Nutrition for Hikers
For our honeymoon, we bopped around Calgary for a few days then went to Banff National Park in Canada. It was an absolute blast. We got cocktails and over-priced pizza in Calgary and witnessed bighorn sheep rock climbing in Banff. We hit several spots in Banff National Park including: Lake Louise, Mirror Lake, Lake Agnes, Lake Agnes Tea House, Little Beehive Lookout, the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, the Upper Hot Springs, Sundance Canyon (where we had to stop to make sure a BEAR had passed), Lake Minnewanka, and Stewart Canyon. Whew - we were exhausted! We mostly ate out in Calgary, but to fuel our hikes, we grocery shopped for lots of delicious, portable, and nutritious foods. In the picture above, you can see some of the yummy treats we packed for munchin'. But absolutely NO munching on the trails!! We always had bear spray in hand in the forest- never trail mix!
1. Sandwiches We packed sandwiches daily for lunch. We got a loaf of bread, sliced cheese, a couple different deli meats, taziki, bibb lettuce, and cucumber to make them and then transported them in Stasher bags. We received our first set of Stasher bags as a wedding gift and we are IN LOVE! They're reusable silicone sandwich bags that are dishwasher safe and have a great seal. They reduce waste and they're easy to clean. Also, they feel like jelly and it's super fun to play with them.
2. Fruit We bought grapes, bananas, apples, a few apricots, and 1 dragon fruit. I will say, this was my first dragon fruit and I was not blown away. Was I eating it wrong? You tell me in the comments if I'm totally bizarre and dragon fruit is actually heavenly.
3. Chips Since living with with my man, he has really gotten me hooked on kettle chips. All foods fit guys! For this trip we got Aunt Vickie's black pepper and lime. At home, we love to get salt and vinegar or Kettle Brand's avocado oil chips! #health
4. Harvest Snaps green pea crisps GUYS. I introduced Zack to green pea snaps about a month ago an we are crushing them these days. If you are a lover of light, crunchy snacks like popcorn, you will love green pea crisps. Yes, they look weird and fake- but they're not and they're so good!! Be prepared to eat the whole bag. You can find these at Aldi (my favorite grocery store) as well and they're super affordable. Our favorite flavor is original. Ceaser, not so much but we still crushed it.
5. Clif Bars & Rx Bars I'm most likely to eat a bar on a hike/outdoor excursion or in the office because sometimes work gets a little crazy- can anyone relate? Bars are an awesome go-to for on-the-go nutrition because they are nutrient dense and don't have to be refrigerated. However, there are few bars that I actually like. Some are super fake and some are super diet-y. Bars I actually buy are: Rx Bar, Clif, KIND bar (love the mint chocolate!), and Perfect Bar. These bars have the ingredients and flavors that I'm looking for! My favorite clif bar flavors are mint, sierra trail mix, nut butter filled, and nuts and seeds. You guys know I love Rx Bars (#ambassador) and they have some great new flavors! My favorites are: coconut chocolate, chocolate sea salt, mint chocolate, banana nut bread, and PB&J. I kicked myself for forgetting to pack my Rx Bar individual nut butters - they're also a perfect snack for a hike!
**Rx Bar is now selling their nut butters in tubs too!
6. Trail mix We got a couple of different mixes to nibble on. The first was a sweet and spicy trail mix and the second was a concoction of unsalted mixed nuts, cocoa chips, and dried fruits that I made from the bulk section.
We went shopping for snacks once and had plenty throughout the week and on the plane home. These are pretty typical trail snacks for us because they provide variety, they're nutrient-rich, and they meet almost every flavor and texture craving. They're also easy on the stomach, so we're not getting nauseous or cramped on our hikes. What're your favorite outdoor excursion snacks?
