Eating Strategies for a Greenland Expedition

The Culinary Challenges of a Greenland Expedition

As expedition leader of the upcoming Greenland expedition in August, Henk-Jan takes us into the world of expedition nutrition. Assembling food packages for a 30-day journey across the Greenland ice cap is no small task. With a total of 35 kilograms of food, Henk-Jan provides detailed insight into what it means to eat under extreme conditions.

The Importance of Weight and Nutritional Value

Weight plays a crucial role, as all provisions must be pulled across the ice cap in a sled. Henk-Jan emphasizes the importance of lightweight food that is simultaneously rich in energy. Although a pack of butter contains many kilocalories, this would quickly become monotonous and lack essential nutrients.

Variety and Taste

Variety is essential, not only in taste but also in texture. Henk-Jan has even created his own Arctic Adventure breakfast mix, consisting of grains, nuts, fruit, oatmeal, and protein powder, available in three different flavors. For the remaining days, ready-made breakfast options from brands such as Adventure Food and Real Tourmaat are used.

Eating on the Go

During trekking, there’s little time for elaborate meals. The day consists of walking with short breaks where food must be consumed quickly. For this, Henk-Jan uses a large Nalgene bottle filled with snacks such as M&M’s, Callebaut chocolate chips, Haribo gold bears, almond marzipan, and the special Arctic Adventure Nuts & Berries mix. These snacks are easy to consume, even with gloves on.

Nutrition During Breaks and Dinner

Besides snacks, noodles prepared in the morning are eaten during the first break. Energy bars, multivitamins, and isotonic drinks are also consumed throughout the day. Dinner consists of meals between 600 and 1000 kilocalories followed by warm stroopwafels for dessert.

An interesting detail is that Henk-Jan varies the number of kilocalories; less in the first ten days to allow his body to adapt to the exertion and more during the next twenty days.

Summary and Daily Routine

Each daily package weighs approximately 1130 grams and provides an average of 5880 kilocalories. In the evening, soup is cooked together to warm up after a long day. The cheese and meat for the expedition are purchased at the last minute to ensure freshness.

Henk-Jan’s careful planning and attention to both nutritional value and taste diversity demonstrate how crucial nutrition is during such extreme expeditions. With a well-thought-out diet, he hopes not only to meet physical challenges but also to enjoy his meals every day under the most extreme conditions.