Why Overthinking Nutrition for Outdoor Adventures Is Unnecessary — and Potentially Dangerous
By Nathan Fa’avae
When it comes to outdoor adventures and expeditions, there’s a growing trend that’s hard to ignore: the obsession with counting calories, grams of protein, fibre content, and the precise nutritional breakdown of every food item. On the surface, it makes sense. After all, when you’re out in the wilderness, you’re burning more energy, so it seems only logical to try and match your intake to those needs. But in reality, this approach to planning food for outdoor activities misses the mark. In fact, not only is it unnecessary, but it can also be counterproductive, and may even compromise safety.
The Myth of Nutritional Precision
There’s a prevailing idea that in order to survive and thrive on an adventure, you need to meticulously track your macronutrients—protein, fats, and carbs—along with vitamins, minerals, and fibre content. While these are all important elements of a healthy diet in everyday life, the idea that every gram matters when you’re in the wilderness is misguided.
Humans have survived for millennia without access to food scales, calculators, or nutritional apps. Our ancestors didn’t rely on nutritional panels to make sure they were hitting the right balance of protein and fibre. They used their knowledge of the environment, their intuition, and their ability to adapt. They ate what they could find, when they could find it, and they did just fine. In fact, they thrived.
The reality is that our bodies are more than capable of managing nutrition on the fly. Nature has provided us with a vast array of food sources, and human adaptability is key to making the most of them. If you’re spending too much time calculating exact nutritional values, you’re missing out on the bigger picture of a successful adventure—being present in the moment, enjoying natural and tasty food, and enjoying the experience.
The Safety Risk of Over-Planning
The real concern with the modern obsession with counting every calorie and macronutrient is that it creates an unhealthy focus on precision, potentially diverting your attention from more critical aspects of outdoor safety. Wilderness travel is unpredictable. Delays can happen. You might get stuck in a storm, miss a track junction, have to wait for a flooded river to drop, or face an injury that slows your group down.
In these situations, having extra food is not just a luxury, it’s a safety necessity. Food is fuel, but it’s also a form of security. If you’re so concerned with your nutritional breakdown that you leave little room for error—leaving behind extra rations to meet an exact target—you’re setting yourself up for a potential problem down the road. Extra food isn’t just about being well-fed; it’s about resilience. Having that buffer gives you the peace of mind that, no matter what goes wrong, you’ll have enough to sustain yourself.
Imagine relying on a meal plan that accounts for exactly 2,500 calories, with every nutrient pegged to perfection. But what if an unexpected delay means you need to stretch those rations for an extra day? Suddenly, your meticulously planned meals aren’t enough to see you through, and you’re in a vulnerable position. The lesson here is simple: carry more than you think you need. It’s not about perfection, it’s about being prepared for the unexpected.
A Return to Simplicity
Adventure and wilderness travel should be about more than obsessing over the minutiae of every meal. It’s about embracing the challenges and uncertainties that come with being outside. It’s about making do with what you have, relying on your resourcefulness and your ability to make decisions in real-time. Planning food with a focus on “perfect nutrition” might seem like the responsible thing to do, but in truth, it can tie you up in knots and distract you from more important matters like route finding, team dynamics, and overall safety.
A simple, practical approach works just as well—if not better. At Real Meals, our focus on high-quality, calorie-dense foods that you will enjoy eating, that are easy to carry, and that don’t require hours of planning or precise measurements. You don’t need to obsess over fibre content or grams of protein; just make sure you’re packing enough food to fuel your body and sustain you in case of unexpected delays. Choose a variety of snacks and meals that give you options in different situations. Your body will take care of the rest.
Trust Your Intuition
What often gets lost in all the noise about nutrition is the simple fact that human beings are incredibly adaptable. We’ve been living off the land for centuries—whether it’s hunting, gathering, or simply improvising when our planned meals run out. We’ve learned how to recognise when we’re hungry, when we’re tired, when we need a bit more energy, and when we can power through. The obsession with perfect meals and calorie counts doesn’t make us smarter or more capable; it distances us from the very intuition that has helped humans survive and thrive for millennia.
As an athlete and adventurer, I’ve never had the luxury of focusing too much on precise food tracking. Instead, I’ve learned to rely on a broad, sensible approach: carry enough food, choose a variety of options, and use my judgment in the moment. That’s what adventure is about—being resourceful and resilient, not being bogged down by the minutiae.
Lessons from Adventure Racing
As a professional adventure racer, it wasn’t uncommon for me to race for 5–7 days, covering distances between 500 and 1000 km, with only 1–2 hours of rest per day. Early in my career, we tried to calculate how many calories we’d burn each day during a race, but we quickly realised that it was nearly impossible to plan accurately. The numbers fluctuated so much based on various factors. On average, we burned anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 calories per day.
The length and difficulty of each stage played a big role in calorie expenditure. Some stages were flat, while others were mountainous, and the terrain alone could shift the numbers. Higher altitudes also increased calorie burn. To complicate matters further, each team member had a different body weight and metabolism, meaning one formula didn’t fit everyone. Some of us needed more food at certain times or on certain days, while others needed less. Weather extremes—both heat and cold—also had a significant impact, further increasing calorie burn.
One other trend we noticed was that, as the race wore on, we tended to eat less because the pace slowed. So, predicting the exact calories needed for a multi-day race became almost impossible.
I came to the conclusion that the same unpredictability applies to other activities, like tramping (backpacking). You can’t always predict exactly how many calories you’ll need, but there is a simple solution: freeze-dried meals. They’re lightweight, calorie-dense, and easy to carry. Plus, there’s no reason not to pack a few extra meals just in case.
Personally, I calculate how many meals I need for the trip—breakfasts, snacks, dinners, and desserts—and then add a few extra for peace of mind. If I get hungry, I know I have the spare meals. If there’s a delay or unexpected situation, I’ll have enough food to stay comfortable and well-nourished.
Conclusion: Keep It Simple
In the end, the key to successful wilderness travel isn’t about calculating every nutrient. It’s about preparation, adaptability, and the confidence to trust yourself in the wild. So, rather than stressing over exact nutrient breakdowns and meticulously counting grams of protein or fibre, focus on a sensible, well-rounded diet and carry extra food for the unexpected. Let go of the numbers and focus on being ready for anything the outdoors can throw at you. That’s how we’ve survived for thousands of years—and that’s how we’ll continue to thrive in the future.
After all, nature isn’t concerned with your macronutrient ratios—it’s concerned with whether or not you’re prepared.
