Mofo - Day 3 - Hiking Protein and Other Goodies

I spend a lot of time on the trails with my hiking buds. This weekend we took part in the Arizona Trail Centennial Adventure. The event runs from September 15 - October 31, 2011. The goal of the event is to have groups of people traverse the entire 800 miles of the Arizona Trail. We did our part by hiking 8 miles of the trail from just outside Tusayan, AZ to the South Kaibab Trailhead at the Grand Canyon. We added on an extra mile for the heck of it. It was a beautiful hike! Our fearless scout leader said she was happy that for once she could hike by the Canyon without it being a near death experience.

One very important element to having a successful hike is to make sure you have enough good quality fuel. How do you get your protein on the trail you might ask? Well, this weekend I had a few protein packed tricks up my sleeve. It is actually pretty simple to get your fill of protein on the trail. More and more excellent vegan packable snacks are becoming available. One of my go to protein snacks are Primal Strips Vegan Jerky. They have several different flavors to choose from. Some are more soy-ful than others. The varieties I packed this time were the Shiitake Mushroom Hot and Spicy (6 g of protein) and the Soy Hickory Smoked (10 g of protein). As you can see from the picture I was also sporting some Lara Bars. While these pack a higher percentage of carbs for quick energy, you can usually count on 4-6 grams of protein per bar. I threw together my own trail mix using Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts and cranberries. Each 1 oz serving of the nuts has 5 g of protein.

 

The hike was not nearly as strenuous as we usually do, so this was more than I could even eat at our lunch stop. The last mile it started to rain. But we scouts are not easily deterred from our post hike noshing and celebrating. 

The beer did not provide protein, but I did mix up a yummy lemon dill dip made from a leftover sauce from recipe testing that I had done earlier in the week. I added some dill and hot sauce to the existing soy based sauce and voila! Veggie dip! It is made with Mori-nu Silken Tofu. Silken tofu is great to use in dips, smoothies, mousse and other sweet treats. The tofu boasts 4 g of protein per 3 oz serving. So as you can see, even when you are on the trail, you will be able to get lots of protein!

After we left the trail and got back to our lovely rental house in Williams, we had a great al Fresco happy hour on the patio. Check out all of the tomato goodness. Nom nom nom!!!

Tomorrow we will take a more in depth look at our friend silken tofu. Check back tomorrow for a yummy party/potluck recipe!