Vegetarian Hiking

Town is where you'll generally find the freshest and largest quantities of food. Do yourself a favor and never skimp on food. Otherwise you're inviting disaster. Just keep in mind how hard you are working your body and realize it's much happier when fed high-quality food, kind of like fueling your car with high-octane versus low-octane gasoline.

Some small towns offer little in the way of vegetarian fare. If you're on a long hike this is where mail drops, supplies boxed ahead of time and mailed to a post office care of general delivery, prove their worth. Otherwise your only options may be foods that are less than nutritious. A good way to avoid this situation is to call or write to the postmaster or chamber of commerce in the town that you intend to visit. Most likely someone in either office can inform you about the town's amenities. A medium-size or large chain grocery store will generally be adequate, unless you're on a vegan diet. If there isn't a full-service grocery store, or you are vegan, be prepared to send supplies there ahead of time.

Another consideration is small-town restaurants, especially ones located at the epicenter of ranching communities. For the most part, entries on their menus are either meat or meat-based. When ordering in a restaurant like this, ask your waitress if they have any vegetarian meals. If not, be courteous and ask if they can accommodate you. For instance, ask if you can order breakfast items like an omelette even though it's dinnertime. In most instances they'll gladly accommodate your requests provided you ask politely.

Recipes to Get You Started:

Red Sauce

3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
1-2 habanero peppers (optional)

Sauti onion, pepper, and garlic in minimal olive oil. Combine with other ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for at least 30 minutes with occasional stirring. Cool, then dehydrate (two cups per tray).

White Root's Fresh Green Sauce

2 ripened avocados
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1-2 hot peppers (optional)
4-8 oz. packaged pasta
Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta, adding the garlic, onion, and hot pepper a couple minutes before the pasta is done. Decant excess water and combine with mashed avocados. Mix thoroughly and enjoy.