Best Hiking Meals: Easy Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for the Trail

When you’re hitting the trail, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all the most important meal of the day. Whether or not we talk about it often, meals are one of the most important parts of any outdoor adventure.

If part of your trip is a long day hike, what you’ll eat before you head out is fuel for the day ahead. While you’re on the trail, the lunch and snacks you pack keep you going for the second half of your day.

Eating a well-balanced dinner will also accelerate your body’s recovery after your hike. Hiking meals are tough to plan, though, so here’s our guide for a full day of on-the-go campground eats.

Hiking, though it may not seem like it sometimes, is a truly strenuous activity for your body. When you’re out in nature breathing the fresh air and getting your heart rate up, you’re burning calories and energy.

Eating a good breakfast, packing a smart lunch, bringing along healthy snacks and planning a satisfying dinner will help keep your energy levels up throughout the day.

Breakfast: Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Overnight Oats

Finding a breakfast meal that meets all of a hiker’s needs throughout the day without requiring too much early morning effort can be tough. Getting up first thing to boil water can be a pain if you’re planning on starting a hike early in the day. Overnight oats are a great option that will help to avoid that problem.

There are so many ways you can put a spin on this hiking meal with basic campground cooking gear. If you’re more of a peanut butter person, use peanut butter. Strawberry? Throw in some of those.

If you like chocolate, maybe opt for chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla. The flavor profile is up to you. Additionally, you can use whatever milk or non-dairy option you prefer as well. You can also add boosters like hemp or chia seeds that will keep your belly full longer.

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1/2 cup milk of your choice
• Small handful of blueberries
• About a tablespoon of cream cheese
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

Steps:

• Quick and easy! Simply combine all of the ingredients in a sealed container like a jar or reusable tupperware container, give it a good mix, and let it sit in a cooler overnight.
• In the morning, add whatever toppings you like. Granola, crushed graham crackers, blueberry yogurt and extra blueberries are all great options.

Snacks along the way

Don’t be afraid of snacking on the trail: your body needs fuel! If cooking a full-scale hiking meal doesn’t make sense for your adventure, snacks are an absolute necessity.

Stay away from empty sugar and calories. Try your best to stick to snacks that will actually fuel your body, like proteins and complex carbs. We’re big fans of trail mix, granola bars, cheese sticks and beef jerky.

Read More: 10 Easy Camping Breakfast Ideas

Lunch: Whole Grain Pita Packets

Stopping for lunch in the middle of a day hike is absolutely crucial to your success. Even if you’re not taking the whole day and only feel like you’ll need a snack, take a break. Your body will thank you later.

The key with all camp kitchen and hiking meals is balance. A healthy blend of fruits, veggies, dairy, protein and carbs is what your body needs to take on a challenging day.

This is where sandwiches come in: they’ve got it all. On the trail, pitas are great because you can hold them with one hand and they leave very little mess. (We also love packing an extra PB&J. We know they don’t have a ton of nutritional value, but they make a great dessert and give you a little midday sugar boost.)

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Whole grain pita
• Lunch meat of your choice
• Cheese of your choice
• Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle; whatever toppings you like
• Mayo, mustard, other condiments

Steps:

• Once again, very quick and easy. Are we sensing a theme for this list of hiking meals? Just assemble your sandwiches either the morning of or night before your hike, throw them in sandwich baggies and you’re good to go.
• If you’re using plastic baggies, remember to pack out all of your trash and leave no trace. If you’re interested in reusable sandwich bags, Stasher Bags are a great environmentally-friendly option.

Dinner: Sausage and peppers

This is one of our favorite post-hiking meals. Although it does require a bit of prep ahead of time, it can be done super easily. If you prep right, all you have to do for this meal is throw your ingredients in a cast iron skillet and make sure it doesn’t burn.

This very basic camp kitchen hiking recipe is a great building block for a ton of different easy meals you can cook at camp. We like this one because it comes with a zero-effort carb (hot dog buns), so you don’t have to cook up rice or pasta or anything like that.

On the other hand, there are also a ton of ways you could achieve a similar result with a one-pan meal. We picked this one precisely because it’s quick and easy, perfect for tired hikers.

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

• One package of Italian sausages or Bratwurst
• One large white or yellow onion, sliced
• Two bell peppers, sliced
• Olive oil or butter
• Seasonings of your choice; we use salt, pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning
• Hot dog buns for serving

Steps:

• Before you head out, prep your veggies. Chop the onion and bell pepper up into strips.
• Get a cast iron pan nice and hot and throw in your butter or oil and the pre-sliced veggies.
• Season the veggies with whatever seasonings you have on hand.
• Once the veggies have sweated down a bit, place the sausages into the pan. Cover it. Keep the heat on medium.
• Every few minutes, stir the veggies around so they don’t burn. After about 15 minutes, flip the sausages, then give them another 15 or so on the other side.
• Deciding when everything looks done is up to you. Every camp stove or fire cooks at different temperatures, so cut into your sausages to make sure they’re done before serving.
• Throw the sausages on a bun and serve up the peppers and onions.

That’s it! Now you’re ready to hit the trail with a full belly and all the fuel you’ll need. When out adventuring, newbie camp kitchen chefs who want to make on-the-go and easy prep hiking meals can put their own riff on any of these recipes.

That’s the best part of camp cooking – what you make is only limited by your imagination. (And the room you’ve got in your cooler.)

Happy cooking!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good hiking meals?

Good hiking meals are calorie-dense, shelf-stable, and easy to prepare. They should balance complex carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle recovery, and healthy fats for satiety. Examples include Blueberry Protein Overnight Oats for breakfast, Whole Grain Pitas for lunch, and Sausage and Peppers for a high-protein dinner.

What is the 20% rule for backpacking?

The 20% rule states that a hiker’s fully loaded backpack should not exceed 20% of their total body weight. For a 150lb hiker, the pack should weigh no more than 30lbs. This rule ensures you maintain mobility and reduce the risk of joint fatigue or injury during strenuous climbs.

What to cook for dinner when hiking?

The best hiking dinners are one-pan meals that require minimal cleanup. A top choice is Sausage and Peppers cooked in a cast-iron skillet. It provides essential proteins and salts to replenish your body after a day of sweating, and using hot dog buns as a “zero-effort carb” eliminates the need to boil water for pasta or rice.

What foods to eat on a hike?

During a hike, focus on “snap snacks” that provide steady energy. Beef jerky is excellent for sodium and protein, while trail mix provides a quick glucose hit from dried fruit and long-term fuel from nuts. Avoid “empty calories” like pure candy, which can lead to a mid-trail energy crash.

What are the best foods to bring on a hike?

The best foods are durable and nutrient-dense. Whole grain pitas are superior to bread because they don’t crush easily in a pack. Hard cheeses (like Sharp Cheddar) and cured meats hold up better in variable temperatures than soft alternatives. For breakfast, overnight oats are ideal because they require no morning stove-work.

What is the best food to eat before a long hike?

The ideal pre-hike meal is high in complex carbohydrates and moderate in protein. Oatmeal with protein powder and berries is a gold-standard choice. The oats provide a slow-release “drip” of energy to your muscles, preventing exhaustion during the first few miles of your ascent.