If you aren't too worried about the minor added weight. And you keep them near the top of the pack, small apples are pretty durable if you are going to eat them in a day or two.
Maybe some of the all natural style crackers in case you want something crunchy? I buy Tosh brand and their whole grain crackers are good enough to eat plain. And if you want something to replenish your sodium in very hot weather Saladitos (dried salted plums) are great if you can find them and have enough water to stay hydrated - Used to spend entire days in the desert with a bag of those and a few canteens of water.
And if you havent thought of it make sure everything is sealed up if you're going to be near wildlife and keep food well away from where you sleep if you're in bear country.
This is my usual backpacking food list. I know most of these are heavily processed but I'm sure whole foods and trader Joe's probably have like healthy versions of some of them if you have those near you.
Protein balls are quite a good one. You can skip adding the protein powder if you like, then it’s basically just Oates, honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips. There’s plenty of variations if you search for recipes. But I throw them in my backpack at work and they keep fine (I’d probably keep them in in a fridge as long as possible, but once they’re out they’ll keep a day or so without being chilled)
If your objective is to avoid expensive, processed, wastefully packaged backpacking meals, you can get bulk dehydrated vegetables, seasonings, TVP granules, and easy to rehydrate grains (parboiled rice, red lentils, quick oats, quinoa) or pasta (fine couscous, ramen, rice noodles, soba, angel hair pasta), and pre-prep backpacking meals. This list has some useful ideas.
Some of my faves if Im not too worried about weight:
pre-freeze hummus servings, so it stays good for later when it thaws. Eat with hard cheese, carrots, bread/pita
Apples and oranges are both great backpack fruits.
Homemade muffins, loaded with fruit, nuts, whole wheat flour, etc. Make them smaller and denser, and i feel like they're a bit more durable.
Energy balls: make from unsweetened PB, oats, dates, cocoa, and unsweetened (or v. High%) chocolate if lower refined sugars is something you're looking for.
homemade granola using egg whites instead of sugar to achieve crisp is another way to reduce refined sugars and increase protein.
Oats + nut butter and whatever else to cook up at breakfast
On longer trips and where weight matters, Ive dehydrated my own meals + premixed biscuit/bannock dry ingredients to hydrate and cook on-site. Dehydrators arent expensive, but in a pinch, Ive had success with a box-fan laid sideways blowing upward with parchment paper attched on top (so long as the room isnt humid).
Is this an overnight or a day trip? Also are you going to be cooking or is this more of snacks to be eaten all day?
For day trips there are tons of good options:
Hard cheeses - i.e. a block of cheddar
Chocolate bars - Tony Chocolatony bars are extremely thick and durable in that regard
Sliced carrot - not calorie dense but sometimes it's nice to get a little freshness
Tinned fish - sardines, salmon, tuna, it's really your choice. They are packed with fats too which is great for longer trips. Check out some of the fancy new brands like Fish Wife if it's not usually your cup of tea.
For longer trips the world is your oyster:
Frozen steak - The most impressive backpacking meal I've ever had was when a friend of mine chucked a few frozen steaks in his pack. When we arrived at the campsite for the evening the steaks had just about thawed out and we ate like kings.
Pasta - As mentioned before you can get really creative with pasta in the backcountry.
Lentils/ Dehydrated Soups - You can't really mess them up, easy meal.
Here, stores commonly sell thin bierwurst as snacks. These are hard, meaty, dry sausages that can be stored for weeks in room temperature, low in carbs but high in calories, comparable to a chocolate bar per unit of weight. I bring these everywhere I suspect I will need a refill of energy. Any dried meat would probably have similar properties.
Another staple for me has been peanut butter and bread.
I would say unpeeled hard boiled eggs will last a day in room temperature, but you have to be careful not to crack them or they'll probably go bad quickly. You can get plastic egg boxes that'll keep them intact in a backpack. I did some light research to make sure this is fine and not just luck on my part, and there is a Swedish study that suggested that they'll normally last for seven days unpeeled. A lot of sources say two hours, but it's left unspecified if they concern peeled or unpeeled eggs.
Pickled vegetables are stored at room temperature in stores here and will last long. Sauerkraut and pickled cucumber are favorites. Will typically go bad a lot quicker after you open and reseal them though but a day is fine.
Just plain peanuts are an excellent source of energy. A lot of nuts and legumes will be good.
Fill a PET bottle with water and freeze it. It's both your drinking water and an ice pack (so you can bring fresh food and keep it fresh).
A world of possibilities open up if you have the means to cook things. I have a small camping stove like this. You can keep things like fresh meats and vegetables in a backpack for a day with an ice pack or two to keep it cool and then cook it on the stove. It's great for canned foods as well, which can be stored without ice packs, but I guess that'll usually be heavily processed.
https://theprepared.com/survival-skills/guides/hardtack/ is "How to make, store, and eat hardtack." I haven't tried making hardtack yet but intend to. I suspect my ancestors who survived civil war battles ate hardtack and were happy to get it.
There’s lots of good suggestions here but my answer changes based on what kind of traveling you are doing.
If I’m doing backcountry miles and real elevation/difficult terrain, I need lots of carbs for the day, lots of protein and whole grains at night. So fig newtons, granola, i also eat gummy bears, oreos, sliced apples and peanut butter (keep a couple days in a tupperware), candied ginger, dried banana and mango, for the day. Steaks and parboiled brown rice first night, dehydrated veggies and meats for subsequent nights, oatmeal with maple syrup and cinnamon for breakfast. Cook with KCl (nosalt brand salt substitute-for added potassium).
If I’m rolling around the countryside by baranesa, train, Some foot, then I’m eating most of the suggestions here plus local snacks I pick up along the way.
I enjoy dehydrating my meat and fruit, some veggies as well. I dont personally hike, but dehydrating takes a ton of weight out and leaves you with lots of the good stuff.
I just use my air fryer and if I want some spices I'll google whatever I'm in the mood for
If you aren't too worried about the minor added weight. And you keep them near the top of the pack, small apples are pretty durable if you are going to eat them in a day or two.
Nuts and I've never made it or had it before, but pectin is a backpacking favorite
Maybe some of the all natural style crackers in case you want something crunchy? I buy Tosh brand and their whole grain crackers are good enough to eat plain. And if you want something to replenish your sodium in very hot weather Saladitos (dried salted plums) are great if you can find them and have enough water to stay hydrated - Used to spend entire days in the desert with a bag of those and a few canteens of water.
And if you havent thought of it make sure everything is sealed up if you're going to be near wildlife and keep food well away from where you sleep if you're in bear country.
This is my usual backpacking food list. I know most of these are heavily processed but I'm sure whole foods and trader Joe's probably have like healthy versions of some of them if you have those near you.
Tuna packets
Beef Jerky
SPAM
Peanut butter
Ramen
Summer sausage
Oatmeal
Tortillas
Fig Newtons
Clif Bars
Instant mashed potatoes
Instant stuffing
Raisins/craisins
Other dried fruits
Nuts! honestly, grab yourself a small pot of nuts and throw it in your backpack, you'll never go wrong with them.
Unless you're allergic. Then probably don't do that.
I'm a fan of nuts and dried fruit especially dates, peanut butter packets (those Justin's PB Nutella ones are dangerous), and stroopwaffles.
I've also done some hard cheese and a Columbus salami. It was good after 2 days in my pack.
On my next outing I'm going to try "butthole sandwiches" bagels, peanut butter and bacon.
Protein balls are quite a good one. You can skip adding the protein powder if you like, then it’s basically just Oates, honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips. There’s plenty of variations if you search for recipes. But I throw them in my backpack at work and they keep fine (I’d probably keep them in in a fridge as long as possible, but once they’re out they’ll keep a day or so without being chilled)
I know I'm not a fussy coffee drinker, but Café Bustelo makes an instant espresso-style coffee that's my go-to for travel, backpacking, and emergency supplies.
If your objective is to avoid expensive, processed, wastefully packaged backpacking meals, you can get bulk dehydrated vegetables, seasonings, TVP granules, and easy to rehydrate grains (parboiled rice, red lentils, quick oats, quinoa) or pasta (fine couscous, ramen, rice noodles, soba, angel hair pasta), and pre-prep backpacking meals. This list has some useful ideas.
Some of my faves if Im not too worried about weight:
On longer trips and where weight matters, Ive dehydrated my own meals + premixed biscuit/bannock dry ingredients to hydrate and cook on-site. Dehydrators arent expensive, but in a pinch, Ive had success with a box-fan laid sideways blowing upward with parchment paper attched on top (so long as the room isnt humid).
Is this an overnight or a day trip? Also are you going to be cooking or is this more of snacks to be eaten all day?
For day trips there are tons of good options:
For longer trips the world is your oyster:
A world of possibilities open up if you have the means to cook things. I have a small camping stove like this. You can keep things like fresh meats and vegetables in a backpack for a day with an ice pack or two to keep it cool and then cook it on the stove. It's great for canned foods as well, which can be stored without ice packs, but I guess that'll usually be heavily processed.
https://theprepared.com/survival-skills/guides/hardtack/ is "How to make, store, and eat hardtack." I haven't tried making hardtack yet but intend to. I suspect my ancestors who survived civil war battles ate hardtack and were happy to get it.
There’s lots of good suggestions here but my answer changes based on what kind of traveling you are doing.
If I’m doing backcountry miles and real elevation/difficult terrain, I need lots of carbs for the day, lots of protein and whole grains at night. So fig newtons, granola, i also eat gummy bears, oreos, sliced apples and peanut butter (keep a couple days in a tupperware), candied ginger, dried banana and mango, for the day. Steaks and parboiled brown rice first night, dehydrated veggies and meats for subsequent nights, oatmeal with maple syrup and cinnamon for breakfast. Cook with KCl (nosalt brand salt substitute-for added potassium).
If I’m rolling around the countryside by baranesa, train, Some foot, then I’m eating most of the suggestions here plus local snacks I pick up along the way.
I enjoy dehydrating my meat and fruit, some veggies as well. I dont personally hike, but dehydrating takes a ton of weight out and leaves you with lots of the good stuff.
I just use my air fryer and if I want some spices I'll google whatever I'm in the mood for
Freeze dried food tends to have nearly zero preservatives, just add hot water.