What to eat while hiking
Here’s the problem hiking consumes INSANE amounts of calories. So how are you supposed to keep your meat vessel fueled while you are on the trail? This simple guide will show you everything you need to know to keep your body fueled & energized for long hikes and days on the trail. First we will take a quick moment to teach you about what kind of fuel your body craves during these hikes and we will also keep it simple things you can find at your local grocery store.
Carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are going to be your main fuel source during a long trek. What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are sugar molecules that fuel your body. You want to make it as easy as possible for your body to break down your food and convert that food into energy during a hike. For example your body has an easier time breaking down an apple than it does pasta. So an apple would be a better choice than say a bowl of pasta on the trail. This way your body has more energy to focus on moving up the mountain or hill than digesting your food. On the flip side the bowl of pasta would be a better choice 1-2 hours before the hike because the energy would take affect much later .
Before the hike.
Eat 1-2 hours before the hike begins. If you eat and immediately hit the trail you’ll still be digesting your food which will steal energy from your hiking.You may have heard the term carb loading this is a good idea to eat complex carbohydrates before your trek such as.
1.Oatmeal
2.White Potatoes
3.Wheat Bread
4.Rice
5.Beans / Lentils
These foods will take longer to break down but will give you the energy when you need it.
An example of a meal I would have before a hike would be.
2 Eggs, Bacon, Avocado Toast, & yogurt with coffee or water.
I am also a sucker for peanut butter and jelly with Bananas & a yogurt for extra fats. (Also works for veggie & vegan friends without the yogurt.)
During the Hike
How often you should eat? Every hour of hiking very light snacks. One typically can burn 200-400 calories per hour hiking so its important to keep the body fueled with simple easy to break down carbohydrates. Here are some example of simples carbs to eat on the trail.
Simple Carbs
1.Apples/Bell Peppers (trust me on the bell pepper its full of water and gives you a bit of extra hydration) [Avoid bananas and squishy fruits unless you want a mess in your pack]
2.Cliff Bars/Lara Bars (Lara bars made with 100% real food ingredients)
3.Dried Fruit (dried mangos are my fav)
Nutrient Dense Fats / Proteins
These are also calorie and nutrient dense choices which are great for the trail but are not as high In carbohydrates.
4.Tuna
5.Nuts (calorie and nutrient dense & delicious I also have nuts when I hike)
6. Jerky
7.Nut Butters
I know you may be tempted to reach for things like candy, chips sugary sports drinks etc. The problem here is that this will spike your blood sugar levels very quickly then followed by a crash which may leave you struggling to continue on the trek & looking for more sugar & it becomes a vicious cycle of elevation and crash. An alternative I enjoy is energy chews these are packing with vitimians & electrolytes to give you energy and fuel without the crash.
After the Hike.
Protein & Fats
45mins to 1 hour after the hike is the sweet spot when your body is most susceptible to repair and re-fueling. This is when you want to feed your body proteins to rebuild muscle and replenish fat stores. I use a tracking device on my Apple Watch so I know exactly how many calories I burned, so I know how much I need to eat to replenish my body. Here you may be tempted to simple eat everything in sight! I know I’ve been there. I would start with a filling salad & continue to eat the proteins after to make sure I am full but not STUFFED!
Example meals.
Chicken Bowl w/rice, beans, corn & avocado
Hamburger w/lettuce wrap instead of bun & sweet potato fries or regular fries
Steak asparagus & potatoes
Veggie / vegan options
Tofu stir fry over rice
Vegan fried rice Tofu mixed veggies & avocado oil
Water!!!!
If I am hiking the first thing I like to do is drink 32oz of water usually an hour before I start. Then I bring 16oz of water for every hour of hiking ill be doing. I normally carry a 2 liter camel pack and fill it up accordingly. I like the camel pack because it makes it so easy to hydrate and I don’t have to stop and grab a water bottle every time I am thirsty. On that note DON’T wait till you are thirsty to drink. I take little sips as I am hiking constantly. It’s also a good idea to bring a little more water than you need if you get lost take a wrong turn adding an extra hour of hiking the last thing you want is to be worrying about water on top of finding your way back. If I know there is going to be water on the trail I may bring less water and refill at a stream using a life straw or other water purifying source. The benefit here is that your pack will be lighter making it easier to do longer hikes.
Electrolytes.
What do Electrolytes do? Electrolytes
1.Regulate fluid levels in your body.
2.Keep the pH of your blood in a normal range
3.Allow muscle contractions
4.Help Transmit nerve signals to cells
To keep your electrolytes in balance avoid diuretics such as green tea or coffee on big hiking days (not going to lie I love a cup of coffee before a hike) diuretics make you urinate more frequently which can cause a loss of electrolytes.
How do I replenish Electrolytes?
Gatorade was the old way of doing this unfortunately they are FULL of sugar way more than a soda. So I enjoy electrolyte tablets which can be added to water & some times they have flavors without sugar if you want a little taste.
GREAT! So that’s how you stay fueled on the trail. Please let me know if you have any questions all the links in this blog are affliet links so if you use them I get a small percentage of the sale which will help me greatly so thank you for using them! This blog was meant to go into further detail with my youtube video. If you have not seen it yet here is the link make sure to subscribe there and happy trails!