10 Best Backpacking Food In 2021

Based on the regional specialty called Dahl Baht, Backpacker's Pantry Katmandu Curry is a delicious combination of curry rice, lentils, potatoes, and freeze-dried vegetables with spices.  

Nutrition 

This Nepalese vegetarian delight is gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free. High in protein with 18 grams per serving, Kathmandu is a hearty meal to consume. The backpack food includes highly nutritious lentils and brown rice with the highest quality turmeric to support brain and joint health. Further, it includes potatoes, peas, and carrots that are freeze-dried but add flavor and color to the meal. Being so low in fat yet high in protein and high fiber, Pantry Kathmandu Curry is an optimal meal for emergencies. 

Convenience 

Weighing less than 200 grams a pack, this backpacker’s food is highly nutritious and enough to serve two people. Moreover, preparing it is one of the simplest things you can do as all you need to do is to add two cups of boiling water to it and wait for 15-20 minutes. Plus, the blend of spices makes it a delight to eat, not to mention the smell of the curry!

Packed with the goodness of a complete grain, Quaker Instant Oatmeal grabs the Editor’s Choice spot on our list for its best in class high fiber ratio that contributes to a healthy digestive system and gives the required energy for a complete day. 

Nutrition 

Perhaps, the most impressive aspect of Quaker Instant Oatmeal is the inclusion of whole grain with the kernel to create this packed meal. Such grains are rich in vitamins, minerals, and a lot of fibers. With at least 2-4 grams of fiber per 27 grams of whole grains that are included in each packet, these packs of backpacking breakfast include no artificial preservatives, gluten, and GMO, thus making them the best meals for backpacking to start the day with.

Convenience 

Coming as a combination of 32 small and easy to carry packages of 41 grams each, this super pack of backpacking meals has exciting flavors to satisfy the urge for different tastes. Further, preparing them is as easy as pie because all you need to add fluid to it and it is ready. Further, you can prepare it in your style by mixing different flavors and controlling the level of fluid, which makes your breakfast a bit more exciting.

Offering a protein-rich mix of real chicken breast, creamy cheeses, and Alfredo sauce that's served up mush-free to hit the spot, PEAK REFUEL Chicken Alfredo Pasta is the most budget-friendly option on our list that offers 2 delicious meal servings at a price that seems affordable to many. 

Nutrition

Packed with 44 grams of protein, each pack of this mouth-watering trail foods include 100% authentic chicken breasts, pasteurized milk ingredients, and a unique craft-style alfredo sauce. These ingredients are freeze-dried in one of the best facilities in the USA, to ensure the minimum loss of nutrition and taste in comparison to the original ones. Plus, the contains of each pack are certified by USDA to mark the seal on its nutrients.  

Convenience 

With a massive shelf-life of 5 years, Peak Refuel focuses on meals that don’t compromise on nutrients as all of its meals are fully prepared and cooked before they begin the freeze-drying process. Further, this food is microbe-tested to ensure the highest possible quality. When it comes to preparation, all you need to do is to add boiling water, stir, let it sit for 15 minutes, and eat as you can eat right out of the bag.

Made with 100% all-natural egg ingredients with no preservatives or chemicals, OvaEasy Dehydrated Egg Crystals gets featured on our list for its innovative freeze-drying technology that maintains the taste of whole eggs and provides high-quality protein when you are outdoors. 

Nutrition

OvaEasy Crystal Egg is a delicious, all-natural dried egg that tastes just like fresh eggs. Each pack of this backpacking breakfast weighs 4.5 Oz and is equivalent to 12 real fresh eggs. Adding on, the added eggs in the bag are non-GMO eggs, which make the final product more nutritious. Plus, you can store it for 30 months without opening it for 6 months in case you have opened it. 

Convenience

OvaEasy uses a unique method of evaporating the water, but the egg crystals remain uncooked. This leaves them with a great flavor when you rehydrate and cook them. To prepare, you should add cold water first, whisk it, let it rest a bit, and then cook it as you would regularly cook eggs. For this meal, you will need a pot or pan to cook them in. OvaEasy is an all-natural, pure whole egg and requires no refrigeration until prepared, which makes it a perfect option for satisfying egg carvings when you are out on an adventure. 

Ideal for emergency preparedness at home or a long weekend in the backcountry, the Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply kit gets featured on this list for its impressive capability of providing 3 days' worth of tasty, wholesome meals to a single person or backpacker. 

Nutrition

With 9 total pouches of delicious just-add-water breakfast, lunch, and dinner entrees, you can be ready to take on anything with this food supply kit. The backpacking meal prep includes 2 pouches of Granola with Milk & Blueberries, 1 Pouch of biscuits & gravy, 2 pouches of chicken fried rice, 2 pouches of chicken and dumplings, and 2 pouches of beef stroganoff with noodles. Depending on the type of pouch, you get 2/3rd to 1.5 cups of serving, which gives you enough energy to remain active up to the next meal. 

Convenience 

Thanks to the convenient and healthy packaging of its content, Mountain House easy backpacker meals secure their tastes for an amazing 30-years after they're made. Each of its packets needs 1.3 cups of water and takes just 9 minutes to convert them into a delicious meal whenever you need it. Moreover, these house meals are always fully cooked in a cooking pot before getting freeze-dried, which ensures original taste and nutrition once you rehydrate them.

Coming as a pack of 2 big, fluffy meal bars to provide daily values of calories, carbs, protein, sodium, fat, and fiber, Greenbelly Backpacking Meals are one of the top rated easy backpacking meals that are featured on this list as they don’t require any preparation time and give a strong and immediate energy boost, whenever needed.

Nutrition 

These meal bars from Greenbelly are lightweight, but at the same time, packed with calories. A single meal weighs just over 5oz and contains around 650 calories, which is significantly more than many other meal bars. One bag equals one serving portion and includes two bars inside to meet your daily nutritional needs such as protein, carbohydrates, fat, and electrolytes. 

Convenience 

With no cooking, no dishes, no clean-up, these meals are simple, lightweight, and easy to consume. Further, these bars are made of chunks of dried fruit and nuts mixed with fluffy crisped rice to ensure a rich taste. With all gluten-free ingredients inside, these bars use a foil bag that has an easy tear notch above a resealable zip lock to avoid any struggle between you and your meal. 

Included with flameless ration heaters to offer a 3-course meal of America's favorite comfort food, Meal Kit Supply Ready to Eat Three-Course Meal are included in this list as they take down the worry of getting several packs for entrée, side dish, and dessert, as it provides all these in one convenient package. 

Nutrition

Coming as a pack of 12, you get 12 different menus inside in each kit. Each MRE pack includes an entrée, a side dish, bread, a spread, a dessert, a drink mix with electrolytes, condiments, a spoon, and a napkin, and a flameless ration heater. The entrée options are beef ravioli, chili, spaghetti, meatballs, and oatmeal. While the side dishes options are fried-rice or hash browns, each pack weighs about 2lbs and can keep its nutrition intake for 5 years on itself. 

Convenience 

Perhaps the best thing about these backpacking dinners is the fact that they do not need any hot water. This is because each MRE comes with a flameless ration heater, which can be activated with 30ml of any water. Once activated, the heater can be wrapped around your entrée and side dish. Ten minutes later, you'll have a hot, delicious meal. Moreover, these meals come in a secure, hermetically sealed package that ensures no wildlife can be able to smell them in your backpack. 

Offering 14 great-tasting, nutritious meals, AlpineAire Foods Ready Meal Kit grabs their spot on our list for its high-quality ingredients and unique combination of ingredients to fuel your activities without much effort.  

Nutrition

With best-in-class flavors and textures, this kit comes with 14 different meals that provide 28 meals. Each of the kits includes 2 Mountain Chili, 2 Pasta Roma, 2 Santa Fe Black Beans & Rice, 2 Himalayan Lentils & Rice, 2 Sweet Potato Chicken & Rice, 2 Chicken Gumbo, and 2 Three Cheese Lasagna to give you finger licking taste and variety. Plus, each of the meals offers zero trans-fat, which makes them much more suitable for health. 

Convenience 

Except for the pasta Roma, each of these meals are completely free from gluten and takes 12-15 minutes for getting ready. For preparing them you don't even need a measuring cup as the packs come with an indicating line to guide you. Fill up to the line, wait for a few minutes and your delicious meals are ready. With 5 years of shelf-life, this kit is a pack of delight that lasts long to accompany you on many of your future adventures. 

Classic and flavorsome, Maruchan Flavor Ramen Noodles is one of the all-time favorite backpacking foods that is included in this list for offering a delicious taste of tradition with just 3 minutes of preparation time. 

Nutrition

Coming as a case that contains 24 packs of Maruchan Ramen, this backpacking food comes in all classical flavors, including chili, Chicken mushroom, lime shrimp, roast beef, pork amongst many others. One pack of Maruchan Ramen Noodle has two servings, and each serving has 190 calories. Moreover, these meals come with less sodium and include authentic ethnic flavor to retain its classic taste. 

Convenience 

These ramen noodle packs are lightweight and small, convenient to be packed and carried around. Additionally, they have a long shelf life, so you don’t have to worry about it going bad fast. To prepare it, mix with two cups of water, and while you can cook it on a stove for a couple of minutes, you can also mix these ramens with hot water in a mug. Overall, it is one of the best backpacking foods if you want something to warm you up on the trail, but also don't want to spend a lot of time making it.

A perfect solution for the Paleo diet on backpacking trips, Wild Zora Paleo Meals To Go grabs the last spot on our list for its 100% grass-fed beef and natural veggies ingredients, to offer a beef stew without disturbing your diet plan.

Nutrition 

Mountain Beef Stew by Wild Zora is a hale and hearty freeze-dried meal to keep your hunger at bay and offers 37 grams of protein and 410 calories to keep you going on an active day. Along with beef, this pack includes carrots, kale, and mushroom and excludes gluten, grain, nuts, milk, or added sugar. Plus, the pack has a shelf life of 36 months in its sealed packaging after the date of manufacture.

Convenience 

Whether you’re backpacking in the great outdoors, globetrotting abroad, or are just pressed for time and need a quick fix, dive into a bowl of delicious Paleo stew. It needs no preparation or dishes and creates no mess. Featuring a reseal mechanism on the pack itself, all you need to do is to open the bag, add 1.5 cups of water, seal it for 5-15 minutes, stir it and eat directly from the pack. No doubt, this is one of the most delicious, nutritious, healthy, and conveniently packed backpacking meals to go for.