I know this post is maybe a bit off topic, but I’m off on a 2 week long-distance hiking trip in Portugal and have spent some time looking for healthy foods that I could take with me. I thought I’d share what I’ve found as it could come in handy for those of you trying to follow a paleo template as recommended in my protocols.

These are good options for healthy snacks on the go as well, not just for hiking and camping.

I love hiking. It is the only time I feel I can fully switch off from all stresses and problems and reconnect with nature. However, it is much harder when trying to recover from chronic illness with a diet and lifestyle approach. But I chose to not let this ruin hiking for me.

Hiking is strenuous and therefore it is important to have nutritious foods on hand. Unfortunately, standard hiking food does not offer much in terms of nutrient density.

With the paleo diet becoming more mainstream luckily it is now easier to buy a range of snacks to take for hiking trips. The raw vegan movement has also contributed to a rise in available healthy snacks.

These foods are also great ideas for snacks in general or for any kind of camping trip.

 

Jerky

This is probably one of the most obvious ones. It is light and packs a ton of protein. There’s different brands of grass-fed and all-natural beef jerky available in the UK and other countries. My favourite is probably Mr.T’s jerky, made in Northumberland. Naked Ape Biltong is also great. Both are available here.

Date and Nut Bars

There’s a lot of these around now. The cheapest ones are Nakd bars, available in all major supermarkets (my absolute favourite is bakewell tart!). These are not organic though. I absolutely love The Primal Pantry bars, though these are pricier. I also love Fossil Fuel and Raw Bites. They are all available here. Roobar is another good one.

Protein Bars

Protein bars are a good idea for hiking as they will probably keep you full for longer. I love the Bulletproof Collagen Bar with cashews, grass-fed collagen and MCT oil available here. I’ve also recently gotten into insects as a source for protein. There are three brands of insect flour bars with dates and cashews available in the UK: Bodhi Bar, Zoic and Crobar. All three are available here.

Coconut Chips

There’s a variety of flavoured coconut chips available such as Inspiral coconut pecks and Ape coconut curls (available here). Or you could just buy plain coconut chips, which are available in bulk here . They also do coconut smiles (coconut slices).

Paleo Wraps

I’ve found two brands of wraps that are paleo. The first one is paleo wraps available in plain and turmeric and then there are WrawP raw vegetable wraps in different flavours. Both don’t come cheap but are light and very handy. You can buy them here.

Fruit and Vegetable Crisps

There’s different varieties of pure fruit or vegetable crisps available. You can even find them in some supermarkets such as Tesco and Morrisons.

Dried Vegetables

Since it’s difficult and heavy taking fresh vegetables on a hiking trip it is a good idea to take some dried vegetables. These can be rehydrated and used for cooking.

Trail mix

This is another obvious one. Make your own trail mix from dried fruits and nuts or just buy it. Or just take plain nuts.

Tinned fish

Although this is a bit on the heavier side, it’s great for getting some oily fish in the diet and it also doesn’t take much prep. I love sardines.

Crackling

For a source of fat you can take some crackling. These are yummy and satisfying, plus they’re light! Both Wildings Peking Duck Crackling and Awfully Posh Pork Crackling come without any nasties and are avalailable online or at Waitrose.

Raw Crackers

There’s several brands of raw crackers available now at different retailers online and in health food shops.

Traditionally Cured Sausage

Traditionally cured artisan sausage such as salami normally have no added ingredients apart from meat and spices. They are also shelf-stable for many weeks.

Olives

Some supermarkets sell small packs of olives without brine, although these usually contain some preservatives.

Tigernuts

If you don’t do well on nuts tigernuts are a great option. They are little tubers that are high in nutrients and fibre. They are not nuts but taste very similar to almonds. Ground tigernuts can be used to make paleo porridge.

Nutritious Powders

For added nutrients you could take green powders, powdered berries or spice blends. Collagen powder is also a great idea. Available at most healthfood shops and online retailers.

Dried Coconut Milk

If you want to drink tea or turmeric latte on the go this is a great idea. It could also be used to make porridge or curry on the camping stove. It is available at Amazon.

Dried Seaweed

Dried seaweed is nutritious and very light. Sushi nori sheets could also be used as wraps. Available at Waitrose and most healthfood shops.

Cauliflower Rice

Cauli rice comes ready to eat and is available at most supermarkets and online. The packages are not light though.

 

So this is quite an extensive list that should keep most hikers fed! Additionally there’s the option of drying prepared meals.

Happy Hiking!

Is there anything I have left out? Please let me know in the comments!




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NB. I am not affiliated with any of these sellers and this post does not contain affiliate links.