Food Ideas

There are many easy and cheap food items you can make or buy if you don't have time to put together recipes for your backpacking meals. When you use energy backpacking or hiking, you need calories to help give you energy, so food with a significant amount of calories will be better. If you are going on a longer trip or want more gourmet meals you can use backpacking recipes.


Breakfast Backpacking Foods

• Granola (with dried milk)
• Fruit cocktail (small cans)
• Instant oatmeal
• Pop Tarts
• Cereal
• Peanut Butter
• MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)

• Bagels with cream cheese
• Granola bars
• Candy bars
• Dried fruit
• Nuts
• Crackers or Chips
• GORP (nuts, M&M’s raisins, crackers, dried fruit)
• Cheeses, like string cheese
• Beef or turkey jerky, or other preserved meats

• Cup O Soup
• Cup Noodles/Top Ramen
• Lipton Rice or Noodles
• Stuffing
• Instant Rice
• Instant Potatoes
• MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)

• Hot chocolate
• Gatorade
• Hot chocolate
• Apple cider
• Teas
• Lemonade or Crystal Lite (masks bad-tasting or iodine-treated water)