Eating properly when you’re trekking at high altitude is not just a question of keeping yourself full – food is the fuel, the rocket fuel which is going to keep your body going, help fend off fatigue, and help avoid altitude sickness. Whether it’s the Annapurna Base Camp Trek or not, a well-maintained diet is equally important as a smart pair of hiking boots. No matter how far away from the world the trek may venture, the teahouses and lodges upon which you depend along its way all offer an interestingly diverse and healthy menu, with fairies ranging enough that a hungry trekker’s appetite, no matter its voracity, will be more than sated! From most-loved food picks to food safety worries, this guide will cover all you could ever want to know about eating your way through the ABC Trek.
Renowned traditional foods of Nepal
It is a popular trekker’s chant in Nepal: “Dal Bhat power, 24-hour!”, and it’s a plea that you won’t struggle to pick up. Dal bhat, the usual lunch and supper for any Nepal i, is a mountain of steamed rice (bhat) surrounded or topped with lentil soup (dal) and vegetable curry (tarkari) plus a small scoop of a hot pickle (achar — radish, tomato, whole chili, whatever), and garlicky, pungent fermented greens — the ideal balance of starch + protein + vegetable. No wonder, it’s the best-loved dish on the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek. One, it’s a satisfying and balanced meal of the carbohydrates required to go the miles, and the protein from the lentils to recover. And second, it can become something of a source of teahouse owner pride, offering you literally endless refills of rice, dal, and veggies, and therefore the best bargain and the most filling. And as a bonus, it’s freshly cooked and very hot, a cunning way to keep warm and protect one’s from food-borne illness.
Breakfast: Fueling the Day’s Trek
ACAP ABC Trek The morning dawns early on the Annapurna Base Camp Hike, andit’ss true you need a good breakfast to take into your steps for the long day. There is food and drink available on the menus at the teahouses. Porridge or oatmeal is also popular because they are filling and warming and provides a slow energy release. There is also Tibetan bread (a deep-fried,d den, flat bread) which is fantastic when eaten with honey, jam, or peanut butter. Whatever you decide, this one is a meal not to skip, even if you are not especially hungry at altitude.
Avoiding Meat and Uncooked Foods
Whilst you’ll find meat (usually chicken curry and momos) on teahouse menus, most trekkers go vegetarian for the length of the Trek Annapurna Base Camp. The farther along you go, the more convoluted your supply chain is, and it’s not unusual to have meat left out, not refrigerated enough.” They have to be carried by porters or yaks for days over the mountain, and if you eat meat that has not been refrigerated, you will have some stomach problems that might end your entire trek for that season anyway. If you don’t cook the food, don’t eat it.
Soups: The Trekkers’ Best Friend
In the drafty chill of a winter night, nothing warms or hydrates you better than a steaming bowl of soup. There are armust-tryry soups in planning the ABC Trek, but I really recommend that you have garlic soup. Garlic is thought to be beneficial for acclimatization, being a conventional treatment to keep away from altitude illness. Different alternatives like vegetable soup, tomato soup, and mushroom soup additionally make for proper options for rehydration and offering a number of those a good deal-needed nutrients. The proper soup can be a beneficial addition to a healthful trekking diet and is a nice change-up from the traditional camp diet.
Hydration is Key
The notion of remaining well-hydrated on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek is definitely connected to food. The arid air at high altitude might make your body lose moisture more rapidly, a situation that can be compounded by activity. While you have food on your mind, be sure to drink 3-4 liters of water a d, ay too! Hot beverages are particularly beneficial. The menu has the regular ginger tea, honey lemon tea, and hot chocolate. They maintain your heat, they soothe you, and they’re additionally a clear and suitable way to stay hydrated.
Balance your nutrition
Whilst the meals in the teahouses are good, deliver your own snacks to supplement your food. 2) On a traumatic day, trek, you may get hungry every 1 hour, so light and effortlessly transportable snacks, along with strength bars, nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate bars, are best! Those can be even more accessible for slogging up a tough climb. So, too, ought to electrolyte powders or packets. But your body desires salt and minerals to assist in replacing the salts and minerals you lose in sweat, and may reduce your risk of cramping and fatigue. Simply consider: the snacks are clearly high-priced with altitude, so stock up in Pokhara or Kathmandu to be secure.
Aware Eating and the Local Menu
While the menu at teahouses may have a handful of Western-style eats like pasta, pizza, and, yes, spaghetti, you’re better off giving the local grub a whirl. The food, too, is better and more authentic, and, in terms of ingredients, is sourced from villages nearby. Not only will the produce most likely be super freshbut you’ll also help your local economy. The higher up the trail you get, the more expensive food and water become because of how much work porters are doing to get supplies up to places so remote. With that in the back of your mind, food becomes more and more appreciated as it comes out on the trail.
Special Dietary Needs
If you have dietary requirements gluten-free, etc.), the teahouses can usually work around them – you do need to be sure to let them know. The ubiquitous dal bhat, meanwhile, is in the vast majority of cases gluten-free, and can be made vegan if you forgo the ghee. This can be cooked your way with the majority of the veg and potato preparations! It’d get a little more iffy at higher altitudes, although, so you might also not forget bringing some of your own non-perishable foodstuffs, just to be secure.
Final Conclusion
What to consume at the same time as ABC Trekking. Eating properly at Annapurna Base Camp is a crucial part of your education and a key to the achievement of your journey. What works on the trail is part metaphorical and part metaphorical: going, not going, and loaded — with a simple, healthy run-down on aerogenic snacking. With the strength of dal bhat, and hydration to boot, you’ll be filling up with all the right fuel and the nutrients you need to bring on the dramatic views of the Annapurna Sanctuary. The food is not just sustenance; it is an adventure journey all of its own.
