Volume 244: Backpacking Food Ideas & Meal Planning

In the past few months we have talked about where to use your backpacking stove and how much fuel you will need for your adventures. But none of that matters if you don't have food to cook! Backpacking meals are by far, one of the hardest things to plan. Food is heavy, so you don't want to carry too much, but at the same time, you need to ensure you have enough calories to refuel your body. Food is very difficult to plan, and it takes many years of experience to perfectly dial it in. So let's get you started with this month's article...

Whether you're doing a quick overnight trip or backpacking for multiple days, you want food that will nourish and strengthen you, and also taste really good. Here are some quick answers to common questions about meal planning for backpacking trips; we'll go into more detail below:

• How much food should you take backpacking? It depends, but the short answer is about 2,500 to 4,500 calories of food per person per day.

• What types of food should you bring backpacking? For beginners, keep it simple and choose lightweight, portable foods you know you like to eat.

• What's a good backpacking meal plan? You should sketch out a rough plan taking into account days when you might not want to cook; to know how much fuel to bring; and to make sure you have enough food to cover all your meals, plus a little extra if needed.

• What are some backpacking meal ideas? The list is truly endless, but we'll offer a few suggestions below.

How Much Food Should I Take Backpacking?

A question that comes up often is how much food to bring along on a backpacking trip. This will depend on many factors, including the intensity of your activity, your size and weight, how many calories you burn, how many days you'll be out and so on.

A reasonable goal is about 1½ to 2½ lbs. of food (or 2,500 to 4,500 calories) per person per day. A person doing 10 miles of strenuous hiking with a 4,000-foot climb will obviously burn more calories—and need a lot more food—than someone covering a few miles of relatively flat trail who plans to chill at the campsite.

When deciding how much or little to carry, err on the side of taking a little more. One of the Ten Essentials for an overnight trip is a supply of extra food. On the other hand, you won't want to overdo it. A common blunder is to pack too much food, forcing you to lug unwanted bulk and weight. Experience will teach you what amount of food works for you.

To help you decide how much food to bring, also consider:

• How many days will you be out? Factor in the meal you'll eat at the trailhead and when you're done with your trip.

• What is the size of your group? Meals can be much simpler if you're going solo. If you're backpacking with others, decide whether you want to share meals. A larger group can split the weight of food as well as fuel and cookware.

• What does your day look like? If you're clocking many miles over rugged terrain one day, you may want to load up on snacks that you can eat on the go and plan a no-hassle dinner that night.

What Kind of Food Should I Take Backpacking?

You can take most foods backpacking, but it's best to stick with foods that are portable, lightweight and not too bulky. Fortunately, there are ways to take backpacking versions of your favorite meal—from burrito bowls to tuna noodle casserole—whether you dehydrate the meal at home, buy ready-to-eat dehydrated meals that only require adding hot water, or assemble your meal from a mixture of fresh and dry ingredients.

When deciding what food to pack, consider these tips:

Bring what you like to eat: Don't try to convert your taste buds to new types of food deep in the backcountry. Take comfort foods that you love to eat and will look forward to enjoying at the end of a long hike.

Pack a variety: A variety of foods is key to keeping most backpackers motivated on the trail. Try to aim for a balance of flavors (salty, sour, sweet, spicy) and textures (soft, crunchy, crumbly, crispy) to keep your palate satiated. Make sure you have a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats.

Include some fresh foods: While refrigeration is one of those luxuries you leave behind at the trailhead, not all backpacking food has to be processed or packaged. It's easy to incorporate some fresh foods into your backpacking menu if you don't mind a little extra weight. Consider including a baguette, nuts and seeds, and hard cheeses such as parmesan or gouda. It's also possible to bring some fresh produce: Most fresh foods are good for one day or two inside your pack, depending on the climate. Pick items that won't perish easily, such as carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, onion, kale, snap peas, apples or oranges.

Look for lightweight versions of your favorite food: Macaroni and cheese is a comfort food staple; and boxed versions cook up well in the backcountry. Proteins such as tuna, salmon, Spam or chicken come in easy vacuum-sealed pouches and are available in most grocery stores. Instant rice, couscous, noodles, pasta, rice mixes and other shelf-stable boxed dinners are easy choices. Peanut butter is often available in individual servings, pouches or in powdered form.

Add spices: Spices can boost the appeal of backpacking food with minimal additional weight. Don't be afraid to add it to your meals. Bring salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, lemon pepper or whatever else is essential to your home kitchen. Cinnamon makes hot chocolate taste even better. Hot sauce adds zip to mac and cheese. Garlic powder kicks up the taste of instant mashed potatoes.

Stay hydrated with flavored beverages: A hot or cold flavored drink makes it easier to stay hydrated. Beyond fluids with electrolytes, consider hot apple cider, tea, chai, hot chocolate, chicken or beef broth, instant ginger tea and miso soup.

Dehydrate your own meals. While it does take more time and preparation, dehydrating your own backpacking meals can save you money as well as weight and volume in your pack. You can bring favorite homemade meals and control exactly what goes into them.

Consider freeze-dried/dehydrated foods: While relatively pricey, these ready-to-eat meals are convenient, require no cleanup and have a place in many backpacks. Add hot water and wait for the food to rehydrate. The variety of nutritious, tasty choices has expanded over the years and deliver above-average taste and sustenance for the weight. With many more companies making backcountry food, you can find a lot of decent options to suit your taste, even gluten-free and vegan backpacking food.

NAC NOTE: When shopping for pre-packaged meals, try to choose freeze dried meals over dehydrated meals. Dehydrating is the process of slowly cooking the food until it is dry. In this method, many of the nutrients are lost as the food is already cooked once. Freeze Drying eliminates this problem by flash freezing the food and locking in all the nutrients you will need on trail.

How to Plan Food for Backpacking

Even if it's just a rough sketch, it helps to make a meal plan to know how much food you need. This could be as simple as writing it out on paper; or as complex as creating a spreadsheet. Start with dinners, which generally are the biggest meals of the day and the ones you're likely to sit down for. Think of the activities you're going to be doing and when you're doing them. What is your day going to look like and how much energy will you have at the end of it? On your hardest day of hiking, you may want just a simple dehydrated meal. But if your trip includes time lounging around camp, you'll have more time to prepare.

Some people like knowing what they'll eat each night out - keeping ingredients for each meal together and labeling the meals by the day. This helps ensure they'll have enough food for each day out. Others just throw their food in one bag and decide on the go what to eat. If you want to include fresh food on the trail such as fruits and vegetables, eat it earlier in the trip (to lighten your load and prevent it from wilting or spoiling). Include an easy freeze-dried or dehydrated meal that you just add water to for those days when you have a lot of mileage to cover and may be too tired to cook.

As you're planning your meal, also consider:

• Make sure you have access to water: This can vary greatly depending on where you're going and can influence what backpacking food you choose to bring.

• Be aware of the fuel you will need and cook times for foods such as pasta, potatoes, rice, quinoa, etc. and make sure to plan for enough fuel (some of these dishes take a deceptively long time to cook). Pancakes will also take more fuel.

• Weigh costs: Freeze-dried meals and energy foods are convenient but can be expensive. If you're planning multiple nights out or several trips, buy food in bulk. As mentioned above, also consider dehydrating your own food.

Where to Buy Food for Backpacking

Shop at outdoor stores such as MEC, SAIL or a local family owned Outdoor Store. In the US, shop at REI, Walmart or Dick's. Even Canadian Tire carries freeze-dried meals.

Scan grocery stores for small packets of foods such as tuna pouches, oil packets, powdered milk, or small packages of peanut butter or jelly. Also look for ramen noodles, instant rice, soup mixes, chicken or beef bouillon, instant mashed potatoes, or dehydrated hash browns. Don't overlook the international food aisle for instant noodles, instant refried beans and other boxed meals.

Look in the bulk food sections for snacks, instant hummus, vegetable soup mixes, black bean flakes, powdered milk, powdered butter, instant falafel mixes and so on.

Backpacking Food Ideas

BREAKFAST

Backpacking breakfasts can range from fast and basic (an energy bar) to a lavish spread involving pancakes, eggs, meats and coffee. A hot meal can give you an extra boost, but a light snack means no cleanup and a quicker start to the day.

Backpacking breakfast ideas: Instant hot cereal or oatmeal with dried fruits and nuts; rolled oats soaked overnight in water; powdered or fresh scrambled eggs in a tortilla; savory pancakes; breakfast bars; apple quinoa porridge; Pop-Tarts; granola or cereal with powdered milk; instant mashed potatoes or instant hash browns; instant grits with bacon bits or cheese; self-stable or precooked bacon.

SNACKS

Snack ideas: Trail mix is a go-to for many, but the list of tasty snack options is expansive. Banana chips, no-bake energy bites, chocolate-covered cashews or almonds, spicy nuts, dried fruit (apples, mangos, cranberries), fruit leather, string cheese, crackers, fig bars, peanut butter pretzels, cookies, Chex mix, sesame sticks, pumpkin seeds, gummy bears, licorice and candy bars are just a few choices.

LUNCH

Some backpackers like to stop and sit down to have lunch while some keep it simple with a few protein bars as they hike. Others graze on a string of snacks throughout the day.

Backpacking lunch ideas: Jerky; peanut butter and jelly in small tube containers; energy bars; dried fruits; nuts; sandwich thins with tuna; tortillas with peanut butter; pita with dehydrated or fresh hummus or hummus bowl; bagels with cream cheese; summer sausage and cheese; crackers with smoked salmon; ramen noodles; string cheese with salami; premade sandwich.

DINNER

This is your reward for a day of exertion. Backcountry gourmets don't mind the extra challenge of creating hearty meals out in the great scenery. Most weary backpackers, though, opt for the just-add-boiling-water convenience of prepackaged freeze-dried or dehydrated meals, or simple dishes such as pasta.

Backpacking dinner ideas: Macaroni and cheese with bacon bits or tuna; dehydrated risotto; pasta with pesto and parmesan cheese; ramen noodles with dehydrated vegetables; instant soups; instant mashed potatoes and beef jerky; instant stuffing with cooked chicken (pouch or fresh); backpacking Thanksgiving dinner. To assemble other easy meals, pick a starch such as instant rice or couscous; then pick a protein, whether its tuna, salmon, chicken or TVP protein; then add fresh or dehydrated vegetables and spices.

Other Backpacking Meal Tips

Consider repackaging foods into resealable and reusable pouches or containers to minimize bulk and garbage. Be sure to clearly label everything and include cooking instructions.

Test out recipes at home: Just as it's good practice to test out your stove or tent at home first, try new potential backpacking recipes at home. While trail food always magically tastes better on the trail, practice can give you an idea of how much effort it will be to make, cooking time, and adjustments you might want to make for taste. Invite some friends over, have a backpacking cooking competition and have fun with it.

Save a special treat: It's nice to have a dessert or a special treat to wrap up your day. A freeze-dried raspberry crumble or bar of good dark chocolate can keep you motivated.

Search online for backcountry recipes. Many ourdoor companies like MEC, REI, Backpacker's Magazine and many others offer a large variety of information including backcountry recipes. YouTube offers a vast variety of vloggers offering their personal recipes.

Written by Phuong Le for REI EXPERT ADVICE

N.A.C. NEWS

(Sunday, September 7, 2025)

Good Morning,

We are just starting into the second week of September and we have quite a few events coming up. This coming Friday we will be hosting The Limehouse Hike. This hike will take us to Limehouse Conservation Area where we will have the pleasure of hiking the beautiful terrain and climbing down into and travelling through the many massive crevasses and cracks in the Niagara Escarpment. This hike is always a crowd pleaser!

The following week, we will be heading to the Bruce Peninsula to complete a three day trek along the Bruce Trail and enjoying the nights under the stars. Hosting nine adventurous participants, this will be a wonderous journey with many sights to see. The Bruce Peninsula offers some of Ontario's best hiking. Learn more about our journey by clicking here.

And finally in the last week of September, you can join us at Climber's Rock for another awesome and challenging night of indoor rock climbing. First time vistors will receive a free guest pass to climb for free all evening, and if needed, a free climbing lesson will be provided by NAC.

Don't pack that kayak gear away just yet. In the first week of October, NAC will be paddling in Hamilton Harbour. We will enter the bay at Bayfront Park and spend a few hours exploring the many facets of the harbour. A quick portage will take us deeper into the harbour to explore the shores of the Botanical Gardens and a few of islands within the bay.

And the BIG NEWS:

Registration for the Iceland Expedition 2026 is now open! Join us in July of 2026 as we visit one of the most desirable destinations on the planet, Iceland. We will spend four days backpacking deep in the backcountry of the island as the sun never sets. Those that join in on this adventure will have the extreme pleasure of majestic vistas overlooking ancient oceans, volcanic glass, geothermal activity and brightly coloured landscapes only available on this wonderous piece of land situated at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. This trip is filling up quickly, with less than nine spots remaining there is no time to delay, REGISTER NOW!

That's all the news for this week.

As always, stay safe, and happy adventuring!

Lenny Burch

Niagara Adventure Club

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