13 Smart Backpacking Food Ideas
The right food in your pack is an essential part of a successful camping trip. The food you decide to buy, prep, and bring may vary based on your nutritional and caloric needs. So, what makes for good backpacking food? Ideal meals are shelf-stable, lightweight, nutritionally dense, and require little or no cooking. Canned items, while non-perishable, can be an attractive option, but leave those cans at home because they’ll take up way too much precious space in your pack and will just weigh you down..
It’s easy to get caught up in bringing everything but the kitchen sink with you, but an optimal backpacking trip requires some serious thought. Are you hiking for miles every day? Or, are you mainly focused on easy trails and hanging around the campfire? Smart backpacking food is packable, nutritious, and either ready to eat or easy to make. The Jetboil Stash is the perfect companion to your backpacking meals. It’s lightweight, compact, and maximizes your pack space while allowing you to make hot, hearty meals on the go.
1. Make-Ahead Meals
Make-ahead meals are an easy way to bring some comfort into the great outdoors. Stop stressing about what to cook and prep before you even leave for your trip. That way, you can maximize your time with your friends or family and get ready for the next day’s adventure.
What are make-ahead meals? They’re meals that you prep almost entirely at home so that when you’re at your campsite, you can quickly heat them with your MiniMo and enjoy a home-cooked meal sitting around the fire. Stuck on how to actually prepare meals so that they’re ready to go when you’re at your backpacking site? We’ve got you covered with our best make-ahead camping meals and backpacking recipes.
2. Just Add Water Meals
Prep some “just add water” meals at home, and your food options on your backpacking trip are essentially limitless. These meals can pack a punch nutritionally—by being both filling and healthy—and alleviate some of the pressure of making a meal before or after a long hike. You’ll need to add some time to your prep at home before you hit the road, but the comfort and convenience they’ll bring to you is well worth it.
Just add water meals are just what they sound like; you add water to ingredients and cook at your campsite or wherever you’re hunkering down for your meal. Generally, most just add water meals involve a carbohydrate base, some kind of fat, vegetables, protein, and spices or seasonings. Dried carbs, powdered fats, dehydrated vegetables, and more are lightweight and make for the ideal backpacking foods.
3. Chicken, Tuna, and Salmon Packets
Smart backpacking food ideas should always contain lightweight, easy protein options like chicken, tuna, or salmon packets. Packed full of protein and healthy fats, protein pouches won’t take much space in your backpack and can quickly be eaten on the go. Choose the packets over canned tins—they’re lighter and won’t take up so much room. Not only that, but you won’t have to worry about draining cans or bringing a heavy can opener.
4. Beef Jerky and Dried Meats
Beef jerky and dried meats are some of the quintessential backpacking food ideas. Hard, dried meats like salami, summer sausage, and various types of jerky don’t need to be refrigerated or heated up and make for a quick protein source whether you are deep in the woods or refueling back at your campsite.
5. Cheese
Like dried meats, many kinds of cheese are shelf-stable and can handle a few days outside of the refrigerator. Hard cheeses are more shelf-stable, but individually packed cheeses are an excellent option for fat and protein on the go. String cheese, individual cream cheese packets, and cheese and nut containers can all be consumed without worrying about keeping them cool.
6. Granola, Energy, and Meal Bars
Any type of bar is one of the smartest backpacking food ideas. With so many options out there, you can count on them being lightweight, nutritionally- and calorie-dense, and to help keep your energy up either when you’re out on your hike or need a boost of energy before you get started. Lightweight is critical with backpacking foods, and it’s hard to beat the combination of being both lightweight in your pack and calorie-dense when you need to replenish your fuel reserves.
7. Trail Mix, Nuts, and Dried Fruit
Another camping favorite, trail mix, nuts, and dried fruit are a smart way to keep some calorie boosts on hand. Nuts have protein, fat, and are full of calories, while dried fruits and other trail mix add-ins take care of the carbohydrates to keep you going. Make your own or buy packs—either way, they fit easily in backpacks and don’t take up much space or weight.
8. Peanut and Almond Butter
Peanut and almond butter have it all—calories, fat, protein, carbs, and sodium—they are the quintessential backpacking snack. But, lugging around a container of the good stuff is not ideal for backpacking. Packets of peanut, almond, or other nut butters are plentiful and can easily be found in the grocery store. You can pair them with jelly or honey packets and have a PB&J without making a messy sandwich.
9. Instant Oatmeal and Granola
Stash some instant oatmeal and granola in your pack for easy backpacking meal ideas. Oatmeal packets can act as the bowl, just add hot water, and you’ve got a warm breakfast or snack in minutes. Powdered or dried milk can work great here, too. Powdered milk is light, and you can add it to the oatmeal packet and mix it with hot water to get added nutrients and calories in your meal.
Just like trail mix, granola is a backpacking food staple. You can eat it as-is or rehydrate your powdered milk and eat it like a cereal.
10. Powdered Hummus
Powdered hummus may not be a common backpacking food idea, but it is a great option. Hummus is chock-full of protein, healthy fats, and can be added to tortillas, eaten with pretzels or vegetables, or just eaten with a spoon. Add water to your powdered hummus (and olive oil, if you’ve got it), for a light lunch that will help keep you going.
11. Tortillas
Tortillas are the perfect vessel for peanut butter, cheese and meats, and other protein or carb options. They are compact, lay flat, and can take some rough handling on the road. Bring individual cream cheeses to spread for a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast or snack, add peanut butter or Nutella packets for dessert or a carb-bomb, and use your chicken or fish packets to make an easy, protein-focused wrap.
12. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is one of the healthier options you can choose when you’ve got a sweet tooth on your hike. It’s full of antioxidants, caffeine, and low in sugar. It can be a satisfying treat on the trail without sacrificing performance that you may get from a typical candy bar. Remember, chocolate melts, so be mindful of that and pack it accordingly in ziplock bags or wrapped in foil.
13. Coffee and Tea
Coffee and tea are the elixirs of life and not just when you’re backpacking. Instant coffee and tea are a wonderful way to stay caffeinated and alert throughout your trip. Use some of your powdered milk that you brought for your oatmeal and granola to add a creamy element. If you’re entirely anti-instant coffee (and trust us, we understand), the Grande Silicone Coffee Press works with the Stash, Flash, and MicroMo Cooking Systems, so you can guarantee an excellent french press brew right at your campsite.
Optimize your backpacking trip with smart food and meal choices
Don’t let your food go by the wayside when you’re backpacking. Proper nutrition is essential to making the most of your trip, but it can be challenging to know what to pack that won’t weigh you down. When it comes to smart backpacking food ideas, the bottom line is to consider lightweight, easily packed food that optimizes macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) and gives enough calories to keep you fueled. Still need some inspiration? Visit our recipe collection for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas.