This post is for the Steel City Road Runners Club and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh City Marathon staff. Thanks the fun experiences, even if the average temp was -38°F.
It looks warm, but don’t be fooled
Why Do Three Cheap Ingredients = Very, Very Expensive Food
For as long as I have been interested in nutrition (since birth I swear) and been as hyperactive as I am (also since birth, ask anyone they will tell you) I have always had food ready to go. Whether it was my ten year old self building forts behind University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, my attempt to run away from home, or the many adventures taken with friends, I always had food planned out.
These are all my cousins, I am on the far right
With all this experience I have become pretty effective at making high energy, on-the-go snacks with little money. Trust me though, there was quite a bit of learning along the way. I remember a time just after graduating high school 3 friends and I took a 10-day road trip up the northeast coast to hike in New Hampshire and Maine.
Climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire
Lake in the mountain
Some of our hikes were 15 hours in length and at one point we were even chased by a moose, which I am sure we deserved. Do not try to pose with or near a moose for a photo, they do not appreciate it.
Moose do not like being photographed, they will chase you
But either way it was definitely a physically active trip. All said and done it cost us $165 per person. Of that $165 dollars per person, 65% of it was gas money, camping fees and other supplies made up another 8%, and the rest was food, leaving us $17.82 a day to feed all 4 of us.
WHAT!?!?!?!?
How did 4 high school aged boys live off $17.82 a day while hiking like the wannabe Vikings that we are? The answer is simple,…I believe that something similar happened in 1846 in The Sierra Nevada to a Donner Party.
We did get pretty hungry after a few hours of hiking
And then there were 3
Well ok, really it was because we used cheap calorie filled ingredients like dry oatmeal (eaten as is), cheese (we certainly did not have refrigeration), peanuts, M & M’s, raisins, the saltiest deer jerky ever made (thanks to Nevko and his Blazer), clams fresh from the ocean (I am still certain we inadvertently raided a clam farm or something), and cans of icing (again, thanks to Nevko).
I don’t think it should be this easy to get clams
Yes, that is a full garbage bag of clams. We ate nearly every clam, sand and all. Always wash your clams.
It was not pretty nor did it win any culinary awards, but we were not hungry and sure had a blast. Since then my culinary skills have improved. Thinking back on trips like this always makes me think about the marketing of products like granola.
Dried mango, sunflower seed, and craisin granola
Products like granola are high energy, low weight, low volume, nutrient dense, and calorie bombs. The possible flavor combinations are endless. Yet for some reason the price of store bought granola seems a bit high. Think about it. What is the primary ingredient in granola?
Answer: Oats.
How much do oats cost?
Answer: Next to nothing.
Why do we pay so much for something that is made of something so cheap?
I just paid $3.02 for 15 cups of dry old fashioned rolled oats. That is 4500 calories for $3.02. To beat that calorie to price ratio you would have to drink olive oil. Basic granola really only needs two more ingredients, sugar and eggs, both or which are inexpensive. For less than $5 dollars you can make 15 cups of granola providing you about 6400 calories. Not a diet food, but great for athletes. So I figured who better to share it with that the Steel City Road Runner Club. I have had such a great experience participating with the Steel City Road Runner Club and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh City Marathon team that I figured I should spread the love. I also included the Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal recipe.
Ingredients:
6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix oat with sugar until evenly distributed. Then add the eggs and mix until all the oats are wet. Spread the mixture onto a 13X18 baking trays, or whatever you have, just spread the mix about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes or until the oats begin to brown. You do not want them to be hard and crunchy at this point. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. As the oats cool they will become crunchier. If they are still not crunchy enough bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal
Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats, instant are fine
1 cup water
1/4 tsp ginger and cinnamon
dash of nutmeg and salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin, and fresh baked and mashed pumpkin
*feel free to play around with the spices, it is only oatmeal so if you mess it up start again
Instructions:
Add water to a small pot and bring to a boil. When boiling add in all ingredients and stir until ingredients are evenly mixed and distributed. Simmer for about 3 minutes or until the oatmeal is at the desired consistency. Stir often.
If cooking in a microwave put water and oats in microwave safe bowl and cook on high (power level 10) for two minutes. Then add in the rest of the ingredients. The reason that we add the spices, sugar, and pumpkin after cooking in the microwave is because you can’t stir while it is being cooked. Also, it is easier to stir the pumpkin into a hot liquid rather than a cold liquid.
Once again, thanks to the Steel City Road Runners Club and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh City Marathon staff.
That pumpkin oatmeal was AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.m
when will you tell the readers about the virtues of TVP and hiking in the Enchantments? Watch out for goats!