vegan backpacking food

Spring break is next week and while most people are heading to the beaches, I'm spending the break hiking and camping on the Appalachian Trail! In preparation for the trip, I started doing some research on backpacking food for vegans and realized there are not a whole lot of resources out there for people who want to hike on a plant-based diet. So I'm going to show you all what I'm bringing for the trip, to give you some ideas if you too plan to go camping as a vegan!

The standard breakfast for backpackers, vegan or not, is oatmeal. I add some almond butter, chia seeds, and brown sugar for more flavor and nutrients. The unfrosted PopTarts are vegan, and although they aren't the healthiest thing you can eat, the extra calories are needed when you're hiking 10+ miles a day. Something hot to drink on chilly mornings is also nice to have, so I'm bringing tea!


Snacks are essential for a long hike- they give you the energy you need to keep going. I'm bringing an assortment of things because I don't want to get tired of eating the same trail mix every single day. I'm packing green pea crisps (they are lightweight and delicious!), crackers, lots of granola bars, and the classic "gorp".

I'm not including lunch in this post because someone else in our group is packing it for us, and it's so simple: just peanut butter and tortilla.


For dinner, I'm bringing lentils, rice, dried potatoes, dried tofu, packaged vegetables, and spices to give it all some flavor. I found the tofu and veggies at an asian grocery store, which is surprisingly a great place to find backpacking food! The lentils and rice cook in 5 minutes, and the potatoes simply need hot water- so this is a quick and easy meal to put together after a long day of hiking!


The extra things that I don't necessarily need, but like to have, are sour patch kids for a little boost during the day, hot chocolate for sitting around the fire, and chewing gum.

I won't be back on the blog for a week or so, but I will write all about my adventure after the trip is over!
Happy weekend!
xoJordan

veganism: a life of compassion

I made a lifestyle change and decided to go vegan almost 2 years ago. I never announced it on my blog or throughout social media because I didn't want people to judge me, label me a tree-hugging hippie, or assume I'm going to try to convert them to a vegan diet. I feel like there is such a stigma surrounding the idea of veganism. But the longer I am vegan, the more passionate about it I am becoming. I want to stand up for the rights of animals. I don't want to stay silent on what I believe in.

It is incredibly speciesist for humans to think that they are superior to all other animals. To think that killing another living creature is okay. To protect cats and dogs under laws but to torture pigs and cows. To have buildings specifically designed to kill. When did we become such a violent species?

When I see a burger, I no longer see a delicious meal. I see a tortured and murdered animal. They say you are what you eat, and if you're eating a creature that lived it's whole life in fear and anxiety, you will be consuming that negative energy. If you eat a healthy and bountiful diet of fruits and vegetables and grains that grew in the sunshine, the beauty of your food is going to shine through you.

I want to live a life of kindness and compassion towards all living creatures. I want to live a long and healthy life. I want to live a life of love.

I don't judge people who still chose to eat animal products. I want to educate people so they know the truth about the horrors of factory farms, and can make their own informed decision on what they eat. I truly believe that if everyone understood the horrible things going on industrial agriculture, no one would continue eating animal products.

If you are vegan too, yay! I'd love to know! And if you're considering going vegan but don't know where to start, feel free to email me! I'd love to help you out. And if you've never even thought about veganism, I urge you to do a little research and understand where your food is coming from. I have some resources listed below to get you started!

I want to start another series on my blog about veganism. Posts about anything from transitioning to a vegan diet, to meal ideas, to how to respond to criticism. Let me know what you would like to see a post about!

xoJordan

The documentary that made me want to go vegan

A speech that will make you question your ethics

A documentary explaining veganism from an environmental perspective (also on Netflix!)

A great website for delicious vegan recipes