During my recent trip to France, my hiking partner and I visited Calanques National Park on the Mediterranean. Many people visit Cassis, an old fishing village turned tourist spot near the calanques. From Cassis, you can walk through the town and adjacent neighborhoods to reach several gorgeous coves in the park. The beaches are accessed by descending a very steep trail from the top of the limestone cliffs to the bottom. The further to get from Cassis, the steeper the descent.
We went to Calanque d’En-Vau, a cove about 4 miles from Cassis. It was a challenging hike, but 100% worth it for the beach. We got there around lunch time and settled in to eat our baguette sandwiches, one a twist on a Banh mi, one a ham and cheese, which we had bought that morning (as most French people do). Not long after, a big group of people started arriving and setting themselves up next to us. It was a biking club, and they were all in their 50s and 60s. They had clearly biked a long distance to get to the beach. While we enjoyed our sandwiches, they spread themselves out for a picnic.
Out of their bags came containers of homemade salads, cutting boards for sticks of salami, paper-wrapped cheeses, whole baguettes, an assortment of stone fruits, and of course, Rosé.
In general, my observations about food in France are what you would expect: they eat real food, and they eat for enjoyment. There is very little processed food, almost no fried food (other than French fries!), and they shop daily for fresh produce, bread, and meats. Comme c’est merveilleux!
While I aspire to eat like this, I’m a person who defaults to convenience when I’m hiking. Usually I’m bringing a bar in a package and a bunch of other pre-packaged snacks. If I do pack a sandwich, it’s likely a pb&j on grocery store bread. The packaged foods I bring are on the healthier side, as packaged things go, but they’re still processed.
This experience on the beach made me think about food for fuel versus for enjoyment. Clearly, this group of French bikers had figured out both. And, not surprisingly, they all appeared to be very healthy.
Last week, I started preparing food for my thru hike. I bought a dehydrator and have been testing out recipes for cold soaking on the trail. Cold soaking isn’t my favorite, but I don’t want to carry fuel and a stove. I have five recipes I feel optimistic about. That means for 90 days I’ll be eating the same five meals. Sure, I’ll supplement with hot food when I go through a town, but for the most part, I’m sticking with these meals. And I chose these five meals not based on deliciousness, but based on nutrition content. My goal is over 800 calories per meal and 30 grams of protein. To achieve this, I’m using grains, legumes, and freeze-dried meat. I’m limiting how many veggies I add because they don’t bring much to the table in terms of calories and they take up valuable space. I’m also limiting spices like garlic and onion because these don’t always agree with me. I think I’ll be hungry enough that the taste won’t matter too much. Heather Anderson, who holds several FKTs, is known for eating rehydrated refried beans squeezed out of a plastic baggie directly into her mouth. Sounds gross, but hey, she hiked the AT in 54 days.
Overall, my takeaway from my visit to France is that food should be for fuel AND enjoyment, and those things should not be mutually exclusive. We all know that fresh, whole food is better for us than processed food. To eat like that in the United States takes some effort because we’re working against a food system that wants us to opt for convenience. In my daily like, I’m putting thought into my food choices and trying to be just a little more, well, French.
On the trail, though, I will opt for convenience. It could be worse. I could be planning to live on ramen and Knorr sides and Pop Tarts (all classic thru hiker foods). My dehydrated meals will certainly be healthier, but I may miss out on the enjoyment of dinner for a few months. That said, when I do pass through a town with food options, it will probably seem like the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. And maybe, just maybe, my enjoyment will come from the nourishment of food, like Heather’s squeeze beans.
These are the recipes I’m trialing for cold soaking:
Lentil and Beef Marinara with Pasta
Pad Thai with Chicken and Edamame
Southwest Quinoa, Black Beans, and Beef
Ancient Grains Salad with Lentils and Chicken
Basmati Rice with Curried Sweet Potato and Lentils
