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Best Hiking Foods
Take the best hiking foods on your hike. The best hiking foods ensure you have enough energy to enjoy your hike.
You burn 3,000-4,000 calories on long hiking days. So, eat one of the best hiking foods every hour or two to keep your energy level high. Always keep a few snacks in your pockets so you can easily reach them while you hike.
For a day hike, you want nutritious, tasty, easy to pack food that gives you energy. A day hike usually takes from 5 to 12 hours if you hike about 10t o 15 miles. So, the length of the hike decides how much food you take.
On a long day hike, take more food than you take for a shorter hike. Also, consider whether the hike is a hard or easy hike.
If I know I will hike 15 miles up and down very steep and rocky terrain, I take extra food. For a leisurely hike with gradual soft slopes or a flat trail, take less food.
In hot weather, avoid foods that melt. When a granola bars with an outer layer of chocolate melts, it has less appeal. Let your hike decide how much food you take.
Listed below, find 7 of the best hiking foods, and why you want to consider them. I enjoy these foods while hiking. I often notice other hikers also like these foods. So, these are great snacks to consider taking along with you as you hike.
Fruit
Fruit, a little bulky on a day hike. Still, you can easily take fresh fruit in your pack on a day hike. Fruit is easy and trouble-free.
Many hikers take fruit. Try to choose firm fruit since soft fruit becomes mushy later in your hike. At least, eat the softer fruits first to avoid a mushy snack.
Choose apples as a great, delicious choice. Apples have calories and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals that give you an energy boost.
On an average day hike, take an apple and a banana. Both are easy to carry and easy to eat on a day hike. Eat your banana first since it often becomes mushy and less appealing!
For a summer hike, freeze some grapes in a resealable bag. Put them in your backpack for later. Frozen grapes make a juicy trail treat.
Grapes give you moisture. The moisture gives you additional hydration along with the water you drink.
All fruits have a high water content. The water in fruits keeps you hydrated as you sweat and lose water on your hike. Carry and enjoy your favorite fruits as one of your best hiking foods!
More About Fruit’s Health Benefits
Dried Fruit and Trail Mix
Dried Fruit is much less bulky than fresh fruit. It also has a much longer shelf life. You can easily find bags of compact dried fruit in your grocery store.
Individual size raisin packs make a good choice. The packs take up little space and are delicious when eaten with a fresh apple.
Banana chips are also tasty. The chips go well with peanut butter snacks. Since they take up little space, dried fruits pack well for your hike.
Trail mix is also a popular choice. Easily make your own trail mix with dried fruits and nuts. A few handfuls of trail mix give you a tasty energy boost while you hike!
Nuts and Seeds – Best Hiking Foods
Of the two, nuts come first followed closely by seeds as one of the best hiking snacks choices. Nuts might seem like a modest choice as one of the best hiking foods. Still, you have a large selection of nuts to choose from.
All nuts make a great treat when you go hiking. Finally, nuts give you a great source of energy boosting protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Mix your nuts, or choose individual nuts.
Almonds
Almonds make a great choice for a trail snack. Light and easy to carry, almonds provide you with a lot of energy and nutrition.
A handful of almonds (about 1 ounce) has 6 grams of protein. The protein helps you maintain your energy during your hike.
Additionally, almonds have energy boosting vitamin E, magnesium, and dietary fiber. For a day hike, add a few handfuls of almonds to your snack box.
Cashews
While almonds make a healthier choice, many hikers enjoy how cashews taste. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other healthy nutrients, cashews give you a healthy energy boost.
Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds have a lot of magnesium. Magnesium is important for helping your body produce energy.
In addition to magnesium, pumpkin seeds have a lot of healthy fats that give you energy. Many runners and other athletes like the energy boost that pumpkin seeds give them.
More About Nut’s and Seed’s Health Benefits
Tuna – Best Hiking Foods
It is hard to find food with the same nutrition and protein tuna provides one of the best hiking snacks. Easily find convenient 4.5 oz packs of tuna at the grocery store.
With tuna, enjoy a tasty snack anywhere, anytime! Tuna comes pre-seasoned and with taste-tempting flavors.
Tuna provides a nutritious, healthy trail treat. Tuna’s nutritious, healthy benefits include high levels of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12.
The fatty acids and B12 work together. The fatty acids reduce inflammation. B12 produces red blood cells. Reduced inflammation and red blood cells give you more energy.
More About Tuna’s Health Benefits
Boiled Eggs
Eggs pack a lot of protein good for long-term energy. Eggs keep you full longer too.
One egg has only about 70 calories. One egg has 6 grams of protein to give you energy on the trail. Take one of the best hiking snacks, boiled eggs, with you when you hike.
More About Eggs’ Health Benefits
Granola
A little different than trail mix, granola includes oatmeal’s healthy fiber. Buy granola bars or make them at home with pure honey, nuts, and dried fruit.
The bars provide energy boosting benefits. When you buy granola bars, check the sugar content. Processed sugar offers no nutritional value.
There are many organic granola bar brands usually made with more of a focus on nutrition. A ½ cup serving of granola, granola bars main ingredient, gives you 5 grams of energy producing protein.
More About Granola’s Health Benefits
Dark Chocolate
Everyone loves chocolate, right? When you hike, chocolate gives you a quick energy pick me up. Also, when hiking in cold weather, chocolate generates body heat so you stay warmer.
You can easily pack and carry chocolate bars. Stash a chocolate bar or two away for emergencies. Theobromine provides the energy lift when you eat dark chocolate. Theobromine stimulates the cardiovascular system giving you more energy.
Additionally, dark chocolate has fiber, nutritious minerals and anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants protect your cells from damage. Theobromine also acts as a mild anti-depressant.
So, there you have 7 of the best hiking snacks for your consideration. They offer variety, convenience, and a nutritious energy lift. On a day hike, you do not have to worry about food going bad or attracting animals. You have the option to take fresh snacks that you enjoy.
More About Dark Chocolate’s Health Benefits
Summary – Best Hiking Foods
Enjoy your day hikes when you have the best hiking foods, and get on the trail again!
If you need a day hike backpack for your gear and snacks, choose one of these women’s and men’s day hike packs.
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