Nut butter & jelly sandwiches (peanut, almond, cashew, all-fruit jelly) – the body digests the butters better than whole nuts
Canned or packaged fish or chicken. Good source of protein.
Protein powders. Make shakes, or make an ‘icing’ with honey and drizzle on granola
Jerky – good protein, though low on fat.
Fig Newtons – especially health food brand, have good fruit and fiber.
Rice and beans — a staple.
Use a quality Thermos to cook rice – 1:4 rice-water ratio. Add ½ cup rice & 2 cups boiling water to Thermos. Shake well. Let sit for 8-12 hours.
Honey or Agave nectar for carbs – excellent sweeteners, easily metabolized
Energy gels, drinks or bars – these are mostly sugar and often caffeine, so use sparingly, if at all
Quinoa is a grain that provides a complete protein. Excellent substitute for rice and tastes great.
Trader Joe’s — Go early or very late on a weekday and just browse. Indian food in boil-bags, sauces for rice, etc, lots of granola, dried fruits, nuts. You’ll want lots of snack foods.
Hard cheeses, such as romano, parmesan & asiago; salami & jerky; instant soups; cabbage; bag of oranges and/or apples. All keep well.
Applesauce & baby food — small containers are easy to grab at night
Mt. House meals, or similar — available online or at REI
Vacuum seal food and papers with a FoodSaver - $30 on eBay
Make up one- or two-meal packets of food — soups, rice mixes, etc, that have all the ingredients included and instructions on pkg. Tons of mix recipes are available online. Find soup mixes to use as bases.
Never take untested foods aboard — you might hate it. Bob Johnston likes Heater Meals (find them on Amazon.com). I bought similar (but VERY different) meals for Rob and they gave him a very unwelcome side effect. Lesson: ALWAYS try new foods before buying a bunch!
Watch the sodium on all prepared foods. Salt removes water from cells, causing weak muscles.
Bring plenty of treats, but make them treats not meals.