Knowing the best food to take on an overnight or multi-day hike isn’t always straightforward, and hiking food isn’t necessarily the same as what you’d pack for camping or eat in your daily life.

Deciding on meals can be challenging, especially if you aim to pack sufficient (and tasty) lightweight food. We’ve tried many types of meals and dehydrated options and know there’s nothing like an exhausting day on the trails when you just want something nutritious and delicious.

Hiking is the time your body needs good food. You’re burning many calories (around 550 per hour).

Let’s start by focusing on one of the main meals that can be really easy to prepare and can provide most of your energy for the day.

We’ve curated a list of hiking foods so you can spend less time planning and more time in nature.

Hearty oats are a perfect option for breakfast, but who likes just the plain, boring sachets? Nobody.

Why Oats?

It’s hearty, nutritious, fills you up, can compact down easily, and can be made into something extra special. Plus, it’s quick and easy with “just add boiling water, sit, and stir.”

Make it Delicious
More often than not, we at Women Want Adventure find ourselves making everything special. We’re not fans of bland, so adding in cinnamon, chia seeds, protein powder, dried apples, hemp seeds, or goji berries makes a huge difference to this meal. The trick is to pre-prepare at home in zip-lock or eco-friendly pouches. See the recipe below and adjust to your nuts/seed preference.

Best Oat Breakfast Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder (we use a plant-based version and find you don’t need to add any dried milk powders if you do this)
- 1 teaspoon goji berries
- 2 dried apples (cut into small cubes)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together into a Zip-lock bag. Consider your favorite topping you might like at home and use the above as a guideline. You could swap in dried mango or strawberries.

Tip: Chia seeds are an amazing source of fiber, protein, and fat. You can soak your oats overnight to make a bircher-style breakfast, otherwise, fire up the Jet Boil and let your oats sit for a few minutes so everything soaks in and the chia seeds expand. Did you know, the K-Mart Campmaster Cooker is really, just as good for boiling water. Might take a minute longer but it's a lot cheaper. 

Prepare!

Before you set out on the trail, prepare everything at home. Most of us will have one breakfast meal a day, and you can adjust the quantities at home. If you’re going on a long multi-day hike, it’s often best to prepare an emergency breakfast meal (a sachet of oats) as you may get delayed a day by weather or get really hungry!

What Will Last?

Dehydrated fruit is best for breakfast, especially if your hike is multi-day. You might consider bringing some fresh blueberries with you for an overnight hike as your pack can provide much more space. Try apples, apricots, strawberries, and bananas (anything that holds its shape) to give your oatmeal more texture.

Do I Use Powdered Milk?

If you’re using protein powder (trust us, this really fills you up and makes the oats creamy), then you don’t need powdered milk. However, powdered milks such as coconut, soy, and dairy can all be found at a good Asian grocery store. Sometimes you need to ask to find the soy as the packaging can be a little tricky to read. Powdered milk can be great to bring with you for hot chocolates and coffee/tea, etc. It’s high in calories and protein and a good energy boost.

How Do I Dehydrate?

Two options here. You can purchase dehydrated fruit in most supermarkets, but if you have a dehydrator at home - what a treat! You can dehydrate and bring along fruit, veggies, and proteins, and it will weigh almost nothing at all. A great brand we love is Strive Meals. They are an Australian Tasmanian company, and their meals are the easiest and most nutritious. If traveling overseas with these, check country requirements. Places like New Zealand will not allow you to bring in the chicken or beef meals.

Great Places to Eat Your Oats!

View all women's overnight hikes here