Has living aboard changed your diet?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by wsmac

Is that at the equator? Just figured it was due to the orientation of the shot!
Wonder how they would keep the veggies on the boat 'down under'?

...

Almost...thats why its just leaning on its side and not yet fully inverted...about another 10d south and it will fully invert.

[indiana_ct]

Have we changed diet... A little, but our diet evolves constantly anyway as we travel, discover, experiment. Junk food isn't a feature, neither are snacks, and takeaways disappeared 20+ years ago when we upgraded our student-style kitchen to one we loved to cook in. The healthiness of our food is not an issue. We eat well and ensure variety.
In the house we use a wok 2 or 3 times a week but I haven't found wok cooking compatible with the boat. It's just too unstable and awkward to wash and store. I use a flat deep pan instead. Two pan dishes are becoming one pan dishes and I am simplifying preparation so as to reduce washing up. The same land-based attitudes prevail about using food before it deteriorates, plus the consideration of the space it occupies.

On cold rough passages we make use of instant soups, hot chocolate, tea, dried fruits, nuts and bits of cheese as palatable, nutritious and cockpit friendly.
Where the chef can spend time at the stove, we make omelets, risotto, pastotto, paella, cassoulet, hot gazpacho. I may never understand the appeal of a tub of ice-cream and intravenous cola. Fine for cooling off a little, but not as real food.
Eating ashore is another subject. I like to buy local and eat local. If it's handmade tortillas, chayote, or all manner of unusual vegetables and fruit, why not. That's one of the main reasons for sailing - to explore widely, not sit in the cockpit worrying about having no ice.

Imagination, inspiration and experimentation: use them.

[CoralReefer]

Several Cases of Canned Chili!

What else need you?

[michaelratinter]

Several cases of Bush's Original Baked Beans and cases of ultra pasteurized milk (8 oz containers).

[SailingFan]

Well, I have not yet done the cruising as so many have here (working on the boat still and dealing with medical issues along the way), but I remember when in the US Navy we stopped in all sorts of places, and the local foods never ceased to satisfy. I do recall lots of UHT milk (Parmalat, and the like), and I have no idea how pizza in the US could have evolved from that of Italy, or even what the French call pizza. Still, I recall the first time I got a pasta dish in Italy, with olive oil over the pasta, a sprinkle of basil, and essentially a very light dish was delivered, devoured, and delighted over.

In St. Thomas we apparently were not far enough out of the tourism area to get to much in local food, but I remember a trip to the Bahamas after my service where we got to dabble in local food and loiter about in a farmer's market. We sure had fun.

Now, fast forward to another wife (prior one passed away a bit after the Bahamas run) who is not as outgoing as the previous one was, and I am going to be introducing her to the same diversity in food when the boat is nearly done (we will be sailing before the H27 is fully complete, I am shooting for fixing the remaining mast step issue and installing the new running rigging and radio antenna, fixing a leaking hatch and some deck hardware rebedding, then texturing the cabin top and then casting lines).

It is my hope to take Equinox down the St. John's to the source, then back to Jacksonville, out to the Atlantic, and then ditty-bop down the coast to the Keys, around the bend to Tampa Bay, and back. Take maybe a month or two, and make a real fun time of it. Probably we will do that a few times, and learn the best way to pack Equinox for these sorts of runs, and how best to deal with whatever comes along in terms of unexpected issues, while building up our sail suite to more than the basic couple already on board. We are going to be eating a bit of seafood I hope (Monica caught a stingray from Equinox' deck last year, and I still keep hearing about it!). She liked catching the ray even more than the sharks!

If we don't find we need to upsize to something larger than this 27' 1978 Hunter, we will then address that rudder issue that is bugging me, and venture out on a pretty weekend from someplace near Miami and head over to the Bahamas. I hope to introduce us to more food options and recipes over time that will make the food as much a part of the experience as the sailing will be.

[44'cruisingcat]

We eat a lot more seafood than when we lived in a house. We couldn't have afforded to buy the amount of crabs, oysters, calamari, prawns and fish that we catch now.

[Auspicious]

The discussion here misses the element of ground transportation. I can think of a lot of places within reasonable walking distance of good shopping. I can also think of a lot of places where you just need a car or taxi for food shopping. The latter pushes us to less frequent shopping. That's a big impact.

Originally Posted by hamburking

Bacon and eggs on a boat makes such huge mess...

Then you aren't doing it right. *grin*

Originally Posted by hamburking

Or meals that have a salad course, main with sides, dessert, then coffee.

Dinners on delivery with me include salad, main, and a side--sometimes two. People who want dessert hit the snack bag. No shortage of coffee.

Sailing/cruising doesn't have to be camping.

Originally Posted by hamburking

Hey, somebody has to wash all those dishes!

So what? You don't need a separate salad bowl. Everything can go on one plate. What difference does it make how many things are on the plate? You still have to clean the plate.

Originally Posted by hamburking

Better are things like fruit and sandwiches that need no plate or cutlery at all.

Fine for lunch but a solid meal for dinner changes the experience completely.

Originally Posted by gamayun

A store nearby has a salad bar so I load up on all the cut veges and rice/mango (prepared) salads into a box that I then dump on raw spinach leaves with balsamic vinegar and oil.

That's a very expensive way to buy veg.

[dwedeking2]

The discussion here misses the element of ground transportation. I can think of a lot of places within reasonable walking distance of good shopping. I can also think of a lot of places where you just need a car or taxi for food shopping. The latter pushes us to less frequent shopping. That's a big impact.

Add to that either having to dinghy it out or a long walk down the dock and you're more selective on what you buy. (better things, quality over quantity). Living on a boat is very good for my diet and budget.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by dwedeking2

Add to that either having to dinghy it out or a long walk down the dock and you're more selective on what you buy. (better things, quality over quantity).

I agree that moving food by dinghy is rough (I recently had to feed four people on a three week delivery passage with provisioning delivery). Long docks are really inconvenient also, especially when dock carts aren't available (BTDT).

As for quality over quantity you have to have enough calories. Better quality food is no substitute for enough food.

[TomLewis]

Originally Posted by SailingFan

Well, I have not yet done the cruising as so many have here (working on the boat still and dealing with medical issues along the way), but I remember when in the US Navy we stopped in all sorts of places, and the local foods never ceased to satisfy. I do recall lots of UHT milk (Parmalat, and the like), and I have no idea how pizza in the US could have evolved from that of Italy, or even what the French call pizza. Still, I recall the first time I got a pasta dish in Italy, with olive oil over the pasta, a sprinkle of basil, and essentially a very light dish was delivered, devoured, and delighted over.

In St. Thomas we apparently were not far enough out of the tourism area to get to much in local food, but I remember a trip to the Bahamas after my service where we got to dabble in local food and loiter about in a farmer's market. We sure had fun.

Now, fast forward to another wife (prior one passed away a bit after the Bahamas run) who is not as outgoing as the previous one was, and I am going to be introducing her to the same diversity in food when the boat is nearly done (we will be sailing before the H27 is fully complete, I am shooting for fixing the remaining mast step issue and installing the new running rigging and radio antenna, fixing a leaking hatch and some deck hardware rebedding, then texturing the cabin top and then casting lines).

It is my hope to take Equinox down the St. John's to the source, then back to Jacksonville, out to the Atlantic, and then ditty-bop down the coast to the Keys, around the bend to Tampa Bay, and back. Take maybe a month or two, and make a real fun time of it. Probably we will do that a few times, and learn the best way to pack Equinox for these sorts of runs, and how best to deal with whatever comes along in terms of unexpected issues, while building up our sail suite to more than the basic couple already on board. We are going to be eating a bit of seafood I hope (Monica caught a stingray from Equinox' deck last year, and I still keep hearing about it!). She liked catching the ray even more than the sharks!

If we don't find we need to upsize to something larger than this 27' 1978 Hunter, we will then address that rudder issue that is bugging me, and venture out on a pretty weekend from someplace near Miami and head over to the Bahamas. I hope to introduce us to more food options and recipes over time that will make the food as much a part of the experience as the sailing will be.

Ahoy shipmate. As a former US sailor, I understand ditty bopping with a ditty bag. Good luck and 'press on'. (a term used by commander Dallas Boggs)