Words by Shaleen Humphreys
Whether trekking the North Coast Trail in British Columbia or just taking a walk in a local park with your family, the best thing about hiking is the trail snacks! Here are some ideas the next time you strap on your pack.
Granola Bars
Portable and individually packaged, granola bars are the ultimate trail snack. Whether you enjoy nuts, chocolate, seeds, or fruit, there are hundreds of varieties to choose from! They also provide much-needed carbs and protein while on the trail and are hearty enough to help keep your blood sugars stable between meals. Remember to leave no trace and carry the wrappers out with you.
A big thank you to CLIF Bar for sponsoring the Adventure Team and meeting our trail snacking needs!
Dehydrated or freeze-dried fruits
Carrying fresh fruit on long treks takes up valuable pack space and can add unnecessary weight! A good option is dehydrated or freeze-dried fruits. These tend to be a bit higher in carbohydrates than fresh fruit, but you will be burning so many carbs on the trail that you likely won’t even notice an impact on your blood sugars!
Briden Solutions provided us with delicious freeze-dried peaches, apricots, bananas, pineapples, and berries which kept us fuelled and only weighed a fraction of what the equivalent amount of fresh fruit would have weighed!
Trail mix
Trail mix is fun because it is 100% customizable! You can purchase mixed bags, or pick and choose your favourite nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or candy to make the ultimate trail snack mix. I recommend a sweet and salty mix that includes peanuts, pretzels, and chocolate!
Sport gels
I tried sports gels for the first time on the North Coast Trail and found them to be an excellent portable source of carbohydrates and caffeine to fuel my body between meals. They come in many different flavours and from many different brands, but I recommend any of the chocolate, coffee, or vanilla flavoured ones (they taste like cupcake icing!).
Avocados
Of all of the fruits you could choose to pack, avocados are the best choice. They are tough enough to handle riding in your pack and are chock-full of nutrients. Just be sure to choose avocados that are close to being ripe (otherwise, you may end up carrying out just as many as you packed in!). Another great alternative would be packets of guacamole.
Shaleen Humphreys just recently returned to Ottawa after hiking the North Coast Trail with the CIM Adventure Team. Shaleen has been living with diabetes for just over one year. A self-proclaimed foodie, she spends her time cooking, blogging, and exploring the great outdoors with her Bernese mountain dog.
Instagram: shump059
Twitter: @YepIcanEatThat
Personal blog: Yep, I can eat that – yepicaneatthat.wordpress.com
