Healthy hiking snacks!

Clean eating is often thrown out the window when setting out for a hike. There’s nothing like an exhausting, all-day hike to tempt you to treat-yo-self with “trail mix” that’s 90% M&M’s.

So how do you eat clean when on the trail? Here are some top tips from We Are Explorers on how to cook up some delicious, healthy hiking food in the wilderness.

Tip 1: Don’t be afraid to be creative! It might seem easy to load your bag with a pre-packaged, freeze-dried packet for every meal of your day but nothing tastes better, or is more satisfying, than the meal you created yourself. Pre-packaged, freeze-dried meals have their place (especially for long adventures) but many are carb-heavy, full of preservatives and MSG, without the slow burn energy you’ll need for adventuring.

Instead of relying entirely on pre-packaged meals, consider your favorite meals at home. Can you make any simple swaps so your ingredients are as light as possible, and will last without refrigeration?

Tip 2: Fresh Is Your Friend! Fresh fruit and vegetables are loaded with nutrients and vitamins to help you conquer that next hill. You can even combine them with dehydrated ingredients for a satisfying meal! Fresh foods may be heavier in weight, but they are full of antioxidants high in nutritional goodness. To save on weight, choose veggies that you can’t find dehydrated, so you still get a varied, balanced diet while in the wild.

Tip 3: Consider the Shelf Life! Choose fruit and veg that are firm and don’t compress easily when you do a squeeze test. Fresh veggies like zucchini, carrot, garlic, onion, ginger and beetroot will last for a few days in the bottom of a bag.

For fruit, try oranges, apples and anything that will hold its shape. If you want to bring softer fruit and veg, like avocados, cucumbers and bananas, use these on your first day to save the hardy veggies for later.

Tip 4: Make It Exciting! No fan of bland? When planning out your meals, include herbs and spices. Stock cubes will make a huge difference, but you can also mix together different ziploc bags of salt and pepper and herbs and spices that will work with your individual meals.

Looking for more inspiration?? Check out some fun Trail Recipes