Planning To Go For A Hike? 5 Foods To Avoid Before Your Hiking Excursion (2024)

FAQs

Planning To Go For A Hike? 5 Foods To Avoid Before Your Hiking Excursion? ›

Scan grocery stores for small packets of foods such as tuna pouches, oil packets, powdered milk, or small packages of peanut butter or jelly. Also look for ramen noodles, instant rice, soup mixes, chicken or beef bouillon, instant mashed potatoes, or dehydrated hash browns.

Scan grocery stores for small packets of foods such as tuna pouches, oil packets, powdered milk, or small packages of peanut butter or jelly. Also look for ramen noodles, instant rice, soup mixes, chicken or beef bouillon, instant mashed potatoes, or dehydrated hash browns.

When preparing your own meals there are a few avenues a hiker can take. One is to buy dehydrated or freeze-dried ingredients and combine them in a bag to make a meal. If you have access to a dehydrator, you can dehydrate individual ingredients and combine them in a bag the same way.

For a day hike, just about anything will do if you can fit it in your backpack and keep it cold — sandwiches, fried chicken, bread and cheese, and even salads — or choose non-perishable foods. Most bacteria grow rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F.

Sugary Foods. It can be quite tempting to indulge in some chocolate or fruit juice before your hike, thinking it may boost your energy. But the truth is, they have the opposite effect on your body. Just like carbonated drinks, sweet treats may give you a quick boost of energy, but they won't sustain you for long.

If you happen to be hanging at home on the evening before a hike you have planned for the next day, our advice is to build your energy reserves by eating starchy foods at least 12 hours before you leave. In the morning, be sure to eat a big breakfast that again includes lots of starch.

'We need the quick-release carbohydrates,' Jenaed explains. On longer walks, she recommends high-fibre granola bars, fruit with the skin on, spread with peanut butter or eaten with nuts, and energy balls made with oats. 'This will ensure a steadier release of glucose into the bloodstream. '

On a longer hiking trip (say three days or more), aim to pack about 700 grams – 1kg per person per day. A balanced hiking diet includes more fat and sugar than a normal diet. Buddy-up and share as much as you can – you don't need more than one container of coffee, etc.

Here's a list of hiking-friendly snacks listed by electrolytes: Salt (sodium chloride) = salted nuts, trail mix, pretzels, crackers, popcorn, pickles, and jerky.

When should you eat while hiking? ›

Snacking regularly (every one to two hours), as opposed to three big set meals a day, is conducive to a more efficient hiking approach. You are not as weighed down with a full stomach, your muscles won't be as stiff because your breaks aren't as long and it's better for your digestive system.

Many hikers buy food and supplies in towns along the Trail or businesses near the Trail that cater to hikers.

The quick answer is that jeans aren't ideal for hiking, but if that's all you have don't let that get in the way of you getting outdoors; ultimately, you can hike in anything.

Generally, when hiking, we advise leaving anything precious or irreplaceable at home. Packs that are too heavy or don't fit: No hiker wants to be weighed down with an overloaded or ill-fitting daypack or backpack. Too much weight can make the trek a slog, and a pack that's poorly fit can cause chafing and soreness.

Once you're walking, snack regularly to ensure your body has sufficient supplies of glycogen (the stored form of glucose). 'Every hour, top up nutrient stores with carbohydrates by snacking on granola bars, liquid carbohydrates such as juice or squash, fruit, yogurt or sandwiches, Jenaed suggests.

It's best to have a breakfast and evening meal containing low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates. These carbohydrates break down and release glucose slowly, which means they will help sustain your energy for longer. Low GI foods include porridge, wholemeal damper, wholegrain bread, rice and some types of noodles.

Popular trail snacks (such as trail mix, energy bites, jerky, and bars) are also technically no-cook. Also included in the no-cook meal family are cold soaked meals. Cold soaking is a food preparation method in which dehydrated foods are soaked in cold water until rehydrated.