My Formula for Creating Nutritious Meals on the Trail

Deciding what to consume on the trail is one of the most taxing logistical decisions hikers face when planning a trek. Balancing the need for food that’s lightweight, non-perishable, compact, and nutritious becomes a challenge when many would prefer to focus on the trek itself.

Often, we fall into the trap of planning meals based solely on how convenient they are to carry and cook, often resorting to ‘just add water’ packaged meals. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

These options aren’t bad, especially when you’re packing light. But what if I told you there’s a simple way to get the right nutrients and enjoy a real meal, even in the middle of the bush? Once I figured this out, my trips became instantly more enjoyable with less effort.

Good food + good friends = good hike | @tom.bolton1

Nutrition 101

As humans, we require food to be digested into fuel to keep our bodies moving. As hikers, we need to choose the right type of food to prevent depletion of our glycogen stores which are essential to keeping our legs ticking along all day long. On top of this, we must ensure that the food we carry is appropriate for long journeys, often with very limited cooking supplies.

By first arming yourself with nutritional knowledge, the decision-making process around what you should be eating becomes much more straightforward.

Let’s start by understanding the differences between macronutrients.

When hiking, it’s important to have an appropriate intake of the three biggest macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Carbohydrates are our biggest source of aerobic energy fuel for our muscles, they’re the first to go when exercising so, contrary to a more sedentary lifestyle, it’s important to be topping up with high-GI foods such as quick-release sugars while hiking strenuously for long periods of time (i.e. over two hours).

The next reserve of energy our body stores is fats which are broken down and transported to our muscles. Fats are energy-dense and contribute to helping us recover after our long hikes.

Finally, proteins are needed for muscles to repair. This is particularly important after intense days of hiking.

That’s macro basics in a nutshell, but we also need to include micronutrients to complete our meals. Foods rich in micronutrients (Vitamins B, C, magnesium, calcium, and iron) as well as salt, help to replenish what we’ve lost through sweat, aid recovery, and prevent illness. An easy way to do this is to include either a fruit or some veg in each meal and top it off with salt for seasoning.

The way I create my meals is by choosing food from each macronutrient group and then adding some micronutrients in the form of fruit or vegetables. I use a very simple formula to do this:

Meal = Carb + Fat + Protein + Fruit/Veg

Yum yum yum | Carly Godden

For instance, if you’re planning to eat pasta (carb) you could include tuna (protein), cheese (fat), and tomatoes (fruit).

You can create a formula for your meals and mix and match as you please. This way, when you’re prepping for a trip, you only need to pick a serving from each category for every meal, ensuring you’ll feel full and satisfied.

Gathering Ingredients

Start by creating a list of all your favorite foods that fall under these categories. Since carbs are often the foundation of meals and provide the fuel that keeps us moving all day, that’s typically where I begin.

Ensure that most of these foods are shelf-stable and will last the duration of your trip. Consider adding some fresh food for the beginning of your journey, such as vegetables. Thankfully, supermarkets offer many ingredient options that are both shelf-stable and nutritious.

Here‘s a list of possible options for each element that fits the requirements of a hiker – easy to carry, light, and won’t spoil too quickly.

Carbs

• Oats/porridge (quick sachets are great)
• Pasta (orzo cooks quickly)
• Rice (quick sachets are handy for serving sizes)
• Muesli
• Bagels
• Wraps
• Corn/rice crackers

Protein

• Tuna (in sachets)
• Chicken (in sachets – don’t knock it till you try it)
• Legumes e.g. chickpeas, lentils, mixed beans (in sachets or dried)
• Yogurt
• Protein powder
• Jerky
• Peanut butter (squeeze is best)
• Eggs (use a hard shell case to carry)

Fat

• Nut butter
• Fish with olive oil (in sachets)
• Hummus
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Full fat UHT milk (small cartons)
• Avocado
• Cheese

Creating Meals

Next, you choose an ingredient from each list to create meal options. You can mix and match to customise as you please. By bringing these ingredients as bases without specific meals in mind, you can decide in the moment to eat what you’re craving most.

Here are some meal ideas:

Breakfast

Porridge (carb) + banana (fruit) + protein powder (protein) + peanut butter (fat) + full fat UHT milk (fat)

Eggs (protein) + wrap (carb) + avocado (fat) + spinach (veg)

Lunch

Tuna (protein) + wraps (carb) + avocado (fat) + spinach + capsicum + tomato + onion + cucumber (veg)

Rice (carb) + chickpeas (protein/fat) + capsicum, spinach (veg)

Dinner

Pasta (carb) + tuna (protein) + pea/carrots (veg) + cheese (fat)

Rice (carb) + black beans (protein) + cheese (fat) + corn (veg)

Next, plan out when you’ll have each of these meals. Use up all your fresh ingredients early on, such as loose vegetables, fruit, and eggs. However, be sure to leave yourself some meals to look forward to towards the end of the journey when you may be fatigued.

While not necessarily the most nutritious, it’s important to leave room for an easy dessert to keep spirits up. One of my favourites is chocolate balls, made by combining crushed malt biscuits, cocoa, desiccated coconut, and tubed condensed milk. Another simple option is Mars bar slice, which combines butter, Rice Bubbles, melted Mars Bars, and chocolate. They’re easy to make, and you’ll likely have leftovers!

Note – remember to pay attention to food safety. It’s better to eat homemade treats with dairy early on in your multi-day hike.

Bon Appetit!

Voila! There you have it, a lovely meal that’ll sustain you throughout your journey.

These smoked trout pita wraps kept us more than sustained on a camping trip

The benefit of approaching hiking meals this way ensures you get all the necessary nutrients into your body to support performance, but also to simplify the planning process. By starting with ingredients (bottom-up processing) rather than specific meals (top-down processing), you can streamline your preparation and adapt your meals flexibly based on what ingredients you have available.

It can be tricky to decide on specific meals and then gather the right ingredients, only to realize later that they may not be feasible or may not provide the fuel your body needs. Additionally, planning meals can be challenging because cravings and recovery requirements can change after a full day of hiking.

Instead, by creating meals from ingredients you have on hand, you can better ensure you’re planning for success and adapt more easily to your changing preferences and energy needs.

Happy eating and happy hiking!

Header photo by @thecampstovechef