Kayaking and food means not having to worry much about weight. Kayaks are essentially spacious floating coolers. Food lasts a long time. This allows much more variety than backpacking. I often take frozen meals from home for the first few days and fresh vegetables for use anytime during the trip (a large plastic box is useful for storing vegetables especially tomatoes, avocados, peppers, cilantro, green onions). Fishing gives a cheap, good source of food during the trip. Refer to dehydrating instructions.
Staples. Salt and pepper, oil, margarine (tube), jam (tube), spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, curry powder or paste), sugar, breading for fish (3/4c corn meal, 1tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp. cayenne. Prepare at home. When ready to use, separate into small bags so maximize use), bread.
Drinks. Tea, coffee (bodum), hot chocolate, coffee creamer, lemonade drink mix, wine in bladder, hard liquor, milk (will often last several days especially if not hot out. Buy whole fat milk), coffee creamer (International Delight).
Snacks. Granola bars, Lara bars, chocolate bars, mixed nuts, gorp, chocolate covered almonds, currants or raisons, biscotti, chocolate covered macaroons, datesm dried cranberries, Ritz crackers.
Appetizers. Popcorn (always a favorite): a good pot is necessary (I have a pot that I place on high heat, add a few kernels, when they pop, add the rest and wait till it is all popped, never burns), fondue, sushi.
MENU PLANS
Go to the HIKING page for information on all things to do with food: dehydrating and a much larger selection of recipes. Also this Kayak Food section has many recipes.
Breakfast
1. granola, cereal with fruit (bananas, berries), oatmeal
2. eggs anyway you like them.
3. pancakes (Prepared mix, syrup, margarine)
4. French toast, maple syrup, jam (eggs, bread, cinnamon, nutmeg, margarine, syrup)
5. breakfast burritos (tortillas, eggs, onion, garlic, fried potatoes)
Snacks. Refuel the engine along the way. Here are some snack combinations.
1. chocolate covered almonds and ripe nectarine
2. chocolate milk and banana
3. dates stuffed with cream cheese and pictachios
4. homemade jerky including salmon
5. hard aged cheeses
6. nut butter, honey and chopped dried apricots on an English muffin
7. wraps filled with anything
8. string cheese, fig bars and cashews
9. olive tapenade spread generously on pita bread
10. individual tapioca pudding and pine nuts
11. trail mix: dry your own apples and bananas (sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar), cashews, pecans, pistachios, almonds, candied ginger, dehydrated strawberries, dried mangoes, dark chocolate chips. Peanuts. Dried cherries. Snickers bars. Nuts. Carrot sticks.
12. dark chocolate covered pretzels
13. hard boiled eggs
Lunch
Cold Options
1. Hummus and vegys (carrot, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli)
2. Cream cheese and/or avocado on Wasa, crackers, Triscuits, bagels
3. Tuna sandwiches. Good whole grain bread, lettuce.
a. Traditional Tuna Salad: 1 can tuna, mayonnaise, diced celery, finely chopped onion, salt and pepper.
b. Thai Chili Tuna.
At home: combine two 5-oz cans tuna drained and 2 green onion finely diced and bag. In separate bag combine 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp tomato paste thinned with 3 tbsp water, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp agave nectar, pinch sea salt, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce.
At lunch: Mix the two bags. Serve with crackers, chips, pita bread, or wraps with sprouts, tomatoes and avocados.
c. Flavoured Tuna in single serving cans or pouches.
4. Egg salad sandwiches.
5. Ham sandwiches (cooked ham left over from dinner, bread, margarine, mayo, mustard, lettuce)
6. Dolmatis
7. Grilled cheese sandwiches. If time and you want to get the stove out, this can be a great way to revive that stale bread on day 10.
8. Bagel sandwich buffet: smoked salmon, sliced onion, tomatoes, sprouts, herbed goat cheese and multigrain bagels.
9. Cold pasta salad: use different types of pasta cooked al dente, udon noodles or soba noodles. Add favourite vegetables, olive or sesame oil, herbs and spices, cooked fish, fowl or ham, tortilla chips.
10. Sandwich from local deli on first day.
11. Wraps: a. flavoured tuna, shredded cabbage, lemon juice, yoghurt. b. feta, sun-dried tomatoes, veggies c. Jarlsberg cheese and pistachios.
12. Sardines, Swiss cheese, spicy mustard on multigrain crackers.
Hot Options. Buy a high quality, stainless steel, wide-mouthed thermos. Heat up food for lunch. Also buy a small mouth thermos for liquids like coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Preheat the thermos with a small amount of boiling water and let stand for a few minutes. In the winter or cold weather, make cosies for the thermoses.
1. Make a extra portion at dinner the night before. Reheat in morning.
2. Make prepared lunch meals at home by dehydrating whatever you choose. Add boiling water in the morning and have rehydrated, hot food at lunch.
3. Dehydrated soups. In bulk at food co-ops and health food stores and also many popular brands in grocery stores like Knorr. Sprinkle with parmesan, add fresh vegetables and have with bread.
4. Instant mashed potatoes. Add butter, fresh ground pepper, cubed meat, dehydrated vegetables, shredded cheese.
Dinner
1. Frozen food. Meatloaf, lasagna, soups (pumpkin, roasted red pepper, or any favorite).
2. Roasted chicken, baby potatoes boiled
3. Ham, baby potatoes boiled.
4. Salad. (lettuce, mixed greens, carrot, cucumber, sunflower seeds, croutons, apple, celery, dressing, goat cheese or feta). Could be part of any meal.
5. Hot pot frozen or dehydrated) Mashed potato (instant or fresh)
6. Chili, grated cheese, bread. (frozen or dehydrated). Or in a burrito with flavored rice, cheese, onion, sour cream.
7. Black bean quesadilas.
8. Fish tacos. Soak fish in buttermilk for 30 minutes, bread then fry. Tortillas, salsa fresca, guacamole, sour cream, cucumber thinly sliced, lettuce.
9. Meat tacos. As above but use dehydrated hamburger. Reheat and use Old El Paso taco seasoning.
10. Vegy tacos. As above but use refried beans (can improve by adding onion, cumin).
11. Pasta, prepared sauce (can improve by sautéing onion, celery, carrots d., garlic, fresh basil or other dried spice, dehydrated hamburger). Garnish with parmesan.
12. Sloppy Joes. (hamburger dehydrated, Old El Paso SJ sauce, tomato paste, bread or buns)
13. Vegetarian Pesto Lasagna
14. Cashew Curry. (saute onion, garlic, flaked coconut, powdered coconut milk, cashews, curry, dried apricot, rice)
15. Hamburger and Cheese Curry. (hamburger, onion, garlic, flavored rice, curry, cheddar cheese on top)
RECIPES Refer to the Dehydration and the extensive list of recipes in the Hiking page and Here in the Kayaking Food Section.