Cooking with fire is as primal as food gets鈥攊t鈥檚 a foundational facet of our humanity. Evidence suggests that humans were only able to evolve our big, energy-hungry brains after we learned to use fire to transform food, making it more nutritious and easier to eat. Diverse methods developed around the world over many millennia offer myriad options for imparting the irresistible flavor of fire, and mastering these methods will make you a much better cook.

We鈥檙e all familiar with grilling, where everything sits above the heat and receives a similar char. This meal uses an open flame to cook three different components, and each one has a completely different character. It will open your eyes to the many possibilities around live-fire cooking, whether you鈥檙e in the backyard or the backwoods. Fire constantly changes, needing to be fed and adjusted, and as a result you need to reposition the food, moving it to hotter or cooler areas, or turning it so it cooks evenly. It鈥檚 an immersive and engaging (and extremely analog) process鈥攁nd an excellent antidote for too much screen time.

A few years ago, a chef friend turned me onto the metal tripod as an essential accessory for the firepit in my garden: three metal legs and a chain with a hook to hold the handle of a pot, like a Dutch oven, witch鈥檚 cauldron鈥搒tyle. It鈥檚 inexpensive, portable, adjustable, and perfect for making a slow-cooked stew on a campfire. It also produces the best chicken you鈥檝e ever tasted: the perfect balance of grilled, roasted, and smoked flavors. This is not a quick method鈥攐ptimal results generally take about three hours. But it鈥檚 worth the time investment, and you don鈥檛 have to watch it like a hawk. You can prep other ingredients, gather firewood, take a dip, or just hang out around the fire and savor the aromas.

Build Your Fire Setup

You can do this over a traditional campfire or a circular metal firepit that sits on the ground鈥攁nywhere you鈥檙e able to safely build a fire and set up the tripod. Don鈥檛 put a tripod on top of a kettle-style grill or anything that鈥檚 already on legs. Ideally, you also have a grill you can set up over part or all of the fire, because you can use that surface as both stove and grill for other parts of the meal. If you don鈥檛, you can put your skillet directly on some embers for the mushrooms and greens.

Set up your tripod. Light a charcoal or hardwood fire that鈥檚 just off to one side of the tripod, so that the chain isn鈥檛 hanging down into the fire. Let it burn for at least thirty to forty-five minutes to create a bed of embers. Use a shovel to spread some of these out under the tripod, and keep the fire burning off to one side. You want some radiant heat from embers underneath your bird, and a nice fire burning next to it for lots of indirect heat and smoke, as well as a steady supply of more embers. You don鈥檛 want a raging bonfire, which will burn your food, and you don鈥檛 want an anemic little smolder that won鈥檛 get the job done.

Note: Fires vary, so the times here are imprecise. You鈥檒l need to use your senses鈥攁nd a 鈥攖o determine when each component is done. The sides won鈥檛 need as long as the chicken, so once they鈥檙e cooked, put them around the perimeter to keep warm.

Prep and Cook the Chicken

If you can, rub the chicken inside and out with some salt a day ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge overnight. A pre-seasoned chicken will taste notably better than one salted right before cooking.

Using stainless steel or aluminum wire, you鈥檙e going to truss the chicken according to the standard method (see below), but you鈥檙e going to twist loops of wire at the neck, cavity opening, and the middle of the back. By giving you three points to hang it from, these loops will allow you to easily reposition the bird in relation to the heat鈥攏eck up, neck down, and breast down. You can also raise or lower the bird using the chain for even more control.

You don鈥檛 need to brush anything on your chicken, especially if you salted it the night before. You鈥檒l get a beautiful golden brown and crispy skin all over as you rotate it to cook all sides. But if you want it saucier, combine equal parts soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and tomato puree in a saucepan to make an easy barbecue-style sauce. Put that on or near the fire to heat up and simmer so that it reduces gently while the bird cooks. Brush it all over every half hour or so. For extra credit (and flavor), make a brush out of sprigs of rosemary, parsley, and oregano tied together with string. Or if you鈥檙e in the woods, use a couple nice bunches of fresh white pine or spruce needles to furnish your brush.

Use a poker or tongs to turn the chicken every half hour or so, using a different loop to hang it so that a different side faces the fire. Raise or lower it as needed; you want the hot side to be active, steaming and bubbling and catching some color. Feed the fire and rake out more embers as needed to maintain proper heat. It鈥檚 ready to eat when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and the thigh (don鈥檛 let the probe touch bone) reads 165藲F. Let it rest for five to ten minutes before carving, and serve the extra sauce (if using) on the side.

Don鈥檛 Forget Your Vegetables

The chicken is going to drip fat and juices and some of your basting mixture (if you鈥檙e using it) as it cooks鈥攅specially when you turn it so the cavity is pointing down. Putting a pan beneath it to catch that goodness is smart, and having something in the pan to cook in those drippings is smarter still. Mushrooms make an excellent choice, especially with some slivered onions and a handful of fresh herbs. Button or cremini are fine, but if you can get oyster, maitake, or similar, you鈥檙e in for a treat.

Make sure they have a little oil or fat to get them going, sprinkle on some salt, and position the pan so it catches the drips but doesn鈥檛 burn. Stir or shake the pan regularly as the mushrooms cook, and taste before serving. When they鈥檙e done, you can move the pan off to the side to keep warm, or move the mixture to a serving bowl and use the pan to cook something else鈥攍ike some broccoli rabe.

Broccoli rabe looks like lanky broccoli, but it鈥檚 more closely related to turnips. Its slight bitterness and sturdy texture make it ideal for grilling鈥攊t gets irresistibly savory and tender over a fire. Trim the stalk ends if they鈥檙e brown, then toss your rabe in enough olive oil to coat the stalks, leaves, and florets with a little shine. Sprinkle on a fat pinch of salt per bunch and toss again to distribute it evenly. When the stalks are a vivid dark green and becoming tender, take the rabe off the fire and hit it with some lemon juice and a bit more olive oil.

The Gear You鈥檒l Need

The Tripod

Lodge Cast Iron makes a that鈥檚 also designed to keep a full Dutch oven off the ground, so it鈥檒l be sturdy enough for your chicken.

Wire or Butcher鈥檚 Twine

Stainless steel or aluminum wire for the chicken is best. Alternatively, soak butcher鈥檚 twine in water for 15 minutes before trussing to reduce the singeing.

Carbon Steel or Cast-Iron Pan

If you鈥檙e making vegetables (and you鈥檒l want to), use a pan that鈥檚 built for live-fire cooking, like or

How To Truss a Chicken

1.

Pat a 4-to-5-pound chicken dry with paper towels, and rub with a tablespoon of salt. Cut a 6-foot piece of wire or butcher’s twine.

2.

Place the chicken in front of you, breast up, with the neck pointing away from you.

3.

Make a 2-to-3-inch loop at the midpoint of the wire and twist the loop a couple of times to secure it. You want your loops to easily fit over the tripod鈥檚 hook with room to spare.

4.

Position the loop behind the back in between the wings. Cross the wire over the breasts, then around again to secure the wings. Pass the ends of the wire under the thighs and cross over the leg joints; twist to secure. Create a second loop around the ends of the drumsticks. Flip the chicken so that it鈥檚 breast-side down.

5.

Bring the wires back up to the neck, twisting one more loop at the midpoint of the back, then tie the wires to the loop at the neck and twist to secure them. Snip off any extra wire. Now you have a properly trussed bird that can be hung three different ways for even cooking.

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What do climbers and guides eat at Mount Everest Base Camp to keep their bodies moving at 17,500 feet?

In this week’s Dispatches from Everest video, Ben Ayers explains the cuisine that you will find at the different expedition tents dotting the Base Camp.

At more budget-friendly expeditions, chefs serve hearty vegetables, sausages, and other food with long shelf lives. At fancier and more expensive camps, chefs whip up a variety of delicious and nutritious foods to keep climbers fueled and happy. You will also find different national cuisines being cooked for climbers from China, India, and elsewhere on the mountain. All of the food has one purpose: fueling the human body to thrive in an extreme environment.

Want to stay up on 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 2025 Everest Season coverage? Sign up for our聽.

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Getting through a full workout is tough when you haven鈥檛 properly fueled up. If you find that you鈥檙e regularly struggling with energy levels, it鈥檚 fair to wonder if you鈥檙e eating at the right frequency for your needs.

Some swear by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day, while others say it鈥檚 better to stick with three meals that are more substantial. Dietitians say there isn鈥檛 one hard and fast strategy that applies to everyone, but there are several factors to consider when choosing an eating plan for yourself. Here鈥檚 what nutrition experts have to say.

How, Exactly, Does Food Help Athletic Performance?

鈥淔ood plays a crucial role in athletic performance by providing the necessary energy, nutrients, and support for optimal bodily functions during training, competition, and recovery,鈥� says , a registered dietitian and certified sports specialist in dietetics at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

But specific elements in foods make a difference, Vavrek says. They鈥檙e called macronutrients, and they鈥檙e the nutrients your body needs in larger amounts to function properly.

For optimal performance, Stephani Johnson, nutrition researcher and adjunct professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University, says your body relies on three major macronutrients: carbs, fats, and proteins.

Is It Better to Eat Throughout the Day or to Have a Few Big Meals?

The resounding answer from dietitians? 鈥淚t depends.鈥� Still, many are partial to a particular eating strategy. 鈥淔rom an athletic standpoint, eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is generally better than consuming fewer large meals,鈥� Johnson says.

Vavrek agrees. 鈥淓ating throughout the day helps maintain energy levels, optimize muscle recovery, improve performance, prevent muscle breakdown, and support overall health,鈥� she says. The (ISSN) also supports the practice of 鈥渘utrient timing,鈥� which involves eating certain nutrients throughout the day to support exercise needs.

But , senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, argues that your diet depends on what you鈥檙e training for. If you favor workouts that require short bursts of energy, like sprinting, Hunnes considers fueling throughout the day to be 鈥渃ompletely unnecessary.鈥� But she concedes that people who focus on endurance sports may do better with eating throughout the day to keep energy levels up and replenish glycogen stores.

Some may even benefit from a mix of both strategies. 鈥淚 prefer a little bit of each: a few bigger meals, but having some snacks in between,鈥� says Olivia Morgan, a Mass General Brigham registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, adding that athletes shouldn鈥檛 have gaps of more than four to five hours between eating times. Longer than that, and you run the risk of the body breaking down muscle, which will work against your athletic goals.

How to Eat Throughout the Day for Improved Athletic Performance

Eating throughout the day doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean constantly snacking鈥攖here is strategy involved. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to focus on nutrient timing and a balanced intake of macronutrients,鈥� Vavrek says. She recommends aiming to eat every three to four hours to maintain energy levels, support muscle repair, and prevent long periods without nutrients.

Tailoring Your Daily Meals to Your Exercise Plans

Whether you鈥檙e eating smaller or larger meals, what you鈥檙e eating matters. 鈥淔or athletes, meals should have a balance of all macronutrients,” says Vavrek. She recommends that the macronutrient breakdown of each meal should look as follows: 45 to 65 percent carbs, 15 to 35 percent protein, and 20 to 35 percent fats.

For Aerobic Exercise

The type of exercise you do is relevant, too. For intense aerobic exercise, Johnson suggests having a small, easily digestible snack with carbs to fuel your body during exercise, like a banana, dried fruit, or yogurt (if you can tolerate dairy close to a workout).

For Workouts Less Than 60 Minutes

If you鈥檙e exercising for under an hour,聽 you should be fine just drinking water during your workout, says Johnson.

For Workouts That Exceed One Hour

If you鈥檙e doing higher-intensity workouts over 60 minutes, eating between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrates an hour can help to keep your energy levels up. And for exercise longer than 90 minutes? Johnson recommends supplementing those carbs with electrolytes.

For After Your Workout

Post-workout, Johnson suggests a snack or meal that includes 鈥攍onger chains of sugar molecules that digest slowly to give drawn-out energy and prevent blood sugar spikes鈥攖o help replenish glycogen stores and protein to promote muscle recovery. An apple with nut butter or a slice of turkey on a whole wheat tortilla are ideal menu items.

For Strength Training Days

For strength training sessions, Johnson suggests having 15 to 25 grams of protein one to three hours before your workout to help prevent muscle breakdown and support recovery. After you’ve completed your workout, consume 20 to 40 grams of protein within half an hour to two hours to boost muscle building, improve recovery, and reduce soreness.

For Easy Workout and Active Recovery Days

But if your workouts are more laid-back, you don鈥檛 necessarily need to be all that strategic about your eating. 鈥淪omeone who is working out leisurely would not need to fuel throughout the day or necessarily change much about what they’re doing,鈥� says Hunnes.

If You Prefer Eating Big Meals During the Day, Do This

If you prefer to have larger meals or it鈥檚 all that your schedule allows for, Vavrek says there is still strategy involved. 鈥淭he goal is to consume the necessary macronutrients to fuel the body for training, support recovery, and optimize overall performance,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ry to avoid skipping meals and consume at least three meals a day to prevent going too long without eating.鈥� Vavrek adds that all meals should still be balanced and include all macronutrients and food groups.

Timing is also essential. 鈥淧re-workout meals should be consumed one to three hours before exercise,鈥� Vavrek says, noting that pre-exercise meals should lean heavily into carbohydrates. 鈥淎fter a workout, aim for a balanced meal within one to two hours.鈥�

Pro tip: You can also pre-load your meals if you have a race or event coming up. 鈥淓ating a lot of carbs the night before鈥攈ealthy carbs such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables鈥攁nd then perhaps a smaller pre-race meal of faster-digesting carbs, a banana, and a small amount of peanut butter,鈥� can be helpful,鈥� Hunnes says.

Signs You鈥檙e Not Fueling Yourself Correctly

You can feel wiped out fast when you鈥檙e not fueling the right way. 鈥淲e call it 鈥榯he bonk,鈥欌�� Morgan says. 鈥淵our body kind of runs out of that fuel, and you get feelings of weakness, like you can鈥檛 go on any further.鈥�

Hunnes says that soreness that lasts longer than normal and feeling unable to keep up your normal activity levels for days in a row are also signs you鈥檙e not getting the proper nutrition.

Experiencing mental and physical fatigue here and there can be a challenging annoyance, but attempting to muscle through energy depletion can take a toll on your body. 鈥�Chronic energy deficiency in athletes can lead to long-term health consequences such as low bone mineral density, nutrient deficiencies, and hormone dysfunction,鈥� Vavrek says.

The International Olympic Committee has several on proper fueling for athletes, each broken down by easy, moderate, and hard workout days to make the guidance even easier to follow. Morgan also suggests meeting with a sports dietitian if your budget and/or health insurance allow for it.

If the dietitian route isn鈥檛 an option, Morgan suggests taking a moment to think about when you鈥檙e hungry during the day and when you typically exercise. 鈥淎re you prioritizing fueling before your workouts?鈥� she asks. 鈥淎nd how frequently are you eating throughout the day?鈥�

While it鈥檚 generally recommended that you eat smaller meals throughout the day for athletic performance, dietitians acknowledge that this approach isn鈥檛 for everyone.

As Morgan succinctly puts it: 鈥淓verybody is different.鈥�

Want more of聽国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?聽.

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When I started writing about sports science two decades ago, fueling advice for endurance athletes was simple. The goal was to take in roughly 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, in order to preserve the limited supply of carbohydrate stored in your muscles and liver. More would theoretically be better, but studies had found that it simply wasn鈥檛 possible to absorb more than that from the stomach into the intestine.

The science has evolved since then, mainly with the realization that (like glucose and fructose) in specific ratios enables higher absorption rates. top out at 90 grams per hour, but recent studies have suggested that it鈥檚 possible to take in 120 grams per hour鈥攁nd top athletes in cycling, ultra running, and other sports are reportedly going even higher than that.

In contrast to all this, a new study gave its subjects just 10 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and argues that this is all you need. This is a surprising and contrarian take, and I鈥檓 not suggesting you should swallow it whole. But it鈥檚 a good opportunity to pause the carb mania for a moment and take a closer look at the evidence and assumptions underlying the 鈥渕ore is better鈥� view.

The new study is published (and ) in the American Journal of Physiology 鈥� Cell Physiology by a group of researchers at several universities led by Philip Prins and Andrew Koutnik. Its main purpose is to compare endurance performance in ten well-trained triathletes following either standard carb-heavy diets or low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets. That鈥檚 a complex and long-running debate (which I wrote about most recently in 2020) that I鈥檓 not going to get into here, other than to note that they didn鈥檛 see any significant differences either way in an endurance test lasting about 90 minutes following six weeks on either diet.

What鈥檚 more interesting here is their test of in-race carbohydrate supplementation. All the subjects did two rounds of endurance tests on each diet: one with a carb drink every 20 minutes totaling 10 grams of carbs per hour, the other with a placebo drink with no carbs. On average, the athletes lasted 22 percent longer with the carb drink, regardless of which diet they were on. That鈥檚 a big improvement. Time-to-exhaustion tests, where you hang on as long as possible at a predetermined pace, are different than races, but an improvement like that likely corresponds to going one to two percent faster in a race.

The reason they chose such a small dose of carbohydrates is that one of the study authors, South African scientist Tim Noakes, that we鈥檝e badly misunderstood the role of in-race carbohydrates. The traditional view is that we drink carbs to prevent our muscles from running out of glycogen, the form in which muscles store carbs. Noakes鈥檚 view is that glycogen doesn鈥檛 matter, and that the real benefit is preventing a blood sugar crash. This is a brain-centered view of endurance: keeping blood sugar high convinces the brain that everything is OK, so the muscles鈥攚hich were never truly in danger of running out of carbs鈥攌eep on pumping.

If blood sugar is what matters, then we don鈥檛 need to choke down such large quantities of carbohydrate after all: at any given moment, there鈥檚 only about a teaspoon of glucose circulating in your bloodstream. What鈥檚 missing from Prins and Koutnik鈥檚 study is an explicit test of higher carb doses. We see that 10 grams per hour helps, whether by maintaining blood sugar or simply by tricking the brain into thinking that fuel is coming (as has been demonstrated with studies of ). But we don鈥檛 know whether, say, 30 grams per hour would have been better or worse.

On the other hand, you might imagine that the conventional view of carbohydrate needs鈥攖he more the better鈥攊s backed by plenty of evidence. And you鈥檇 be right. But Noakes argues that in all the studies showing that the depletion of muscle glycogen corresponds to a drop-off in performance, the subjects also had low blood sugar. We鈥檝e been watching the wrong variable, in his view, and drawn the wrong conclusions. This argument echoes Noakes鈥檚 critique of hydration research, which was that studies didn鈥檛 distinguish between being dehydrated and feeling thirsty. In his view, being dehydrated only matters if you feel thirsty, since it鈥檚 your brain that decides when to slow down.

The debate gets pretty complicated at this point, with dueling interpretations of the minute details of decades of research. Rather than getting lost in the physiology, though, I think the simplest test is to ask about the outcome we really care about: Does taking higher loads of carbohydrate lead to better performance? When you dig into this dose-response literature, the findings aren鈥檛 as clear as I might have expected.

Here鈥檚 a graph from one of the key papers, from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (who, I鈥檓 sure I don鈥檛 need to point out, like the idea that more carbs are better). Fifty-one cyclists and triathletes completed a series of tests consisting of two hours of moderately hard cycling followed by a 20-kilometer all-out time trial, while consuming anywhere from 0 to 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour, in 10-gram increments. The results:

The paper describes this relationship as a 鈥渃urvilinear dose-response relationship鈥�: more carbs are better initially, but at the highest doses more carbs hurt performance. The sweet spot where performance is optimized, in this data, is 78 grams of carbohydrate per hour, consistent with the idea that 60 to 90 grams is the right range.

But take another look at that data. Performance is worst at 0 or 10 grams; it鈥檚 a little better at 20 grams. Take those three data points out, and it鈥檚 hard to see any evidence of a dose-response relationship above 30 grams. It鈥檚 certainly not a very strong demonstration that 60 grams is better than 30 grams, let alone that there are benefits from upping to 90 or 120 grams.

The case for 90 grams over 60 grams, using a more modern mix of carbohydrates, is made in from researchers at Leeds Beckett University. Ten subjects tested 0, 60, 75, 90, and 112.5 grams of carbohydrate per hour for two hours of cycling followed by a 30-minute time trial. Here鈥檚 the average power outputs in the time trial:

From this, you might conclude that 90 grams is indeed the best bet. It鈥檚 hardly definitive, though. The placebo option, with no carbs at all, is clearly the worst option, but it鈥檚 not that far from the 75-gram result, and there鈥檚 no data to compare with for lower doses. How would the cyclists have fared with, say, 20 grams an hour鈥攅nough, as Noakes would argue, to keep blood sugar constant but not to conserve muscle glycogen in the legs?

Personally, I find it hard to believe that muscle glycogen doesn鈥檛 matter. Even if we don鈥檛 grind to a halt because our glycogen tanks are empty, there鈥檚 evidence that we begin slowing down when our muscles are partly depleted. It could even be that the brain monitors glycogen levels and dials back performance as fuel levels drop, just as Noakes proposes for blood sugar.

Whether that means big carb doses like 120 grams per hour are a good idea is a different question, though. The scientific data that I posted above doesn鈥檛 seem overwhelmingly convincing. The real-world experiences of elite athletes are much more compelling, and that evidence should be taken seriously. I鈥檇 love to see better dose-response data showing more clearly what happens across the whole range of intakes between 0 and 120 grams per hour. But those are hard studies to do, so in the meantime we鈥檙e stuck with the golden rule of training and sports science: try a few different approaches, and see what works best for you.

For more Sweat Science, join me on and , sign up for the , and check out my forthcoming book .

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I like to think of the Iditarod race as a cruise ship vacation. Each checkpoint is a new port of call, and the food might be served buffet style rather than made to order, but it鈥檚 a very good buffet. The offerings are varied enough that the route has some texture. For instance, one evening鈥檚 meal might feature chicken thighs, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, scrambled eggs, a variety of cheeses, and some kind of fatty frozen dessert. In the morning, there might be strips of tender red beef, pork medallions, whole eggs, some kind of crunchy dried snack, and canned fish in oil.

One staple is chicken legs. I pack over 300 raw chicken legs for the Iditarod race. Something about grabbing the bone and tossing it in the snow and watching my teammates wolf it down nearly whole 鈥攚ell, let鈥檚 just say I know well the origin of the term 鈥渨olf it down.鈥�

I pack everything. Sometimes gummy worms, sometimes little pats of butter. When you鈥檙e tired, it鈥檚 hard to get enough calories, so I like to pack fatty foods like bacon, ham, and cheesecake. This year, I went heavy on herring, and I tend to pack a lot of calcium supplements. Probiotics are essential, because travel can do weird things to digestion. I make little sandwiches full of honey. Sometimes I fry bacon; sometimes I serve it raw.

Good old-fashioned Gatorade works wonders for electrolyte balance. I often thaw it in my armpits while driving the sled.

Occasionally I鈥檒l even resort to cat food. Literally. You never know. Packs of ramen noodles. Usually I don鈥檛 bother seasoning or even cooking them. The crunch is satisfying, but easy on the mouth. I also tend to favor peanut butter鈥攁gain, warmed in the armpits or the front pocket of my pants.

But that鈥檚 just what I feed the dogs.

I sent a ton of food up the trail for our dogs to enjoy at every checkpoint. The race is like a great expedition for them, punctuated by fun feasts among lots of new friends, when they happen to camp near other teams. It has all the drama of a Caribbean cruise, but without all the heat. Plenty of HEET, though. We carry bottles of HEET methanol antifreeze for our alcohol cookers, so we can melt snow and heat dog food on the trail.

When I say I sent a ton of dog food up the trail, I do mean a ton, or nearly so. My drop bags weighed 1976 pounds when I weighed them to ship them up-trail. My team鈥檚 food packages weren鈥檛 the heaviest, nor the lightest. But what do I eat?

What I Eat During the Iditarod

A single sled dog needs about 10,000 calories per day while running the Iditarod. Mushers run less, but we鈥檙e bigger, so I鈥檇 guess we burn about the same. We spend 12 to 16 hours a day behind the sled, often jogging, pushing it up hills, or muscling over rough terrain. Even when the dogs rest, we鈥檙e often still working: melting snow for water or chopping through ice, fixing equipment, arranging and packing up camp. I鈥檓 sure my parka will be loose by the time I reach the Bering Sea.

Thank goodness for Sarah Hamilton, a longtime sled dog booster who happens to run Trail Center Lodge along the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota鈥檚 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. She makes heat-and-eat trail meals called , and if a box of them hadn鈥檛 arrived literally hours before my dogs and I left for Alaska, I would be fighting my dogs for pork.

Which of course I would never do, because the dogs come first. Moms and dads feed their children. Mushers feed their dogs. We take much delight in their hearty appetites. We try to get everything just how they like it, so they can focus on their race. Cutting off the proverbial crusts, if that鈥檚 what they need. We鈥檙e kind of useless out there compared to the dogs, so this also makes us feel a little better about ourselves. By the time we鈥檙e a few hundred miles in, they鈥檒l eat just about anything.

Sarah鈥檚 CAMP CHOW meals can be made with hot water or even cold water. She sends me the gluten-free ones, which are incredible. There鈥檚 a blueberry parfait that I don鈥檛 think I could ever get sick of, which is saying something, because it鈥檚 hard to eat when you鈥檙e so tired. I鈥檓 thirsty out there. My teeth are practically furry. All I want to do is sleep. I am the last creature I feed, and it鈥檚 hard to cajole myself into eating, but it鈥檚 necessary, and Camp Chow makes it possible.

Other mushers have their own techniques. One friend asked me to pick up 20 McChicken sandwiches right before the Iditarod start a few years back. He kept them in his sled, and thawed them one by one in his armpits when he got hungry. My wife, also a musher, swears by frozen cheesecakes, because she loses her appetite completely on the trail, and they鈥檙e caloric and never freeze too hard to take a bite. She likes Twizzlers, too. They freeze solid, but she can hang one out of her mouth like a farmer with a blade of straw, thawing and gnawing it inch by inch. The sugar keeps her warm and the taste keeps her awake.

What about drinks? We mushers drink a lot of hot Tang. Sometimes it鈥檚 available at checkpoints, steeping in a big thermos next to coffee that might or might not taste like coffee, although no one cares for taste at that point. I packed bottles of iced tea and coconut water in my drop bags, because I can drop them (frozen) into my cooker when I鈥檓 making dog food. When they thaw just enough, I gulp down the slush.

Unless, of course, the dogs decided they want what鈥檚 mine. In that case, it becomes theirs. I鈥檓 happy to live on the crumbs.

on

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On Sunday February 9, 2025 the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Travis Kelce will be there. Taylor Swift will no doubt be cheering him on. Kendrick Lamar is slated to perform the halftime show. There鈥檚 a lot to look forward to.

Here at 国产吃瓜黑料, we are still thinking about an infographic published by the in the fall of 2024, which charts, of all things, the sheer volume of Uncrustables being consumed by the NFL. Yes, that鈥檚 right, if you haven鈥檛 heard, professional football players eat an ungodly amount of the pre-packaged, crust-cut-off, frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sold by Smuckers and available in virtually every grocery store. According to the Athletic, NFL teams are tucking into somewhere upwards of 80,000 Uncrustables a year. And that鈥檚 just among the teams that chose to respond to their inquiry.

For their part, Smuckers has made the most of players鈥� love of their iconic sammie, with teams like the Ravens and players like the Kelce brothers.

Now, I don鈥檛 claim to be a nutritionist, but I do devote quite a bit of rent-free space in my brain鈥攁nd quite a bit of my time鈥攖o reading about and researching the latest science on diet and nutrition. And I try to reasonably modify my own and my family鈥檚 diet in response to evidence-based things that I learn.

Alcohol is connected to higher risks of at least seven types of cancer,? Alrighty, Aperol Spritzes only on special occasions moving forward. ? Never going to buy a can without BPA-free on the label! And on down the line to microplastics in kitchenware. You get the gist.

So I think what surprises me most about Uncrustables as professional athlete fuel is my perception that they fall into that most contemporary of negative food categories: ultraprocessed. Although the research on the effects of ultraprocessed foods is still emerging, early , among other potential downstream health considerations. So I guess I would assume they are, broadly put, something to be avoided, especially in the context of peak athletic performance.

But let鈥檚 challenge my assumptions, starting with my broad brush view of ultraprocessing. As a recent article published on our sister site , 鈥淪ports nutrition鈥� requires ultraprocessing in order 鈥渢o create fast-digesting carbohydrates in the form of gels, chews, and beverages to keep your muscles adequately fueled.鈥� The ultraprocessed factor of certain specially manufactured foodstuffs, argues聽Triathlete, ensures their capacity to meet nutritional needs in a unique way for endurance athletes. Again, as a total non-nutritionist, that feels like a fair point in their favor.

Peanut Butter and Jellies Are Pretty Amazing Workout Calories

And we do know that PB&Js are a great workout option.

国产吃瓜黑料 writer Michael Easter put it simply in a 2018 story he wrote on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as the unassuming鈥攂ut ultimate鈥攁dventure fuel: 鈥�A basic PB&J鈥攕liced white bread, Jif, and grape jelly鈥攃ontains 350 calories and 16, 45, and 11 grams of fat, carbs, and protein, respectively. That鈥檚 roughly equivalent to a Peanut Butter ProBar鈥攁 favorite among endurance athletes鈥攚ith its 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of protein.鈥� And, according to his estimates, they 鈥淸clock] in at roughly 25 cents each.鈥�

Kelly Jones, a registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and owner of and told me that if she were my nutritionist, she鈥檇 recommend making my own PB&J or peanut butter banana sandwich 鈥渙ut of whole grain bread and having half or a full one depending on the timing before activity鈥� to net out greater nutrient density.

Uncrustables aren鈥檛 that far off a typical homemade PB&J in their caloric content, coming in at around 210 calories with 28 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 8 to 10 grams of added sugar. On Amazon, , which makes the cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.75 per sandwich. And there鈥檚 definitely something to be said for the convenience of an Uncrustable when it comes to the per-unit price breakdown.

So I guess my first assumption鈥攖hat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren鈥檛 the best thing to eat when working out鈥攊s pretty far off the mark. That said, making one at home is definitely a better bang for your buck and probably has denser nutritional value.

But who wants to make 80,000 homemade PB&Js in a year?

What Do Nutritionists Say About Uncrustables?

To get more perspective鈥攁nd to test more of my assumptions鈥擨 reached out to , a nutritionist and certified personal trainer based in Denver, Colorado. Carmichael runs her own nutrition and fitness company, Team Humble Yourself, where the mission is to educate and empower women to take responsibility for their habits within nutrition and fitness.

Carmichael gave me some really helpful food for thought. She said she likes 鈥渢o think of nutrition as paralleling finance. Like a budget, you can spend your money on whatever you want, but long term, all the short-term gratification spending (like consistently eating a highly processed diet) will not lead you to an early retirement or a life full of financial freedom because of small choices that were made daily.鈥�

As such, an Uncrustable here or there is totally fine, but 鈥渨hole foods are elite,鈥� as she said. 鈥淚t takes less energy to digest ultraprocessed foods. It takes more energy (calories) to digest and process whole foods, so relying on more of a processed item for recovery isn鈥檛 something that should be habitual.鈥�

Jones added another layer of complexity to my thinking about ultraprocessed foods as a part of athletic training and recovery. She noted that 鈥渞ather than label all ultraprocessed foods as unhealthy, we should recognize they fall on a spectrum from low to high nutrient density. Athletes who burn 1,000 calories or more per day participating in their sport may have more flexibility to choose foods such as Uncrustables in their diet versus the average American just working to fit in three workouts each week.鈥�

To emphasize that spectrum of ultraprocessing in food, Jones noted that Oreos may be an obvious example to most people, but few recognize canned beans or Greek yogurt as ultraprocessed foods. In fact, I think most of us would agree that the latter examples fall into our idea of healthy eating.

Other Post-Workout Snack Options

Carmichael gave me a whole list of great ideas for post-workout fuel that she believes can help replenish your body鈥檚 glycogen storage, repair and rebuild muscle, and enhance metabolic function. She suggested, 鈥減ost workout, if you鈥檙e not ready for a bigger meal, a large bowl of yogurt or cottage cheese paired with a fruit and honey, or even a slice of toast with some turkey鈥� are all great options.

From Carmichael鈥檚 perspective, it鈥檚 all about moderation. 鈥淢ake a whole food snack or meal after a workout more of a habit, and have something like an Uncrustable when you really want it,” she said. “Moderation is key for everything!鈥�

Even Uncrustables.

Ryleigh Nucilli is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 columnist for the Pulse. Once her dad, Rob, wanted to try eating Uncrustables on a long road trip, but her sister insisted he eat the homemade variety鈥攕erved on hot dog buns.

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Chick fil-A used to be my guilty pleasure, especially when traveling. When I’m rushing through airports that seductive red and white sign always calls for a detour and a Chicken Deluxe. Now, thanks to about the plastic chemicals found in food packaging, that sandwich is dead to me. A team of scientists and concerned citizens recently tested more than 300 unique foods for harmful plastic chemicals. My beloved treat sat near the top of the inauspicious leaderboard.

My regular readers know that I have long been concerned with the scary amount of plastic chemicals that we interact with as we 聽go about our daily lives.

There鈥檚 the black plastic in our utensils. And the PFAS (a.k.a forever chemicals) found in everything from our clothing and furniture to our beauty products and toilet paper, the foaming agents in our toothpaste and laundry soaps.

The list goes on and on. We are a society addicted to plastic chemicals and all the modern conveniences they afford. Meanwhile, cancer rates in people under 50 are . I am in doubting that this is merely coincidence.

But nothing freaks me out more than chemicals making their way into my family鈥檚 food. Who among us could ever enjoy a bite of a Chicken Deluxe聽again if we knew it were laced with poison?

I decided to look into what we know about chemicals in food packaging, what regulators are doing about it, and how we can protect ourselves.

Plastic Chemicals Pervade Our Everyday Food

I鈥檝e been seeing pop up in my newsfeeds about plastic chemicals in food. I鈥檝e had moments of paralysis in the grocery story trying to find a decent head of lettuce that wasn鈥檛 swathed in a plastic.

A group of Californians felt the same way. They聽embarked on a six-month research project to test common food items鈥攆rom local grocery stores and take-out joints鈥攆or the presence of chemicals that enhance the performance of plastics. Phthalates, for instance, are a class of chemicals used to make plastic more pliable. Think: milk jugs and yogurt cups. Bisphenols are plastic hardeners found in beverage bottles and linings of canned goods.

The independent group, working under the name PlasticList, purchased 775 food samples of 312 items. Everything from Almond Breeze milk (currently sitting in my fridge) and grass-fed steak from Whole Foods to Taco Bell chicken burritos and, yes, my beloved Chicken Deluxe from Chick fil-A. They then tested those items for the presence of 18 common plastic-related chemicals that fall under the umbrella of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (or EDCs). Ample proof exists that EDCs cause like cancer, diabetes, and reproductive and neurological disorders.

The is pretty shocking: the PlasticList team detected plastic chemicals in 86 percent of the food tested. 鈥淏ut this doesn鈥檛 mean we should all freak out,鈥� says Yaroslav Shipilov, the PlasticList team leader. 鈥淎lthough it was surprising to discover the presence of plastic chemicals in such a huge percentage of the food we tested, in all but 24 specific cases, the items are still safe to eat according to the three major regulating bodies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).鈥�

Shipilov hopes that his findings will spawn more testing. He also hopes that the regulating bodies will update their outdated safety limits, which are decades old and often contradictory. 鈥淔or example, in some cases we have chemicals that have been banned from children鈥檚 toys, but not food. This suggests that they are not safe for toddlers to touch, but are fine for them to ingest,鈥� he says.

Are Plastic Chemicals Harmful to People?

Make no mistake about it. A rapidly growing body of evidence proves that plastic chemicals are really bad for human health, not to mention the harm they cause the environment.

To get an overview of the health impacts, I reached out to Philip J. Landrigan MD, a pediatrician and biology professor at Boston College. Landrigan serves as director of both the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health.

In October 2023, Landrigan published , a wide-ranging report covering the many health and environmental implications of plastic chemicals.

鈥淧lastics have allowed significant benefits to humanity in the fields of medicine, electronics, aerospace, and more. But it鈥檚 also clear that they are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth鈥檚 environment,鈥� says Landrigan. 鈥淭housands of chemicals鈥攊ncluding carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants鈥攍each out of plastics and harm human health at every stage of the lifecycle, from production to discard.鈥�

For example, Landrigan says, consider the coal miners and oil field workers who suffer from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. (These workers extract the raw materials that create plastic.)聽The plastic production workers who have an increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, and brain and breast cancer. The plastic recycling workers who contend with high rates of toxic metal poisoning and neuropathy. The workers in the plastics textile industry die of bladder cancer and lung disease. And the families who live near plastic production facilities who have increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, lung cancer, and a host of other life-threatening ailments.

The report says that these harms exceed $500 billion per year in health-related costs in the U.S. alone.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 most concerning to me as a pediatrician,鈥� says Landrigan, 鈥渋s the risk that chemicals in our food pose to pregnant women and young children. We all need to be more aware of plastics鈥� threats to human health. And we need to take intentional steps to reduce our exposure and our children’s exposure to plastic.鈥�

Food Packaging Regulations Are Rolling Out鈥揃ut Not Fast Enough

The federal government has been slow to respond in a meaningful way to the growing body of evidence that plastics in our food system are poisoning us.

Just last week, a group of environmentalists filed a new lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of phthalates in plastic food packaging. For close to a decade, the FDA has ignored calls to take stronger action against phthalates. We lag far behind the European Union in this regard.

Reporting from suggests that this refusal is due to pressure from the chemicals industry, which would surely suffer in the face of a phthalates ban.

Still, some states have begun to take independent action to protect our food from plastics chemicals.

鈥淪tates have taken the lead on phasing out dangerous chemicals from food packaging and containers,鈥� says Gretchen Salter, policy director for Safer States, a national alliance that works to protect people and the environment from toxic chemicals. 鈥淥ur shows that 16 states have adopted 29 policies to remove chemicals like PFAS, phthalates, and bisphenols (chemicals like BPA and BPF)聽from food packaging. Additionally, Washington state has recently 聽to ban all聽bisphenols in drink can liners and require disclosure of the use of all聽bisphenols in food can liners.鈥�

5 Ways To Protect Yourself From Plastic Chemicals in Food

Try as we might, avoiding plastic food packaging altogether is downright impossible. But there are some things we can do to not only limit our exposure to their inherent chemicals (like phthalates, bisphenols, and PFAS), but to be part of long-term solutions that will protect our kids, grandkids, and all the generations to come.

1. 1. Avoid fast food and take-out. When you can鈥檛, get that hot food out of its packaging as soon as possible to avoid chemical leaching. Even pizza boxes contain PFAS.
   2. Bring your own take-out containers. When dining out, bring a glass or metal container from home for leftovers. And avoid putting plastic take-out containers into the microwave. Although the specific research around this practice is , most experts believe this can cause additional contamination and leaching.
   3. Opt for fresh, whole foods. Skip the packaging whenever you can. For example, buy loose veggies rather than those ensconced in plastic. For meat and fish, buy direct from the counter. Ask for it wrapped in paper, rather than picking up a package from the chiller, where it’s been resting in a plastic package for who-knows-how-long. (Note: even that butcher鈥檚 paper likely has chemicals on it, so unwrap it as soon as you get home.)
   4. Ditch all plastic from your kitchen. Yep, you heard me鈥攁ll of it. Storage containers, colanders, utensils, cereal bowls. Start to replace all of those items with glass, wood, metal, and ceramic. I鈥檝e scored some really high quality replacements at the second-hand stores I love to frequent. And don鈥檛 forget the Saran Wrap and Zip-Lock bags. Transition away from those, too, and go with beeswax bowl toppers and silicone baggies.
   5. Speak up! It takes one minute to to create a Global Plastics Treaty. Do it! Another powerful action you can take is to write a letter to your state congress representatives. Urge them to support the Global Plastics Treaty as well as state laws to ban toxic plastic chemicals. Here are to get you started.

Kristin Hostetter is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 sustainability columnist. Sadly, she has eaten her last Chick fil-A Chicken Deluxe. But she’s currently working on recreating a healthier version in her home kitchen.聽 Follow her journey to live more sustainably by for her twice-monthly newsletter.聽

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Everyone knows a skier who prides themselves on , only to fuel up on pocket jerky and maybe a PBR on the lift. But during a long day on the slopes, we鈥檙e never opposed to warming up our toes and refueling in the lodge.

Of course, many lodge cafeterias offer an exceptionally average $30 plate of a burger and fries, but in recent years, some have started providing unique dining experiences (at often more affordable prices!). And while no one can argue that chicken tendies don鈥檛 taste amazing after crushing laps sometimes we鈥檙e craving something a little bit more. That said, we鈥檝e hunted down the best and most Check out our picks, below.

Green Chili Dogs from Ptarmigan Roost Caf茅 (Loveland Ski Area, CO)

While shredding at , Ptarmigan Roost Caf茅 is undoubtedly a worthwhile pitstop. Cozy up with a can of Rolling Rock and a green chili dog either next to the wood-burning stove, or on the observation deck, which provides 360 views of the area at 12,000 feet of elevation. After a day of exploring the bowls or hitting the glades, the combination of the spicy green chili 鈥� with a glizzy 鈥� is truly unmatched.

Bacon Bloody Mary and BBQ from Black Mountain Lodge (A-Basin, CO)

Although you may have to roll back down to the base lodge afterward, taking a mid-mountain break at is practically a requirement during a trip to Arapahoe Basin. Even though the pulled pork sandwich happens to be a household favorite, you really can鈥檛 go wrong with ribs or brisket, either. Make sure to wash it all down with one of the lodge鈥檚 iconic Bacon Bloody Marys, and you鈥檒l likely be full until just before your morning laps tomorrow.

Veggie Ramen at Miso Hungry (Jay Peak, VT)

There is truly nothing more satisfying than cozying up with a steaming hot bowl of ramen after a few hours on the slopes (hey, even during a long day on the slopes!). But it鈥檚 safe to say Miso Hungry鈥檚 Veggie Ramen does not disappoint. You can choose between spicy and regular miso (we鈥檙e always opting for spicy鈥t鈥檚 a quick way to warm up!) and top it with a little fried tofu for some extra protein. You can even make it vegan by asking to swap out the marinated egg for extra veggies.

Curry Fries from Roundhouse (Solitude Mountain Resort, UT)

 

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Indian-Himalayan fusion might not come to mind when visiting the state of Utah, but mid-mountain restaurant, Roundhouse, has a mouthwatering menu (think: dals, butter chicken, and lamb curry) that鈥檚 worth flying in for. But if you鈥檙e looking for a big plate to share, curry fries may be the way to go, and definitely ask for extra napkins. We can鈥檛 think of a better way to warm up amongst friends.

Jerk Chicken from Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill (Killington Ski Resort, VT)聽

During those extra cold days on the slopes, a tropical lunchtime vibe may be the way to go to get the feeling back in your fingers. One repeat recommendation for the best mountain food on the Reddit page was the famous Jerk Shack at , and needless to say, we鈥檙e dying to try it. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a jerk chicken shack slopeside at Killington that is so good it鈥檚 hard to believe,鈥� one user聽writes in a rave review. 鈥淓asily the best food I鈥檝e had at any resort, ever.鈥�

Barbacoa, Chicken Tinga, or Tofu Chorizo Tacos from Phlox Point (Timberline, OR)

Even though Portland tends to be Oregon鈥檚 primary food hub, one ski area along has a ski-in, ski-out taqueria that could just as well be in the city. Phlox Point at offers affordable and flavorful tacos, which beat any .

鈥淥ur personal faves include the barbacoa, a tantalizing shredded beef version braised in stout with ancho and chipotle chilis, oregano, and cumin,鈥� , behind Mount Hood鈥檚 Alpine Chalet. 鈥淭he chicken tinga is also a standout, marinated in IPA, green chili, cumin, and garlic. And for the veggie peeps, they have a rotating option (currently tofu chorizo).鈥�

The Reuben from John Paul Lodge (Snowbasin Resort, UT)

John Paul Lodge serves up what they claim to be 鈥渢he best Reuben in Utah鈥� 鈥斅燼nd the Internet seems to wholeheartedly agree. In response to , one comment read: 鈥淐ouple more weeks till I fly in for my Reuben,鈥� while another added: 鈥淏est Reuben of all time.鈥澛燗nd if you鈥檙e still not convinced, then , who voted Snowbasin one of the top ten resorts in the West for dining in our annual SKI Reader鈥檚 Survey.

Fondue from The Roundhouse (Bald Mountain Ski Area, ID)聽

Fondue is a relatively common slopeside staple, but evidently, has nailed the art of melty cheese and crudit茅s. Not to mention, a pretty stellar view from the top of the resort, only accessible by gondola. Not to mention, The Roundhouse claims to be the original on-mountain dining spot in the U.S.

The Roundhouse is popular amongst skiers and nonskiers alike, so if you鈥檙e planning on visiting make sure to make reservations ahead of time.

Deer Valley Turkey Chili (Deer Valley, UT).

You know a food is iconic when a quick Google search ranks copycat recipes to make at home higher than the resort鈥檚 website. Deer Valley鈥檚 Turkey Chili is certainly that type of dish and a staple at the Utah resort. You can snag this famous bowl of protein-packed goodness at several of Deer Valley鈥檚 onsite lodges, and even . Don鈥檛 forget to embrace toppings the Deer Valley way by adding cheese, sour cream, red or green onions, or even some sliced jalape帽os.

Not into Chili? No worries, Deer Valley has plenty of other favorites like rich and silky smooth hot chocolate, and a whole variety of desserts guaranteed to please your sweet tooth and give you the energy to carry out your day.

Latin American food from Nob Hill Cafe (Sugar Bowl Resort, CA)聽

Situated in Village Lodge is the Nob Hill Cafe, a casual spot to grab some Michelin-starred chef-created meals. This season, the cafe is bringing the heat with a flavorful Latin American-inspired fare. Between laps, you can choose from a tasty menu that includes birria braised beef, pollo asado chicken, vegetarian Pozole Verde, and veggie pupusas 鈥� yum.

Waffles from Corbet鈥檚 Cabin (Jackson Hole, WY)

If you鈥檝e been skiing for more than a few years, you鈥檙e likely accustomed to a grab-and-go waffle before hitting the chairlift. But, Corbet鈥檚 Cabin at Jackson Hole is no run-of-the-mill Waffle Cabin. Skiers can grab a freshly made waffle reminiscent of weekend mornings and choose toppings accordingly, like bacon, peanut butter, or whipped cream. All that extra sugar pairs perfectly with a death-defying run off the cabin鈥檚 namesake, Jackson Hole鈥檚 famous Corbet鈥檚 Couloir.

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In of The Road Less Eaten, chef and host Biju Thomas visits Utah鈥檚 Heber Valley, an unassuming corner of the western U.S. that has seen an explosion in its food scene over the course of the last ten years. While in the Heber Valley, Thomas spends the majority of his time in Midway, Utah, a town on the Eastern flank of the Wasatch Mountains, about an hour away from Salt Lake City and a stone鈥檚 throw from Park City.

Thomas tells viewers that local farming and great ingredients have made the Heber Valley a quiet food mecca with a vibrant culinary scene that can hold its own against other, more well-known food destinations. With farms and ranches dotting the landscape, and local bakeries and restaurants that understand the value of locally sourced ingredients, the Heber Valley is filled with dining destinations for visitors to explore after a day hitting the slopes or adventuring in the outdoors.

 

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Hawk and Sparrow Bakery

Thomas starts his journey through the Heber Valley food scene at , which is an organic, artisan bakery located in baker Andrew Berthrong鈥檚 home garage in Midway, Utah, that Thomas says produces some of the best bread in Utah. Hawk and Sparrow is known for its sourdough, which is a staple in Heber Valley restaurants that aim to showcase local ingredients and artisan products. Thomas describes Berthrong, a former academic, as 鈥渙ne of the best bakers in the country.鈥�

Viewers watch as Thomas and Berthrong sample the popular sourdough, which takes a multi-day process to create. As they slather the bread with butter, Thomas remarks on the beauty and simplicity of freshly baked bread that鈥檚 made with just a few ingredients because it really has nothing to get in the way of its flavor.

 

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Lola鈥檚 Street Kitchen

From Hawk and Sparrow, Thomas ventures onto , a former food truck that now has a brick-and-mortar location in Midway, Utah. Owned and operated by David and Mandy Medina, Lola鈥檚 makes all of their own breads, buns, and pitas in addition to using some of the sourdough from Hawk and Sparrow. The Medinas envisioned the restaurant as showcasing the best of American street food, all made from scratch.

One of the highlights of Thomas鈥� visit to Lola鈥檚 includes a rundown of their three most popular items: the fried chicken sandwich on freshly baked potato roll, lamb gyro on handmade pita, and a portobello truffle melt on Hawk and Sparrow鈥檚 sourdough. Thomas describes Lola鈥檚 as approachable and affordable with beautiful dishes but without any fussiness or stuffiness.

Heber Valley Artisan Cheese

After his ride on the local 鈥淗eber Creeper鈥� train, Thomas takes viewers to the fourth-generation family-owned dairy farm and shop. Thomas describes the dairy鈥攁nd its owner and operator Russ Kohler鈥攁s embodying the ethics of the region. At Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, they do it all; they grow the hay that feeds the cows, and they raise the herd that produces the milk that turns into some of the world鈥檚 finest cheese.

And Thomas isn鈥檛 exaggerating. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards for its Lemon Sage Cheddar, and its Wasatch Back Jack is a National Champion. A highlight for Thomas comes when he gets to taste both prize winners. As he samples the cheddar, Thomas remarks that the cheese is actually 鈥渕ore buttery than cheesy,鈥� which Kohler explains is a result of the cows鈥� diet. Because corn doesn鈥檛 grow at elevation, the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese herd has an alfalfa-based diet. Alfalfa diets create a richer, creamier texture in the cheese.

 

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Midway Mercantile

Chef John Platt then gives Thomas a tour and tasting at his upscale Midway, Utah, eatery . A former teacher and principal, Platt moved to Midway nearly two decades ago, drawn by the Heber Valley鈥檚 beauty.

While at Midway Mercantile, Thomas gets to sample their panko-crusted Alaskan Halibut, which is Midway Mercantile鈥檚 most popular dish. The fish is panko crusted in yellow curry, served with coconut rice and spinach, and topped with apple chutney. Thomas loves the dish鈥攑articularly the apple chutney. Thomas also gets to taste Sandra鈥檚 Classic Salad, a salad named after Platt鈥檚 wife and composed of greens, herbs, lemon vinaigrette, truffle oil, and grilled Juustoleipa cheese. Juustoleipa is a Finnish bread cheese that really has its flavors come out when grilled.

 

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Ritual Chocolate

Thomas finishes his exploration of the Heber Valley at , where Anna Seear has perfected small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate from ethically sourced heirloom cacao. Thomas notes that he and Seear actually both started their careers in the Boulder, Colorado, food scene.

After walking through the artisanal process Seear uses to create Ritual鈥檚 finely crafted chocolate, Thomas enjoys tasting Ritual鈥檚 unique, single-origin drinking chocolates, which are made from half hot water and half chocolate. After drinking both the Madagascar and the Ecuador, Thomas notes the cinnamon-y flavor and richness of the Ecuador, while the Madagascar has a brighter flavor.

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It鈥檚 not that I don鈥檛 like food. I do. I carry frozen cheesecakes on winter expeditions. They鈥檙e caloric and they don鈥檛 freeze hard, so you can bite off chunks without chipping your teeth. I once ate the same dead catfish boiled over a fire for three days. Was it good? Absolutely not. I like cardamom, snap peas, and Asian pears. I eat frozen bean burritos. I hate raw tomatoes, a trait I attribute to growing up near a ketchup factory in California. Tomatoes festered on every street corner and stuck to the soles of my flip-flops. They rolled off trucks en route to the factory, then rotted in the sun.

My husband, on the other hand, was raised by an epicurean grandfather, driving hours one-way for frog legs, bouillabasse, a pastry shaped like a bird鈥檚 nest. We have twin babies now. He wants them to appreciate good food, so he’s learning to cook. In pursuit of this goal, he discovered the , a remote bed and breakfast in Michigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula where superstar chef Lane Regan (formerly Iliana) cooks foraged ingredients for a handful of guests in exclusive weekends that sell out years in advance. This year, my husband鈥檚 been helping out at the Inn, building a woodshed and tending colonies of bees. He鈥檚 developed a new language, dropping words like 鈥済arum鈥� and fermenting wild plums on the top shelf of our closet. In exchange for his work, Lane offered us a slot on a last-minute November weekend鈥攁nd my husband, excited to share a place he loves, gave the slot to me.

The Inn lies about a mile from two-lane Highway 13 as the crow flies, and 25 miles by unmarked dirt road. Guests caravan. It鈥檚 a log cabin with a central parlor that鈥檚 half kitchen, adorned with Pendleton blankets, paintings of foxes, and Chef鈥檚 three Michelin stars. Tonight鈥檚 dinner is not the star of the weekend鈥攖hat would be Saturday鈥檚 15-course tasting menu鈥攂ut as guests gather around the three small tables, it鈥檚 clearly no less anticipated. I scoot in at the corner table with two couples, dodging a silky lump that reveals itself to be a Shih Tzu named Clemmie. George, a nine-year-old Newfoundland, sprawls like a bear rug by the hearth.

Host Rebecca, a breezy redhead with pigtails and an expression of warm concern, brings dishes of savoy cabbage with pine flower miso and milkweed flower vinegar that have my tablemates gasping. It鈥檚 meaty, complex, and鈥攖o my inexperienced palate鈥攊neffable. I feel like a phony for eating it without the knowledge to name the tastes. Like wild mushrooms, I think, tentative even in my mind鈥攁nd when a neighbor mentions the same, I feel a sprig of confidence. By the bread course, a thick warm sourdough with tangy goat milk butter and honey, I find myself relaxing. The trout in herb gribiche is fleshy and tastes like lake in the best way, and dessert鈥攁 profiterole with spruce ice cream and chaga cookie top that cracks into patches like the spots on an amanita鈥攐ffers an almost musical experience of bliss.

By the time guests sigh and lean back, the woods outside the windows are black. The nearest neighbors are more than a howl鈥檚 reach away. Rebecca did a 12-day silent retreat 鈥渋n order to be able to work here鈥攂ecause one struggles with one鈥檚 mind,鈥� she remarks of the Inn鈥檚 isolation, gliding to the table with postprandial tea. A guest inquires if she has any decaf coffee. 鈥淣o the fuck we do not,鈥� she says.

I sleep outside by choice, full-bellied in two sleeping bags, and wake to daylight in a shell of ice.

By first breakfast鈥攂anana-walnut bread with salt and butter鈥攖he guests are familiar with each other. They鈥檙e midwestern, foodies, adventurous鈥攖wo retired couples, a pair of restaurant owners, and a data scientist and millennial geriatrician from Madison, Wisconsin. Chef Lane bustles in the kitchen, answering questions and offering guidance on the wood-fired sauna. They鈥檙e slim and soft-spoken, with a teal moth tattooed on their neck, wings filling the open collar of their tucked-in wool flannel. In a minute they stir, scoop, plate, taste, give hiking suggestions, and brush Shih Tzu Clemmie鈥檚 eyebrows up with their hand, securing them with plastic barrettes. Second breakfast is tacos on green tortillas, tinged with weeds picked that week.

The day is food and leisure; some folks wander to the Sturgeon River, descending a trailless slope, while others knit, hike, or read. I sit briefly in the loft, overhearing snippets of conversation. 鈥淥ne time I got stung by a hornet on my butt cheek and [redacted] sucked all the venom out of me,鈥� someone remarks. 鈥淭hat was the most romantic thing he鈥檚 ever done.鈥� Later, thoughtful: 鈥淢y tapeworm鈥檚 the only one who understands me.鈥�

When guests stay too long in the sauna, Lane worries. 鈥淒o you think they passed out?鈥� they murmur. 鈥淢aybe they鈥檙e cooking.鈥�

Lane says that guests at Milkweed fall on a spectrum: on one extreme, foodies who rarely step outdoors, and at the other, outdoorsfolk who鈥攍ike myself鈥斺�渉ave never even had a tasting menu.鈥� It鈥檚 Milkweed that brings them together.

As an adventurer, I鈥檓 often in the position of enticing people outside, and it can be a hard sell. Not because the highs aren鈥檛 great, but because folks fear the lows: bugs, cold, bears, isolation, toilet paper made of leaves. And yet here鈥檚 Milkweed, pulling magic: calling new people into the Northwoods, not in spite of discomfort, but for pursuit of pleasure alone.

Lunch starts with a salad of fennel and carrot two ways (shaved raw, and blanched and marinated in lemon), moose garum and egg white aminos with marinated white beans and garnished with chamomile. The flavor is multisensory, euphoric; I feel it in my arms. Something鈥檚 sweet on my tongue, and tart on the sides of my mouth, and there鈥檚 a tinge of smoke, too, which surprises me.

鈥淲e fed the moose firewood,鈥� says cooking resident Jade. She鈥檚 joking, but she might as well not be, because I swear it鈥檚 all there: the soil, the rain, the antlers, the trees. And when it hits me, I almost laugh from the revelation: foraged food isn鈥檛 just about bringing people into wildness. It鈥檚 about bringing wildness into our very mouths.

We can鈥攚e do鈥攈ave nature inside us, even in the most conservative sense of the word: wilderness as nonhuman, nature as beyond control. What鈥檚 a tapeworm if not a reminder that our bodies are ecosystems, too? But this place, this cooking, this food鈥攊t turns fear into pleasure. Savoring a wild lion鈥檚 mane mushroom is no less an engagement with wildness than spotting one in the woods, and it is鈥攊n a tactile way鈥攎ore accessible to most.

I鈥檓 not proud to realize that my lack of engagement with good food was, in minuscule part, because I thought myself above it. Because, while I savor comfort, I鈥檝e always prided myself on enduring its lack, and I have in me some Puritan sense that suffering for a goal gives you greater pride. I have struggled in my life to let myself be purely content, and maybe food represents that: it turns a need into a gift. I鈥檝e spent decades chasing wilderness, when it could always be right here: on my plate, in my mouth, in the animal body that I am.

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