How to Make Delicious and Nutritious Meals on the Trail?

Are you ready to hit the trail anytime soon this week? Then you must have prepared an itinerary for the hiking trip with a list of the essential things to carry. Cooking meals on the trail is one of the most exciting activities to try. It is always better to carry lightweight ingredients on the trail for cooking food.

Walking for a long time will make you feel fatigued. So, you need to think of healthy meals that keep you full for a long time and boost your energy. This blog lists all the ingredients to carry while you are going for a trek and how to prepare delicious meals with available ingredients.

Nutritious Meals on the Trail

You must consume protein-rich meals on the trail. Some of the best options to try on a trail include ham slices, cooked sausages, or Ramen Noodles. You can also grab some dried fruits, snacks, or oatmeal for breakfast.

For lunch, you can take tuna with some crackers. For vegans, the best option is hummus with some sundried tomatoes. Some prepackaged meals can be included in lunch or dinner to save time.

Some basics of backpacking food

Hiking will take much of your body’s energy and need carbs, calories, and all the essential nutrients. As you walk miles ahead, the food must be nutritious as well as lightweight to keep you full for the whole day.

Healthy meals will keep your body energetic for long hours. They will also improve the performance of the hikers. Let us further discuss some of the basics of cooking delicious food on a trail:

1. Lightweight meals

Remember that you have to walk for a long time during a hiking trail. It is necessary to consume food that is loaded with essential nutrients but makes you feel light. Food must contain calories and have good taste. At the same time, it must be lightweight not to make your belly feel uncomfortable.

On a hiking trail, you must carry foods that have less volume but more calories. Adding calorie-rich ingredients such as butter, cheese, and oil to food is one of the best ideas to try on the hiking trail.

2. Cooking meals in various ways

There are certain ways in which you can prepare some of the most nourishing meals on a hiking trail. Let us explore some of the easiest ways to prepare nutritious meals on a trail:

• The first option is to mix all the dried ingredients and prepare quick recipes without cooking or any pre-planning. The dried ingredients include refried beans, instant rice, dried fruits, instant grits, protein powder, instant potatoes, real bacon bits, and others.
• Dehydrating all the ingredients and adding them to the meals after cooking for a few minutes.
• Both cooking and dehydrating meals

3. Portion of foods

One of the most important basics of backpacking food is to make portions of food on a digital scale. You can also carry a small bowl to measure the ingredients that you have to take to a trail.

As per one survey, the hikers need around 100 grams of meals for a trail. For longer trails, you can carry around 150-gram meals to get a full feeling.

4. Repackaging

Repackaging can save a lot of space in your backpack or bag. You can always repack foods such as rice and noodles in a Ziploc bag by removing air. These bags can also keep other foods fresh for a long time. They also save time and keep everything organized in a backpack during a hiking trail.

5. Take spices

Your trail cannot be completed without spices and seasonings. Spices are the only things that enhance any food while you are going for a trail. Pack spices in small ziplock bags without allowing air to pass in them.

Some of the most popular spices to carry on a hiking trail include salt, pepper, curry powder, garlic powder, and hot sauce. These spices can be added to noodles, raw veggies, rice, or simple bread.

Some other tips for planning your trail meals

If you want to make some nutritious meals on the trail, follow some important tips such as:

Access to water sources

Preparing meals on a hiking trail needs easy access to water. You can easily add water to noodles, oatmeal, or other backpacking meals.

Amount of fuel

Cooking food on trails will require enough fuel. So, it is better to plan the amount of fuel to carry on a hiking trail. Some foods like pancakes, rice, quinoa, and pasta will consume more fuel than other foods.

Cost of food

Buying food in bulk is necessary if you are going for a long hiking trail. Some freeze-dried meals and energy foods are costly. So, you can dehydrate your own food at home to save money and get delicious food during the trail.

Experiment with the recipes at home

Before going on a hiking trail, you must try some recipes at home to experience the taste. In this way, you can practice making various nutritious meals for a trail. You will also know the time taken for cooking, the amount of fuel to use to prepare meals, and the adjustments to make in cooking.

Drinks to carry on hiking trails

Carrying beverages makes your adventure more interesting. They keep your body hydrated for hours when you have to walk for a long distance. You can get a good accompaniment with meals by carrying beverages.

The beverages to carry on a trail include BarCountry cocktails, instant tea, Coffee and hot cocoa, dried milk, Emergen-C, and powder Mixes.

Final words

These are some of the best ways in which you can prepare delicious meals on a hiking trail. Remember the meals must not only be tasty but contain all the necessary nutrients and minerals.

You must also learn some cleaning tips after cooking meals on the trail. Following these useful tips will give fun to preparing protein-rich meals during a hiking trail.