The best healthy hiking snacks

Protein bars and packaged snacks

• Larabars
• Quest Bars: be warned they will freeze in the winter and become really hard to bite into
• Clif Bars: only in a pinch. I find them really high in sugar and not the best tasting, but they are always on sale and quite filling.
• Vega Sport Protein Bars: they taste a little like a chocolate bar
• Kind Bars
• Bobo’s Oat Bars: so far I have only seen these in the US and the Cayman Islands
• Nakd Bars: I also love eating these during long runs or rides
• Whole Foods Orb Energy balls: I am addicted to these things
• Single-serving nut butter packets

Homemade Snacks

• Fruits: bananas (though they can get squished in your bag), apples, pears
• Dried fruit: dates, mango, apple
• Raw vegetables: carrots, sliced cucumber, celery, and peppers
• Roasted chickpeas: this is my go-to recipe
• Raw nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
• Homemade trail mix
• Dark chocolate: a great pick me-up when you reach the top of a mountain. I also love dark chocolate-covered espresso beans! Hello caffeine.
• Avocado: make sure to cut it in half before you leave
• Roasted sweet potato slices
• Homemade energy balls: there are tons of recipes out there but the Healthy Maven has a great round-up of recipes
• Homemade protein or granola bars: try Joyous Health’s No-Bake Chocolate Chip Protein Squares, Run to the Finish’s Applesauce Energy Balls, or In It for the Long Run’s Vegan Cookie Dough Bars
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Nut butter and banana sandwich on gluten-free bread: I like the Silver Hills chia flax bread
• Homemade gluten-free bread: try My New Roots Life-Changing Loaf of Bread, Oh She Glows Super Power Chia Bread, or Sondi Bruner’s Chickpea Socca.
• Leftovers: I wouldn’t recommend bringing curry though! I got attacked by bugs eating curry on the top of Hollyburn Mountain. I recently made this simple Tomato Basil Turkey Meatloaf and it would make a great portable meal.

Don't forget: 

• Water
• The 10 Essentials

For more hiking tips and outdoor adventure inspiration visit: http://wildcoasttales.com/