Bariloche has been an incredible experience, we went for the skiing, but have been completely charmed by the lake and all the beautiful hiking around the city. Well worth the 20 hour bus trip from Buenos Aires.
We couch surfed for our 5 day trip and stayed with a fun young couple who found themselves in Bariloche almost three years ago. Both natives, they gave us a serious education in Argentine food. Not only did they tell us about it, but they were kind enough to cook us a typical Argentinian tarta full of eggs, corn, and peppers. We learned that tortas are typically vegetarian, while empanadas typically contain meat. They took us to a local parilla where we enjoyed some incredibly tender chorizo de bife while they filled us in on the Argentine food culture- a meal is so much more, it is an event, something to be savored and shared with friends.
Eating healthy here has been a bit of a challenge, while we have enjoyed some home made meals at the hands of our hosts we have not wanted to take advantage of them or their hospitality. Breakfast has been pretty easy, we brought our stove top granola with us, and have fortified that with the addition of some bananas and yogurt. Lunches have been a little harder as we have been out hiking or exploring most days. We have found ourselves resorting to what we refer to as the “backpackers picnic” a meal of bread, cheese and a piece of fruit- cheap and readily available just about everywhere. It does have some redeeming factors- its got protein, and thanks to the fruit some vitamins and minerals and fiber, but it is high in refined carbs and the unhealthy saturated fats. Decidedly, it is not the healthiest choice.
Our second day in Bariloche we went skiing. We packed our typical backpackers lunch but this time boosted the nutritional value by opting for a light wedge of cheese (similar to a Laughing Cow type cheese), a pear, an avocado and dried fruit and nuts. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any wheat bread at the shop we visited, so had to make due with white. Since we were skiing all day and needed the quick burst of energy that white bread provides we figured it would be ok. The backpackers picnic is a cheap option, and with a few adjustments- adding an avocado for healthy fats, fiber and protein, a pear for fiber, and light cheese for protein without tons of saturated fat- it can be a healthier option. Not great for everyday, but filling and a good source of the energy we needed for a day of so much physical activity. It was a wonderful lunch and we couldn’t have had it in a more amazing setting.
