food.

Heruka · #1 (**permalink**) 08-12-2002

Hello, again. While eating lunch today, which was one of those MARUCHAN instant lunch things, soup in a foam cup, it hit me. This would be perfect food on a long trip. The only drawback would be the high amount of salt content in them. In one soup there''s 1,450 mg''s, %60 of the daily value. At least in the Wonton soup. What would a high level of salt intake do out on the ocean in the hot conditions? I know it helps to retain water, but does this slow down the sweating/cooling process? It''s just a question I wanted to ask while I was thinking about it.

bullseye · #2 (**permalink**) 08-20-2002

hopefully there is a nutritionist onboard here who can help shed some light.
i agree they are Perfect meals/snacks while cruising,easy & quick!,
my main concern is the high MSG(mono sodium glutamate,flavour enhancer 621)content.

JeffC_ · #3 (**permalink**) 08-22-2002

I brought a case of Top Ramen along on my small boat cruise, and loved the convenience of a quick, hot meal anytime I wanted it. I''m not a nutritionist, but making sure you''re drinking water, which you should be doing anyway out on the briny, will help flush away some of that extra sodium and keep your body in balance. I experienced no ill effects during a 2-week cruise, and I ate at least one of those things almost daily.

catsaway · #4 (**permalink**) 09-04-2002

Some of the backpacking meals are pretty good and easy as cuposoup to fix. They do cost a bit more but provide well balanced meals.
I started out on an 18''cat and now have a Hunter 23 with a little more space and a stove that I don''t have to find a beach to cook on. One meal I like is canned green beans and little potatoes with bits of sausage stirred in. You can also use beef jerky if cold storage is a problem.
There are lots of things in the grocery store that are freeze dried if you look carefully and they are quick fixes.
Try adding jerky thats been soaked a while to your Ramon noods.
Also as I travel, I try to find bars with free munchies at happy hour when I go into town. Jay

MaryBeth · #5 (**permalink**) 09-10-2002

I am not a nutritionist, by any means, and I do think that the right idea while coastal cruising is to find the "happy hour" with the best free goodies. Buy one beer and you are set for the night, or as much as you want to eat!! Re: the Ramen noodle thing: they are great for a quick meal if necessary, but they do require a lot of fresh water to quench the thirst caused by them. I have been on offshore trips that have lasted about three weeks, and would not recommend them for regular meals while on a journey of a week or more. When you eat them, they do cause you to drink more, whether fresh water or tea or coffee or soda or long-life milk. Not a rule, just something I''ve noticed over the years I delivered. As a matter of fact, the captain I most sailed with stopped bringing them on the trips. It is just as easy to fix a pasta with a cup of fresh and a cup of sea and then add some canned meat and some sauce. And, it tastes much better. (The sodium content of the manufactured packets is really extreme and not really great for you over years time.)

But, if you do well with it while on your own, who is to say you should not have what you want?

Mary Beth

808state · #6 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002

Try and only using half the flavoring packet that comes with the noodles, that way you''re cuting the sodium in half, and it still tastes ok. At least to me. Try it, you might agree. Bob.