Backpacking Food ABCs
Make Delicious Trail Food
Choices Easy And Nutritious

By Diane Spicer

Why make planning the best backpacking meals hard, when it can be as easy as learning your backpacking food ABCs!

Say what?

Yup, plan your hiking menus with the alphabet in mind.

Enter a fun little method that brings us back to kindergarten and shows some secrets to great backpacking menus.

Why go back to school?

Backpackers all agree that taste and speedy preparation are important in the best backpacking food.

So is cost. Cheap backpacking food is highly sought out and you'll find stashes of top ramen and candy bars in a typical backpacker's food bag.

But what about the best hiking nutrition tips, to keep your stamina high and your muscle recovery time low, arranged according to the alphabet?

And who wants to be bored eating the same old thing day after day?

There are plenty of A-B-C ways to spice things up.

Backpacking food
ABCs

These backpacking food ABCs might show you something you've never heard of for hiking menus, or hadn't thought to include on your backpacking food list.

I certainly hope so!

Because bored or jaded taste buds are a bummer.

And if you're the one planning the backpacking menu, your disgruntled trail buddies will give you an earful!

So roll through and snag your favorite backpacking food ABCs.

And pin some on your Pinterest backpacking board for later :)

• Just hit the red SAVE button.
  

Earn Your A's

Chewy apricots, satisfying amaranth, unusual allspice, and a hit of aminos - wow, that's gonna be a great way to enjoy backpacking nutrition on the trail!

B prepared!

Dried grains and beans are staples in a backpacking menu, but there's no need to make them boring.

And the addition of bran to your grains and beans will not only bulk them up in your stomach and make you feel more full, but will soften your stool.

• Just be sure to drink plenty of water if you're using wheat or oat bran in your backpacking meals.
  

Here's another way to get a lot of flavor for very little expense or weight.

Doesn't that sound like something you want in your backpacking menu?

I thought so!

C how easy it can be
to plan a backpacking menu?

Mushrooms, dried fruit, couscous and so many spices to bring along on your next hike!

So many ways to please your taste buds!

And every suggestion is lightweight, easy to use, and highly customizable.

My favorite suggestion:

• Rehydrate and cook the couscous and mushrooms in the same water. Top with cumin and sip a cup of chai tea for dinner!
  

Backpacking food Doldrums?

Never tried dulse?

Then you might also need these sea vegetable snack ideas.

(You can call dulse a seaweed, but that's not very polite, now is it?)

Electrifying, energizing
E's for the trail

I learned to backpack in the dark ages (nearly 50 years ago), when dehydrated eggs were a necessity but certainly not a treat.

Things have changed, so give them another look.

• These Mountainhouse freeze dried eggs can be jazzed up with basil, thyme, oregano, garlic and onion salt, and more!

Fabulous fiber and fun!

Try something completely different: forage your F's.

Or not!

But at least pack something a little different for your hiking food: farro, figs and flaxseed.

G, there's no stopping us now!

G is for great! That's how you're going to feel when you take the time to mix up a personalized batch of granola before you hit the trail.

And if you have trouble digesting beans, the fresh ginger will give you a digestive advantage as you sip your antioxidant rich green tea!

Hurrah for H!

Yes, let's give a cheer for the sweetness of honey, an ancient source of nutrients and simple carbs to keep you going on the trail.

Add it to your hibiscus tea evening ritual, or switch to horseradish on your rice to wake up your taste buds!

J...ust for you

Backpacking gives you permission to just enjoy yourself in terms of your taste buds.

• Jelly beans? Check!
• Jams and jelly? Check!

And it wouldn't be backpacking without jerky, now would it?

• If you've never tried some of the "alternative" jerkies, please take a chance and experiment.

You might find a new favorite to go along with your evening bowl of filling, delicious Jasmine rice.

• Go beyond brown to try some of the other nutrient packed colors: brown, red, purple and black Jasmine rice varieties. Lots of my tips here.
  

Eat up, 'K?

If you've never considered bringing any of these foods along on a backpacking trip, it's time to reconsider.

• For minimal weight, they give you maximum backpacking nutrition.

Pair kidney beans with dried kelp called kombu and you'll have an easier time absorbing the nutrients.

Make kale chips and kasha at home in your oven and look forward to their nutrient packed flavor on those days when your taste buds are demanding something just a little different.

Lots to (L)ove here!

It's easy to get into a backpacking food rut.

Don't let it happen to you!

Choose lamb jerky instead of oversalted, weirdly flavored beef jerky.

Add strips of dehydrated citrus to your hot tea, and toss some into your water bottle before you set off in the morning. You'll be surprised what a nice little boost it gives you mid-day!

Please don't deprive yourself of lentils. They're available in a rainbow of colors, and every last one of them gives you a big boost of nutrition and fiber to fill you up.

Pasta is a backpacking food staple, but don't eat that skinny stringy stuff when you can have thick strips of linguine. Yum!

Mmmighty good!

Lots to say about the M foods that backpackers love.

You can mix and match your muesli and mushrooms, not to mention your mints (peppermint, spearmint, catmint, and more).

You can savor your mangoes and macadamia nuts.

And I should mention how mighty good millet, marmite and miso can be when added to your backpacking dinner menu.

Here's a second round of Mighty Morsels for the backpacking food ABCs:

Backpacking food ABCs:
Now for the N news

Lots to love about the N foods, like salty protein rich strips of nori (seaweed) that weighs nothing in your backpack.

• More seaweed backpacking food tips here

Nuts and noodles are staples for backpackers, but make them count with flavorful additions of herbs and spices.

And don't forget navy beans, the humble little "baked beans" type that will plump up and give your evening meal a creaminess you'll come to love.

I have a lot to say about the best backpacking nuts here.

OOOO, my!

Oatmeal is an expected backpacking staple, and gluten free to boot. Its morning creaminess is a hot, satisfying breakfast to get you fueled up for the day.

• Add lots of unsalted nuts, preservative free dried fruit, chia and flax seeds, and you're unstoppable.

Carry flavorful packets of olives for a nice break from the calmness of oats.

And be sure to add healthy oily fish into your backpacking menu for a healthy hit of oil: tuna, sardines, salmon.

Onion flakes re-hydrate nicely in soups and stews, so bring them along, too.

Prepare for the power of the P's!

Good digestion is a big deal on a backpacking trip.

Bloating, constipation, and other discomforts can sometimes happen when you suddenly switch your diet to trail food.

So use the power of the P's. 

Here's how!

But we haven't fully harnessed the Power yet.

Here are more ways to add fiber and fun to your backpacking menu, and avert digestive problems.

And there's even more power packed into protein. Read about the best sources of backpacking protein here.

Or use this handy little summary to plan your best backpacking menu ever.

Queue up
for great taste and nutrition! 

Have you met quinoa yet?

Have you tried it for backpacking?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be quite satisfying using quinoa in all its forms:

• hot and fluffy
• toasted for trail bars
• made into crackers... lots of options.

Be sure to try all 3 colors of quinoa, as they have different crunch factors and tastes.

'R you ready for this?

Yup, you're in the thick of the alphabet puns! Plenty more where those came from ;)

Seriously, though, backpacking foods that start with R don't have to be dull.

Throw a little reishi fungal love into your food, enjoy the taste of crispy rye and rice crackers, and live a little by adding rosemary to your backpacking menu.

Super S selections
in backpacking food ABCs

And now we come to the S section of our backpacking food ABCs.

There's a lot to love here.

Four great reasons to eat your S's, Part One shows you how including seeds in your backpacking meals, both sesame and sunflower, provides trace minerals and vitamins along with satisfying crunch and taste.

After all, seeds contain energy to get a plant started, so they will fuel you, right?

Carrying salmon as jerky or as pre-packaged portions give you delicious protein and satisfying good oils.

And soy sauce? A condiment you can use on your grains, rice, or even your salmon for a salty hit of flavor.

Part Two shows you 4 more ways to jazz up your backpacking menu.

If salmon doesn't float your boat, how about salty sardines?

• You can buy them packed in water or oil, but for backpacking, bring the oil variety to get even more delicious calories.

Gluten free hikers will appreciate buckwheat/soba noodles for their mild flavor. They pair well with the soy sauce above, or with siracha and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.

And yes, there is a Part Three. It's all about sauces that will bring the heat.

Choose your own hot adventure with these little packets of goodness.

These will suit you to a T

Kinda running out of steam on the alphabet puns, but definitely not on the backpacking food ABCs tips!

This one is for the vegetarian backpackers and vegan hikers in our hiking community.

Tofu and tempeh provide protein for hard working backpacking bodies, and because they accept whatever flavors they are paired with, make versatile meals on the trail.

Tahini and tamari are examples of big flavor boosts that can make your plant based backpacking meals delicious.

But we're not done with the T's yet in our backpacking food ABCs!

There are more great choices for vegetarian backpackers, but everyone can enjoy the nutrition packed into turtle beans.

And they don't have to be dull, bland beans.

• Jazz them up with tajin, a delicious sauce that is well worth the space in your food bag.

A good gluten free grain choice is teff for a satisfying quick hot breakfast or the start of a nutritious backpacking dinner.

Turmeric is one of the spices included in curry, so toss some onto your beans and grains for anti inflammatory plant power.

And take a look at these T (tea) ideas!

U need these backpacking food ABCs!

They call it umami in cooking circles: a Japanese word that means yummy, delicious, "I want some more!"

Here are some lightweight ways to punch up the flavor in your backpacking food bowl.

Are U ready for more yUmmy backpacking food ABCs? Here they are, just waiting for you to try them.

Backpacking Food ABCs
finally reaches V!

V for very, very vibrant on your taste buds.

You can pay a lot (quality, subtle flavors, no additives) or very little for vinegar to add to your backpacking kitchen.

Either way, vary your flavor profiles with these suggestions for tasty backpacking food additions.

Wwwwwait!
There's more
backpacking food ABCs

What do walnuts, wasabi, wakame and wheat berries have in common?

Good eating on a backpacking trip!

Y not eat some Y-ummy stuff?

You may not have heard of some of these foods, or maybe you're adventurous and want to try adding them to your current backpacking menus.

Either way, you'll enjoy these additions to your hiking food.

Had enough backpacking food ABCs yet?

So are we having too much fun yet?

Heck, no!

Hiking For Her has lots more backpacking food ABCs to share with you, so bookmark this page and refer back to the ever evolving cornucopia of trail food tips.

While you're here, why not explore more backpacking food tips and information?

These links will get you started:

• Hiking nutrition
• Backpacking nutrition tips
• Best backpacking nuts
  
• Best backpacking rice
• Best sources of protein for backpackers
• How to feel full on a backpacking trip
  
• Hiking energy
• Trail snacks
• Best backpacking tea
• High calorie backpacking food
• Best backpacking kitchen tips
  

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Backpacking Food ABCs