Bored with your current selection of hiking snacks? In this post, we’re sharing our pick of the best hiking snacks, including a delicious healthy recipe and top-notch bites that won’t weigh you down on the journey – in calories and in size.
Freeze-dried fruit
While fresh fruit is always a great option, it won’t keep through hikes that span days, and can be on the heavier side.
Freeze-dried fruit is your next best option. We enjoy the freeze-dried snack packs from Woolworths – pick from a selection of fruit including coconut, blueberries, apple, or strawberries. Checkers stock freeze-dried berry and yoghurt ‘moon melts’. If you need a sugar boost, try freeze-dried candy from Fresh Candy.
All freeze-dried goodies are lightweight – easier than lugging chunks of fruit in tupperware.
Bite-sized nut butters
Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter — pick your fave. Nut butter is an excellent choice for a hiking snack. Smack it on crackers or fruit or enjoy it on its own. Nut butters are generally packed with calories, so they pack a hefty dose of energy for the weight you’ll be carrying – which is next to nothing, if you opt for smaller sachets of nut butter, like these from Ohmega and ButtaNutt.
Make your own trail mix
Can’t find a trail mix you’re wild about? Make a jar of your own and portion into resealable bags. We recommend a mix of nuts, pretzels, seeds, raisins, cranberries, coated peanuts, corn nibs, freeze-dried fruit, etc. If you’re hiking in warmer temperatures, we’d recommend steering clear of any ingredients that could melt, such as chocolate nibs or yoghurt coated almonds.
Healthy Sivananda cookies
Made with a base of ground oats and nuts, and sweetened with sultanas and honey, Sivananda cookies are spicy, crunchy and pack a load of nutrients to power you up. Try this recipe by Casey Jade. These cookies are devilishly spicy and delicious, but keep your portion control strict – too many can have your stomach working against you on the hike.
DIY fruit leather
Do you have a dehydrator stowed away in the kitchen? Make your own fruit leather hiking snack with only a few ingredients. Puree ripe fruit with honey and a splash of lemon juice to taste. Spread the mixture evenly on dehydrator trays lined with parchment paper. Set the dehydrator to 60°C and dry for 6-8 hours, or until the fruit leather is tacky but not sticky.
