A Hiking Food List

Backpacking requires a diet of between 3,000 and 4,000 calories each day to support the high level of activity. At the same time, you are limited on the space available to carry food during your trip. Striking a balance between needed caloric intake and storage is difficult but but manageable.

  1. Dehydrated Food

    • Dehydrated food is the hiker's best friend. By removing the water weight from your food while leaving in the vital calories, you can budget backpack space more easily. A food dehydrator is a sound investment for avid hikers, allowing you to dehydrate your own food at home. If you intend to hike regularly, a food dehydrator will pay for itself quickly by saving you money on costlier, prepackaged, dehydrated food.

    Breakfast

    • Raisins offer a high-fiber addition to any breakfast while providing natural sugar. Use these in place of sweeteners for any meal. Granola or Malt-O-Meal provide a substantial breakfast base; pack dried milk to go with them. All of these foods provide a filling breakfast with a high-fiber count to ensure that you digest them slowly. They will keep you feeling full until lunch, while providing a steady supply of calories as you hike.

    Lunch

    • Thick breads, such as pita or Logan, survive well on the trail and can be combined with lunch meat for a filling midday meal. Granola bars and dehydrated fruit are easy to pack and provide a high-fiber addition. Nuts, crackers and string cheese store well and provide some diversity for your lunch menus. Some hikers enjoy homemade trail mix for lunch. Mix a selection of nuts, dehydrated fruit, M&Ms and coconut shavings. Lunch should be your highest caloric meal, so budget a large portion of your backpack's food space accordingly.

    Dinner

    • You will have more time to prepare and eat dinner, which is usually at the conclusion of a hiking day. You also have access to a campfire for this meal. Canned soups, beans and pasta are easy to warm up over a campfire, and they provide a change of pace from your other meals. You can eat dehydrated vegetables as-is or combined with any canned options to add flavor and variety to your dinner. Dehydrated mashed potatoes are an option that's easy to prepare over a campfire.