The 10 Best Snacks For Backpacking That Won’t Pack On The Pounds

Being an avid outdoor enthusiast, I can often be found spending my summer weekends backpacking on one of the countless trails Alaska has to offer. Though you might think hauling a 20-pound pack all over the mountainside would earn me a toned midsection, I would often come home with an extra pound or two. While I love my body at any weight, I also love feeling healthy, fit and confident in my skin. So, I started paying attention to the foods I packed to see what worked and didn’t, and have come up with a list of 10 of the best snacks for backpacking that won’t pack on the pounds.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is the first food on my list when I go backpacking. You can buy the readymade packets in so many flavors. My picks are always Maple Brown Sugar and Blueberry Muffin. They are portable, light and easy to cook because the only ingredient is water, and they usually range from 120- 200 calories a packet. I will even have oatmeal for dinner on chilly nights.

Nuts

I want to be clear, I’m not talking about salted cashews or chocolate covered almonds, I mean raw, activated nuts. Yes, they are still high in calories, but they fuel your body with healthy fats, provide needed fiber and digest easily so you aren’t hiking around bloated.

Rice

Rice is a great staple food for backpacking meals because it gives you an easy base of carbohydrates for your body to break apart into energy. It is pretty low in calories at only around 200 calories per cup. I usually make my dinners with rice and just mix up what I add to it, but coconut rice and black beans are the best.

Peanut Butter

I love peanut butter, and I put it on everything when I’m backpacking. Instead of packing a Snickers bar to eat for energy midway through your hike, opt for peanut butter. These days, there are a ton of low-calorie forms of peanut butter; almond butter, coconut butter, you get my drift.

Pasta

I know pasta has a bad reputation but it has come a long way. There are many low calorie, vegetable base pasta noodles out there. I’m a simple gal, so I buy a spaghetti noodle, throw it in a Ziploc, and cook it with a low-calorie tomato sauce, and dinner is served. If that’s too bland for you, toss in some feta and olives. These make the best snacks for backpacking.

Wraps

I’m hesitant to put wraps of the list because it comes with a warning. If you make the wrap beforehand, it will be soggy and gross. However, if you separate the ingredients until its lunch time, then make them on the spot, you will end up with a healthy delicious meal without pulling out your stove.

Dark Chocolate

While its paler counterpart may be your favorite when you have a sweet tooth, try to stick with dark chocolate on the trail. It has more beneficial properties, such as antioxidants, and fewer additives like dairy and sugar. I mix dark chocolate chunks into homemade trail mix to hide the fact it’s not milk chocolate.

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Soup

Obviously, you don’t want to carry around cans of soup in your pack, but there are plenty of deducted soup recipes on Pinterest, and even some dehydrated ones at the store. They are usually fairly healthy and only need hot water. Also, soup is amazing comfort food when you can’t get a fire going to warm you up.

Pancakes

For me, if it’s not oatmeal in the morning, its pancakes. I buy protein pancakes, and transfer only what I need into a Ziploc bag, seeing a pattern yet? In the morning, just add water to the mix and shake up the bag. Once it’s ready, cut a hole in the bottom corner and pour away. Pancakes are definitely one of the best snacks for backpacking

Chicken

I am a vegetarian, so I opt for tofu, but either one can be cooked before hitting the road, and simply added to most dinners. It’s fairly healthy and quite filling. Some of my suggestions are chicken curry and chicken noodle soup.

What do you think are some of the best snacks for backpacking? Let us know in the comments below!

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