Who doesn't love a great lunch but there are very few options that typically come to mind when getting your hiking menu together for your next hike, so here is a list of five great hiking lunches.
Remember that hiking lunches should always be something not very hard to make because you don’t want to spend much time making it otherwise you will lose precious day light in order to hike in, just because you need something easy and quick doesn't mean it can’t be yummy and filling though so here is five good recipes to add to your menu.
1. Wraps with your fillings
This hiking lunch is seen as a favourite by most hikers, it's a simple yet filling and yummy lunch perfect for when you don’t have the time to stop for too long on a lengthy days hike because of how portable they are.
Ingredients needed to make:
Wrap of your Choice
Filling of your choice (salami/tuna, lettuce, tomato, etc.)
Equipment required:
Knife for cutting ingredients
Plate for serving (optional)
You have the option when making your wrap to either prepare it in the morning while you make your breakfast or make it while you hike out on the trail. The first option, making it in the morning is great for anyone who doesn't have the time to take an extended break for lunch and is as simple as making your wrap and putting it into a zip-lock bag or place cling film around the wrap. The second option, stopping to make them is as simple as cracking out your ingredients and making them to your liking with your own fillings. If your hike is a little longer then make sure to adjust your fillings to less perishable items as things like tomatoes and lettuce do not last longer than a few days, a few alternatives like dryer cheeses and some dehydrated dips that you can buy from many different hiking food providers.
2. Tuna/Salami with Crackers/Vitawheat
Looking for something even simpler than wraps then this quick lunch could be perfect for you, all you need is a meat like Salami or Tuna (not in a can) or a veg alternative and then place it in-between the two crackers you grab.
Ingredients needed to make:
Meat (Salami, Tuna, Veg alterative)
Crackers (Salada, Vitawheat)
Optional Spread
Equipment required:
Knife for cutting ingredients
Resealable Bag for biscuit storage
For this lunch you will need to get you crackers and meat/veg option and place it together like a sandwich, you can also add some spread if you don’t mind carrying a little more weight and this will have the added benefit of helping it keep together a little better. To make a filling lunch you will probably have to make a few of these but they can certainly be a real good and easy lunch for someone who is hiking.
3. Pita Bread rolls
Looking for something other than a wrap, well then a Pita bread roll might just work for you, once you buy the Pita bread of your choice you can cut the top open or just tear it and fill it like a wrap without needing to fold it and keep it together.
Ingredients needed to make:
Pita Bread (Usually Last around 2 - 4 weeks depending on brand)
Filling of your choice (salami/tuna, lettuce, tomato, etc.)
Equipment required:
Knife for cutting ingredients
Plate for serving (optional)
As we said above, making this lunch is very similar to a warp but can be a little easier and change things up a little from the same old lunch every time you hike, all you need is a knife to cut open the top (or just tear it) and place your preferred fillings inside the bread pocket making for an easy, quick and yummy lunch with very little fuss.
4. Peanut Butter and Honey on Crackers
This one might not sound like your typical lunch and that’s because it isn’t, this is more of an energy boost than what most would consider to be a full lunch but don’t discount it because it can still make for a good meal and will certainly give you the energy you need.
Ingredients needed to make:
Crackers (Saladas, Vitawheats, Cracker biscuits, etc)
Fillings (Honey, Peanut butter)
Equipment required:
Knife for spreading ingredients
Resealable Bag for biscuit storage
This meal doesn't sound that filling but does have two very important items in it to keep your energy up which are Honey and peanut butter, these two items are both high in carbohydrates and sugar giving you that boost to keep walking with energy, this combo also makes them surprisingly filling as carbs are really good at making us full. To make your lunch all you need to do is grab your knife and spread the two onto the cracker of your choice and simply eat away, you can make them either into a cracker sandwich or just eat them like you would a piece of toast, no matter how you eat them they still make an alright lunch. If you want to be weight conscious then you can reduce the weight by buying dehydrated peanut butter which is very close to the real thing when re-hydrated but can be a little challenging for places with little water.
5. Prepared Sandwich
The humble sandwich is a great suggestion for lunch on the first day of a hike as you can preprepare it before you set off meaning there is very little limits on what you can put into it and it can give you that feeling of home cooked food not the type of camp food you will eventually be eating over the coming days of a hike.
Ingredients needed to make:
2 Slices of Bread
Fillings (Meat, Cheese, tomato, lettuce, etc)
Equipment required:
Knife for cutting ingredients
Plate for serving (optional)
Resealable Bag for sandwich storage
We are almost certain that everyone knows how to make a sandwich so we won’t go through that but to bring it with you it might be a good suggestion to place it pre-cut into a zip-lock bag, this will allow you to have it ready, stored and mess free in your bag while you hike. This opportunity for a little bit of normal homemade food should not be overlooked so make sure to give it a try on the first day of your next hike.
Hopefully now you have some better suggestions for what you can make for lunch while out on the trail, some of the things on this list may not suit you because of your access to water, weight restrictions, hike length or dietary requirements so a good guide is to always try make it filling, nutritious and delicious because who doesn't love a great lunch after a hungry day hiking.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Well check out our recipes page here.
Written by Josh Welch
Really?
These may be fine for a one or two day walk but, with the exception of vita wheat, lack practicality of multi-day hike. You are looking to target high carbohydrate, Low GS, robust and ideally tastes good.
Many of your suggestions are
* too big
* too heavy
* too squashable
* will deteriorate (lettuce in a pack for 3 or 5 days?
* Pita bread goes mouldy after 2 -- 3 days
Salami & dry cheese (eg parmeson) are high energy but heavy--use thin slices.
Tuna in a sachet rather than a tin is OK but heavy
Peanut butter is high cal but heavy so don't be too generous--but you can buy dehydrated peanut butter at Woolworths
Vita Wheat are…