Hiking Nutrition and Planning is very important! You definitely don’t want to be hungry, or thirsty on your hike… So In order to combat starvation, and Thurst I have made a list of some of the Best Day Hike Foods, Snacks, and Drinks for you to choose from, to take with you on your next hike.
I myself have been curious about This topic for a while! I mean what are the best Foods to take with you on a day Hike, and what are some of the foods, snacks, and drinks, other hikers prefer???
When going on a day Hike, At least from past experience I don’t typically eat Breakfast or dinner on the trail. I assume you probably Don’t as well? Typically I will eat something before I leave the house, or on my way to the trailhead. Same story when I’m on my way home (After the hike).
So the main meal we really need to worry about is Lunch, and obviously, we need snacks! Cuz, Who goes on Hiking for the day and doesn’t take snacks, Right?
BEST Day Hike Food For Energy (Lunch)
This could very likely be whatever you’d like though I, as well as most, would recommend staying away from fast food, and or takeout.
I think the Perfect lunch or dinner meal for a hike is a simple Ham or turkey sandwich. Both are simple to make, easy to carry and provide a cool comfort feel on a hot summer day.
Though a simple sandwich is probably my most recommended choice for lunch or dinner on the trail. As stated above, it’s simple and easy. However, if you’d like to make yourself a hot Lunch / Dinner? I don’t think it’s too big of a deal to throw a small stove & propane in your bag. Such as a “Jet Boil” or “Camp Chef Stryker”. You know, those small camp stoves made for backpackers and Thru-hikers?
Both are small enough and light enough to throw in your pack. You likely won’t notice much of a difference. If you chose to take a camp stove, this will open up your food choices drastically! “There is quite a lot of different foods you can make just with simple hot water”
One meal choice that I believe will give you many options for lunch is simple freeze-dried meals you can get at most outdoor stores. They are very lightweight, compacted, and simple to make without much mess to clean up afterward.
Though two downsides to going the freeze-dried meal rout are Time and Cost. Most meals take between 10 – 20 minutes to cook and that’s after you’ve brought 1 – 2 cups of water to a boil. As well, Freeze-dried meals can get quite costly… Just the other day I picked up a few meals, and I was pushing 30$… It was about 10$ a meal! I could buy a lot of snacks with 30 Bucks…
Same deal with most meals you may cook, They will take time to cook, however, Rice, Mac & cheese, and many other non-Freeze-dried foods can be much less as costly. Though one Great positive with freeze-dried meals is you typically cook the meal inside the packaging it came in!
This is perfect! Because you likely won’t have to clean out your cooker, Because all you really did was boil water in it. Plus most Freeze-dried meal packs have a ziplock on top. This will allow you to simply leave any or all of your garbage in the meal bag and zip it up so no food gets on your equipment in your pack. Works as a Garbage bag as well!
Day Hike & picnic lunch ideas
I’m going to assume most of you likely won’t be planning on cooking for lunch. Whether that be because you don’t own a small stove? or you just have no desire to carry a stove with you. Either way, below are options for both.
For those that do plan to cook for lunch, or would like to? I have included a few easy to cook meal options for you as well.
Note: I want to make clear I have categorized some of the below foods, based on Research, Crowdsourcing, as well as personal experience. Feel free to mix things up however you’d like. If you’re 22yrs like me, and you want to take something off the “Hiking food for kids” list? DO IT! I do. Take whatever option you feel will work best for you, and will suit your needs.
Meals that DON’T Require Cooking
It is likely the meals that don’t require cooking will be the easiest and simplest, Ready to eat option on this list. However, your pack could end up weighing the same with a cold lunch packed, as a hot lunch.
By Cold lunch I mean Doesn’t Require Cooking, and Hot lunch equals, Requires Cooking. I say this because with a cold lunch you will need to pack a lunch box With Ice in order to keep your meats, and other perishable ingredients cold.
If you Factor in the weight of the Ice, and Lunchbox, your pack likely will weigh close to the same as if you swapped the Ice, and lunchbox for the stove with propane.
For the most part, it should come down to your food preference, and / or your situation. If you’re going hiking with a bunch of young scouts, or your niece / nephew, Grandkids… It may be better to take all cold lunches or all hot. Rather then mixing things up…
Do what will work best for you and your situation. Now on to the Meals!
- Simple Ham & Cheese Sandwich
- Simple Turkey Sandwich
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Tortillas W/ Your Choice of toppings
- Turkey Wrap
- Beagles W/ Peanut butter, Honey, Jam…
Meals That DO Require Cooking
I, myself love the idea of Freeze Dried Meals! They are very simple to Make, Eat, and Clean up! Yeah, they may not taste the greatest… But I’ll bet when it comes time for lunch you will be so hungry you won’t care so much about how it tastes, But rather how much it’s going to fill your stomach up!
- Freeze Dried Meal of your choosing
- Rice Sides (More Cleanup required)
- Pasta Sides (More Cleanup required)
- Instant Stuffing
- Instant Potatoes
- Instant Rice
- Easy Mac
- Ramen
- Couscous
Do Keep in mind, some of these food choices could be cooked at home, Refrigerated, and packed as a cold lunch, as long as you are good eating it cold. Some choices such as Instant Potatoes, and Instant Rice may not be bad served cold.
Nonetheless, Easy Mac and Ramen likely won’t taste good when served cold… Both options likely will be better cooked on the trail. Its all up to you.
Hiking food for kids
For those of you who are Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles… That may be taking kids with you Hiking? I have included a list of simple meals ideas for them, that they may enjoy. And will Ideally make your Job a little easier.
- Lunchables
- Un-Crustables
- String Cheese
- Fruit roll-up
- Apple Slices
- Gogurt (Yogurt)
- Fruit cup/s
BEST Day Hike Snacks For Energy
Snacks are Probably the biggest part of Day Hike Food! Most hikers that go out for the day, typically aren’t out hiking for 12-hours a day (Though some are). But rather go for 4 – 6 hours. If this is you? Odds are just taking a lot of Snacks could provide you with enough fuel and nutrition to get you through your hike just fine.
However, if you are going on a 12-hour hike you definitely should have at least 1 maybe 2 meals and supplement with a lot of snacks!
- Jerky
- Summer Sausage
- Pepperoni
- Beef Stick
- Nuts
- Trail mix
- applesauce pouches
- Fruit cups
- Dried Fruits & Vegetables
- Raw Fruits & Vegetables (Can Be Heavy Though)
- Candy
- Crackers
- Protein Bars
- Granola Bars
- Sunflower Seeds
- Pop tarts
- Chips
- Fruit Leather
- Fruit roll-ups
- String cheese
- Ready-made Tuna Pouch
BEST Electrolyte packed Drinks for Hiking
- Gatorade
- propel
- PowerAde
- vitamin water
- zipfizz
- Body Armor
- Nooma
- K+
Though these drinks are packed with electrolytes and good to have from time to time, Nothing compares to just straight water! be sure to take, and drink, a lot of it!
I know you probably will be taking a Hydration pack with you to keep hydrated. So it very well could be a better choice to take the bottled sports drink, rather than powder packet/s.
Frequently Asked Hiking Questions:
Below, I Took all the Questions I could find that people were asking throughout the web, related to the topic of hiking foods, snacks, and drinks. And decided I’d take on the Challenge of answering each!
These answers weren’t just me answering each question as I seen it to be answered. But rather, were answered based on what many other hikers and websites said on the topic. Crowdsourced I guess you could say.
Why do people Hike?
Time to spend with Friends, and Loved ones: Time spent with friends and family is absolutely priceless! and a great way to spend that time is by hiking
To Stay Fit: Hiking can be an excellent way to stay fit, by getting your exercise in. Hiking to me, Has never felt like exercise. Maybe it has something to do with the Curiosity I feel as I’m covering the mountain, Excited for the next surprise I may come across, that takes away the sense of exhaustion I feel otherwise?
To Be one with Nature so to say: There is something so fulfilling, and calming about the noises, and cool air you get to hear and fell in nature. My absolute favorite moments up the canyon / in nature are early mornings, the birds chirping, the fresh cool lake air, everything still, and quiet…
Peace:, Soothing, Comfort: Our Everyday lives can get quite chaotic, Busy, and just filled to the max with things to do. Going on a hike in the mountains can be a sure fire way to relieve much of that stress, and anxiety that builds up throughout each of our work weeks.
Spark of Curiosity: I touched on this a little above, But when I See something on the mountain, up high. Such as a special feature, Strange looking object, or odd shape, Waterfall, Cliff,…etc. It sparkes interest in me, and that often times, is enough for me to climb to the top of that mountain or across a deep ravine… In order to see that special feature up close!
Why Should I Go Hiking?
As listed above, there are many different benefits, and experiences to be had when exploring nature. If Nature and exploring is something that has your interest? I Definitely recommend you give hiking a try! You May come to enjoy it so much, that it becomes one of your number one hobbies.
What are the Benefits of Hiking?
There are many benefits to hiking. The Health Benefits, Social Benefits, And Psychological Benefits you receive from hiking often can be quite great! We all try to keep ourselves in shape Or do our best to talk to people and get to know Those around us better. Hiking can be a great way to do so!
Health benefits of Hiking:
We all try to keep ourselves in shape. Yet it can be quite a struggle to do so, due to the discomfort we go through when in the gym. However, if you have the choice to go running on a treadmill, or through the woods which would you choose? Me personally, I’d go for a run through the woods, or hike a massive mountain over going to the gym any day! Something about nature pulls my mind away from the pain.
Social Benefits of hiking:
I myself Us hiking as a great way to get to know people better. I like to take my dates for hikes, but not your typical hikes… I like to first find a cool spot, somewhere on the mountain, that both myself and my date have interest in hiking too. Then as we hike up, we just Talk, & Talk, & Talk…etc. Trust me, Taking a date on a hike can be a great way to get to know that person!
But hiking isn’t just a way to get to know someone you’re Attracted to, But also a great way to get to know your friends and family a bit better. You can tell stories, Talk about life, tell about your passions, say what your interests are…etc. The great thing about chatting with those you care about when hiking is typically you have hours to talk, rather than minutes like in everyday life.
Not only will you have many conversations and time to bond. But also once you reach your selected target on the mountain, you all will have a sense of accomplishment which can help strengthen your relationships even more!
Psychological Benefits of hiking:
Hiking or just surrounding your self with nature, in general, can be a massive stress reliever! Goodness, that is probably one of the main reasons why I myself, and most get out and go Camping, Hiking, Backpacking, Snowshoeing…etc. I can’t tell you how soothing and relaxing it is for me to spend the day hiking to the top of a peak, able to look out and see everything, as I sit by the campfire late having my dinner.
Most activities you do in nature can, and likely will create a sense of release from your everyday lives. Which for most can be very beneficial. As stated above, our lives can get quite hectic at times, and in order to stay sane, we need time the time to step back and release.
What do Hikers Eat?
When on the Trail:
Hikers such as you, and I should target Lightweight, easy to carry, and easy to make meals. You likely won’t have a kitchen at your disposal. It is best to eat High calorie, High protein foods, Aswell as Fats, Fibers, Vitamins, and Minerals. Number one on the list Is Calories! You need Calories, Calories will give you energy. Calories are basically just a way to say how much energy a food item will give you.
What should I Eat the morning before a Hike?
Take in a lot of Healthy carbs, along with some protein, whole grains, oats… Keep your sugar intake low, this is not the time to have a pop tart and go… You really should take some time to fix yourself a good healthy, nutritious breakfast. Such as Eggs, whole wheat Toast with peanut butter, and a bowl of Rolled Oats (Oatmeal). Along with yogurt, Fruits, and Vegetables.
What do I Eat After A Hike?
Target Foods Rich in protein, carbs, and some fats. You have been breaking down muscle all day, now is definitely a good time to take in a decent amount of protein. You should have been taking in protein throughout the day. However, now is typically when I like to have a large amount of protein if I can get it.
Oh and Be sure to refuel as soon as you can after the hike. It is Ideal, you eat a good meal no later than one hour after you finish your hike. Whether it be food you packed before the trek or food you plan to go get on your way home (restaurant) just make sure you get food as soon as you can.
Conclusion
Really there are a lot of foods, snacks, and drinks that are Ideal for a Day Hike Trip. Above I tried to give you all that I could think of, as well as what others like to take with them. I’m sure there are many more options out there to come up with, you just have to use your best judgment. Make sure any other foods you add to this list are Light, Simple, and High in Energy, and it will likely work well.
I hope you were able to gain some value form this. If you have any questions comments, or concerns be sure to leave them below. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and hope you have a great experience! Happy hiking!
