spread that consists of Tuna, mayonnaise, green pepper,
red pepper, anchovy paste, modified maize starch and cracked black pepper.

Quoted message said:

If you don't like fish but do eat meat, you could do something very
similar with (for instance) chicken livers. Mmmm :-)

I love meat, but I've been avoiding red meat for some time now. I
identified it as a primary cause of fatigue (I was eating way too much of
it - a legacy of the Atkins diet philosphy).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and perhaps more importantly, what sort of containers do
you put them in? Any suitable containers available for a small
amount of olive oil for example? Obviously glass is out.

Some shops carry small plastic containers.

Which shops? Tesco don't seem to do small containers.

Quoted message said:

If you just want a little
bit of olive oil, though, you could make use of some of those film
cannisters that you must surely have lying around at your place:

Yeah, only a few million of them...

Quoted message said:

they're great for carrying small quantities of foody things. If
anxious about the lid, just tape it on with a bit of sticking plaster

Hmm... Not sure about that.

Paul

Wraps Wraps and More Wraps. We take the Tortilla wrap type things.

They'll take all sorts of a battering... you can get tomato flavour....

For a filling try peporami / primula cheese / salami / chorizo
for desert add honey and chopped apple.....

Any left over can be used with your tea of, for instance pasta, to wipe
& soak it all up.

Very versatile... though sick of them by the end of a weekend of wild
camping.

Sadly enough... there's a picture here modeled by one of our team....
http://www.thehelmets.co.uk/Summer%20Expo%202004%20Scafell%20Pike%20from%20Dungeon%20Ghyll%2017%20July%202004/target32.html

Paul Saunders said:

Maybe, but like I just said, I'm trying to cut down on calories right now.
:-)

Know how you feel. I've had a long term project to get back to how
heavy I was when I was 21, and this very morning my weigh in was 70 Kg
so I'm pretty much there! Hurrah! (Best carry on to give me a
Christmas cushion...)

But I don't generally try and cut back when I'm on the hill, as having
energy on tap is something I very much want.

[pitta]

Quoted message said:

But how does it work in soup?

Pretty well. Not /as/ well as "normal" bread, but I often use it to mop
up soup, runny sauces etc.

Quoted message said:

Stiff spreads?

Deliberately generic term. I was originally thinking of butter in low
temperatures, but other things may qualify, like very coarse pate, beef
dripping, whatever takes your fancy.

Quoted message said:

Speaking of spreads, what sort of things would you recommend for backpacking
(avoiding sugar), and perhaps more importantly, what sort of containers do
you put them in? Any suitable containers available for a small amount of
olive oil for example? Obviously glass is out.

For wee doses of oil or the like we use small nalgene bottles, which are
pretty much bombproof and will take boiling and freezing. They also
have wide necks so you can put in pastes and powders too. We got ours
c/o a lab clearout at work, but multipacks of small sizes are available
from outdoor stores IIRC.

For bread, I like butter. Mainly because it's /nice/, but there's lots
of energy in it too being basically fat. Peanut butter doesn't really
float my boat, but nutritionally it's good. For savoury I like various
pates and they're a good concentrated energy source, malleable, and
taste good.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

The message <[email hidden]>
from Peter Clinch <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Know how you feel. I've had a long term project to get back to how
heavy I was when I was 21, and this very morning my weigh in was 70 Kg
so I'm pretty much there! Hurrah! (Best carry on to give me a
Christmas cushion...)

Lucky you. I was only about 10 and a half stone (147lb/67Kg) at 21 but I
can't get anywhere near that now. Indeed I haven't been anywhere near it
since I gave up smoking circa 1970. In recent years my weight has
fluctuated between 161 and 175lbs. (Currently 165lbs).

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 62 summits
New - 28 (Marilyns 14, Nuttalls 5, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 34 (Marilyns 16, Nuttalls 24, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

Oatcakes

Richard Webb

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 01:04:44 -0000
in <news:[email hidden]>
Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> wrote :

<->

Quoted message said:

Which shops? Tesco don't seem to do small containers.

Superdrug do (or did, when I got some) empty, small
almost-indestructibubble containers for toiletries and cosmetics; some
even have a little 'drip'-type insert. Drizzle that olive oil ...

--
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

Paul Saunders said:

Any suitable containers available for a small amount of
olive oil for example?

Depends how much you want but what about the dropper bottles of
shaving oil that are available now? The one (brand) I use is a clear
bottle (from Wilkos) which would help I 'spose. Dunno, I don't take
olive oil with me... mind you I _do_ take the shaving oil... mebbes I
could do a double with the contents ;-)

In article <[email hidden]>,
SteveO@?.?.invalid writes

Quoted message said:

Paul Saunders said:

Any suitable containers available for a small amount of
olive oil for example?

Depends how much you want but what about the dropper bottles of
shaving oil that are available now? The one (brand) I use is a clear
bottle (from Wilkos) which would help I 'spose. Dunno, I don't take
olive oil with me... mind you I _do_ take the shaving oil... mebbes I
could do a double with the contents ;-)

Who can afford Olive Oil anyway - Flora is brilliant and healthy :-)
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk