Backpackn Foodie
There’s few things I take more seriously than what my next meal‘s going to be. That’s why I had to give you the top recommendations I’ve discovered through trial and error.
I‘m not going to lie to you. Backpacking food can seem really weird and gross because everything’s essentially freeze dried space-food. My first reaction to these over priced MREs was “It‘s going to taste like shit, I just know it”- remember I’m bougie and I take my food very seriously (I already mentioned this). But I promise you that if you have a little faith in me, you will find yummy food and honestly crave it even when you’re back home and have the option to eat whatever you want (this probably won‘t actually happen). Now having that said, you’re going to eat a lot of carbs. This works for me because pasta is my favorite food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But I will do my best to help guide you toward more nutritious food that still tastes good. Just keep in mind, I’m more concerned about taste. FYI- If you decide to purchase food items at REI, try to purchase 8 food items at a time (you can mix and match), this will give you 10% off your entire food order. Btw if you like siracha, tapatio, etc. then you might want to bring a keychain size of it. Even though this is likely seen as extremely unnecessary to the traditional backpacker, if it makes you happy and it will make your meals more enjoyable then do it. You can always sacrifice half an ounce somewhere else.
Utensils, Storage, Random Nikki Dialogue, etc:
You should look into purchasing a long stainless steel fork/spork. These come in handy when reaching into large food bags. The Sea to Summit Alpha Light Spork (Long) is the exact one I use and I love it, but there is also the TOAKS Titanium Long Handle Spoon with Polished Bowl that my friend Ally recommends because it doesn't grind against your teeth.
Small bowls can also come in handy. If you get a gas stove system, then they typically come with a small bowl.
You will also need a bear canister to store all your yummy food. Check out the Backpacking Gear post for info.
Random Note: Freeze dried food takes longer to cook at higher altitudes, meaning you'll have to wait way longer to eat. This sucks, I know.
Related Note: I’ve recently become a pescatarian, but before that I was able to try a bunch of chicken, pork, and beef backpacking options. Btw I’m allergic to peanuts/tree nuts so none of the foods I recommend have nuts. I’ll rate the following food options from 1 to 10 (10 being amazing).
Breakfast:
Mountain House Breakfast Skillet. 9/10. Super yummy, it's not exactly the same as homemade eggs, but is still good.
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Uncured Bacon. 8/10.
Breakfast Burrito 8/10. Alright here’s where my bougieness comes in. You can pack-in tortillas and add the mountain house breakfast skillet/scrambled eggs onto the tortilla- boom breakfast burrito.
Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy. 6.5/10. This is definitely not a nutritious food and sadly it was just okayyyyy. Nothing too exciting.
Quaker Instant Oatmeal. 6/10. My favorite is the maple and brown sugar one, if we're talking about that one then it's a 7/10.
Coffee. I typically use starbucks instant coffee, which I mix with hot water. Here's an example of one I used in the past.
Breakfast Bars.
Granola.
Lunch:
StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water Pouch. 6/10. This isn't that yummy, but its loaded with protein. I typically eat one per day to take a break from the non-stop carb fest. I also tried the Salmon packages, but didn't think they were that great. There's also different flavors, I personally think the Ranch one is the best!
Bumble Bee Snack Tuna Salad Kit with Crackers. 9/10. This is soooo good and one of my favorite lunch meals/snacks. They also have a chicken salad kit, which I'm sure is just as good. Just remember to take away the box it comes with before bringing it with you.
Crackers. 7/10. Use any kind of crackers, just make sure to repackage them in your own plastic baggy to make storage more convenient. I usually eat these with the Tuna to make it somewhat enjoyable.
Cheese. Cheese is amazing, def a 10/10. If you're feeling extra fancy then you can pack in hard cheeses. Soft cheeses are not good for backpacking.
Top Ramen (Chicken Flavor of course). 8/10. This is extremely cheap and easy to make. Top Ramen is a staple for me, I eat like 2 of these every day backpacking or not..lol why am I like this.
Smoked Salmon. 8/10. This may vary by person, but I think smoked salmon with crackers is really good and packed with fatty protein. Pick whichever one you like best, the one below was pretty good but I think there's better brands out there. Just be careful of the bears, they also love salmon :)
Dinner:
1. Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles. 10/10. I cannot stress enough how delicious this is. Seriously just try it. It’s as good as backpacking food gets.
2. Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce. 10/10. Another delicious food. I get really sad thinking about how I can’t eat this anymore. But luckily there a good replacement that doesn’t have meat (mentioned in the vegetarian section down below).
3. Craft Mac n Cheese. 7/10. This is still tasty without adding milk and butter. Just note that you have to use the small cup sized ones in order to save space.
4. Knorr Pasta Side Dish Alfredo. 9/10. Okay listen. This is a hidden gem that I just discovered, its super cheap and DELICIOUS. You can ever add some protein (chicken, tuna, salmon, etc.). Highly recommend (see pic).
5. Knorr Rice Sides Chicken Flavor. 7/10. This is so easy to make and yummy! Just don't add toooo much water.
6. Idahoan Mashed Potatoes. 8/10. Super yummy, especially when you get one of the gravy packets to add on top. I'm getting hungry now gahh.
Snacks:
Cliff bars/any kind of bar. My favorite go-to is cool mint chocolate clif bar.
Chips. Just try to repackage it or open the bag and let the excess air out to allow for easier transporting.
Candy.
Beef Jerky.
Trail Mix.
Dried Fruit.
Backpacker's Pantry Mango Sticky Rice. 6/10. This was underwhelming. It had a very artificial mango flavor.
Vegetarian Options:
Good-To-Go Classic Marinara with Pasta. 6/10 kind of bland and took like 30 minutes to reabsorb (I.e., cook). Aint nobody got time for that.
Backpackers Pantry Vegetable Lasagna. 9/10. This is super yummy, you don’t even miss the meat! Highly recommend.
Mountain House Pasta Primavera. 9/10. This is a staple in my bear canister. I eat at least 2 of these per trip. Highly recommend.
Backpackers Pantry Chana Masala. 6/10. This was really spicy, if you can handle the heat then all power to ya. But it took 30+ minutes to cook..do I need to say more?
AlpineAire Foods Santa Fe Black Beans & Rice. 6/10. This is a nutrious meal, but wasn’t my cup of tea. Taste was somewhat bland, but it will definitely fill you up.
