Que manger en randonnée sans trop alourdir son sac ? C'est le genre de question qui taraude les randonneurs ! Alors, vous pouvez dormir sur vos deux oreilles, j'ai la réponse. Voici les 4 astuces à suivre pour bien faire. Fini les sacs trop lourds et l'arrivée sur la ligne d'arrivée affamé. Ça vous va ?
There are two types of hikers: those who plan ahead and prepare their food the evening before a hike and those who buy a meal deal sandwich + a pack of crisps + a drink the morning on their way to the start of the hike.
Whichever category you belong to, this article is for you. If you prepare your food yourself, you might be doing it all wrong and not cook meals that would actually bring you energy and if you belong to the second category, then you are obviously doing it all wrong.
So, keep reading.
What to Eat when Hiking: The Basics
Before we dive into the actual tips, here are some basics you need to know.
What you need
Any sort of physical activity requires food that brings energy and the same goes for hiking, this means food that is packed with complex carbohydrates and proteins. As we will be talking a lot about these 2, let’s have a quick recap of what they are.
Complex Carbohydrates: According to Medlineplus.gov, they are made of sugar molecules in a long chain which is then broken by enzymes and turned into glucose. The body will then use glucose as energy.
Proteins: Still according to the same source, proteins are a long chain of amino acids that have the function to regulate the body’s organs and tissue and rebuild the muscle after a physical exercise.
How to choose what to eat when hiking
To choose how much you need to bring, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration. You should plan your trip ahead (do you go hiking without knowing what trail to follow?) and once you are set on a trail, look at the different elements:
- Length of the hike
- The intensity of the activity
- Your size and weight
- Calories you burn
Even though the average person burns between 2500 to 4500 calories per day, we are all different. To help you know how many calories you need to consume you can use a calorie calculator.
Finally, when looking at the food you need for a hike there are some other factors to take into account:
- Convenience: Is it easy to carry?
- Cost: Does it worth the expense?
- Nutrition value: Is it too fat, or too sweet?
FAQ
Where to buy food for hiking?
- Amazon: you would find plenty of food ideas and solutions for hiking and camping from energy bars to ready-meal pouches
- Your local outdoor retailer: Whether it is Mountain Warehouse or Decathlon, they all have a food section with energy bars. I would recommend that you pick your energy bars from a specialist retailer rather than your supermarket as they are more adapted to the type of activity you would be doing and contain less added sugar
- Holland & Barrett: It might not be the shop that comes first in mind but they offer a selection of energy bars ideal for sports and energy gels which are really handy as snacks
How to pack food?
- Get rid of all the containers, such as packaging to minimize the space and the weight
- Transfer the food into ziplock bags or sandwich bags. They are lightweight, resistant, and waterproof. Unlike cardboard packaging, they deplete as you eat
- Put the energy bars and other snacks somewhere easily accessible on the go such as your hip belt pockets and the lunch in the main compartment of your backpack to protect it against the elements when walking
Tip 1: What to Eat Before a Hike
Eating well during a hike is pointless if you have been living on takeaways and alcoholic drinks the days before. It might not seem obvious because hangovers last for a day (if they last for less than that then you are either young or very lucky) but alcohol stays in your body for 72 hours.
You need to be ahead of the game to make the most of the advice below regarding what to eat when hiking and start eating nutrient-dense and protein-packed meals a few days before a hike.
Stay away from processed food and ready meals, and cook from scratch to ensure your meals are fresh and without the saturated fat or added sugar (yes you can find added sugar in a ready meal!).
On the morning of the hike, you need to focus on food that will give you the energy that will last. Therefore, opt for complex carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fat (not all fats are bad) food.
The recommendations are:
- Oatmeal with peanut butter and nuts or seed for a complex carbohydrates-packed meal
- Eggs for the proteins
- Fruits for complex carbohydrates and good sugar
- Low-fat yoghurt for proteins, calcium, and vitamins
If you are more on the savoury breakfast side, here are some suggestions for you:
- Sweet potatoes for carbs and vitamins
- Carrots for fibre, vitamins, and carbs
- Beets for vitamins and minerals
- Lean meats for the proteins
- Pasta for the complex carbohydrates
Tip 2: What to Eat when Hiking
When on a day hike you would usually be eating snacks on the go and have a break for lunch. Some of you might be addicted to the Sunday hike ending with a roast at the pub (I completely understand you, they are the best), and in that case, all you need is some snacks as the lunch is already sorted!
Collations
The problem with hiking is that it can suppress the sensation of hunger. Yet you need to eat to give your body the fuel and energy needed to keep going. The rule of thumb is to snack once every hour. You don’t have to stop, take off your backpack and untie your shoelace every hour (unless you want to still be out by night time) but swallow a handful of nuts or dried fruits or biting in an energy ball on the go is more than doable.
Carry a variety of snacks from sweet to savoury to avoid being bored of eating the same thing.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of what you can take with you as healthy and nutritive snacks to bring you the carbs, proteins, and nutrients you need :
- Trail mix or Energy balls
- Nuts & seed
- Fresh fruits: opt for easy-to-peel fruits such as bananas or clementines
- Fruits secs
- Energy or Granola bars without added sugar
- Dried jerky
- Energy chew and gel
Want to make your own energy balls, check my easy homemade energy balls recipe ici.
Déjeuner
Hiking is not the right time for you to experiment and try some new things: stick to what you like and enjoy eating. There is nothing worse than sitting for a lunch break starving and having to throw your food away because it tastes awful.
If you think that hiking food is a bit bland, just spice it up! No, really I am not kidding. Adding some spice to your meal can make it more enjoyable.
To choose what to eat when hiking, think outside of the lunch box (is that too many wordplays in a row?). Don’t think it has to be a sandwich. If it is hot outside, then a sandwich might be a good idea, but if it is cold, then a warm meal would be more appropriate.
A warm meal?
Yes, you read it correctly. Soup, stews, and curries are adored by hikers in winter. Carry them in a thermos food flask to keep them warm for up to 9 hours. To know more about thermos food flasks, read my review ici.
Can you bring perishable food on a hike?
Yes, you can. But you need to keep it cool. For that, use an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack. They come at a reasonable price, are versatile as you can use them to carry your lunch to work as well, and are durable. I bought mine during the summer of 2015 and it is still here doing office and hiking lunches! Ok, you don’t have to go all pink.
As food is important on a hike, bring a bit more than you would usually eat. You don’t want to be starving and feeling unwell. On the other hand, if someone in the group is not as prepared as you are, you can become the hero of the day by sharing your extras.
Here are some ideas for you of what you can eat for lunch when hiking that are nutritive and contains the carbs, proteins, and minerals your body needs when practising a physical activity that requires stamina:
- whole-grain tortilla
- whole-grain sandwich
- bagel
- fresh veggies
- price rinds
- tuna pouch
- hummus
- cheese
- crackers
And don’t forget the dessert to end your meal with something comforting and sweet. Fruits are ideal for dessert as they contain good sugar. Additionally, unless it is hot, have some squares of chocolate!
To check homemade nutritive lunch ideas recipes, click ici.
Tip 3: What to Eat After a Hike
Knowing what to eat before and during a hike is not the end of it. What you eat after a hike can make or break your recovery.
When exercising, your liver breaks down glycogen into glucose which your muscles need to perform. This means that by the end of the hike, your body would be in need of glycogen. Replenishing muscle glycogen boots the recovery and initiate muscle tissue repair.
To replenish glycogen, you need to eat carbs and proteins. It is recommended that you have your dinner within one hour after the end of the hike. However, biting on some glucose right after finishing the hike, is a good way to keep you going until dinner time. This is important especially if you need to drive home or take public transport before you can have dinner. My recommendation for quick and efficient relief after a long hike is to take some fruit cakes with you. The mix of glucose and fructose is ideal to avoid feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
For an after-hike dinner, the best is salmon. It not only contains proteins that you need for your recovery but equally is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which are good for the heart and the eyes. Combined the salmon with rice, pasta, or potatoes for the carbs and some greens for the vitamins. The perfect athlete meal!
Don’t forget cheese and nuts are also excellent sources of carbs for recovery and for dessert, some Greek yoghurt with bananas for calcium and potassium.
Bon appétit !
Tip 4: Safety Rules
Food Safety
The last thing you need during a hike is food poisoning. To eat food when hiking, you not only need to learn what type of food is ideal but also the safety rules around food.
The first piece of advice is that to make your life easier, you should only carry dried or dehydrated food. The issue with dehydrated meals is that you would need a stove to boil the water in order to rehydrate the food. If you are going on a camping trip, it is perfect. But if you are a day hiker (which I suppose you are because this blog post is about day-hiking food) then it is too much trouble for one meal.
In that case, it means that you would need to carry fresh or perishable food and therefore open the door to food contamination.
As a Certified Food Safety Level 2 person (I do not just have legs for hiking, I have brains too), let me walk you through the basics of food bacteria:
- Above 100 degrees Celsius bacteria die
- Below zero degrees Celsius bacteria are dormant but not dead
- In between, they are wide awake and reproducing, sometimes to a level that is harmful to health. This is how you get food poisoning
When carrying food on a hike, you need to make sure that you are not breaking the “cold chain”, which means that the food stays at a temperature where the bacteria are dormant. The rule of thumb is that the cold chain cannot be broken for more than an hour. After that, the bacteria would have had time to multiply and the food would be spoiled. Hence, why it is important that you carry any fresh food in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack inside.
The second source of food contamination is YOU. In the world we are living in at the moment, it should make sense that you carry a bottle of hand gel or a pack of anti-bacterial hand wipes. Perfect, because you will need them. Wash your hand before eating your food to avoid spoiling.
After eating, wash your hands again, as well as your plate and cutlery to avoid mold from appearing. Use a trash bag to dispose of any rubbish and waste, close it tight to ensure it does not open in your bag, and dispose of it when you get back to civilization. Nature will thank you.
Risk
What can be the risk if you do not eat properly and in enough quantity during a hike?
The main risk of poor nutrition when hiking is glycogen depletion. It comes from having severely low blood sugar levels. As mentioned before, your muscle consumes glucose (which comes from glycogen) to perform. Once your body has used all the glycogen in your body, you “hit the wall“. The symptoms are a decrease in power, strength, performance, and a negative mood. This is why eating carbs and protein is so important.
Finally, the last safety advice when it comes to food on a hike is to keep an eye on your hiking buddies. Make sure everyone has enough food and is snacking regularly. If you notice someone is showing signs of “hitting the wall“, stop and get something containing glucose as well as water mixed with electrolytes.
Now, all you need to do is to get to the shop!
Final Thoughts on What to Eat When Hiking
You know what to eat when hiking, that’s great. But that is not it. Don’t forget to hydrate as well. The rule of thumb is to drink 1L every two hours when hiking under average temperatures. Keep an eye on your intake when hiking to avoid dehydration.
Only the combination of the right food and the correct amount of hydration will make the perfect hike. To know more about how much water you should carry on a hike, click ici.
What do you take on a hike to eat? Let me know in the comments below.
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