Food and Drinks on Everest Base Camp Trek

You think of the glittering and humongous mountains, the perennial rivers and dense forests, the blooming rhododendron flowers, and smiling locals when you think of Everest Base Camp Trek, isn’t it? There is something delicious to think about as well. Yes, the food! Whether a foodie that loves to explore new cuisines everywhere they go or someone with a lesser obsession for food, you just can’t ignore the importance of food while you go for a trek like that of Everest Base Camp Trek.
Of course, you are on a trek and you need food to continue the trek. Pause. Not just food, rather proper food. In a trek like Everest Base Camp Trek, you have to follow some dos and don’ts before you savor the delicacy of cuisines available en route. Let’s consider some of the points related to food as you trek in the trails of Everest Base Camp.

What to eat (or drink)?

Anything that tastes good? No. Actually, the question should be what to eat so that you don’t get sick just because had the wrong dish. To name few food items, the following food items are popular among the trekkers, porters, and guides due to their suitability for the trek.

Rice and Lentil Dish

With the common name of ‘Dal Bhaat’, this is the most popular staple of Nepal and the most plentiful dish on the road to the Everest Base Camp. Generally served in lunch and dinner, this meal has rice (bhaat), lentil soup (dal), vegetables, and optionally some pickles. You can have it refilled on your rice, lentil soups, and vegetables. This makes it an easy food option for guides, trekkers, and porters. Ever heard of the tagline ‘Dal Bhaat power, twenty-four hour’? So, have this popular dish and fuel yourself on your dream trek.

Breakfast

Most of the teahouses serve you toast, eggs, and potatoes as your breakfast. Have it. You may find this dish monotonous during your entire journey but it is a good option to keep you charged for a couple of hours. You may have some variations in the form of chapatti instead of toast or you may have jam, honey, or butter with toast or chapatti. You may find porridge in some lodges. Have breakfast that helps you with trekking. Don’t underestimate the power of a good breakfast!

Have some ‘Carbo-loading’

You have another option for lunch and dinner entrees; in fact, the best option is to add up carbohydrates such as potatoes, noodles, pasta or rice and vegetables, eggs, cheese, or any combination of these. It is said that having carbohydrates can help you acclimatize faster. So why not try this?

Water

How can we forget this when we go for a trek like that of Everest Base Camp Trek? Get hydrated properly during the trek as you will be thirsty pretty often while trekking and not getting enough fluid can hamper the success of your trek. To ward off the negative effects of dehydration and altitude sickness you need to keep ingesting yourself regularly with water. Be hydrated always.

What not to eat (or drink)?

You may ask is there something to refrain from when it comes to food. Yes, there are few items you should avoid eating or drinking. Here goes the list.

Alcohol

This popular recreational drink is a strict no when it comes to trekking in the Everest Base Camp Trek or any other trekking destination. Alcohol and other beverages slow down the acclimatization effort of yours and AMS is not something that can be taken lightly. A night of partying in Namche on your way to Everest Base Camp isn’t worth turning your adventure into an expensive nightmare. Say no to alcohol, especially when you are trekking up to mountains. Post-trek celebration is another thing.

Meat

Ask one reason to avoid meat and you can find couple more reasons. The first reason is the quality of meat as said earlier. You never know how old the meat is which might have spent few days in cold storage and many more days on the back of a porter. I’ll give another reason that has a more practical use. Meat is expensive up there in the lap of Mount Everest. So why spend unnecessarily? Thirdly, in Nepal, you don’t find many varieties. If you are fond of the meat of a cow, a big NO to you because Cow is the holy animal of the Hindus and the national animal of Nepal. Considering all these things, maybe you should go vegan for few days of trekking. Isn’t it?

We can, thus, say that enjoying different food tastes on a trek is fun but the main thing is to have the right choice of food that energizes you and does not hold you back. When you go for a dream trek like Everest Base Camp Trek, be wise while having food. Consult with the trekking guide, assess the impact of that food on your body, and make sure that the food you eat is healthy and hygienic. Have a tasty cuisine in the Everest region and a fun-filled trekking experience.