Spring is here and so is the beautiful weather. It’s time to pull out the camping gear and get ready for the next backpacking trip. For a few years now I’ve always managed to overload myself with extra items I didn’t need. Mainly it was food. I eat a very strict paleo diet so buying a lot of dried packages of food with tons of sugar and preservatives is something I never do. I was able to do some research and found some great ways to keep your backpack light and still have delicious paleo meals to eat while you are on your hike.

Protein

Jerky: This is the number one protein packed food I like to bring with me. It’s filling, light, and won’t go bad for a long time. You can purchase jerky online or at your local Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or other high end grocery stores. I like ordering Clean Jerky from Amazon because of the convenience. Clean Jerky is a great brand of grassfed jerky that only contains beef, salt, pepper, lemon peel, and garlic. If you have a food dehydrator you can also make your own which I usually prefer doing.

Fish: You can either dehydrate your own or buy packets of tuna. Starkist is a good brand because it only contains olive oil, salt, and tuna.

Nuts: You can buy nuts at just about any grocery store. These make a great snack on the trail. Just try to stick to about 1/4 of a cup a day.

Vegetables: Mother Earth sells dehydrated vegetables. You can either buy the vegetable soup mixture or just buy each vegetable separately to make your own dried veggie trail mix or soup. Vegetables are just as important as your protein intake so don’t skimp on these!

Kale Chips: You can either make these at home or buy them at your local grocery store or Trader Joes. I like to make mine because then I can buy organic Kale. Here is a simple recipe if you’d like to try making your own. http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/01/recipe-kale-chips.html

Starches: You can always bring instant mashed potatos or rice to cook. I have a hard time digesting starches so I usually steer clear of these and just eat more fruit. However if you would like to try out some instant mashed potatoes try this brand at whole foods. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039KERRK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0039KERRK&linkCode=as2&tag=megustmant0a-20

Fruit and sweets

Dried Fruit: Either dehydrate your own or you can buy paleo dried fruit on Amazon or at Trader joes. The best part about bringing dried fruit is that you can rehydrate it very easily. Just bring a water bottle with a wide mouth peice. Dump your bag of dried fruit in the bottle and fill it with water. Let it hang from your pack for about 20-30 minutes and you will then have a delicious fruit smoothie to drink!

Hot Chocolate: Here is a great recipe to make your own hot chocolate packets.

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 cup of cocoa powder

1/2 coconut milk powder

Grind all of these ingredients together using a food processor and save in a glass jar. Use about two tablespoons of cocoa mixture per 8oz of water. Take a small airtight bag with you on your next adventure.

Lara Bars: These are my favorite on the go snack! They are about a $1.50 per bar at the grocery store. They pack a serious punch of healthy sugars and fats to keep your energy going on the trail.

Water

Don’t skimp on water. The best way to travel light is to bring a bladder filled with water as well as a water filter. That way you can just keep refilling your water as you hike.

I hope these tips will help you on your next backpacking adventure. Let me know if you have any other paleo food suggestions!