We are beyond excited that the days are long enough (and warm enough) to take a nice hike any time of the day. Early morning, long drives to our favorite all-day hikes are some of the ways we try to stay active on our days off here at G-Plans. Of course, climbing mountains means we also need some power-packed snacks to keep the energy and morale going all day. Here are some easy-to-transport and tasty snacks to bring with you the next time you’re planning a long haul hike.
Homemade Trail Mix
What you need:
- Dried Fruit
- Mix of nuts and seeds
- Favorite seasonings
This is an obvious first pick on our list, however we encourage you to try making trail mix of your own! Trail mix is packed full of a variety of nuts, seeds, and fruits, which are all awesome at stabilizing blood sugar levels and maintaining fluid balance during a long hike. Surprisingly, there’s really not much too putting a good trail mix together, and you’re always guaranteed to have your favorite treats in the mix! Store bought mixes tend to be higher in sugar, especially the ones with milk chocolate mixed in. Make your mix meal-plan friendly by dehydrating your own fruit, and picking raw nuts to mix in. Add spices to have more of a heat kick or sweetened it up with cinnamon and nutmeg!
Baked Apples and Seasoned Almonds
What you need:
- Apples
- Almonds
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt & pepper
Similar to dehydrating your own fruit for a trail mix batch, you can keep it more simple by just baking apples and almonds together. Keep the oven at a low temperature, slice up your apple into even pieces, and toss with cinnamon and nutmeg. These spices naturally complement apples, and bring out a hint of apple pie flavoring. Add a dash of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss your almonds. Bake the two together on one sheet tray and you have yourself a power snack that will transport smoothly on your hike.
Tuna Salad To Go
What you need:
- Canned Tuna
- Walnuts, halved
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Snap Peas, cleaned
- Cucumber, sliced
- A few lemon slices
Okay, this is more of a lunch than a snack, but we promise it’s worth it. Slice and dice all ingredients besides your tuna, and keep in an airtight container. If you want these items to stay cool on your day-long hike, simply keep the container in a lunch bag with an ice pack; they should also last in the dark corners of your back until lunchtime. When you enjoy that nice peak, and contemplate calling air rescue to ship you home, use this lunch to give you a second wind. At the right time, break out the container, take out the lemon slices, and add the canned tuna to the mix. Squeeze lemon juice over top to add some flavor and mix everything together. We recommend you use a reusable utensil, as to not leave a trace on the trail!
Homemade Granola and Fresh Berries
What you need:
- Rolled Oats
- Favorite variety of nuts and seeds
- Maple Syrup
- Fresh berries
Again, we bring up the homemade, and it’s with good reason! Checkout the nutrition label next time you’re at the store, and you’ll see this “healthy” snack is usually pretty high in added sugar. We suggest making your own granola, as you can add other flavors to make yourself a new favorite go-to! Using natural sweeteners like honey, raw maple syrup, agave, and Stevia are great, all relatively low-impacting glycemic index sweeteners; they also make it so you can still sweeten your granola. Personally, we like this low-sugar granola recipe. Once you’ve made a big batch, bag it up with some fresh berries. This is an awesome snack to keep your blood sugar stable throughout your entire hike.
Crispy Chickpeas and Avocado
What you need:
- Canned Chickpeas
- Ripe Avocado
- Favorite Blend of spices
- Dash of olive oil
Roasted chickpeas are an up-and-coming snack, and rightfully so! These legumes are packed with protein and are pretty tasty. Chickpeas are an awesome snack if you’re looking for a salty, spicy crunch! Feel free to use canned chickpeas for sake of time, but make sure to rinse the legumes before baking if you’re using canned ones. Add rinsed chickpeas to a foil-lined baking sheet season with oil, add salt and pepper and whatever other spices are calling your name. Bake until they are crispy and a nice golden brown! Put a portion of the prepared chickpeas in a to-go container, and pack a ripe avocado. When you’re feeling like you need a pick-me-up mid way, peel that avocado and top with chickpeas. This is a great snack to get that salty-savory taste, as well as hold you over until you can have that post-hike meal!
Good Ole Bananas and Peanut Butter
What you need:
- Banana
- Justin’s Peanut Butter Pack
This is an oldie, but a goodie! Bananas and peanut butter are an easy way to keep energy high and a happy tummy! This is the ultimate, no-bake snack pack. We recommend always pairing your fruits with protein, and Justin’s makes it super easy to do this while you’re on the go. If you prefer something other than peanut butter, check out the variety of to-go nut butter packs they offer! The high potassium levels in the banana will also help prevent muscle cramping, which we want you to avoid when you’re trekking up a mountain!
No excuses now! Try out some of these yummy snack ideas for your next hike, or maybe just to spruce of your mid-day meal plan snack!