Dinner is a very important meal especially when you have been out hiking all day and you need to replace the lost energy of the past day of hiking but finding the right dinner can sometimes be a little difficult so here is five great suggestions to help you out for your next hiking menu.
Before you set off on your menu creating journey you must understand the importance of this meal in terms of the energy you need to hike over the course of several days and feel full and ready to go for the following day of hiking ahead, so with that now out of the way here is our five recipes.
1. Rices and Pastas
Rices and Pastas are a staple hood of hiking dinners because of how easy it is to make and they also fill you up with much needed carbohydrates that will power you for the day ahead. They can be bought in a packet with ranges of flavours making you just add water or you can get the raw ingredients yourself and do a little more planning and cooking.
Ingredients needed to make:
Rice/Pasta packet or 1-2 cups of raw ingredient
2 and a ½ cups of Water
Equipment required:
Resealable Zip-Lock Bag
Stove (with pot)
Spoon for mixing and stirring
Bowl for serving
If you are making some of the store bought options then preparing this dinner is as simple as following the packets instructions, if you are making your own it's also very simple too, you just need to portion your meal sizes before you leave into zip-lock bags and then cook them in boiling water like you would at home, if you like you can also bring a flavouring or sauce sachet to give it a little more flavour, especially to the pasta.
2. Instant Soups
Instant soups make for great meals with very little fuss, they make for a delicious and simple dinner that can be prepared and enjoyed in your cup making for a little less of a clean-up once you've finished your meal.
Ingredients needed to make:
Instant soup sachet
Around 1 Cup of Water
Equipment required:
Stove (with pot to boil water)
Spoon for mixing and stirring
250ml Cup for serving
When making your soup it is as simple as getting your instant soup packet, pouring the soup power into your cup, heating up the water and mixing together. Some soups may be slightly different but it's as simple as following the instructions on the back of the packet, once you've done that you’re ready to drink up.
3. Store bought Hiking dinners
One of the best ways to get an easy, simple and delicious hiking meal is try one of the many hiking food brands out on the market. With many big and small players and tons of choice you are bound to find a flavour you love and there are many vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options too.
Ingredients needed to make:
The Hiking Brand’s Food
Water (Depending on the product)
Equipment required:
Stove (with pot to boil water)
Spoon for mixing and stirring
Optional Bowl for serving
Though these meals are delicious, easy and simple they aren't great for using every night as they can often be expensive and sometimes clunky inside your bag. For anyone looking to hike on a budget then this option is definitely more of a luxury than a necessity but for those who can slip a few of these meals in their hike then it can provide you with a fantastic break from the typical hiking dinners of simply pasta or rice. So next time you start preparing your hiking meals then consider getting some store bought options to add a little variety to your menu.
4. Instant Mash and Peas with Sliced Salami or Tuna
Instant mash is something a lot of people do not like but it cannot be denied that it is a great source of carbs to recharge your battery after a long day of hiking and can be made better with the addition of some peas and meat of your choice which tend to really add some flavour.
Ingredients needed to make:
½ a Cup of Instant Mash Mix
50g of Dehydrated Peas
Meat of your choice (Salami, Tuna (not in can))
⅔ of a Cup of Water for Mash
2 and a ½ Cups of Water for Peas
Equipment required:
Stove (with pot to boil water)
Spoon for mixing and stirring
Bowl for serving
To make this meal you will need to follow the instructions on the back of the instant mash packet and peas and produce both separately (see above for measurements). Once you've made your mash and peas you can mix them together and add some sliced meat of your selection, two great suggestions are salami because it keeps for a long time and tuna in a sachet as you can get a few different flavours while still remaining light. When you have mixed all that together you should find yourself with a great meal to fill you right up to the brim in anticipation for the following days adventure.
5. Quick Noodles
Quick noodles aren't a very common sight on the hiking trail but they can make a good but different hiking meal that fills you up with noodley goodness for the following day of adventure.
Ingredients needed to make:
Instant Noodles
1 and a ½ Cups of Water
Equipment required:
Stove (with pot to boil water)
Spoon for mixing and stirring
Bowl for serving
To make your noodles it's as simple like most hiking dinners as adding some boiling water to the noodles and let them sit for a few minutes, most noodles will come with some optional flavour packets that can add a little more taste to some flavourless noodles. Though it may sound very simple, that's what makes a good hiking meal and simplicity is what is typically at the core of most hiking dinners and this one is no exception.
Now hopefully you have a better idea of what you will be eating for dinner next time you find yourself out on the hiking trail, most hiking meals are made to be simple and that's why everything on this list are simple and easy to make meals that require very little preparation so you aren’t cooking for too long after a days hiking. It can often get very dark very quickly after you set up camp so making easy and quick meals is handy to beat the sundown and get to bed and a goodnight sleep as quick as possible.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Well check out our recipes page here.
Written by Josh Welch
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