Backpacker’s Guide To Local Cuisine

By | August 4, 2025

Backpacker’s Guide To Local Cuisine – We’re here to help with the best knowledge and ideas available on healthy, nutritious foods. This article will cover the amount of food you should bring, where to get it, and basic nutrition concepts. We will talk about different types of food; Low Carb, Omnivore, Gluten Free, Veggie, Vegan and Keto. Where you can find natural fats, proteins and micronutrients. And ultimately we can save you tons of food in the process. Let’s dig!

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Backpacker’s Guide To Local Cuisine

This is a complete introduction to backpacking food. We cover every important aspect of food packing and hiking so you have all the information you need to plan your backpacking meals like a pro. Below is a list of the major topics covered. Feel free to jump to your favorite or read the article directly for more information on backpacking.

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No one wants to go hungry on the road, so backpackers tend to eat a lot. Here are a few tips on how to lose weight and not be hungry:

3000 calories / 1.5 lb per day | All our years guiding different clients we have come to the conclusion that around 3,000 calories/day is the sweet spot for most hikers. And if you pack the right food this should be about 1.5 lb/day for a normal diet (1.2 lb/day for a “low carb” diet). Of course, this will vary based on individual factors and what comes up along the way, but this is a good starting point.

Pack calorie-dense foods | Many sources will tell you to bring in 2 lbs of food per day, but why is that? Foods that don’t have enough calories per ounce are often to blame. Spoiler alert but most high carb foods are low in calories per ounce. If you pack items that average at least 125 calories per ounce (for example, high-calorie foods like nuts), you’ll be able to reduce your daily intake to 1.5 lbs or less and still hit 3,000 calories. / sun sign. In a 7-day trip your pack has been reduced by 5 lbs.

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Pack Compact (low volume) Food | Food combinations are also much smaller – when you ditch the bag of Fritos for a bag of cashews, you can fit more food into less space. This means more time on the road with less equipment, and this is also very practical when you put everything in a bear canister – and the number of gardens that need holes for the bear goes up every year!

Set it up and Rate it | We lay out our gear before putting it in our bag, and food should be no different. A standard kitchen scale (we love that it’s reusable) is a useful tool for dividing the cost of many foods and measuring the weight of other components. For a final check, use a hanging luggage scale to weigh your food bag or canister before you leave. If you’re going out for the weekend, you should be under the 5 lb mark. If you go out for a week, you should have just over 10 lbs. Any more than that and you’re probably overstuffed.

When you lay out your meals it helps to put each day’s meals in their order – that is, on a 7 day trip you will have 7 rows each with breakfast, lunch morning and evening. This makes it very easy to check if you have the right food, not only for the whole trip, but also for each day.

Low carb is the way to go on the road (and possibly for your health). Every year there is more information that replacing carbs with natural fats makes for better nutrition. Especially on the road and when participating in endurance activities. Cutting carbs reduces the risks of diabetes and gives your mind and body the nutrients they need to maintain peak performance – and there are other health benefits. Finally, it is much lighter than traditional backpacking food for the same calories.

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1.2 lb of Low Carb backpacking food = 3,000 calories – Amazing, right?! That’s about 1/2 the 2 lb per day most hikers gain. It is nutritious and provides the same amount of calories. Go ahead and check out our List of Low Carb backpacking meals | 3 Day.

Although there is no clear definition of a “low carb diet,” most definitions of a low carb diet are under 150g net carbs/day for the 3,000 cal/day we suggest walk (~20% of calories). But it’s up to each walker to create their own meal plan – some may choose to eat moderate carb or full carb.

The three main challenges for a trail diet are: a) getting enough protein, b) carrying natural fat, c) while maintaining sufficient carbohydrates.

Here we give you some of the best foods to do this while still being delicious and satisfying. And we have offerings for every diet from omnivore, to vegan, to keto. And they are easy to buy. Most of these can be purchased at your local grocery store, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or health food store.

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Control your pack with the following high-calorie foods and you’re guaranteed to lose a lot of weight.

Natural Nuts | I am the poster child for low carb and low fat diets. Nuts are high in natural fat, high in calories, low in carbohydrates, add protein and take up little packet space. Plus, they (allergies aside) are perfect for all backpacking diets from omnivore, to gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and keto. Our favorite is Costco’s lightly salted mix of macadamias, pecans, cashews and almonds. But take any nuts you like, mixed or individual, salted or unsalted.

Nut Butters Unsweetened Nut Butters Whole Natural Nuts are the best but nut butters (Kirkland Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods 365) are still good. You can pile them on top of crackers, eat them plain by the spoonful, or add them to dinner to add more calories and flavor. Bring a few bottles on every trip!

Yes, there needs to be happiness along the way and for many people dark chocolate may be the highlight of the day.

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If it is more than 90%, chocolate is food! Very Dark Chocolate is compatible with all foods that are high in calories and satiety. One of our favorites is GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate 92% which is simply delicious. Le Taza Chocolate Organic Amaze Bar 95% Stone Ground, Wicked Dark. And if you need it a little sweeter Lindt Excellence Bar, 90% Cocoa Supreme Dark Chocolate.

Unsweetened dried mango or other dried fruit add sweetness and flavor to extra dark or 100% chocolate. Or use Freeze Dried Strawberries to sweeten breakfast without using sugar. Dried fruits are good for dessert or lunch. Note that dried fruits should be used wisely as they are low in calories and low in sugar.

Rawmio Vegan Hazelnut Spread – clocking in at just over 160 cal/oz this delicious spread has ⅓ the carbs of regular Nutella. Doubles as a bar or dessert.

Duke’s Original Sausages High in fat (150 cal/oz!), protein, and less than 1 g of sugar, these delicious sausages are the food of a carnivore’s dream. Or try dry salami from the store. Try to get it with 110 cal/oz or more, and no added sugar.

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Snake River Farms American Wagyu Beef Jerky is a clear Beef Jerky winner. Its high calorie density (130 cal/oz) blows away the competition’s 70-90 cal/oz range. It’s delicious and only has 2g of sugar.  It can be purchased at COSTCO for $15 per bag!

But in general, Meat Jerkies are a great source of protein. We choose lean, natural meats with little or no added sugar. Two other favorites are People’s Choice Beef Jerky – Old Fashioned – Original | sugar free, zero carb, gluten free, and keto friendly. And if you’re looking for grass-fed jerky, we love 365 Grass-Fed Beef Jerky Very healthy, grass-fed fat profile, 11g protein and delicious at a reasonable price. On the other hand it’s a bit heavy (80 cal/oz) and contains 5g of sugar – but used in moderation this shouldn’t be an issue, even on a keto diet. Even for a sugar-free experiment Made by a Real Smokehouse Biltong Slab – Grass Fed Beef Whole Jerky Slab altho it’s admittedly expensive!

Tuna in Olive Oil is great for lunch, a snack or to add to dinner. Not the highest in calories but good for variety.

Moon Cheese and similar ParmCrips are high in calories at 170 cal/oz and provide 11-12 g of protein. This is 100% sweet cheese

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