What Snacks To Bring For Hiking?
- A waste plant topped with a ski slope was named Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival
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- The Interior of the Year award went to a hostel in China with room for 20 guests that also houses a bookstore
The 15 Best Backpacking Foods and Meals
- Nuts and Seeds. Nuts and seeds are portable, convenient options for backpackers.
- Dried Fruit. Unlike fresh fruits, which are highly perishable, dried fruits are heat-stable and have long shelf lives.
- Jerky.
- Nut Butter.
- Dehydrated Meals.
- Protein Bars.
- Instant Oatmeal.
- Powdered Milk.
- Coffee and Tea.
- Fish or Poultry in Foil Packets.
Personally, we make our homemade trail mix with the following ingredients:
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Dark chocolate chips
Some hiking food ideas with no cooking or cooling required include:
- Trail mix
- Packets of nut butter and slices of whole-grain bread
- Granola bars (choose low-sugar varieties)
- Stay-fresh tuna salad pouches
- Apples, carrot sticks, celery sticks, bananas and other fruits and veggies that can go a longer period without refrigeration.
- Beef, chicken or salmon jerky (shelf stable and low sodium)
What is the best snack to take on a hike?
1. Beef Jerky. Beef jerky is a go-to hiking snack because it’s high in protein, which keeps you full, and it’s easy to pack. Beef jerky does have a lot of sodium, though, so try not to go overboard! Another fun perk of beef jerky is all the flavors! I like to take a different kind every time I go hiking or backpacking.
2. Bananas. Bananas are full of potassium, an electrolyte that is lost in sweat, and it can provide a burst of sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth during a hike. Potassium also helps fight off muscle cramps and keeps you hydrated [ * ].
Snacks help you get past the inevitable hiking burnout. It’s common to hit a wall in the middle of your hike. This happens all the time in endurance sports, and there’s even a specific term for it — bonking (how fun is that).
Why not pack some hummus with your veggie sticks? Hummus is super nutritious and has a low glycemic level, which can help keep blood sugar at a healthy level. Hummus is also full of plant-based protein that helps maintain your muscles and energy levels [ * ].
On average, long-distance trail hikers burn up to 4,500 calories a day [ * ], and someone who weighs 160 pounds will burn around 425-450 calories per hour of hiking, which means that they would need 800-900 calories on a 2-hour hike to break even.
Vegetables are packed with nutrients and vitamins that can help with immunity and digestion [ * ]. Carrots, celery, and broccoli all keep well on a one-day hike without being refrigerated, and cucumbers are made up mostly of water, so they can keep you hydrated too. Eating healthy on the trail is always refreshing! 5.
When you hike, you are constantly spending energy and burning calories. Keeping yourself fueled makes sure you have the energy you need to keep moving. And you never know when your hike will end up being longer than you think. A few years ago I took a hike outside of Chattanooga, TN.
What is the best fruit to eat on a hike?
Dried fruits are a favorite for many hikers because not only will they deliver a good dose of natural sugar (perfect for when you’re feeling faint), but they are lightweight, calorie-dense, and won’t spoil.
Plan ahead and have a balanced breakfast like eggs, whole-grain toast, and avocado; or oatmeal, nut butter, and berries.
We like to bring a mix of carrot sticks, celery, jicama (so good!), and snap peas.
Think about the weight of the food you’re packing. Go with foods that are dense (nuts, dried fruit, beef jerky) so you can pack less weight overall. Choose snacks that don’t need to stay refrigerated if possible . We do have a couple of chilled items on this list and some “hacks” to help them stay cold on your hike.
For instance, on a short and relatively easy hike, you’ll be fine with packing an apple and trail mix. But on a hike where you’re going to be burning a significant amount of calories, you’ll want to plan to bring enough high-energy food to both fuel and replenish your body.
If you think you’ll want a snack that really “sticks” with you, packing oatmeal can be a good idea. It’s an especially good option on early morning hikes, or in colder weather when you’ll want a little warm-up.
High in protein and carbs, and with zero sugar, chickpeas are a healthy snack, whether hiking or not. The easiest way to enjoy them on the go is when they’re roasted.
What is the best snack for hiking?
Peanut butter , almond butter, cashew butter—whatever your preference, nut butter is a great hiking snack. Spread it on crackers or fruit, use it to make a sandwich, or just eat it plain. Nut butter is very calorie-dense, so you get a lot of energy for the weight.
Shelf-Stable: You can bring an insulated tote or backpack with you if you want, but it’s best if your day hiking snacks don’t require refrigeration.
To prevent oils and smells from permeating anything else in your backpack, wrap the cheese in a beeswax wrap or place it in a resealable container. Babybel makes wax-wrapped cheeses that are perfectly sized for personal consumption. Tillamook and Cabot also make excellent cheese sticks which are great options for kids.
Tuna or chicken packets. Ready-made tuna and chicken salad packets are a great shelf-stable option for a more substantial hiking lunch. You can find a variety of flavors like Buffalo Chicken or Herb & Garlic at your local grocery store. These are great spread onto crackers or rolled into a flour tortilla wrap.
Portable and packable: You will probably be storing your snacks in a backpack. You want snacks won’t take up a ton of space and won’t get smashed to smithereens over the course of your hike. Minimal packaging: The less packaging you take out on the trail, the less trash you’ll need to hike out with.
Fruit leathers are a great way to bring the flavor of fresh fruit on the trail without the weight and clean up. You’d be surprised how easy it can be to make your own fruit leathers at home using a food dehydrator. Some of our favorite recipes include our Tie Dye Fruit Leathers and our Tropical Fruit Leathers.
It’s the best of both worlds! Even though you’re just hiking for the day, it’s still important to be prepared. Hiking burns a lot of calories, so it’s important to pack …
What are some easy snacks to eat while hiking?
11 EASY HIKING SNACKS. 1. Peanut Butter Pretzels. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better than a spoonful of peanut butter, someone thought to put a crunch salty pretzel around it! Peanut butter pretzels make a great trail snack because they’re crunchy, salty, and fatty to keep you full for hours. 2.
Beef Jerky or Meat Sticks. Beef jerky is one of my favorite hiking snacks. It’s a bit expensive, so I try and save it only for hiking because I can easily eat the entire bag in one sitting! Beef jerky and jerky sticks make great hiking snacks because they’re high in protein.
Always a classic combo. Although an apple is bulkier and heavier than some of the other hiking snacks on this list, it can be so refreshing to bite into a nice juicy apple on the trails. Especially on hot hikes. They go great with some peanut butter or almond butter.
Nuts make a great hiking snack because they’re high in calories for their weight and size. If you want to take things to the next level, pack some candied nuts – they’re so addicting!
Always pack more food than you think you’re going to need. That’s one of the 10 essentials for day hiking. Electrolytes. In addition to food, you also might want to pack electrolytes to help keep you hydrated, especially on hot and sweaty hikes. These Nuun tablets are easy to pack and add to water.
Dried fruit is great for when you need a quick boost in energy. I like to go to the bulk section of the grocery store and pick out a variety of dried fruit for a hike. Trader Joes also has an incredible selection! My favorites are dried mangos, figs, bananas, and pineapple.