Lunch is one of the most difficult meals to plan on a backpacking trip; just think about it for a minute. Most breakfast and dinner meals are pretty simple.
Aside from lunch time, our other meals follow the same easy formula; open the bag or package of oatmeal or freeze-dried food or mashed potatoes, add water, wait, and then eat.
This process does not hold true for lunch time unless you plan on having a hot meal. So read ahead for some creative lunch ideas for backpacking trips
Some tips for selecting lunch meals for backpacking
- Plan on eating your heaviest and most perishable food first
- Make sure you bring food you know you like—it’s never a good idea to experiment with new tastes and textures after miles on the trail.
- Take your food out of its original packaging and put it into lighter Ziplock or fold over bags to save weight and space. (Make sure you take the instructions if it takes preparation)
- The lighter the better—think crackers instead of bread and meals that just need water.
- Try to get items that are already cut up for you, like sliced salami and cheese, this way you don’t spend time cutting and cleaning during lunch time.
Just add water lunch ideas for backpacking
There are a few things you can just add water to when it comes to lunches out on the trail so we will go over those first.
Top Ramen – it’s quick and easy but you still need to get your stove out to boil the water.
Powdered Hummus and crackers- you just add water to this one. I recommend you bring a small packet of olive oil and lemon juice to add, it will make it tastier and creamier. Any lightweight crackers will do. Click here to buy on Amazon
Tabouli salad in a box– this is a great one but best for a rest day or making a meal for 4-5 people. The directions usually say to add boiling water, olive oil and lemon juice as well as tomato. You can add the boiling water when you cook some up for coffee in the morning and let it sit until lunch and it will be ready.
I personally just add cold water in the morning and it’s nice and soft and ready to eat by lunch— I skip the tomatoes entirely but add lemon juice and olive to spiff it up a bit. Serve with crackers, pita bread or just eat it by itself. Click here to buy online
Powdered Peanut butter– Yes, there is a “just add water” version of peanut butter and it tastes great. Peanut butter powder is perfect for backpacking trips; all you do is add water and mix it up. Most varieties have natural ingredients.
I also like to add a tablespoon of peanut butter powder to my ramen soup to elevate the taste and add some protein. Click here to buy online
The best lunch ideas for backpacking
GORP/trail mix (Good old raisins and peanuts)
This is a classic backpacking lunch because it has both protein and sugar. I add some of my favorite things to the mis like dried coconut or M&M’s.
Cheese and crackers
This is another favorite that’s pretty good even on day four or five. They key is to get the right kind of cheese and store it in the middle of your food bag or bear canister to keep it cool. The best kind of cheese to bring are harder cheeses like parmesan but even string cheese or Babybel will work. Pair it with your favorite lightweight crackers. You could also go with the pre-packaged Ritz and Cheese or the good old Handi Snacks, but they are packed with preservatives.
This is a great option if you are looking to fuel up with a lot of protein; but keep in mind you do need carbs if you’re doing a lot of miles each day Stick with the cheeses above and pick out a good salami; even the ones with no nitrates will stay good for a while if it’s not too hot out. I like the easy to pack and eat packages but that can add to your trash to haul out.
This is one of my favorite backpacking meals. I get the tuna packets that are flavored like Spicy Thai Chili. The I get some seaweed sheets to roll it up in. I’ve also saved some instant rice from the night before to make a spicy tuna handroll–delicious. You can make this with plain tuna too.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
This is another easy favorite of mine because I don’t eat them very often. Who doesn’t love to settle into lunch with a tasty PB&J? You can make it at home and freeze it before packing or get the Uncrustables version which are easier but not very healthy.
Beef jerky and dried fruit
This is a great option for further on in your trip because of the long shelf life. I choose one of my favorite beef, turkey of bacon jerky and add some dried fruit to beef it up. You can save weight by adding freeze dried fruit if you’d like too.
Some food for thought
It takes a lot of time and practice to get it right when packing your food for a trip. I always plan out each meal for each day so I don’t overpack and add weight.
The nice thing about this list, is that you can mix and match as you go. For instance, instead of having cheese and crackers, you can have cheese and dried fruit; or you can have tuna and crackers instead of the seaweed.
Once you’ve figured out what you like on the trail, these foods almost become part of your backpacking checklist. I hope you find something new with these lunch ideas for backpacking. Enjoy your lunch and enjoy the trail…. live life’s adventure.
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