Food during Everest Base Camp Trek

  • Karan Gurung
  • Last Updated on Nov 5, 2023

Choosing the proper food for the journey is crucial when the destination is a hike to Everest Base Camp. It is one of the most well-liked trekking locations in Nepal, and alpinists can select their preferred cuisine from the menu.

The trail to Everest Base Camp leads to lots of ascent and descent, with a rough and rugged rocky trail in the alpine. Hiking for five to six hours every day requires good strength and stamina, so hikers need food that provides energy and strength.

While stepping towards the Everest Base Camp trek, there are a variety of foods available. The traveler can choose food according to their choices and preferences. Some may like to taste local and organic foods, and some may like to have western foods. As per their tastes, food is available.

As you are ordering your food, you must know how much you can eat. It's not a good idea to waste food. To bring food to that elevation is not a joke. They have struggled a lot and don't want to waste it. If you are wasting food in the mountains, it means you are disrespecting them. So, order how much food your body is wanting.

BREAKFAST

Table of Contents

List of foods during Everest Base Camp Trek

While trekking towards Everest Base Camp,you will get to taste a variety of foods, from local authentic foods to western continental foods. Food is the main source of cultural exchange, which combines different backgrounds of people to cook, taste, and share the food. Trekkers can taste the local organic foods and learn their recipes. The list of foods eaten during the Everest Base Camp Trek is listed below.

Breakfast 

BREAKFAST

As you are beginning your day, selecting a good breakfast will be the best way to start it. In the tea houses, they cook a variety of breakfasts. It's an option for you to choose breakfast. One note: before starting the hike, do not eat very heavy foods because they will make you uncomfortable while walking. What you can get for breakfast on the way to Everest Base Camp are:

Eggs Item

The following egg dishes are available for you to sample when hiking to Everest Base Camp: boiled eggs, masala eggs, scrambled eggs, sun-top eggs, cheese omelets, veggie omelets, mixed omelets, egg soup, etc.

Porridge Item

Porridge is the best for breakfast. A wide range of porridge items are available during the entire trip. Among them, oat porridge, tsampa porridge, and apple porridge are the most popular.

Muesli with Hot Milk

It is also one of the most popular and convenient breakfast items on the way to Everest on the Base Camp Trek. Muesli contains a good amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, etc. So it is a very good breakfast dish for trekkers.

Breakfast Set 

A breakfast set is a combination of various foods on a single plate. There will be a fried egg, fried potatoes, toast or bread, tea, jam or honey, and porridge or muesli. Breakfast might be quite heavy for some people. If you can finish it, you may have these items as well.

Lunch and dinner

dinnerlunch

During the Everest base camp trek, you’ll typically have meals provided by the tea houses or lodges along the way. What you can expect for lunch and dinner during the Everest Base Camp Trek are:

Lunhc: Fried noodle, fried rice, egg fried noodle, pasta, veggie pasta, mixed pasta, dal bhat, chowmein, macaroni, noodle soup, etc.

Dinner: Dal Bhat (local authentic food), rice with curry, momos, spring roll, pasta, chowmein, yak steak, burger, pizza, thukpa, shera stew, etc.

Note: When you order your lunch, it's better not to order momo. Because it takes a long time and might delay the camp.

Desert in the Everest Base Camp Trek

During the Everest Base Camp trek, deserts are not the main course and are not compulsory. But if you would like to have sweets before bed, you can order them for yourself. Due to the locations and remoteness, you might not get as many cities. The desserts available at the tea houses are apple pie, chocolate pie, fruit salad, and rice pudding.

Gluten-free Food

A "gluten-sensitive" or "gluten-intolerant" person is someone who has the medical illness "celiac disease" or "gluten sensitivity. These words refer to people who have negative reactions after eating meals that contain gluten.

Gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives, is not present in gluten-free meals. For people who have celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), or who choose to adopt a gluten-free diet for a variety of reasons, these foods are appropriate. The gluten-free foods during the Everest Base Camp Trek are: vegetables and fruits, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds, cereals, fish items, dal bhat, etc.

Cost of food during the Everest Base Camp Trek

The Everest Base Camp Trek's food expenses vary according to the locations, lodge amenities, and service. Generally speaking, food is less expensive at lower elevations than it is at higher elevations. Set aside at least 35 to 50 USD every day if you intend to trek to Everest Base Camp. You will consume three meals every day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Therefore, it will be sufficient for your food.

The best food for altitude sickness in Everest Base Camp Trek

Trekking towards Everest Base Camp is not as easy as people think. When rambling at high elevation on rough and rocky trails, there is a possibility of getting altitude sickness. To avoid altitude sickness, garlic soup, liquid items, and drinking enough water are the best ways to avoid it.

While garlic soup may offer some potential benefits at higher elevations. It boosts our immune system, improves circulation, delivers oxygen, and also helps with digestion. So, on the way to Everest Base Camp, people considered garlic soup a local organic means of medicine.

What kinds of foods are not good at Everest Base Camp?

On the way to the Everest Base Camp Trek, you will get a variety of the best food as per the menu. Meats and bakery items are not good at high altitude, and the reasons are:

Meat: Consumption of meat items during the Everest Base Camp Trek is not considered good food. Because meat is carried by porters and yaks from lower elevations and stored for a long time, It won't be fresh, increasing the chances of getting food poisoning. If you get serious food poisoning, you won't be able to continue your journey and will have to return halfway. So as per my opinion, I would highly recommend you avoid meat items during the trek to high elevation.

Bakery Items: Bakery items such as cakes and pastries are not typically considered ideal for consumption. Consumption of bakery foods may cause loss of moisture, digestive issues, dehydration, an imbalance in nutrients, etc.

So consumption of meat and bakery items is not the best food for you if you are planning to do the Everest Base Camp Trek.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you will get a variety of food while trekking towards the Everest Base Camp Trek, but selecting the right food at higher elevations is very important. Good food will help you accomplish your destination.

 

Karan Gurung

Karan Gurung

Hey! I'm Karan Gurung, a boy who enjoys traveling and exploring new places. I was born in the Ruby Valley, a remote area of Nepal, and later I moved to Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal) in search of better education and facilities.  I joined the trekking industry at an early age, started as a porter, assistant guide, and full guide, and now I am the CEO of Nature Excursion. 

I worked as a mountain leader in Nepal's Himalayas for more than 12 years. I have led over 500 or plus trekkers into the mountains during my guiding tenure.  I feel very fortunate to have such an amazing job taking people to the rural parts of Nepal and connecting them with nature.  My ultimate goal is to make travelers happy and give my 100% to achieve their goals.

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